Well I did take pictures. It´s just I don´t feel like sending them via internet here in the CCM. Anyways, it doesn´t get cold or hot here. The sky looks grey all the time. Sometimes we can see stars at night. We went proselyting in my mission this last Saturday. So I have a good idea what my area will look like. The members are so very helping. Glad you got my letter. I thought it would take forever. Anyways if you tried sending me one back it won´t make it before I leave next Tuesday for the mission field. Well Congrats to the Giants. The pitching must be superb. Lincecum must be back on his game and shutting people down. That´s great to hear. I know all about Chris and his motorcycle adventure. Though I did not they were going to Hawaii. Lucky ducks. Oh well ya everything here is green. There are an endless possibilities of flowers here. Also I think I know where my mission pres. house is but I am not sure. The temple is only about 5 minute bus ride from the CCM. So its really close. Anyways ya at least the branch did not fall on the fence. That would make things worse. The weather here never changes. Anyways my last week here in the CCM. Then it´s off to the mission field. I can´t wait. I am so excited. I need pictures of Chris and Shae in costume. That would be a good picture to have. Just to add to my little album I have. Ya it is getting closer to that time there. Thanksgiving
then after that Christmas! Then the time will just fly by as I lose myself in the work. Well anyways its always nice hearing from you.
Love
Elder Leonard
10.28.2010
10.21.2010
Email 10.20.2010
It´s still raining. That´s crazy! Well anyways the language is coming along fine. I am starting to think in Spanish which is a good thing. Though there are still times when I have to think about what I want to say in English then translate to Spanish. It´s still hard to carry on a regular conversation but I feel I understand the Gospel and can teach it clearly and simply. Which is good. I can understand even the faster speakers. I feel I will be doing alright when I get to the field in a couple of weeks. Today I get to go to the temple again. Yay! It's so fun listening to the session is Spanish.
Anyways ya the tour of the city was really neat. I had a nice conversation with the manager of a pizza place there. He was a member and he told me his conversion story. It was quite and interesting discussion. Anyways I bought me a hat and a satchel and a soccer jersey and a Machuu Pichuu shirt so. Ya I will be buying some more stuff today. It's really exciting to hear that L. Tom Perry was in Reno. So why was the stake getting recognized? Or was it being oraganized? Still its pretty neat. How is Nevada doing? And ya my companions are always a big help. My teachers here are just as cool. They are so nice and they are always making things seem simple. Well I love you all. God bless.
Love
Elder Leonard
Anyways ya the tour of the city was really neat. I had a nice conversation with the manager of a pizza place there. He was a member and he told me his conversion story. It was quite and interesting discussion. Anyways I bought me a hat and a satchel and a soccer jersey and a Machuu Pichuu shirt so. Ya I will be buying some more stuff today. It's really exciting to hear that L. Tom Perry was in Reno. So why was the stake getting recognized? Or was it being oraganized? Still its pretty neat. How is Nevada doing? And ya my companions are always a big help. My teachers here are just as cool. They are so nice and they are always making things seem simple. Well I love you all. God bless.
Love
Elder Leonard
10.18.2010
Email 10.14.2010
Rain? What is rain? It's humid here but it never rains. You can count the stars you see at night on one hand. Sometimes no stars are able to be seen. So ya. I am officially an avansado(advanced). I hope the new amercians do not expect perfection from me. My native companion left for the field yesterday and my new companion is Elder Lewis from Grantsville, Utah. He is one of our zone leaders. So basically I am like a zone leader. And the temple session here is great. I went through a session in spanish without the translation. I understand spanish but I just can not talk it as well as I want to. So Dad what are you supposed to do without teeth for 8 to 10 hrs. And its great that Nevada is doing so well. Well today starts the last of my three weeks here in the MTC in Provo.(Peru) I will tell you about the tour next week because it is after our e-mailing time.
love you lots
Elder Leonard
love you lots
Elder Leonard
Email 10.6.2010
Yes we got to listen to General Conference in English. My favorite talk was when M. Russell Ballard talked about comparing Satan to a fly fisherman. It was a great comparison and he has truly mastered his craft. I couldn't help but realize that Pres. Monson looked really tired during conference. Well anyways its good to hear that UNR is doing well. Kinda disappointed I didn't hear about my Colts but its not important if you decide not to put it in. Well only 4 more weeks
here. I can hardly believe it. I can talk with my companion but its really hard to explain certain things to him since my vocabulary is not very large. So I try to explain in simple words. It works sometimes. I just need more time which I have. My companion leaves for the field next week. Its hard to believe. I will miss him. But next week we get to go on a tour of Lima so that will be fun. We will get to see the Ocean for once. Lol. Well I haven't met my mission pres. yet and my mission is super small. Its most of the north west part of the city of Lima. I get beaches mostly. Which is okay I think. Well anyways we go to the temple in the afternoon to day which
is dumb because i would rather go in the morning. I still haven't gotten anything from Chris. I guess he isn't inspired to tell me anything yet. Well look forward to next week.
Love
Elder Leonard
here. I can hardly believe it. I can talk with my companion but its really hard to explain certain things to him since my vocabulary is not very large. So I try to explain in simple words. It works sometimes. I just need more time which I have. My companion leaves for the field next week. Its hard to believe. I will miss him. But next week we get to go on a tour of Lima so that will be fun. We will get to see the Ocean for once. Lol. Well I haven't met my mission pres. yet and my mission is super small. Its most of the north west part of the city of Lima. I get beaches mostly. Which is okay I think. Well anyways we go to the temple in the afternoon to day which
is dumb because i would rather go in the morning. I still haven't gotten anything from Chris. I guess he isn't inspired to tell me anything yet. Well look forward to next week.
Love
Elder Leonard
Email 9.29.2010
Well Mom. The food here is great. Lots of rice. The climate here has not been that hot. I do not need to do much shopping when I go out into the mission field because the economy is so bad here that we will have housekeepers for us. They will cook for us. Kinda spoiled I know. Well anyways today we went to Interpol to get fingerprints and fun stuff like that taken care of. Ya people here are crazy and there are no set lanes. I thought californians were bad. Thought we we were going to die here on the way there. Lol. Tomorrow we get to go to the temple since we had to go to Interpol this morning. The temple is so beautiful and it is beautiful that wherever you go that is the house of the Lord that it has the Spirt. So the Rays will go to the Playoffs how exciting. How about my Colts? And wow! How did BYU let UNR beat them. That's unbelievable. Well I'll write later.
Email 9.23.2010
Hello again family,
Well I I made it to Peru! The MTC is really nice here. It´s small but other than that the same spirit is here. I met my first native companion earlier this morning. Elder Gonzalez. He´s from souther Peru and is going to the Peru Lima East mission. All the natives here are really nice unlike the people at the airport. Oh well. We got into the airport last night at about 9 30. But most of our bags didn´t so we had to wait till today to unpack. The plane rides were fun. I slept most of the time and then read when I wasn´t sleeping. Today is kinda like a P day. We don´t have class and we get to relax. But tomorrow is back to the grind. I barely was able to get all my stuff into my suitcases and now that I am here. I do not know how I would send some of the stuff I do not really need home. Oh well. One of these days I will have to send something home. Like when my camera memory gets full. Ya so it was nice talking to you mom. I did not know who was more excited to hear my voice, mom or Patty. Either way I got to talk to mom for a bit. I called Becky and just left her a message. I forgot the Mission address here in Peru in my room so you will have to wait till next week to post it. Well anyways I hope the time just wizzes by when I can email again.
Love
Elder Leonard
Well I I made it to Peru! The MTC is really nice here. It´s small but other than that the same spirit is here. I met my first native companion earlier this morning. Elder Gonzalez. He´s from souther Peru and is going to the Peru Lima East mission. All the natives here are really nice unlike the people at the airport. Oh well. We got into the airport last night at about 9 30. But most of our bags didn´t so we had to wait till today to unpack. The plane rides were fun. I slept most of the time and then read when I wasn´t sleeping. Today is kinda like a P day. We don´t have class and we get to relax. But tomorrow is back to the grind. I barely was able to get all my stuff into my suitcases and now that I am here. I do not know how I would send some of the stuff I do not really need home. Oh well. One of these days I will have to send something home. Like when my camera memory gets full. Ya so it was nice talking to you mom. I did not know who was more excited to hear my voice, mom or Patty. Either way I got to talk to mom for a bit. I called Becky and just left her a message. I forgot the Mission address here in Peru in my room so you will have to wait till next week to post it. Well anyways I hope the time just wizzes by when I can email again.
Love
Elder Leonard
Email 9.15.2010
Dear Mom and Dad
I love you both so very much. Yes Isaiah is confusing but it's okay since we have the Lord to help us understand the scriptures. It says in Preach my Gospel that the Bible and the Book of Morman should be used to teach the same principles. The Bible contains it but it is not in worded plainly. The Book of Morman is worded that even a child can know the keys to salvation. Well Dad best of luck with the new dentures. I'm glad you both are trying something new with eating foods and if it works then keep to it. I try to have salad here regularly and eat the vegetables sometimes. This week was ok I guess. I was feeling sick for most of it. The common cold has been going around. So I've been taking my vitamins and some echinacea. It has helped. Well I'm glad you and mom had fun down in St. George. It would have been neat to have been there but that's not my calling. Yesterday at our weekly devotional an Elder Richards
told us how to be better missionaries. He asked us the question. "Who are we?" I had to think a long time about that because earlier that my teacher Hermano Zirckle likened us to Laman/Lemuel or Nephi. He asked are we acting like Nephi. Putting our trust in the Lord and obeying all of his commandments or are we complaining because it is too hard like Laman/Lemuel? I never thought about that before. But Elder Holland said this about missionary work. It's hard because salvation is not a cheap experience. I, as a missionary was not the only one to ask the question. Is there an easier way? Our Savior asked that question thousands of years ago when in the Garden of Gethsamene. Salvation is not cheap and I know
that this work of the Lord is difficult. I know if I put my trust in him that I can do anything. Just as Nephi was able to build a boat, to return to Jerusalem and get the plates, or to build another bow from wood after his broke. I will not doubt. Next week my P-Day will be on Tuesday since I'm leaving that next Wedsnesday morning. We have to speak all Spanish from now on. I need to work on that. My whole district does. I am able to read and understand Spanish, well at least most of it. But I know that you and dad are continually praying for me and I can feel it. I can't believe that the time is passing by so fast. It's just like I left you and dad at the Jeep that wednesday afternoon yesterday and now already 2 weeks have passed. 102 more to go. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. It will be the hardest work I have ever done but it will be worth it. I want to serve my mission so that when I look back on it. I
will say to myself and to anyone that asks me the question. Do you regret going on your mission? I will say never and I would serve again if the Lord called me to do so. Well I better go see if my clothes are done drying. Love you all.
With Love
Elder Leonard
I love you both so very much. Yes Isaiah is confusing but it's okay since we have the Lord to help us understand the scriptures. It says in Preach my Gospel that the Bible and the Book of Morman should be used to teach the same principles. The Bible contains it but it is not in worded plainly. The Book of Morman is worded that even a child can know the keys to salvation. Well Dad best of luck with the new dentures. I'm glad you both are trying something new with eating foods and if it works then keep to it. I try to have salad here regularly and eat the vegetables sometimes. This week was ok I guess. I was feeling sick for most of it. The common cold has been going around. So I've been taking my vitamins and some echinacea. It has helped. Well I'm glad you and mom had fun down in St. George. It would have been neat to have been there but that's not my calling. Yesterday at our weekly devotional an Elder Richards
told us how to be better missionaries. He asked us the question. "Who are we?" I had to think a long time about that because earlier that my teacher Hermano Zirckle likened us to Laman/Lemuel or Nephi. He asked are we acting like Nephi. Putting our trust in the Lord and obeying all of his commandments or are we complaining because it is too hard like Laman/Lemuel? I never thought about that before. But Elder Holland said this about missionary work. It's hard because salvation is not a cheap experience. I, as a missionary was not the only one to ask the question. Is there an easier way? Our Savior asked that question thousands of years ago when in the Garden of Gethsamene. Salvation is not cheap and I know
that this work of the Lord is difficult. I know if I put my trust in him that I can do anything. Just as Nephi was able to build a boat, to return to Jerusalem and get the plates, or to build another bow from wood after his broke. I will not doubt. Next week my P-Day will be on Tuesday since I'm leaving that next Wedsnesday morning. We have to speak all Spanish from now on. I need to work on that. My whole district does. I am able to read and understand Spanish, well at least most of it. But I know that you and dad are continually praying for me and I can feel it. I can't believe that the time is passing by so fast. It's just like I left you and dad at the Jeep that wednesday afternoon yesterday and now already 2 weeks have passed. 102 more to go. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. It will be the hardest work I have ever done but it will be worth it. I want to serve my mission so that when I look back on it. I
will say to myself and to anyone that asks me the question. Do you regret going on your mission? I will say never and I would serve again if the Lord called me to do so. Well I better go see if my clothes are done drying. Love you all.
With Love
Elder Leonard
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