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

this week was a large shocker for me.

January 22, 2013

Dear Home,

I am not moving this transfer and will be staying in the same area for at least another 6 weeks so feel free to send messages this way for awhile longer. The letters are coming, tell those in the ward that sent me letters that they should be coming soonish, some I have written and just not sent and some I still need to write, not much time to do writing.

Well this week was a large shocker for me. We were able to teach many lessons with people which was great but there is much more so I'm just going to start off with the biggest one thats on my mind. So this man named Ben that we have been teaching for sometime now opened up a little more to us and told us some stuff that I definitely did not want to hear but had to know. The gang that he said he has been apart of was the Mexican Mafia and he was pretty high up. He made them lots of money in his past and because of his stroke he has been uninvolved in the action for the disability he has. He can't move his left arm and his left leg is still very weak with little motor works.

But once you're in a gang its sometimes hard to get out once you know that you don't want to do it anymore. He doesn't want to be involved anymore. They want him back and when he gets better and can do stuff they are going to come for him to get back in, but he doesn't want to. He is a changed man. They have already shown interest in getting him back in. The day they come and ask him are you IN or OUT he has prepared to say No. Its BLOOD in and BLOOD out. Meaning my most favorite person to teach right now and most spiritually inclined person I know has a death date. To be honest I am scared for him. I love this man very much and want what's best for him and I know that the Gospel is exactly that. Since he has been meeting with us he has turned his and his family's life around. And some thug is going to take this opportunity away from him. Not ok by me. I would, if I got the chance to, step in front of a bullet for him. Sorry mom but I would.

We have been able to sit down with this family named the Chapman's which is kind of cool how we came in contact with her again. So on an exchange with another missionary we went to this door of a person that used to be interested in the church, a place that my companion stopped his efforts on meeting with them because he had never been able to meet her. A young man opened the door and let us in to say a prayer with him. His father spoke only Spanish so at the end I referred the Spanish missionaries to that house.

When they showed up and lady named Rosa was there and agreed to meet with them. They taught a lesson and she decided to get baptized on the 9th of Feb. She wants her family to be taught to in English. So they referred her back to us. We met with her and found out that she has been taught by missionaries for the past 1 1/2 years but not recently.

She has been remarried to the actual Jason Born. This guy is a BEAST. He knows like 5 languages including Iran, Arab, and another middle east one. Oh and does tons of hand to hand best of the best combat and works in the mental devision of the Air Force .

He is also very interested in the church because he works with a couple that have challenged him to read to Book of Mormon. Rose is way more interested in the church now as well and when we asked her about being baptized she said it WILL happen on the 9th. I love teaching them.

They have a punk 15 yr old too that I have made it my goal to break him and be more receptive to us and his parents. Sorry mom and dad if I was ever like that when I was young. Not sorry to my siblings because that was my way of testing you to see how you would react, most of you failed...but I'll give you a second chance ;)

Oh and Rosa apparently has sold her soul to the Devil in blood and paper and claims to be possessed by demons but she is still cool to teach. I don't believe she is but its a cool story.

I have started to see how this life style as a missionary should somehow be transfered over to when I get home because there is so much goodness and blessings from this, not that I am going to live perfectly like this forever but the spiritual aspect needs to be a large part of it. Always strive to do missionary work. I have learned a lot about members and how terrible they are because of their lack of work. We are full time teachers, members are Full Time FINDERS. Help out the missionaries in your area.

Much Love for 70 and above, Elder Leonhardt

Elder Wardle's blog

elderharrisonwardle.blogspot.com

You can see more pictures of Caleb and learn more about Caleb through what his companion writes home to his mom. Caleb could be transferred this week. He is through with his training.

God delivered.

14 January 2013

 Tell the family hi for me and that I love them very much and can wait to see them soon. And yes I mean I can wait ;)

To answer your questions my favorite place that has a lot of meaning to me is at the top of the hill near our former house where the retirement home now lays. Before that was built I used to run up there everyday, climb up this large Oak tree that is still there and look over the valley towards Devils Lake. I thought about life a lot and all that I may go through. It brought peace to my soul. It was also a meeting place for my friends so that we could think of stupid stuff to do, you know secret combinations. I love being in nature and I have been able to confine that love of a place internally so that where ever I go that is Home. Now I don't get home sick, sorry. Our home will be in Heaven and meet up there soon.

Other questions to answer: I write at a library and about that laptop thing absolutely not happening and I don't know who or for what reason anyone would have need to bring it, nothing good would come from it.

Its good that you can look at that embarrassing moment as a moment to learn. Always have that mentality and no one can take down what you know. We are here on this earth to learn, so be taught. No shame or regrets if thats all that you do is learn, put off the Natural man and go to work. Its interesting that you mentioned that because we just ran into a situation like that, kind of.

Oh and I will work on a letter that will help you with your new form of teaching. Anyways so we had one of the 70 come down and told us that we can go to the temple with our recent converts after they are baptized because for those that do it turns out to be a 99% activation rate which is what we are looking for. We want converts not people that have just a testimony. So in a trio we cover 4 wards and in the ward of the missionary that we took in, its not on paper that we are companions. He is solo and just with us. We began teaching Violeta, that young lady we baptized and were with her the whole way and because of that we thought that we could go to the temple with her but we can't. Some of the Elders were frustrated with that and argued this with the Zone Leaders. We had a meeting with them and all were able to talk freely about the situation. Contention arose and the situation wasn't handled in the best manner. I was reluctant to share some of my wisdom in counseling as you know I am pretty good with it. Shared some knowledge that ended up being over there heads and now have a nickname of Shakespeare. Oh well he was a good guy, kind of. I miss being able to counsel people and helping people out with whatever they need, as a missionary I'm not allowed to do so. It is a great gift I have and I want to use it but possibly at this time I am to understand more about it or learn how to go about counseling before I can do it again after the mission. Its hard but people need to understand that everything we say is important and will have an impact on someone whether in our presence or not. But words aren't the most important thing shared but rather the attitude that is carried with it and the posture we have. You may not know it but when you are on the other side of a phone call the posture you are in matters. I would invite you to see why.

We are not only people on this earth but we are from the decedent of a God. He created us. We are his children. The more one learns to understand that the more it will have on someones image.

In one of the wards that I cover we have 0 investigators to the Church and its in the ward that has been doing the best in fellowshipping and greatest group of people, but no work. They deserve it and for their efforts they have now been rewarded. We got in contact with a man named Micheal. He is a cowboy from South New Jersey and is a architect for health care buildings. Other missionaries have been teaching him and he lives in our boundaries so he finally got to us and is totally ready for baptism. Super strong testimony and loves coming to church, God delivered.

Along with my favorite man Ben, we taught him about the Word of Wisdom meaning to refrain from Coffee, Harmful drugs, Alcohol, Tea, and Tobacco. He smoked over a pack a day and is now down to one or two a day. And because of the family that he comes from where there is a lot of drugs, alcohol and smoking and tea and coffee he has been talking to them about it in an open manner and a lot of his family is following his lead without even talking with us. His family as well is asking him all the time if they can pray and he will in the middle of watching a movie or sometimes stop and ask the kids if they want to pray and they do. He tells everyone that its now an addiction. I love him so much, he's great.

We also have a family, Brittany Rowland, Mario, and her kids, They have been going with out AC or heat and its been getting below freezing down here and they are very miserable and sick. I feel so bad for them and have done a blitz to find someone that can help them for no cost or something. We found someone that can and we hope that its not getting to late. I love their family very much and hate seeing them suffer. They have very little and are young parents with little work now because the place that Mario was working won't pay him and now won't work him so he can't really afford to provide for his family. She told us once that with the 4 kids and dad and grandpa living in one house they had only 4 muffins and that's all to eat. the oldest went without eating to the kids could. How could anyone let anyone suffer like that. Ask and I will do all that I can but somethings people won't ask so we must find. I love you all and hope all is well!

Love Elder Leonhardt

Meet Violeta.

Violeta Caballaro. Baptized this past Saturday and confirmed yesterday, Sunday. Single mother at age 24 and baby is 6 months. Special Ed. teacher, and significant other left her. Super strong daughter of God and obedient to keeping commitments.