Digging Deep and Staying Strong

Dear Family,

This week was a week of a lot of stress for me, to be honest with you guys, and then I felt even worse because I know when we stress its not showing our faith, so it was a battle for me and I will still continue to fight it and hope and pray for the best, cause things have not changed yet with our new curfew, we will still be entering at 6 every night, so we are trying our best to get what we can during the day! It just doesn`t seem to work a whole ton. What makes it even harder is trying to get the District more excited and not stressed and help them as well, but I know that with a lot of prayers and fasting it will soon change!! So I will never give up hope and I know its only for our good and this will only make us stronger and better instruments in the hands of the Lord! 

We had people at church even with that problem which was truly a miracle because most of them it was their first time at church which always is the hardest, to get them to go the first time!! So I am grateful the blessings I am recieving and the challenge the Lord has placed in our path, it will help us in the long run!! 

On a positive note, we did get to see 2 baptisms take place this past weekend! Which was so great, and we got people to come to it. It was really great to see them in the waters!! They are awesome, and it was such a blessing and a honor to baptize Cristina! She was so excited and was so happy she couldn`t stop smiling, it was truly great!! 

I am so thankful for my time out here and the great people I am meeting!!! 

Thanks for all your love and support from Utah, I can feel it and I appreciate it so much!!

Well mother I love you to the moon and back and then some, I also love you all, and hope you have a great week to come!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

A few weeks ago we enjoyed a meal at a restaurant and were able to take in the view from a look out point next door

Crazy busy week ~ but loving it

Dear Family,

Well this week, wow!! It went by way to freaking fast!! I literally can`t believe that I am already writing you guys again!! Time seriously just gets away from me, and then here I am writing another email home! 

This week was good, I got the opportunity to do baptism interviews and it was freaking sweet!! I am so proud of the missionaries in this District! They are working so hard and we should have three baptisms como distrcto!! Which is so Awesome!! It is really crazy too, one the ladies asked me to baptize her!!!! So I feel really honored that she asked me to do, I have only gotten to talk with her maybe three times at the most!!!!!! So for her to ask me ~ I was mind blown!! So I am really looking forward to that coming up! 

This week Elder Mansila y Yo estuvimos corriendo, por todos los parts, between meeting and helping people and doing interviews and also, Elder Mansilla was in this zone over a year ago, and one of the families in that area that he served got married this past weekend and then they will be getting baptized this coming weekend!! So they asked if he could come to the wedding so we went over there and had a great time!! So we were running all over the place!! It was good though, I really like staying busy it helps me work harder and I find that I do a better job at things when I am under pressure I am more stressed of course but I feel I do better!!

Well just please pass the following on to the BL Soccer Team that I hope they have started conditioning and cheer loud for them for me this coming spring season!!! I hope they have a great turn out and do great!! 

Sorry this letter isn`t the most exciting!! I hope you all have great week. 

Mother, I love you to the moon and back and then some!!! I love you all!!! 

Keep reading the Book of Mormon also!!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow  

WOW

Dear Family,

So the reason for the strange heading is the miracles that I got to see take place this past week!! We put in place some crazy goals this past week and our President also put some high goals for us to look to and strive to achieve them!

One of the goals was that we could get 20 referncias and set dates to go back and teach them in one day! I had interchanges with the zone leaderes that day and we got 22!!! We killed it that day and we also found 7 new people to teach as well that day!! I am really grateful for my calling here, it has opened the door for me to work with some amazing elderes and truly pushed me in so many ways and I have felt I have grown so much in these past months from it! We also had a goal of setting 7 baptismal dates as well. We got 9 in one week!!! That is freaking awesome, and got a family of  5 and a family of 3! So we are trying so hard to get these families in the baptism font! I really think they will get there the family of five went to church again with us yesterday even!! It truly was great!! They have a date for the 14 of next month I am not sure if I will be here to see it through but I am glad I get to at least help them in the process!! They are so awesome!! 

Elder Mansilla is awesome and we are working so hard!! He is a great elder, most of all I love that we can joke around and have fun but at the same time we can work hard and get things done!! We are doing great here and wow! 

Time sure has flown by, if any of you happened to pass Shon`s grave this week, cause it will mark his one year mark, maybe say a prayer for me or put some floweres down there for me if you would! Thank you all so much!! 

I know that this gospel is true and the Lord will help us, if we have the faith to do it!! Just like it says in Eter 12:12. 

I love you mother to the moon and back and then some!! Have a great week and everyone I love you all to don`t worry;  not just mother!!! 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow 

I am trying to loose some weight and now that dad sent me the picture of Colorado I can see I have so far to go!! A lot farther then I thought! 

Boy do they feed me good here(;    FATTY I am(;

Hey mom; my debit card doesn't work!  Think you could get one in the mail today or tomorrow so hopefully I can have it for next transfers?  

WHAT?!?!!  I checked with the credit union months ago and they assured me it was all taken care of! GRRR  Yep, a package is going in the mail in the AM.  Everyone say a prayer that his card makes it to him!  Please and thank you.

Hey Wes have you thought about your plans when you come home?  Mom and I just want you to know we are here to support you with any and all your plans. and if you haven't thought about it that is OK ~ just wanted to open the dialogue.

Dad...to be honest with you, that is one subject I try and not think too much about cause honestly, it freaks me out to the max! Like I have no idea what I am suppose to do with my life, I mean I am 20 years old I have to get it going, but I don`t know what I should do, or even where to begin....so I don`t know.....thank you so much for the help though dad, I really to appreciate it!

Turning 20

Querido Familia,

       This week was a good week, we worked hard and were able to get two different couples in the church with us this week!! They had never been to the church either, which was freaking awesome!!!! They liked it a lot and we have appointments to go back and visit and they said they were going to try so hard to come next week as well with us!! 

Elder Mansilla and I have a goal to baptize a couple, so we have been trying so hard to find and visit couples that are just starting theirs families, so it's good right now we have three couples who are progressing!!

        With my birthday this last weekend, there is a family here who is awesome who I have grown to love and work with a lot!! They are members, and they threw me a little birthday party for lunch! We couldn`t do it at night because it was fast Sunday the next day, so we had to do it before we started our fast!! It was so nice of them and it was great!! They decorated their house and made hamburgers and french fries and even got me a cake!! It was truly a blessing!! I will send pictures ~ don`t you worry mother!! 

We also got to do service that morning for a university and we just did yard work but it was cool and it was cool to see some kids practicing soccer!!(;

It is so crazy to think though that we are now in Febrero!! That just blows my mind I swear just yesterday we were all talking on Skype!! Time is sure flying by!! 

Mother I love ya to the moon and back and then some, I love you all and hope you all have a great week, and never never let your praying knees get lazy!! 

There is a great talk in the Liahona this month, about Testimony and Conversion its like page 13, I believe. if you guys get the chance you should so read it!!! It is great!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

I was able to chat for a few minutes with the birthday boy and asked that he thank the family for me for celebrating and taking such great care of my boy.  Wes said he would and that I just might be able to thank them myself.  They have family here and are hoping to maybe take a trip in the summer.  That would be amazing!