The Power of Kneeling in Prayer

Dear Home,

This week has been amazing because we had a baptism for a Lady named Rosa Chapman. She has a pretty cool story. She was taught by the missionaries about a year and a half ago and wanted to get baptized but couldn't because she wasn't married and had kids as well as expecting one more on the way. So she got put on the side till her situation was fixed and Elder Wardle and Elder Wood always tried to go back and see her but could never meet up with her. When I came Elder Wardle had stopped trying to knock on the door because he has never been able to meet with her. On an exchange with Elder Nield and I in our area I tried to knock on her door and got in to pray with a young man that was leaving soon but his father lived there and he only spoke Spanish. I gave the referral to the Spanish and later that week they went by and there was Rosa picking up her kids from being at there dads house. Met with her later that night and set a baptismal date with her and handed her back to us because she wanted her kids to be taught in English. She was then married to a military man and was being set in the right direction. Husband is interested in the Church as well and found out from his mom that he might have been baptized when he was 8 but he doesn't remember. Now she is baptized and her kids are on date and well as the husband if the records don't come. We have been waiting for over a week now for them. I love her family and am very excited to see what kind of stuff she will accomplish, God really wanted/wants her to be apart of his church.

We have another baptism lined up for next week as well for a lady named Jimmi Hunt. She is a single mother with two daughter in the home ages 15 and 7. The 7 yr old, Rosy, is the glue of that family. She is so spiritual and wants to be baptized so bad. She has a countdown on her ipod for her baptism rather than her birthday. They have gone through alot as a family and the mother struggled with alot of the things in the Word of Wisdom speaking about refraining from Coffee, Harmful drugs, Alcohol, Tea , and Tobacco (CHATT) but now that she has been able to over come alot of those problems with the help of God she and all of those around her have seen a dramatic change in her. There is less tension in the home and everyone gives her more respect and appreciation for doing so. In fact we were able to help them realize the blessing of prayer in their life. We talked about the days that they get to sit down as a family and offer a kneeling prayer together and the days that they don't and the day before they forgot to do so. They had an argument and the day after they did pray together and there was not tension in the home. When they connected the dotes they were like Oh my goodness, WOW, I never noticed that but I totally understand now. Now they are going to pray every night and every morning because they realize that the power of prayer is real and is amazing.

So my challenge to all that read this is to commit themselves to offer every night and every morning a kneeling prayer as a family. And I PROMISE YOU that things in your life WILL GO BETTER.

And now as I am writing this email we just got notice that someone that we just ate dinner with 17 hrs ago just died. We are teaching his daughter in whom he just got back after 18 yrs of searching for her from a divorce. The purposes of God will be shown forth only after the trial and effort of our faith are presented before the Lord our All Might God Matt 15: 22-28. May God bless his family and the works that he has done for them.

I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sincerely Elder Leonhardt

He was already baptized.

Dear Home,

 

The Chapman family continues to get more and more interesting ever time I meet with them. We were talking with him and his family the other day and he told us, hesitantly, that he talked to his mother the other day on the phone. His was telling her that they started going to church again, she asked what church, he said the LDS church, she laughed a little and didn't say why. Then he said that his wife Rosa is getting baptized on the 9th of Feb., she began to laugh even harder and he wondered what was going on. She told him that he was baptized when he has 8 but doesn't remember it. So he might be a member and never knew. So we are looking for his records. He told us that he had never heard of the LDS church until about 2 yrs ago when he was in a translator thing in Iran speaking with some Arab's and someone that he had to translate for said he was Mormon. God really wants him and his wife Rosa in the church and has been working for a long time trying to bring them to it. They exclaimed to us that they love having us come over because every time life is going hard or something goes bad we somehow end up on their doorstep. Once it was right after Rosa's Dad died and another when there was speculation on his death. Once when their car broke down and didn't know what to do, we knew a member that could fix it. They were sick and didn't have any food, we showed up and contacted the Relief Society and they brought them food. Every time we leave they say they have a good feeling in them and feel that everything seems to stop and relax for a while and go smoother. Things and going great with them.

 

Also something crazy that happened yesterday was while we were at church a lady came off the street into the church building and asked for people to pray for her. A man sat her down in one of the rooms and called for the Bishop to come help him. He came to a lady that was completely naked asking for them to pray for her. A little awkward I would say. They called the cops and they came and got her after the Bishop gave her some cloths.

 

 I  moved too so send everything to the Mission Office in Glendale please and Thank you.

 

In the picture is a letter give to my companion and I from the daughters of the Chapman family, they are around 9, 11, and 12. This is the best letter I have ever gotten from anyone down here. They're the best.

 

I will try and write my siblings more and others less. Tell them the freight train is a coming. Also a suggestion for people is something that I have really fallen in love with. They are the videos for the youth on Moromnchannel.org they are really good. Some of my favorites are by Elder Holland, which I now know where lives. Near my companions home in Midway.

 

Love you all and hope that inspiration may come from within.

 

Love from the Hardt, Elder Leonhardt

To the Mormans

Spanish Elders Elder Tanner Condie and Caleb Areve

Cowboy Baptism

Monday January 28, 2013

Hello Family

This week has been very weird and the next 4 will be very hectic. We went through transfers and neither I or my companion left but we got reassigned to a different ward. A bigger ward. We now cover an area that is about 6-7 miles long and 4-5 wide and we don't technically live in our area oh and we are on bikes. Not that I'm complaining about it but because we spend so much time riding from place to place that I feel like we don't get to do as much and talk to as many people.

We soon will have to move in with some members that live even farther from what we are doing so work will be even harder. But if there is a will there is a way and I hope I have a will.

We had a baptism this past Friday that was one of the most powerful ones I've been apart of. His name is Micheal Fellman and he's a Cowboy. It was very, interesting, to say the least when he went under the water you could feel the power of that ordinance. It was seriously like being hit by a wave. We had a couple guests there, Rosa and Brett Chapman and there kids. The Spirit that was felt in there was so strong that Rosa couldn't hold back the tears and Brett was blown away by it. They are both getting ready to be baptized on Feb 9th.

I don't have much to say today. I feel that I have written 30 letters and received 4 but I understand how that goes so soon I will just stop writing those that send me cards and have you tell them thanks for me and that I am grateful for their support. I will make a list of people to mail and so far who I think will be on it will be you (mom), Tyler Fish, Zachery Caldwell( someone from the MTC), Dad and Collette and which ever one of the siblings want to write me not email me. I've made a binder and I am trying to fill it up will letters but so far not much is getting in there. I love you mom and family and hope all is going well.

Sincerely with love Elder Leonhardt

Micheal Fellman after baptism

It rained!!!! We got soaked