Since I have been traveling so much lately, it seems that I am always trying to get caught up. So here are the last two installments of Leslie's emails:
09/26/2010
I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well, I hope sleep last night helped and that you begin to feel better! How was SLC? Kelly said she absolutely loved having you up there and had a lot of fun with you. That is crazy that all the YW I was with are getting married!! Who is Christianna getting married to, anyone you know? That is exciting you are able to help out and do some of her dresses, that will be fun. You are mighty busy with work it sounds like. I really am going to be the last one to get married at this point! Most of the girls in my class that I hung out with are married, I think it's just Tessa and I unless she is engaged to Tyler who got back from his mission right before I left. Weird...best for last? jk jk Anyway...I am glad you enjoyed my notes from Mission Conference, hopefully you were able to understand them! It was absolutely amazing! Elder Zwick is a special man and his wife is just as amazing! A really neat couple. And Sister Jergensen said that he has always been that way. That's neat you were able to go to the meeting with a member of the Temple Presidency, they are special men, to be in there presence is a special opportunity. I hope to one day be able to have the Spirit with me all the time and that strongly that just everyone around me can feel it radiating through me like that. My goodness the RS broadcast was amazing! It was so wonderful. President Monson's talk really stuck out to me as well, I think that is one that was definitely needed, but the way he lovingly corrected was so neat, he is a special man! And he was so funny, I love how much he has a sense of humor. I enjoyed the talk from Sister Thompson as well, I am not doing VT, but there is a quote after the first chapter in PMG that talks about how Home Teaching is nothing more than missionary work to members and missionary work is nothing but home teaching to nonmembers! I love that it is so true! And especially since we are working so much with LA's here in Kewanee I am still envolved in the work she was talking about. They are a great presidency. The spirit was defnitely strong in that meeting. We got to go down to Peoria for it so it was fun being able to see some of the people from down there as welL! That is fun that dad was able to take over your class for you. I'm sure he enjoyed that and the kids did as well. He is so good with kids. Are you able to do team teaching? I'm sure they love you just as much! You are never good at giving yourself enough credit! You and dad both! Well I got to get going, I love you so much! I hope you have a great week and that you get feeling better! Love, Leslie
Daddy,
Lol I should check and see if we are allowed to fit in with the community and help tie up the loose ends by wearing overalls! Our branch is having a fall festival this weekend, I can only imagine how many overalls we will see there! Wow that is a big win, way to be Ohio State! That is exciting, almost as exciting as BYU losing again! WOW! That is amazing! Good news!
I loved that scripture, it was perfect. I have been enjoying my studies so much this week that that one fits perfectly! I am trying to finish the Book of Mormon the entire way through this transfer. I am in Alma now so I don't think it will be too hard to finish up. I have learned so much this time through and am making so many connections! It is just so exciting. I love my morning studies and am always so sad to have to stop to go get ready for the day. It is exciting how big of a part the scriptures can and should be in our lives if we will just let them. I was reading in PMG this morning and it was talking about the scripture in D&C about continually thinking about the words of Christ all the day long and it shall be meeted to every man what to say in the very hour we need. It is so true if we do think about our studies all day long, it won't be as hard to fight off temptation, or bad thoughts or people speaking crudely around us. Also we will not have to worry about how to answer a question if someone asks us about the Gospel or how to approach someone else in a Gospel converstation, because the Spirit will already be with us and he will help us through. Plus we can call up on the things we learned in our studies and apply to some aspect each and everyday. I love to do that, take what I studied that morning and see why I studied that. How does it apply to this day. It is interesting and a lot of fun to do, you should try it! But anyway sorry I am just rambling! I hope your trip to SCL went well, Kelly talked about how nice it was to have you and Mom there. I love you, and I am so grateful I can have the priviledge of being your daughter! Have a great week! Love, Leslie
09/21/2010
Mom,
SLC...I hope you are having fun and enjoying getting to see everyone! I am sure you are so excited about being there with your kids and grandkids. That is exciting that Logan is changing so much already, I can't believe Kelly is a mom that is so weird! Wow we are all growing up so much! I'm 22...weird! My Birthday was great thanks to you and dad and Justin! Thank you so much for everything you are amazing! Everything was perfect and too much! I love you so much, thank you for everything. I was shocked everything that was in there, as always you do too much. I loved the crown and Sister Frisby made me wear it all day while we were at the house, so the lady just laughed so hard when she saw me and gave me the flowers! They were beautiful. I am loving the scripture journal that you sent that is so neat everything that is in there and how it is organzied is so cool! The clothes were beautiful thank you so much! However, I have a too big of a bottom to fit in to the brown one...it fits but because my bum is to big it makes it pretty short...I'm sorry. Over all it was a great day!
4:15 is early! I hope your flight went well. Justin does not mind helping I'm sure he always talks about how much you and dad do for him and how indebted he is to you so I am sure he is excited to be able to do something to help. That is exciting he finally got a calling, I think every email and letter I've gotten has talked about how much he wants one! That is one of the greatest things about him is how spiritually minded he is and how much he loves this gospel fully and he always wants to help and do better. He amazes me all the time. One day I hope to get to his level, but I know once I reach the level he is at now, he will have gone done and well surpassed me again! Oh well, life is all about progression huh? And this way I always have something to strive for for the rest of my life!
The branch is still a bit crazy 32 people there including stake visitors last week! The ward list however is 10 pages long! That is a bit ridiculous. So we are hitting the ground this week and trying to track them down and seeing what we can do to get people back to church and re-teaching those who are lost, but once had the gospel. That is what Sister Frisby and I both very strongly feel is our purpose here and what we need to focus on. I feel like we both can relate a lot to these less actives so hopefully our intentions will pay off! The branch president however is a great guy and willing to help us with anything. We had SUPPER =) at his home last week and went over the ward list to see who he felt was best to start visiting first, that was helpful and fun to get to know him a bit better as well. However I had a hard time taking him seriously at first, he was wearing overalls...can I tell you how many people I have seen here wearing overalls! I didn't know they still made adult sized overalls, but everyone here has then! It is a bit disturbing and makes me laugh! One thing that we are finding out that is also a struggle is everyone in our ward is a convert and it has their missing links in the gospel so a lot of what is talked about or taught has missing gaps or is more thoughts and perspectives than Gospel Doctrine. That is frustrating and hard to try and sort out! We definitely have our work cut out for us here! So hopefully we can do some good. So much to do just overwhelming to tune in to what is first, but I think we are starting to sort things out a bit.
I am so sorry to hear about your Primary class! Isaiah would be hard to teach 9 year olds! I mean it's rough to teach it to adults! I will keep you and that specific thing in my prayers, I am sure you are doing great and I know as you keep wanting to do your best and showing the Lord with your preparations taht you are willing to fulfill this calling as best as you can that He will stretch you and help you see all the potential you have! You are a great teacher and always have been! I love you so much and hope you have a fun week in Utah! Be safe! Love, Leslie
Dad,
SLC again? Holy moly that is exciting mom gets to come with you this time, I am sure she is excited. That is nice how often you've been able to see Melissa, Kelly and the kids! It's true Logan and Evelyn will have changed so much I hope they send me lots of pictures too! You should keep dropping hints to them! =) Asher already has changed so much, she is SO big! I couldn't believe how tall she was in those pictures you and mom sent! Jaman as well. That's awesome Ohio State won big again this week! I was very happy about that, hopefully it will be a great year from them, and of course you made my week that BYU lost big! Did you hear they signed independent for next year? What is all that about? ESPN is supposed to be playing their games every saturday next year, what a rip off! I don't know what is going to happen to the Mnt West will all of that! Pretty bogus! UNLV needs to do good this year, but with Tre gone and another player (I can't remember who right now) this season I don't see this being their year! We'll see what happens I guess, well...you'll see what happens! =)
Thank you for the scripture of the week that one hit home pretty hard! I don't know about the "unwearyingness" but I'm not Nephi either, so the Lord knows I'm not going to be as good as he was, I think the Lord understands, but I want to be better about that. But I know that as I strive to do better and to be better that I can have those same blessings! That is exciting and unbelievable! I can not wait, so I need to buckle down and see the seriousness and the responsibility that is mine.
We had Mission Conference yesterday and it was amazing! (That is why I am emailing today p-day got switched!) Elder and Sister Zwick came and spoke to us and they are POWERFUL! My goodness they are amazing people, both of them. Come to find out Elder Zwick is Sister Jergensen's older brother! Small world. I will send home some of my notes. It really helped give me the encouragment and motivation that I needed! I can't wait for General Conference, I had Mission Conference this week, RS broadcast this weekend, Zone Conference and General Conference next weekend...Wow! Can you talk about a spiritual firehose coming at you full blast! And boy do I need it right now I can not wait! It will be great! Things are getting better and hopefully they continue too. The branch still isn't doing too great, but we are trying to track down all the LA's this week. I am excited to work with them! Well that is pretty much it for now, sorry this is a long one! I hope that your week goes well and you enjoy SLC! Tell everyone hello for me and that I love them! I love you! Love, Leslie
