January 28 2014 "I Am Ready and Excited For Change"

Well we just found out about all the changes that are going to be

happening in our zone for transfers, it is tomorrow. My companion
Elder Wardle is leaving as well as almost half of the zone. So with
the change I will be taking over the zone with a number of new
missionaries that I will need to get to know as well as a number of
new leaders in the zone. It will be exciting and fun! I'm ready for
another challenge. I am so grateful for being able to be back with
Elder Wardle for this time because before he came here as you may
recall from my former letters I was having a tough time with some of
the people around me. Now after being with someone that knows what's
going on and is a good missionary I have had sometime to get back on
my feet. With the "brake/break" if you would call it that I feel rejuvenated
and healed. I now understand the importance of brakes/breaks when you are in
the rough or working hard. In the scriptures it talks about how God
rested on the seventh day of the creation. From that we can learn that
one he rested/took a break and two he WORKED the other six.

Yesterday we had a phenomenal evening where we were able to teach a

couple that wanted us to come over and tell them about the Book of
Mormon as well as another family who the father of the family wanted
to take the missionary lessons, both were great. The couple had been
searching for a church that fits what they personally believe so went
to Google and searched about religious groups and Mormon.org came up
and requested for us to come over. They moved here from Michigan and
the reason they came here was because they prayed together to know
where they needed to go after selling a business and received an
answer that they should be here. This was the first time meeting with
them so we invited them to be baptized. It's always nerve racking to
do so but it was so good that we asked because the husband thought
that you have to go to church for years before being considered the
opportunity to be baptized as well as once you are you have to be a
preacher and start knocking doors. So we were able to work through
their concerns. Second lesson was with someone who has been coming to
church for about 15 years without anyone inviting him to be baptized
and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him as well to
baptism. He mentioned that he is still praying to know if it's true
but isn't sure what is holding him back from being baptized.

This week Charlotte Ford got baptized. She looks and acts just like

Elder Wardle's grandmother, from what he says. The baptism was great
and a lot of the people showed up to support her, including her son
from Washington. She wants to serve people and get involved in
genealogy which is great because there are a lot of people that
specialize in that in the area I serve.

Went to the Gilbert Temple open house on Wednesday and wow it is

magnificent! It's still open to the public till Feb 18th for anyone to
go and see the inside. It is the largest temple the church has built
in 17 years and you can tell because you can see it from miles away.
The couple that gave us a ride down were very interesting people as
well. The husband is a helicopter pilot and 3 years ago was on a
flight by himself and crashed. Told us that a number of things
happened that day that were different than normal and the way he
crashed by a transmission failure he should have died for certain. His
legs don't work completely but for the most part. He said through his
whole experience he came to understand the power of prayer. I am
trying to get his written copy of it to keep. Anyways back to the
temple, you need to see it if you are nearby, if not there was a
special on the news here and a camera crew was able to go through and
televise it so look for that. Fantastic!

Well I better get going seeing how your time is so precious and your

life is in a constant hustle, for those in the cold trying to find
warmth. Best of luck and be safe. I miss you and love you all!

Love Elder Leonhardt

Sent from my iPad