Hey everyone I finally got
transferred to a new area after being in the last for a year
straight. For those that don't know, that is a very long time in one
area for a missionary. Normally we are in an area for about 6 months
which if we look at my situation now I might be here for the rest of
my mission. Yes Ben I know you are very close to me but even so I
can't meet up with you unless my Mission President says so. Normally
he doesn't allow it because its a Church policy. Sorry :( Anyways I
love my new area, sort of. It is kind of weird being in a Young
Single Adult Ward with people from 18-31 years of age and working
with them on missionary work. Its a switch of a mind set but I am
excited about it because I only cover one area! My whole mission I
have covered 2 areas with at least 250 households in each and trying
to remember everyone's name. Now I have 1 area with 170 names to
remember. My brain feels relieved. I have a great new companion named
Elder Nathan Wainwright from Bountiful, Utah. I was near him in
Glendale North and was able to work with him a lot so I am really
excited to work with him now and I think I will be with him for
awhile, or at least we hope we will. Another funny thing is that we
have served in the same zones throughout our missions. We live in
this awesome apartment with 2 other amazing missionaries named Elder
Jacob Lower and Elder Ryan James. Elder Lower is a tall 6' 7''
basketball player who plans on playing college basketball after the
mission in Utah somewhere. Very nice and smart person but he goes
home soon. Elder James is from Missouri and just got out on the
mission so we are all teaching him and helping him get on the right
path for the rest of his mission. It reminds me of the days I
trained.
On Sunday at church it was
way different for me because we were in a room full of my peers. In
the meetings the ones that were teaching the class were near my age
and with similar backgrounds. Its a lot different but I think its a
good think because it will help me see how well I will do with
adjusting to life after the mission. I guess it will also help me
show myself as not a weird person to my friends after the mission. I
am different but I promise I am not weird.
So one funny thing that
happened during the week was we were going to see this one lady named
Destiny and when we got up to the door we saw that the door was open
with a sheet over it. My companion got to the door and popped his
head in front of the door way right as this 16 year old was about to
exit the door. The kid jumped back yelling a few things and
threatened him saying,"Boy you just bout' got yourself beat up!"
It was hilarious how far the kid jumped.
We taught this guy named
Kris this week and this was the first time he and I met. He said he
has been trying to get through the one main concern about Christ that
the church teaches before he wants to plan on baptism. The concern
is that Christ was resurrected with a physical body. He believes that
he has just a Spirit and that's it for eternity. This is the first
time that I have heard about this as a concern. He has been shown the
scriptures from the New Testament about him eating the food with his
apostles after the resurrection and with the people feeling of his
hands, feet, and side showing that he had a physical body but he said
he just cant believe it like that. Even though someone can prove
something with physical or scriptural evidence doesn't mean we
automatically believe it. It must come through the Spirit to confirm
it. That's a big reason as a missionary we establish with people that
its not what we say that you should just believe but to pray about it
and receive that confirmation of God. Isn't it amazing that prayer is
such a powerful thing that truth, whatever it may be, can be found
through prayer. That in any situation we are never to bad to talk
with God. I was praying the other day about this dream I had and why
I had that dream and why I couldn't get it out of my head. I prayed
multiple times throughout the day about what the meaning of the dream
was and why it is still lingering like a song that gets stuck in our
mind. Each time I prayed a new thought came to mind about what I
could learn from it and why it might be there and each time I prayed
the truth built upon each other. Same with us when we pray and
receive an answer, we shouldn't stop there. Keep praying to see if
there is more for you.
I love you all and am so
grateful for the many people that read my emails and respond, it
means a lot to know there is someone on the other end of the phone
line. God bless and may your summer be memorable!!
Love Elder Caleb Leonhardt
No comments:
Post a Comment