sarah…

I told myself I should still keep up my blog..it’s only taking a month to do it. So we’ll do it the easy way…in pictures : )

While I was feeling caged up in the airport and missing the outdoors, this little birdie came and joined me : ) ..my "tender mercy"

The temperature has for sure been an adjustment! I can't keep my hands and feet warm enough...but thanks Aaron for the warm slippers for Christmas 🙂

Aaron graduated from college!

Hung out with my nieces...

had us a white christmas...

had real dairy again!

saw more of my brothers than I would have liked...

and took over the world....

There’s more…but this is as far as my attention-span is going tonight!

Hey family,
it’s officially my last email from the Philippines. don’t even ask how I’m feeling…I’m not sure, haha. Thankfully I only break down occasionally. Actually…I had a few surprises this past week…I got to see my “nanay” or my first companion this week! Sister Marila. She came up to visit! It was awesome! It’s even more awesome that we can actually understand each other now! I refuse to speak English right now…I’m just soaking up as much Tagalog as I can!

We had our Christmas conference on Wed and Thur. It was so good to see some of the other missionaries…but…I got sick again….I think it’s just from stress. So I didn’t get to eat the delicious Christmas dinner on Wed. But thankfully I’m ok again. : ) I’ll show you the video of the presentation we gave…..

I’ll save more stories for in person….but I’ve been so grateful for the miracles I’ve seen the past few days. We had record attendance at church – 114. I LOVE THIS WORK! I’m never disappointed. And not that it’s all about numbers….but it was just a REALLY GOOD feeling to see less actives and investigators at church that I have grown to love and have prayed for so many times! I’ve been trying to adjust my expectations for when I get home….I hope you also don’t have exaggerated expectations for me as well…I’m going to be tired and probably emotional for a few days…but don’t worry….I’m so excited to be home and to just hang out with everyone. Mom has a packed schedule for me so it should keep my mind off things.

Packing…it feels good to just leave things and have lighter bags. : ) (Maybe they’ll just get heavy again from Christmas, haha!)

Pray that my flights aren’t delayed and that they’re aren’t any problems…like a random terrorist that has my same name or something and then they don’t let me on the plane, right!?

I love you all and can’t wait to see you in a few days!

Love,
Sister Leonhardt

I might add to this…right now my mind is very jumbled!

What is clear to you right now, that wasn’t as clear 18 months ago?

-The importance of the Book of Mormon and eternal perspective. And the importance of relationships. 

How did your missionary experience change you?

-I feel like I don’t complain as much haha. And I have better prayers and feel closer to Heavenly Father. 

Why do you think it was important for you to serve a mission?

-There were people here I was supposed to meet and it helped me to get out of my shell and see my potential…that I’m capable of more than I think I am.  

What is the most important knowledge you gained in the Philippines?

-Take time to love people. Knowing my limits and bounds. 

Family,

Yesterday I tried bearing my testimony at church, but just cried. I managed to get out a few lines and then sat down. I haven’t really let myself cry about this yet, but it’s been hitting hard this week. I keep getting goodbye hugs and handshakes and tears from others that I have met in places I never would have imagined that the Lord would take me. And in all reality, I’m probably never going to go back or see them again. Even if I do, it’s never going to be the same. THANK GOODNESS for the Plan of Salvation. We know that this isn’t the end. We know that all things have a purpose and people are placed in our lives for a reason!

Soooo (deep breath)…as Mom says…the countdown has begun. Tomorrow is Tuesday. We’re going to Barong, a wonderful place that is almost an island. Since rainy season is done, the bamboo raft no longer takes us across the river…instead they have built a bridge out of plastic tubes and sand bags. We’ll spend about 5 hours there teaching new converts and new investigators and meeting as many people as we can and probably eat a lunch of fresh fish and rice prepared by the recent converts there. Then we’ll go to Tatay Manaay’s house and he’s going to work with us teaching his neighbor about how important the Sabbath day is. Then on Wednesday and Thursday we have our Christmas Conference where we’ll receive training from our mission president and the assistants and then eat an awesome dinner made by sister Odgers and then go caroling to investigators and members in the Laoag area. Then I’ll give my farewell testimony and go to bed. Then on Thursday we’ll give our district presentations (our’s is a sock puppet presentation to the song “christmas shoes”). Then we’ll go back to our area and have a Family Home Evening with an awesome less active family who is finally coming back to church. Friday we’ll have our weekly planning and then teach more investigators and less actives. Saturday we’ll go back to Barong ONE LAST TIME and I’ll cry lots. And try teaching the family members of our branch mission leader and then have dinner at the Baniaga family as we always do on Saturday nights and I’ll stuff my face like I always do and they’ll probably have chocolate too! And then Sunday we’ll go to church, cry LOTS and say goodbye and then work in Solsona and take the free bus back to Dingras and eat dinner and do reporting at the Villanueva family. Monday morning I will FINALLY start packing..I refuse to do it any earlier! And then I go to the mission home at 5pm and have lots of trainings and time to just think.

This morning I was reading Alma 24 and verse 18 really stuck out to me…I want it to be my goal when I come home and for the rest of my life….

“And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.”

So….not only will I NOT kill, haha, but I will try to bury my ‘weapons of war’…my murmuring when things don’t go the way I wanted, my temper when others do things that make me upset, my bad thoughts and words that only degrade, my laziness, etc. And I will spend my time serving others and not just waste them away texting and facebooking! haha! (but I’m entitled to a few hours when I get home right? I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! haha!)

Our mission president shared a story with us today about the need to share with others the difference they make in our lives. So many of you have written saying how much my letters home and my example have made a difference in your life….totally humbling to hear when all I seem to see are my weaknesses as a missionary but I want you to know how much those comments have made a difference in my life. I am who I am because of all of you and your influences on me. Thank you for encouraging me throughout my mission! I’m excited, yet still hesistant, to come home and see what else the Lord has in store for me…hopefully a handsome husband…cuz that’s all I hear from people here, haha….”send me pictures of your handsome husband when you get home!” But seriously…what a great way to end the year…finishing my 1.5 year mission in the Philippines Laoag Mission and spending christmas with my family. : )

LOVE YOU ALL!

Sister Leonhardt

I got fleas last week. I discovered them during my personal study. I stopped and showed my comp. “what’s this?!” “YOU HAVE FLEAS!” “QUICK GET THEM OUT OF MY HAIR!”…we bought some shampoo and took care of it…but all day and the rest of the week I kept feeling itchy like maybe there was something there, but I know it was all gone. What a great experience for the end of my mission!

Hey family,
I can’t even explain how fast this week went. It felt like just earlier this afternoon that I was emailing you last week. The friendly reminders every day don’t help much either. This is my last full week of work because next week is our Christmas Conference at the mission home from Wed-Thur. But it’s true what Ani said…it’s at the end of your mission when you are at the peak of your performance: the language finally flows, the Spirit is stronger, it’s easier to talk to ANYONE, more people fall into your hands, and the joy you feel is undescribable.

So funny story…one of our investigators who has this firey personality…others call her “tiger”…has been becoming more kind and “kitten-like” because of the Gospel. She told us last week that she had a devilsh-dream…like literally she dreamed about the Devil and said how scared she was and started talking back to him and saying that she wasn’t scared…haha…it’s funnier if you know her and if you saw her describe it. We explained to her the reality of Satan and about our Pre-Earth Life. Then she said, “Baka namimiss niya ang suki nya!” Or in English…”He probably just misses his (suki—or ‘regular costumer’)”. (If that makes sense to you…if not…I’ll explain it in 2 weeks!)

People have truely been falling into our hands lately. One is a 44 year old woman who has been going through trauma with her husband being in jail for rape. She said she hasn’t prayed, gone to church, or even thought about God in a really long time. Man, I felt God’s love for her! By the end of the lesson she said the prayer and said how she felt so happy again and felt like God was really listening to her prayer. : )

Another is the owner of the computer shop where we always email. Last week, as we were finishing our emails, he started asking us all sorts of questions….he’s totally been prepared. We were able to share with him last week also…we were so excited to share EVERYTHING, but had to force ourselves to stop and say, “Next time Brother! Just write down your questions so you don’t forget!”.

Thankfully the anxiety of going home has lessened and I feel more peace, but mostly I just feel, “how can I ever leave this place?! even if I do come back someday, it’ll never be the same!” But I’m excited to see all of you again!

Love you!
Sister Leonhardt
ps. in the picture…my current companion is the one on my right (in yellow) and my last companion is the one on my left (in black) and the other is a member here.

So, I made a list in my planner of things I wanted to tell you…and
then I left my planner on my desk. oops. way to be prepared, right. I
guess it means I’m getting “old” cuz I seem to be losing my memory!
That’s totally how my other companions were who were getting close to
going home too.

BUT….here are some things….

There have been lots of people we have been trying hard to contact and
just TALK to, but they keep avoiding us….welcome to missionary
life….but this past week there were 3 of them that we finally got to
talk to us! Two of them are these punk boys who have been caught up in
drinking for a while and their families are recent converts and have
been praying forever for them to listen. So we’ve just been trying to
be friends with them and this week we finally got to talk with them
again and they both got tears in their eyes as they said how Satan has
been trying hard on them for a while. They want to change, but don’t
know how, but are ready to. : ) We taught them about prayer and one of
them actually ended the lesson in prayer as he choked back the tears.
That was powerful. And then that same boy came to church and invited
two of his friends to come too!

I love seeing people change! I’ve been studying more about it. Mosiah
27:25-26 has been one of my inspirations lately:  “And the Lord said
unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations,
kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God,
changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of
righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can
in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.” So that’s what it’s all about.
That’s why we have the commandments. That’s why we have scriptures.
That’s why we have missionaries. That’s why we have been given this
experience on this earth.

But..time to go wash my laundry. I’m finally learning to love washing
my clothes by hand. i might have to keep it up a little when I get
home….

love you….more next time
Sister Leonhardt

Hey family!
So training actually isn’t that bad! I don’t feel like I’m really training actually..I just feel like she’s another missionary who happened to transfer into the area. I love it! Her name is Sister Serrano. She’s from Iriga a part of Bicol..part of Luzon island….if any of you know where ANY of those places are….haha… She’s on fire to work and super sweet. Training is different now. It’s a more structured first twelve weeks for the new missionary. This is the 3rd transfer here of the new program, but I think it’s been going longer in America. Our companionship study is 2 hours long and we do lots of practice teaching. We also have certain “activities” we’re supposed to do…for example, Week 1: The new companion leads out in finding people to teach. The new companion leads out in inviting someone to be baptized. And I, as the trainer, am just to assist and give examples and demonstrate. And sometimes we watch from DVD’s created for missionaries. It’s actually a really cool program. It’s all inspired by following the Spirit. By the end of the twelve weeks, the new missionary could be so well prepared that they could train a new missionary. Caleb and Aaron, I’ll show you it when I get home! : ) I’m just bummed I only have 5 weeks with the program. : (

Training has been helping my “trunkiness” a lot…I feel so much more focused and love feeling so much more accomplished and effective in the work. We’ve been meeting all sorts of people and Sister Serrano just loves to teach them! We go home each night feeling so good about our work! I love being a missionary! I remember my first few transfers and feeling like I definitely could not have been prepared to train after only twelve weeks.

Tuesday to Thursday I got to work in another area while I waited for Sister Serrano to arrive in Laoag. One of the investigators said to me, “You look just like one of my Barbie dolls!” and then she went and got her doll…she’s 73 years old, haha! And then she invited us to go to the beach with her and have an over-night stay at their beach house, haha! And then at another appointment, a pastor from another church came to visit our investigator half way through the lesson….my first experience with someone trying to debate with me…that was so hard. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but I just testified and kept my mouth shut, haha. Being a missionary sometimes makes you feel like you can say anything to people….not always a good thing, haha. Don’t worry, it was ok…we ended up just leaving. He couldn’t get over the point of why we don’t use our first names as missionaries and about the book of mormon and how he claimed that we don’t need works to be saved and wouldn’t let us respond to anything. I left feeling my adrenaline going and also feeling grateful for the Gospel.

Also, Sister McCormack, one of my companions, is going home this week and her parents came to pick her up. This was also one of her areas, so they stopped by to visit. They came to church here on Sunday. It was so weird to see American adults and to hear Utah accents. I remember thinking, “Americans are HUGE and so WHITE!” haha! What a shock I’m in for….winter in America.

Love you all!
Sister Leonhardt

Ps. I got the flight plans today… it’s official. I’m coming home December 15. That was a shock I wasn’t ready for. And I think I’m making the long flight all alone from Tokyo to Minneapolis….I’ll find out next week.

pics:

-balsa (bamboo raft at night)

-other sisters I got to work with from tuesday to thursday

-christmas tree at mission home with other trainers

-sister serrano