5 November 2013 "Everything In Life Has A Purpose"

Even more has happened this week for me. I feel like I just went through a tornado and am now able to stand. So lets start with the beginning. As I wrote last week one of my companions went home for some transgressions not taken care of before the mission, Austin Wade, who still wont respond to me and seems like he has forgotten the mission. In the mean time I received another companion Elder Swift who I wasn't sure why he was here with me but for other reasons in his last area he was paired with me.

So some more things came up and soon I found myself headed down to the airport with Elder Swift and my Mission President and another office worker and a few hours later without a companion. Yeah I sent home another companion. Seriously I can't keep a companion for longer than 5 days!

So I am now with 2 other elders that I live with and working with them covering 3 wards and about 10 square miles with 3 of them about 2 miles away. A lot of biking and a lot of confusion. Oh and in the Stake I am serving in they realigned the wards and made 2 new wards which we were surprised about and found out some interesting things. I lost some parts of the wards I am serving in which made me sad because some really cool members and people we were teaching were in those areas. But anyways that brings me to now when I am writing you. Oh and we were given iPad's to help with teaching people, they are the new mini's and are quite nice.

When I went to send a missionary home I got the opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with my Mission President R. Scott Taylor. We talked about the situation and he thanked me for putting up with some of the hectic things that have happened and helping with the few missionaries I worked with.

He then told me something that comforted me about missionaries that go home. Previously when Elder Wade, now Austin Wade, told me he was going home I took it sort of hard and was sad. When I prayed that night Elder Moore came in and said a prayer with me offering comfort. To this day Austin still doesn't know how much that really did effect me.

Back to my interaction with my Mission President. He said that it is remarkable how the things that happen on your mission prepare you for things that will happen later in your life. When he served a mission his 1st companion was suffering from depression and had suicidal thoughts. His mission president pulled him aside and told him I need you to take care of this missionary and if he doesn't want to go out, don't go out and just try to be a friend to him. He did his best but got frustrated a lot because he is a new missionary and wants to got back out and work. R. Scott Taylor was later send to the mission he was waiting to go to, Argentina, waiting for a visa. And his companion ended up being sent home.

Later in his mission a new missionary came to his mission and asked him if he knew, John (his former companion that struggled with suicidal thoughts) and he said yes he remembers him and thought of whats up with him, not the most positive. The new missionary said that he is now the state treasury and in the stake presidency and a very successful person. He was taken back that such a person on a mission could turn out to that successful of a person, he wasn't expecting that. (In my mind I thought he was going to say he died, I was wrong). So the point that he was teaching me was that he would not know what to do with the missionaries that are going home now in this mission unless he experienced that back in his mission. Many of the things we experience on our missions prepares us for later events so I have been thinking about what this experience is going to prepare me for. Either way I am excited because the Lord has now prepared me for it.

President Taylor and I also talked about may other things one being about the people that are called to do certain things. I thought of him as a very smart person and one who had answers and direction for many things. Someone being prepared for some great calling in life, such as Apostle. But talking with him he is a normal person no different than one man his age from the other but he was asked by God to do a work and that's what he is doing. Assignments are just assignments and the people are still just people. So be yourself.

I have learned a lot in the past couple days and I am actually grateful for the trial I went through. It was difficult but now looking back at where I was 10 days ago to know I know so much more about me and the capability that the Lord has given me. I love Trials!! And I love you too!

Love Elder LEonhardt

28 October 2013 Memorable Week...Tears of joy and tears of sadness.

Glenda Barczy entered the waters of baptism on Saturday. It was awesome to be part of it. There was a lot of support from the members of the church and a lot of people there that love her and are now her friends. It was a difficult decision for her because no one in her family wanted her to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or even talk with us as missionaries. In fact one was at her house when we stopped by as we were in the neighborhood to see how things were going and he opened the door and then slammed it in our faces. Not the nicest thing but that's ok we just talked to her later. Her family was so against it that she decided that she didn't want any of her family there or knowing that she was getting baptized. She didn't invite any of them. Instead she is just going to show them a picture of us in front of the baptismal font to them and say "oh hey this is what I did this weekend". Still waiting to hear how it went.

Talked to another lady who is coming back to the church after her 17 yr vacation and her 12 yr old daughter that isn't a member says she wants to be baptized as well and plans on being baptized in 2 weeks. So things are going well except for this next confusing part. SO you know how there are conferences in sports and individual teams make up the conference. That's kind of the way The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works as well except teams are called wards and they have boundaries where if you live inside you attend church at such and such time at such and such place. Conferences are called Stakes, not the food but like what holds a tent down in the wind. So the Stake that I am in is making 2 new wards out of the ones they have meaning some boundaries are going to change. So we don't know until this Sunday what the ward we will be serving in will be or what our area will be either. Or if I will even be in this area all together.

We went to a trunk or treat and decided to be creative. Well I decided to be creative and decorate the car. My companions didn't help. Then we handed out candy and cards with our numbers on it inviting them for a visit. Then had other supplies for the taking and some people were interested. It was a lot of fun seeing all of the kids and being on the other end of the trunk or treat experience.

So a little side note that made me sad was that my companion Elder Wade went home this week for somethings that happened before his mission. I am now with a new companion. It was hard watching Elder Wade leave because I fear he won't come back out again. I hope he stays safe. The new companion and I are still trying to get along. Working on it. Anyways see you/talk to you next week. Oh yeah we are getting ipads and iphones this week. Literally just found that out!

Love Elder Leonhardt

28 October 2013 Pictures

                                                          Me with Elder Bartleson

                                               Me and Glenda Barczy before her baptism.

                                                                   Trunk or Treat

October 21 2013 pictures

October 21, 2013 "Helping Others Find Their Answers"

So this week ended kind of weird and not the way I wanted it to either.

Because of some reasons my companion decided to go home and will be leaving sometime this week. We talked a bit about it and why. It seems like it is the right choice but what I'm scared about is he will not come back to finish his mission. I wasn't sure how to respond to it nor what to think, it caught me off guard. I was praying about it last night and I don't know how God responds to situations where people make a difficult wrong decision that is going to hurt a number of people and they are going to regret later. I was thinking first that God simply would state that it is their choice and not be so worried about it. Then I thought that what if God does care a lot about it and is often pleading for us not to do something because of the pain it will bring; therefore provokes tears. If it is the second one I don't know how He does it. It hit me a little hard last night thinking about it and I can't comprehend what it is like for God to have this happen with many more of His children. He is one strong man to be able to do that. That is what makes Him God.

Had a lesson with a recently baptized lady who wanted to do some family history. When we met at the Family History Center with a specialist she shared the really old family records she brought. The records connected family members going back to 1830! It was so cool to see family brought together. I would have to say that I got bit by the family search bug. I want to do research on my family history as well. Family history means a lot more to me now because it is a way to find where you come from. It connects us with where we came from. It excites me even more believing that families can be together forever! I can't wait to see my ancestors and get to know them. That's one of the reasons I went out to Utah before I went on my mission because I wanted to get to know my older siblings better. Because of the age difference I didn't know them very well, but I do now! I think...

One of the people we were teaching went through something sort of tough. Her name is Kolbi. She is in high school. To explain her complicated background, she is friends with a member of a youth in a congregation we cover. She didn't live in the area but not far away either, then moved far away. Her family is torn apart, parents divorced bitterly, and mom is dating a guy they don't like. They don't like going home so they spend a lot of time at their friends house where we met her. We started teaching her and she loved it! We wanted her to meet the missionaries where she lived so we arranged a time for them to met. Oh yeah she wanted to get baptized. Right before she was going to meet the other missionaries her mom calls her up and says we need to talk. Her mom tells her she can't meet them/us anymore, can't get baptized, can't hang out with her friend (the one that introduced us to her), and they are moving in with the boyfriend they don't like and are being forced to do so. She was not happy because they don't like the atmosphere around the man. She, her siblings and her dad decided to take their mom to court to have the court change so they can go live with their dad. Court was Thursday. I fasted that everything would go well and it did. Their parents have 50/50 custody. She is going to live with the dad on weekends so she can go to church. She was happy about it and so were we. I was worried that they were going to be put in a position that they didn't like and live unhappily but God provided.

Taught a religious professor the other day as well about the most amazing parts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We taught about where we go when we die, how fair God is in allowing everyone an equal opportunity to choose right and wrong and to be happy. He loved it and had a lot of questions and we found out a reason why we got on the subject because it wasn't something we planned on talking about. A family member died recently. That explained the interest and the questions. We had no idea but later we heard that he approached a professor that is a friend of his and a member of the LDS church with the biggest smile on his face. Hearing that the conversation we had made his day made my day. I love it!

And I love you too!!

Love Elder Leonhardt

14 October 2013 "Looking Back"

October 14^th 2013

Well another one in the books of life and hopefully many more to go.

This week was a landmark and it was sort of depressing as well, I have now been on a mission for a year. At the beginning of the mission you look to the end as so far away and sometimes has an anxiety effect to it but now that I'm on the back 9 its like the same feeling but in reverse. Kind of weird. I live with another missionary that came out with me and we were talking about the mission and our feelings of hitting the year mark and we both felt so weird. I honestly don't want to go back into "reality" being outside of the media effect allows me to hear about a lot of what's going out there and most of it doesn't sound the greatest so I am grateful that I'm not hearing all of it. The world seems a little more on edge now then the last time I remember it being. I hope I am wrong.

We talked to this guy on the sidewalk about God and his belief in Jesus Christ and the first thing he talks about is this solar spot cycle that I guess is supposed to happen in Nov? He told us that we will either have the polarity of the planet shifted, earth flipped on its axis, power grid destroyed or the earth will explode. So pray to God that things will be alright is how he ended it. Now I would have loved to know what he was talking about but I didn't hear that one yet, can you help me out?

I look back at who I was as a person before my mission and who I am now and I am so glad that I have learned how to have fun and also how to strengthen a relationship, with both the Lord and anyone else. I think that is the way that I have grown the most and in comparison to the person before the mission I am a completely different person. Don't let that scare you though in saying I'm different. I'm just more improved ;)

Well anyways God is in the Heavens, Jesus is the Christ.

Love Elder Caleb Leonhardt

7 October 2013 "Stop. Say a Prayer. It makes what is wrong, right."

7 October 2013

Had a really cool experience last week I want to share. As a district leader I direct a 1 1/2 hour meeting with 10 total missionaries weekly about gospel topics that are assigned and lead a practice of how to apply the learning we have. I have gotten the hang of it and was doing fine leading things each week until last week when I was all mixed up with different things that had to be set up and some people that weren't moving as fast as I needed them to. In the mess of things I forgot the outline to the whole district meeting back at my apartment. I soon became a little frustrated and flustered. I was not in the best set of mind to direct this meeting so I said a prayer that God would help me remember all my notes for the lesson and what things I had asked people to do to participate in the meeting. I made the decision that I would stop worrying and just do what I can. I thought step by step to what was needed and all of a sudden great conversation was going on. I remembered who was doing what and where to go after each thing I talked about. The lesson was one of the best I have directed and the most heart felt one too. When the meeting ended I felt satisfied that I was able to do my best and my part and that none of that was because of me. It was all the Lord. I learned that often I try to see what I can do with my talents instead of relying on the Lord to take care of it and doing that which He wants you to do. Focus on Him and I promise things will be accomplished, it might not be in the most elegant way but it will be accomplished.

General Conference was this past weekend and it was a good one. Missionaries often talk about General Conference as the super bowl because its the most exciting and game changing event in our mission. We (missionaries) normally all gather at the Stake Center (chapel) to watch it. Lots of things were gained from watching it but most important above all was my reconfirmation that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God. It happened right after he talked in the later session and the choir sang "We thank thee oh God for a Prophet." As they were singing I felt this huge wave of energy and peace come that I have felt before as I normally feel the spirit but this time it drove me to the edge of tears. Still a man and didn't cry though ;). I thought how wonderful it is that just as it was in the bible where prophets were the mouth pieces of the Lord giving us added guidance we have one today continuing the pattern that God has established. I knew he was a prophet before but now I KNOW and I am so grateful.

Later this day 10 missionaries and I are getting together for a district preparation day activity. We are chasing pigs! I will send pictures when I get them!

Sincerely, Elder Caleb Leonhardt