Dear Mom and Dad,
Well, mom as far as the release date goes, that sounds pretty accurate and about y’all going to Germany first and then coming to meet up with me, that also sounds good; I don’t have too strong of an opinion whatever we do, it will just be great to see yall, and other than that, I’ll just be along for the ride more or less :).
Work goes well, Lillian is still coming and learning and growing, we haven’t committed her to a new date yet but it will come soon, she asked for time so we are really not trying to rush things. Guido was at church again and we have an appointment this week and we are thinking of giving him a baptismal calendar but we will see, if it feels right :). Anyhow on the whole things are good! On the other side of things this week my bike was stolen :/, I'm now going to be on my fifth bike lol. My first was stolen, my second one broke down, my third broke down, and my fourth was stolen. It was locked to a light post and we were only gone an hour while we were doing a consecrated hour! Bummer! Anyhow, mom and dad money is a little tight; do you think you could send me money for a new bike?
I’m glad y’all had good meetings. I had a great Sunday as well. For Sacrament meeting we got to take the Sacrament, we also were able to hear from a new family in the ward here, the Kitchens. Their topic was the priesthood; the young kids gave some funny and sweet remarks and that was fun. Papa Kitchen gave some great and very bold and inspiring comments as well. He started out his remarks by stating that Father's day was his least favorite holiday and that he hated it, lol naturally we were caught of guard lol but he explained why. Fathers day is his least favorite holiday because it reminds him of the roles and responsibilities he should be playing and magnifying and should be doing. It was funny and yet at the same time I imagine that all fathers have similar feelings etc on such a day. Anyhow he talked of prioties that need to be set and quoted someone and certain priorities that they had outlined namely 1. family 2. employer 3. church and 4. yourself.
I thought about this and remembered a talk I had read that talked also of balance and the role priorities play in finding balance in life. Brother Eugene Hansen of the 70 wrote it and in his he had almost the same priories suggested only in a different order he had them as 1 wife and personal 2 family 3 church and 4 works. I had read Brother Hansen’s talk last October and wrote and studied a little on it and found a lot of things that suggested to me that this was the "correct" order of priorities. I wrote down that it made sense that personal and wife should be first because if WE aren’t where we should be how can we help anyone else even our family, and I thought that family should of course come second because we are counseled "family first". Then in Jacob 2:17 it tells us before ye seek riches seek ye the kingdom of god.
Then, yesterday, I heard Papa Kitchen's remarks and that really struck a cord with me as well, in Luke 9:23 and 24 it tells us that as we lose ourselves we will find ourselves - that if we think first of others our Father in heaven will meet our needs, so of course that priority should fall last. Then again, we are counseled family first, so family should then come in number one spot and we have also been counseled that if it comes to it and we cant get Sundays off we should go to work even if we cant make our church meetings and fulfill our callings which would lead tne to believe that work should come before church.
When I was thinking about these differences in priorities and how important priorities are, I realized that some of these things are very conditional, do we have a steady, flexible, and reliable job where we can get Sundays off for instance? If so then that can fall further down on our list of priorities. Do we have a solid and healthy relationship with our spouse? If things are a little on the rocks with our sweetheart then that should be our first priority. Is one of your children really struggling with their testimony, school etc. then in that case Family should be first etc etc.
I finally came to the conclusion that we really just need to stay close to the Lord, evaluate our lives, and make changes where needed so long as they are in line with the will of the Lord. As I thought about these things, I then thought of the church and the priorities and teachings that we have in our church; not all that long ago we had polygamy in our church doctrine as something that was accepted and lived, this is just one example I could think of, but if we look to other faiths and to their priorities and teachings we find a very wide variety, the Seventh Day Adventists feel very strongly that the Lord had pinpointed one specific day, Saturday, to be the Sabbath day and that it was to remain so always; by the Catholics babies are baptized at birth, the Jehovah witness feel that strongly that certain things in the bible were not accurate and saw it fit to change and adjust their version of the bible etc etc.
What a blessing it is to have a living church with a prophet that counsels with the Lord as world circumstances change as same sex marriage becomes an issue, as wars come about, as natural disasters occur, as the adversary adapts and evolves and finds new ways to tempt us, so do we change adapt and evolve to defend ourselves against such things. How blessed we are!
I know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the one true church. I know that the church of Christ of was lost from the each at one point and that it was then restored in the year 1820 to the earth through Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is physical evidence of that event, and that it testifies of Christ our redeemer but that also the way it was brought forth testifies of the mantle the Joseph Smith was called to as prophet of the restoration. I know that the church that was restored by Christ through Joseph Smith yet lives and that we have a prophet today, and that this organization will continue to adapt, to change and to guide us safely back to our Heavenly Father. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love, Elder Ryan
Ryan's Entire Mission
ryan is in the far right corner
Ryan at a Zone Conference...
Ryan and President Brubaker
eating raw fish -- eeewww
Ryan at temple - day before MTC drop off
handsome guy!
Ryan and President Smith
getting set apart as a missionary
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Transfer to Netherlands!!!
April 27, 2011
Dad,
It was really good to hear from you. My mission president did give me call and let me know that Grandma had passed on; I'm glad that I was expecting it at least. It sounds like she had wonderful support and little pain in her last few days. I’m sure it will be a bit of an adjustment getting back into to the swing of things after such an emotional ordeal, I love you lots dad.
I am getting transferred :), and your guess was right, I am going back to the Netherlands, barely lol. I am headed to Heerlen tomorrow morning. Heerlen is in the very bottom right corner of the Netherlands, and also lies very close to Germany and France. In fact, there is a place in Heerlen where you can stand in all 3 countries at once :) I’ll do it for sure! I will be serving with Elder Mohrmon lol, pronounced as Elder Mormon ha-ha. I have heard only good things. Heerlen has a very large American army base, and because of it, the ward there is English speaking! I’m excited to speak some English! I don’t know much else at this point, but I’ll keep you posted. Oh I lied, I do know my address:
Vesweglaan 295
6412 HK
Heerlen, Netherlands
Well, my week was not too shabby. We had more of a working P day, and then on Tuesday we went to the temple, had a picnic, and went to the famous Keukenhof Tulip Garden :). It was very beautiful! Very packed also, ppl from all over the world there!!! It was just great! Sunday, we had a pretty good service, and had two investigators in church that we hadn’t seen in a long time, however Alain and Richard were not able to be there because of conflicting schedules :/. My companion Elder Bjork is nervous about taking over the area but I have confidence in him, he will do just fine. The new Elder coming down speaks French and I know he will be a huge blessing to this area!!!! In any case, the work of the Lord continues to go forth! I know that Christ leads and guides this work and His church in this day! I love you all and am so looking forward to TALKING to you very soon!
Lots of Love
Elder Ryan Leash
Dad,
It was really good to hear from you. My mission president did give me call and let me know that Grandma had passed on; I'm glad that I was expecting it at least. It sounds like she had wonderful support and little pain in her last few days. I’m sure it will be a bit of an adjustment getting back into to the swing of things after such an emotional ordeal, I love you lots dad.
I am getting transferred :), and your guess was right, I am going back to the Netherlands, barely lol. I am headed to Heerlen tomorrow morning. Heerlen is in the very bottom right corner of the Netherlands, and also lies very close to Germany and France. In fact, there is a place in Heerlen where you can stand in all 3 countries at once :) I’ll do it for sure! I will be serving with Elder Mohrmon lol, pronounced as Elder Mormon ha-ha. I have heard only good things. Heerlen has a very large American army base, and because of it, the ward there is English speaking! I’m excited to speak some English! I don’t know much else at this point, but I’ll keep you posted. Oh I lied, I do know my address:
Vesweglaan 295
6412 HK
Heerlen, Netherlands
Well, my week was not too shabby. We had more of a working P day, and then on Tuesday we went to the temple, had a picnic, and went to the famous Keukenhof Tulip Garden :). It was very beautiful! Very packed also, ppl from all over the world there!!! It was just great! Sunday, we had a pretty good service, and had two investigators in church that we hadn’t seen in a long time, however Alain and Richard were not able to be there because of conflicting schedules :/. My companion Elder Bjork is nervous about taking over the area but I have confidence in him, he will do just fine. The new Elder coming down speaks French and I know he will be a huge blessing to this area!!!! In any case, the work of the Lord continues to go forth! I know that Christ leads and guides this work and His church in this day! I love you all and am so looking forward to TALKING to you very soon!
Lots of Love
Elder Ryan Leash
Monday, April 25, 2011
Grandma Elsie and missionary work
April 18, 2011
Dear Dad,
Just thinking about your last week moved me to tears, I felt the spirit so very strongly when you talked of grandma and her experiences being so close to the veil..... I can only imagine at this point how that would be to say goodbye to your mother. My thoughts and prayers are with you dad, I love you very much, I love grandma very much and I know without a doubt that we will see her again. Please let me know how things further unfold.
Yes, your right it is getting close to transfer time, I will find out this coming Sunday or Monday if I will have to leave my home here in Kortrijk :(, I think I will probably be transferred. As to where I go I have no idea, my first choice would to stay here in Kortrijk, but if I can’t get that then I hope that I at least stay here in Belgium. I've really come to love and appreciate the Flemish ppl and culture that live here in Belgium, but I am sure that I will love wherever the Lord places me. Things continue to move forward and progress here in the Kortrijk area. Day before yesterday we had an appointment with 18 year old Richard, a friend of a member; Richard has agreed and desires to be baptized on may 28th! Upon inviting him to be baptized he requested that I baptize him and that would be such an awesome experience, I told him that if I was still here when the time came that I would absolutely do that, we will see :/. Richard has some obstacles to overcome, namely smoking, however he already has a budding and blooming testimony of the restoration and the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us; I really think that he will be able to defeat these struggles and partake in the happiness and peace that the Gospel brings! Exciting!
Alain is also growing and making great strides in the gospel, we had a good time getting to know each other a little better yesterday on the way to and from Stake Conference and he is still excited for his up coming baptismal date! Faustino and his son junior are still doing well, however, we are having issues lately with getting French joint teacher their way, but I think that we may have to move their baptismal date back a little while. When we do get some regular joint teaches established for them and things really start to sink in for them that they will really take hold and will be baptized! Elder Bjork is doing alright, we are still plugging along. I’m sure that it will be difficult learning this area for him just as it was for me, but that he will get oriented quickly and do just great.
On a personal level, I just finished 2nd Nephi this morning, and I remember thinking not long ago that I didn’t know how my testimony could grow any more, but I realized that it has, I just KNOW that these things are true, that this Book of Mormon is true and that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his literal son to help us learn and grow here while we are away from Him.
Well, I’d better get going, but again dad I love you dearly, and I know that things will come to pass according to the Lord's will! I will talk to you soon, and talk to you literally not long thereafter!
Much love
Elder Ryan Leash
Dear Dad,
Just thinking about your last week moved me to tears, I felt the spirit so very strongly when you talked of grandma and her experiences being so close to the veil..... I can only imagine at this point how that would be to say goodbye to your mother. My thoughts and prayers are with you dad, I love you very much, I love grandma very much and I know without a doubt that we will see her again. Please let me know how things further unfold.
Yes, your right it is getting close to transfer time, I will find out this coming Sunday or Monday if I will have to leave my home here in Kortrijk :(, I think I will probably be transferred. As to where I go I have no idea, my first choice would to stay here in Kortrijk, but if I can’t get that then I hope that I at least stay here in Belgium. I've really come to love and appreciate the Flemish ppl and culture that live here in Belgium, but I am sure that I will love wherever the Lord places me. Things continue to move forward and progress here in the Kortrijk area. Day before yesterday we had an appointment with 18 year old Richard, a friend of a member; Richard has agreed and desires to be baptized on may 28th! Upon inviting him to be baptized he requested that I baptize him and that would be such an awesome experience, I told him that if I was still here when the time came that I would absolutely do that, we will see :/. Richard has some obstacles to overcome, namely smoking, however he already has a budding and blooming testimony of the restoration and the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us; I really think that he will be able to defeat these struggles and partake in the happiness and peace that the Gospel brings! Exciting!
Alain is also growing and making great strides in the gospel, we had a good time getting to know each other a little better yesterday on the way to and from Stake Conference and he is still excited for his up coming baptismal date! Faustino and his son junior are still doing well, however, we are having issues lately with getting French joint teacher their way, but I think that we may have to move their baptismal date back a little while. When we do get some regular joint teaches established for them and things really start to sink in for them that they will really take hold and will be baptized! Elder Bjork is doing alright, we are still plugging along. I’m sure that it will be difficult learning this area for him just as it was for me, but that he will get oriented quickly and do just great.
On a personal level, I just finished 2nd Nephi this morning, and I remember thinking not long ago that I didn’t know how my testimony could grow any more, but I realized that it has, I just KNOW that these things are true, that this Book of Mormon is true and that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his literal son to help us learn and grow here while we are away from Him.
Well, I’d better get going, but again dad I love you dearly, and I know that things will come to pass according to the Lord's will! I will talk to you soon, and talk to you literally not long thereafter!
Much love
Elder Ryan Leash
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Baptism comping!
March 27, 2011
Wow! I received some great letters this week! Even some pics! I feel loved :)!
Thanks so much! Well mom about being transferred, anything that arrives here in Kortrijk before the 27th of April will find me. My address, I’m
Anticipating will change at that point. I’m glad that you enjoyed the pics etc; I have another set when you send that one back, oh and thanks for sending them all back out - I like to look back at the pics every now and then so I really try not to delete them. Thanks again! That’s very cool that Khris stopped by, how are things with him? Be sure to send some love his way for me! You and dad sure do look great over there at the sock hop :). Danielle is looking as pretty as ever, very exciting stuff happening with her, Getting a job, and the license, Miss Independence!
Scripture reading is going good here! I’ve put my Book of Mormon reading on hold as conference comes closer. I’m trying to get prepped for this coming conference by making sure that the messages and counsel from last conference are fresh in my mind. I’m so excited about next week!!!!!!!!
Well, in other news things the work is going pretty well :). Carmen will be baptized on the 9th of this next week! I am so excited! Then Alain had some real concerns earlier this week and he told us he did not want the lessons anymore, we had no idea what the issue was; thereafter he had received his first Liahona he found a talk directly addressing his concern which was tithing. To further clear the matter we took President Lemon on joint teach to his house and we were able to completely clear up his issues :)! What a blessing! He will be baptized on April 30th!
This week we did a look up out of the area book and found this man home, his name is Faustino and he speaks some Dutch and some English so we were able to communicate and have a great first lesson at the end of which we extended a baptismal invitation and he accepted :), we will keep you posted as Faustino progresses!
We helped the same member of the ward again with some moving etc and were again able to enjoy each others’ company and talk a bit about the gospel etc and unfortunately were not able to find time to share a formal message and yet inactive Sarah, and investigator Richard were in church again, along of course, with Alain and Carmen! It was great!
Things with Elder Byork are still interesting and yet we are making this work and that is all that matters. Those were mostly the highlights of our week :).
I love ya’ll very, very much and am looking forward to talking to you soon!
Much love,
Ryan
Wow! I received some great letters this week! Even some pics! I feel loved :)!
Thanks so much! Well mom about being transferred, anything that arrives here in Kortrijk before the 27th of April will find me. My address, I’m
Anticipating will change at that point. I’m glad that you enjoyed the pics etc; I have another set when you send that one back, oh and thanks for sending them all back out - I like to look back at the pics every now and then so I really try not to delete them. Thanks again! That’s very cool that Khris stopped by, how are things with him? Be sure to send some love his way for me! You and dad sure do look great over there at the sock hop :). Danielle is looking as pretty as ever, very exciting stuff happening with her, Getting a job, and the license, Miss Independence!
Scripture reading is going good here! I’ve put my Book of Mormon reading on hold as conference comes closer. I’m trying to get prepped for this coming conference by making sure that the messages and counsel from last conference are fresh in my mind. I’m so excited about next week!!!!!!!!
Well, in other news things the work is going pretty well :). Carmen will be baptized on the 9th of this next week! I am so excited! Then Alain had some real concerns earlier this week and he told us he did not want the lessons anymore, we had no idea what the issue was; thereafter he had received his first Liahona he found a talk directly addressing his concern which was tithing. To further clear the matter we took President Lemon on joint teach to his house and we were able to completely clear up his issues :)! What a blessing! He will be baptized on April 30th!
This week we did a look up out of the area book and found this man home, his name is Faustino and he speaks some Dutch and some English so we were able to communicate and have a great first lesson at the end of which we extended a baptismal invitation and he accepted :), we will keep you posted as Faustino progresses!
We helped the same member of the ward again with some moving etc and were again able to enjoy each others’ company and talk a bit about the gospel etc and unfortunately were not able to find time to share a formal message and yet inactive Sarah, and investigator Richard were in church again, along of course, with Alain and Carmen! It was great!
Things with Elder Byork are still interesting and yet we are making this work and that is all that matters. Those were mostly the highlights of our week :).
I love ya’ll very, very much and am looking forward to talking to you soon!
Much love,
Ryan
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Still in Kortrijk, Belgium
March 21, 2011
Hello Hello,
Who is that girl in those pictures?!!!! I know that is not my boo boo sister! Wow...anyways it looks like she was having fun :), where are your pics petite momma? It sounds like life is going well your way :) I’m glad; I’ve been thinking about you this week!
Things are good here, at the moment we are enjoying some wonderful lekker sun! If you all don’t mind I’m just going to gloat while I can about the fact that I have good weather and you don’t lol, by the time I walk out of the library here it will probably be back to rain and clouds lol. I am most definitely getting enough to eat, more than enough!!! I am very happy that I was able to stay here another transfer! The wedding was just great! There was a weird Belgian tradition that we did where we waved this napkin around for like 5 to 10 minutes while we sang some songs etc. It reminded me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding lol. A blast! We just had a great time and there were some non members there that we were able to talk to a bit as well, great stuff! The only drawback was that my stomach was not so happy I was on the we all night lol.
Carmen the principle is enduring and growing and is a continuous joy to be around and to be friends with, I love her very much! Alain on the other hand called us out of the clear blue the other day and says he doesn’t want lessons anymore; I think that he must have come across some anti material but we are not certain at this point, we will go by this week and see what happened. Please pray for us and our next appointment with him!
On a better note this week we were helping a member move and a family friend as well as an inactive member of the family were there and we built a good friendship and had a nice time working and talking with each other, both came to church yesterday! The family friend wants to start taking the lessons! At one point during the service he told me of the spirit that he felt and how wonderful it was, it was a great service! Further, another inactive member of the Lemon family came to church yesterday and would like us to come by his place this coming week! Exciting stuff! I know this is the Lord’s work and that He is busy directing us and those around us! I am so very grateful for the gospel and for the new perspective it gives us!
This week I got my new comp Elder Byork.. Elder Byork is a great guy and has some great qualities! Anyhow, I love you lots and oh, before I go - mom you asked about the Easter package; I guess I’m a really sloppy eater because I have stains all over my ties and shirts lol, do you think you could send me 2 or 3 Tide To Go pens? That would be awesome! Oh and one last thing, I have an sd card ready to send you as soon as you send the last one back!
much love,
Ryan Leash
Hello Hello,
Who is that girl in those pictures?!!!! I know that is not my boo boo sister! Wow...anyways it looks like she was having fun :), where are your pics petite momma? It sounds like life is going well your way :) I’m glad; I’ve been thinking about you this week!
Things are good here, at the moment we are enjoying some wonderful lekker sun! If you all don’t mind I’m just going to gloat while I can about the fact that I have good weather and you don’t lol, by the time I walk out of the library here it will probably be back to rain and clouds lol. I am most definitely getting enough to eat, more than enough!!! I am very happy that I was able to stay here another transfer! The wedding was just great! There was a weird Belgian tradition that we did where we waved this napkin around for like 5 to 10 minutes while we sang some songs etc. It reminded me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding lol. A blast! We just had a great time and there were some non members there that we were able to talk to a bit as well, great stuff! The only drawback was that my stomach was not so happy I was on the we all night lol.
Carmen the principle is enduring and growing and is a continuous joy to be around and to be friends with, I love her very much! Alain on the other hand called us out of the clear blue the other day and says he doesn’t want lessons anymore; I think that he must have come across some anti material but we are not certain at this point, we will go by this week and see what happened. Please pray for us and our next appointment with him!
On a better note this week we were helping a member move and a family friend as well as an inactive member of the family were there and we built a good friendship and had a nice time working and talking with each other, both came to church yesterday! The family friend wants to start taking the lessons! At one point during the service he told me of the spirit that he felt and how wonderful it was, it was a great service! Further, another inactive member of the Lemon family came to church yesterday and would like us to come by his place this coming week! Exciting stuff! I know this is the Lord’s work and that He is busy directing us and those around us! I am so very grateful for the gospel and for the new perspective it gives us!
This week I got my new comp Elder Byork.. Elder Byork is a great guy and has some great qualities! Anyhow, I love you lots and oh, before I go - mom you asked about the Easter package; I guess I’m a really sloppy eater because I have stains all over my ties and shirts lol, do you think you could send me 2 or 3 Tide To Go pens? That would be awesome! Oh and one last thing, I have an sd card ready to send you as soon as you send the last one back!
much love,
Ryan Leash
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 2011 - still in Belgium
February 25, 2011
Dear Mom and Dad and Boo Boo,
Mom and Dad, I loved your letters today - they were very informative and it was, as always, great to hear from you!!!!! I especially appreciated the picture, you know what they say, a picture says a thousand words :), feel free to send more if you like, wink, wink lol!
It sounds as though grandma is not in too much pain, I am so grateful! It’s too bad that she gets so sleepy... It’s really difficult to hear about this as I’m away from home and really can’t fully understand and grasp what is happening. At times I’m not exactly sure how to react... she is very often in my thoughts and my prayers....please send my love!
Dad, I’m glad to hear how well your birthday was!! I was thinking about you :), yea I’ve been in Kortrijk now about 7 months lol, by March 16 I will be here 7 and a half. We will see if I will be able to stay one more! I hope so, I just love this area; it really feels so much like home to me, I think the members here feel the same lol, at least they tell me so!
Mom, about Tracy, I have had a letter for her on my desk for the last 2 months or so lol, I just don’t know what her address is; I sent a letter to her and it made its way back to me :/.Well, to start off, the principal! Carmen Ghesquire is doing fabulously! Lol she is on chapter 20 now in Gospel Principles and is still reading hard, she is of course reading the BOM as well but old language in Dutch is very difficult to grasp and understand and she is only on Chapter 20, it is also taking her a while because she just wants to really STUDY EVERYTHING, she needs to know what everything is symbolic for and the geographical areas they travel through etc etc lol, but she is just doing great. She just read the latest conference edition and ate it up lol; she has so many questions!!! She will be baptized soon!!!!!
Not long ago we found an inactive member that hasn’t been to church in 10 years or so and we were able to get him to church this last Sunday. His name is Henry and he is an educated and together man around 55 years of age or so; he has 2 daughters that will live with him soon! At church he was just great; after church he pulled President Lemon and myself aside and asked for a blessing and the spirit was so very strong! Henry gave us both big hugs and we were all crying, a beautiful experience! Henry will be working for President Lemon now and will be buying a car so he can take himself to church as well as others who are currently unable to make it due to transportation difficulties! What a blessing!
Last Sunday we also had an investigator at church; Alain is in his mid 40s and wants to be baptized :), we told him we will have to teach him a few things first but that can happen - lol. He lives in a small village and it is difficult for transportation, we will figure something out; transportation seems to be our biggest difficulty! The church is in Wallonia and not even in a Dutch speaking area and it is far from the train station and bus station, and not many members have cars either, but somehow things are working out more or less.
To top off, last Sunday I was asked to confirm Audrienna and it was a great experience; i was to be honest, I was nervous to give it in Dutch but it went just fine, the time came and words were spoken and understood lol:).
I am starting the BOM again and it feels so great to flex the old spiritual muscles!!! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the word of God, I am so very grateful for it! I hope all is well your way, I love you very very much and will talk to you next week!
Love,
Elder Leash
Dear Mom and Dad and Boo Boo,
Mom and Dad, I loved your letters today - they were very informative and it was, as always, great to hear from you!!!!! I especially appreciated the picture, you know what they say, a picture says a thousand words :), feel free to send more if you like, wink, wink lol!
It sounds as though grandma is not in too much pain, I am so grateful! It’s too bad that she gets so sleepy... It’s really difficult to hear about this as I’m away from home and really can’t fully understand and grasp what is happening. At times I’m not exactly sure how to react... she is very often in my thoughts and my prayers....please send my love!
Dad, I’m glad to hear how well your birthday was!! I was thinking about you :), yea I’ve been in Kortrijk now about 7 months lol, by March 16 I will be here 7 and a half. We will see if I will be able to stay one more! I hope so, I just love this area; it really feels so much like home to me, I think the members here feel the same lol, at least they tell me so!
Mom, about Tracy, I have had a letter for her on my desk for the last 2 months or so lol, I just don’t know what her address is; I sent a letter to her and it made its way back to me :/.Well, to start off, the principal! Carmen Ghesquire is doing fabulously! Lol she is on chapter 20 now in Gospel Principles and is still reading hard, she is of course reading the BOM as well but old language in Dutch is very difficult to grasp and understand and she is only on Chapter 20, it is also taking her a while because she just wants to really STUDY EVERYTHING, she needs to know what everything is symbolic for and the geographical areas they travel through etc etc lol, but she is just doing great. She just read the latest conference edition and ate it up lol; she has so many questions!!! She will be baptized soon!!!!!
Not long ago we found an inactive member that hasn’t been to church in 10 years or so and we were able to get him to church this last Sunday. His name is Henry and he is an educated and together man around 55 years of age or so; he has 2 daughters that will live with him soon! At church he was just great; after church he pulled President Lemon and myself aside and asked for a blessing and the spirit was so very strong! Henry gave us both big hugs and we were all crying, a beautiful experience! Henry will be working for President Lemon now and will be buying a car so he can take himself to church as well as others who are currently unable to make it due to transportation difficulties! What a blessing!
Last Sunday we also had an investigator at church; Alain is in his mid 40s and wants to be baptized :), we told him we will have to teach him a few things first but that can happen - lol. He lives in a small village and it is difficult for transportation, we will figure something out; transportation seems to be our biggest difficulty! The church is in Wallonia and not even in a Dutch speaking area and it is far from the train station and bus station, and not many members have cars either, but somehow things are working out more or less.
To top off, last Sunday I was asked to confirm Audrienna and it was a great experience; i was to be honest, I was nervous to give it in Dutch but it went just fine, the time came and words were spoken and understood lol:).
I am starting the BOM again and it feels so great to flex the old spiritual muscles!!! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the word of God, I am so very grateful for it! I hope all is well your way, I love you very very much and will talk to you next week!
Love,
Elder Leash
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
February 14, 2011
Dear mom and family,
Hello everybody! How is dad doing? What did you do for his birthday? Happy Valentine’s Day btw!!! What are you and dad planning for today? Is Danielle doing alright? Is she still being responsible with the phone?
Well, things here are great; the highlights of my week would have to be our appointment with the principal lady Carmen Gheysquire and a baptism for that 83 year old excommunicated lady yesterday. We taught Carmen the second discussion and it went really well, I think we all were spiritually fed not just her -- it was such a wonderful evening! I felt the spirit very strongly in our appointment!! She is a very thorough and studied personality and likes to get all the details, she is only on 1 Nephi 15 or so because she keeps on studying cross references etc lol, very thorough, she is just great!!!
We got in touch with a family of previous investigators and are teaching them this week, I’ll let you know how it goes!!!
The baptismal service was for the lady returning to the church was just great, I was a little nervous for her at her age, but it went well - she survived and it was of course a great spiritual experience. I’m privileged to confirm her this coming Sunday :). Overall things are going well - no complaints; I love you three very much and will talk to you soon
Elder Leash
Dear mom and family,
Hello everybody! How is dad doing? What did you do for his birthday? Happy Valentine’s Day btw!!! What are you and dad planning for today? Is Danielle doing alright? Is she still being responsible with the phone?
Well, things here are great; the highlights of my week would have to be our appointment with the principal lady Carmen Gheysquire and a baptism for that 83 year old excommunicated lady yesterday. We taught Carmen the second discussion and it went really well, I think we all were spiritually fed not just her -- it was such a wonderful evening! I felt the spirit very strongly in our appointment!! She is a very thorough and studied personality and likes to get all the details, she is only on 1 Nephi 15 or so because she keeps on studying cross references etc lol, very thorough, she is just great!!!
We got in touch with a family of previous investigators and are teaching them this week, I’ll let you know how it goes!!!
The baptismal service was for the lady returning to the church was just great, I was a little nervous for her at her age, but it went well - she survived and it was of course a great spiritual experience. I’m privileged to confirm her this coming Sunday :). Overall things are going well - no complaints; I love you three very much and will talk to you soon
Elder Leash
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)