July 28 2014 "Some times I am the teacher and other times the student"

July 28 2014

Hey Family, Direct or not haha, I have a joke for you. Who was the first prophet to enter the MTC? Huh any guesses?....Moses! He put his staff in the water of the Red Sea and the waters parted so he could enter down into the MTC(empty sea). Haha Hope you got a Kick out of it.

Eric Mattison who we have been teaching lately had a speed bump come up and so we spent our visit talking about that. He expressed some of his thoughts and feelings over feeling alone in this process of learning because the only people that he hangs out with are members of the church. He felt alone in his beliefs. I brought up an experience that I have had in when I felt alone as well. It was the years before coming on my mission. He then asked a question to me, "How was I able to come out on a mission not having read the Book of Mormon and not knowing a lot of the teachings of the church?" I had previously never thought about that but it goes a lot with the thought of how I was always a little envious about missionaries that came from Utah or Idaho because they knew more about the church than I did. Compared to my knowledge of the church I didn't know much at all. I got to tell him about the why I came out even though I felt inadequate and maybe didn't know that much. I wish I knew now what I did at the beginning but then again I have learned a whole lot more out here than I ever thought possible.

Teaching Eric Hoffner has taken a turn where he is starting to teach me. This normally starts to happen when I feel that I am learning to have a love for them. Bothhim and his wife work right now and have to work opposite shifts so that they can take care of the kid without having to do a lot of daycare because of the expense. Sometimes they have to meet half way while one is on the way to work and the other on their way back from work to hand off the child. Life is stressful for them. Anyways I feel that tiredness can wear off on people. When we were teaching him one time and the spirit was there and my companion invited him to be baptized but...was looking towards the wife who is a member. She didn't know what to do because she thought my companion was inviting her to be baptized. haha So she said yes hesitantly. We just had to laugh about it.

So something else that was cool was We met the sister of the NFL player from Weber State during dinner one evening. I live very close to where he went to high school. MR. Toon. How is he doing?

Jennifer Barnhill is a member of the ward of whom we met Sunday night. She is a single mother of an autistic son. The father died of a disease early on in the sons life and so she was left with him to raise alone. She said that when her life was being uprooted and falling apart was right when the Phoenix Temple was breaking ground. Even though she lived so close to it she didn't know that was going on. She told us of the special significance this temple has to her because she had to rebuild herself at the same time it was being built. She comes to church every week and tries to control her son and listen to the spirit but struggles often. She is an example to many others that feel they have it hard and don't know what to do. Her advice is to have a vision, work towards it constantly, and press forward. That is only made possible by Jesus Christ to which all strength comes from.

Love Elder Caleb Leonhardt

July 21, 2014 "New Companion, Elder Cody Jackson"

July 21, 2014 Hello hello everyone!

It is good to talk to you again! Sometimes when writing these letters an image comes into my mind of 2 people sitting across from each other in one of those glass boxes that you would go to in a prison to communicate to an inmate. Sitting across from each other and the other person gives you a blank stare as you try and talk through the phone. I think it's just because I am looking at a screen
but who knows. Time for my email.

My new companion is Elder Cody Jackson from Ogden Utah, just North of Antelope Island! That's not to far from Matt and Quela. He is 18 but don't let that under estimate him because he graduated  from college at Weber State before he graduated high school. He wants to go into business law. Because he was going to the college there he was also going to institute meaning that he knows a number of things about the scriptures and boy do I wish I new as much as him when I came out on my mission. He is catching on to the area very quick which makes me wonder how long I might be in this area because he could take over my role soon enough and I could be shipped off. Anyways things are great with him!

Lately we have been teaching a family where the grandfather is from Tonga and lives in Salt Lake City, but is visiting family here in AZ. The family here are members of the LDS Church but he said he is a part of some other church that I can't remember how to say but has a prophet of its own. His name is John Taloa. He is 84 and speaks English but not very clearly and he can't hear us very well. With these struggles it makes it harder for us to communicate effectively but at the end of each lesson when we end up teaching some principle that he has not heard before then he says he feels the spirit. That has helped creating a desire in him to see us again. It is great how the spirit is moving the lesson and helping him understand even though there are some physical barriers.

Thank you everyone for the Birthday wishes from previously! I will have to send out a picture of my journal to everyone so you can see more of what I do each day. Take care!

Love Elder Leonhardt

July 15, 2014 "Moments That Matter Most"

July 15, 2014,

Hey everyone I found out that I will be having a new missionary join me in this area for the last part of my mission! Usually with the previous mission president the calls were done Saturday. This time

he did them on Sunday. So in between I was feeling very weird wondering if I was going to be training or not. The previous mission president said he would like for me to but then said he didn't really have any influence on it. I am excited to see who it might be and what things I am going to learn from him. Maybe he will be a foreigner! I have never had a foreigner as a companion.

The other day we were eating at a family's home. First of all their last name is awesome, O'Sick. Second it was weird as most of the people sitting around the dinner table were below the age of 16. I

never noticed but it made me think back to the days when I had devices such as cell phones. If I was very distracted by them back then,I am sorry. While we were there, there was very little conversation as most of them were playing games on their smart phones. One had a friend over and they barely spoke to each other because they were playing games. Then we wanted to show the Mormon message video called "Moments That Matter Most" and only one actually paid attention. The feelings of an uplifting message soon turned to a message of correction because they knew they were wasting their time but couldn't let go. That was an eye opener.

Went by the Coon's home and wanted to share a message with them. Towards the end the husband started to cry and we excused the kids and conversed with him. He expressed the feelings he had as he has been pulled at 2 ends by two different bosses. It's not really a situation that anyone could do anything other than the bosses to realize what they were doing. We offered him a blessing and left. It's moments like that when we get the opportunity to help someone that is in some actual need, though we couldn't do much it still felt good to be able to do something.

Alright so I bet a few of you out there are wondering about the pictures that I sent home about the 4th of July and the Vampire thing in the pictures. Now I would like to explain that. The missionaries
that we live with were out working and saw it on someone's front porch and said they should go knock on the door and offer to say a prayer with them. The guy inside was very wired and let them in, declined saying a prayer with them but then offered them food and alcohol because he was an alcohol distributer. H offered a bunch of other things and then the vampire because he had 20 other ones just like it. They didn't really know what to say at first but then accepted to take the vampire and not the other offers. It is now gone though. I will send pictures about that soon enough.

So has anyone had Crème Brûlée before? If not, you have got to try it. It is amazing! There is a member of the church here that went to culinary school and had us over for dinner one evening. She asked us what kind of dessert we wanted. Having heard the name before in some movie I suggested it. She made it. It was fabulous! I want to learn how to make it!

Well that was my week and I hope yours has been just as great, if not I promise you that I can get better as you look for opportunities to serve someone else.

Love Elder Leonhardt

July 2, 2014 Masque Pictures

                                                                   Elder Murdock

                                                                     Elder Empey

                                                     Elders Empey, Barrus, Murdock

July 2, 2014 "Independence Fun, Rain, New Mission President"

This week was great with the 4th of July and rain storms, cooler weather and going on an exchange with my 2nd companion Elder Empey. Things almost couldn't get any better!

Thursday evening after we had an appointment ending at 9pm we walked outside and it started to rain. The last time it rained here was probably at least 2 months ago, I could be wrong but it seems like it has been forever since it rained. We were so overfilled with joy that we decided to ride around in the rain talking to people till we had to go in at 9:30pm. It was amazing and we got soaked! We live in an apartment complex where there are a lot of people from India so we got to talk with them, say a few prayers with them and learn a little bit of their language. So far I still only know one word, language isn't exactly my cup of tea.

This is the beginning of the last week Elder Wardle, my first companion, has on his mission along with many other missionaries that I respect and love. It's a interesting feeling to know that almost your whole mission you have been around these people and now they are being shipped off. They must feel even weirder. I am glad to have gotten to know a number of them and to cultivate friendships that will last and will be waiting for me when I am done.

We had our first interviews with President Griffin Wednesday. President and Sister Griffin are awesome people, nervous but dealing with it way better than I was at the beginning of my mission. They shared with us a little about their past and the family, businesses and what not. We are all excited to be here with them and to learn from them. He paid me a nice complement and then said he wanted to teach the mission 3 things which I was excited to learn about. 1.) Time Management 2.) Planning 3.) Teaching doctrine effectively. So hopefully I can learn as much as possible!

This week I went on an exchange with Elder Empey into his area and he has only been there for 5 weeks, the same amount of time I have been in my area. It was a great day as we hustled around and saw a lot of people. Taught a lot of interesting people but the one that stuck out to me the most was the Honnanno family, I think that's how you spell their name. The father is from Bethlehem and is Greek Orthodox. What was also awesome was that he did sculpturing from olive wood and has done many religious sculptures. He has even done ones of people in the Book of Mormon such as Lehi, Moroni, Nephi and others.

On the 4th of July we were directed to be in during the evening from 6pm through the night so we used this time to relax and have fun, which we did. We first started off by playing monopoly as an apartment and played for almost the whole evening. Midway we decided to do something else as well, we put this Masque stuff on our face that was left by former missionaries. So you know how, I think all women probably have. There are those people that put on the green facial stuff and then when someone comes to the door they get all embarrassed. Yup that was us. We all put it on and took funny pictures with it. The. We ordered pizza and well you guessed it, they arrived while the masque was still on and I was the one to go answer the door. I got some funny looks to say the least. All in all it was a great evening and we had a lot of good memories, no fireworks unfortunately.

Hope you all had a Great Independence Day! Love you all!

Love Elder Leonhardt

 

 

June 30, 2014 "I Love Independence Day"

Happy Independence Day week! Next to Christmas, this is my second favorite holiday as we put a focus on honoring and show appreciation for all of those that have helped this chosen country to become free.

Now is the time to look back throughout the history of America and think of the many things that we can be grateful for that this country has offered. I can remember the famous Independence Day movie with Will Smith and the uniting feeling of a nation coming together to make a stand. We too can experience that united feeling as we put aside out differences and emphasize the good and common between us all. Many times I associate being a good American with being a good Christian but that doesn't always work now days as America is a melting pot of many different kinds of people. But even then we can put that aside and find cause to rejoice together.

Yesterday was the last day with President R. Scott Taylor and Sister Cheryl Taylor and today is the first with our new mission president, President Griffin and Sister Griffin. The transition was completed this morning and now we are all kind of waiting for further guidance and instruction from them on situations such as meetings. It was sad thinking about the Taylors leaving but it is just as exciting to have the Griffins here. They look like very nice people and we are getting the chance to meet with them this Wednesday for interviews. Wish me luck!

So ever since we had parts from our bike stolen we have been having continual bike troubles. We got some replacement parts from someone and they are holding us over for the time being. Every other day we are pulled to the side with another popped tire and having to carry the bike from where ever we are home. Luckily it hasn't been all that far.

This week we started teaching this 14 year old named Sam who is the boyfriend of someone who was recently baptized. They had a movie night and showed "Prophet of the Restoration" with a neighbor, Kris, and Sam. Afterwards they asked to meet with us. We talked with them and answered the questions they had and invited them to be baptized and they accepted. When talking with Sam he wanted to know more about the Book of Mormon and how to have the spirit in his life more. He comes from a rough past growing up in a care home for the first 9 years of his life and then ever since he has been jumping from home to home of family members and others. He doesn't have much of anyone as support or to receive mentoring from other than his mom who it seems like the situation there isn't the most stable. He was sincere in asking what blessings we have seen in our life as we have read the Book of Mormon. He is excited to read and pray more because he knows it is going to help him overcome the pains of his past.

After Sam's we went to Mindy Weller's home to see how the reading about the Holy Ghost and prayer has been going. We invited her previously to pray daily and read in the index about prayer throughout the Bible and other scriptures. Her feelings from the last time we came were kind of on the guilt side and feeling like she was a bad person but now when we came by again the place was different. She showed us her "prayer rock" that she puts on her pillow to remind her to pray before bed. The home felt warm and filled with the spirit. As she was explaining the differences she was seeing in her life from praying and reading it was a testimony builder in the power of those two.

Have a great week ya'll and enjoy the day of Independence! Go America!!

Love Elder Leonhardt