"She's not from around here"

So much to tell you and not a lot time. Yesterday we invited 3 primary aged kids to a baptism... it would have been 4 but sister Johnson forgot... but when we go to teach them more we'll have a special invitation just for Beatrice...we don’t even know if she's old enough to be baptized but that's okay. Every one here looks really young; unless they look old then they look really old! Some things i have noticed that Brazil is lacking:

1. Peanut butter

2. Carpet

3. Air conditioning

4. Cold milk

5. Pepto bismol

6. Temperature regulated water

7. Drinkable tap water

8. Paved roads

9.even sidewalks... there are more but that's all i can think of.

Things they do have though are tile... everything is tile, even our walls. 

Everyone is really friendly. 

Lots and lots of fruit! We have a mango, lime, and guava tree. Turns out i like guava, who would have thought. 

Oh everyone says my Portuguese is really great for only being here for 6 days... except that one little boy in our lesson that started laughing when i started to teach... i did hear what his mom said "stop it! She’s not from around here, she is trying her best!" that's a great confidence booster;)

 My companion is super great though! She is always positive and giving me great tips on how to survive Brazil, literally survival tips. Mom, you did not prepare me to survive in the middle of nowhere. I’m really glad she is with me we have a lot of fun together! She’s great and we are having fun doing lots and lots of work here. I never really knew i could get so much pleasure from working really hard every single day. 





Home Sweet Dirt Hut

We made Reese's cupcakes

Sister Johnson and I did service for a member who fed us lunch.  WE cut ribbons for a primary activity

Arrived in Brazil

Tudo bem? 

So i made it after 27 hours of airports and airplanes i made it alive. So much to tell and not a whole lot of time. Just go watch the beginning of the best two years for me;) so my new companion is sister Johnson, she´s great! I love her! She is American, which means she does know English Que Benção! (What a blessing). Right so i got to Natal on Tuesday afternoon. We had dinner with president Soares and sister Soares who is an amazing cook! And spent the night in Natal. Then the next day we registered with the police and I’m legal here) Que Benção! Then we had a 5-hour bus ride to Mossoró, which is my first area for at least the next 12 weeks. it´s really hot here;) I’m not complaining, literally everyone we talk to says that, it´s like the small talk. Instead of asking oh how is the weather they just state it’s hot. So winter here is ending which doesn’t really change much it goes from hot to really hot:) Que Benção! Better than going somewhere really cold;) the people here are really nice and it´s not taboo to talk about Deus. If anything that is one of their favorite things to talk about other than the weather. Que Benção! Also today after our district meeting, sister Johnson and i needed to buy some paper to make thank you cards. A man who worked at the store who is also a recent convert went across the street to buy us ice cream, and then the lady checking us out gave us a discount on our paper! Double Que Benção! So ya I’m still alive. Half the times i don’t know what is going on but the people are wonderful and willing to work with me. Well we have a city to convert. Love you all. 

Sister Leonard.

Sister Aleah Leonard

Brazil Natal Mission
Av. Interventor Mario Camara 2066
Dix - Sept. Rosado
Natal - RN
59062-600
Brazil

A lizard in Natal

Clouds over Natal.  The field is white already to harvest

ou were right mom, it's just like girlscamp, really hot and I'm not allowed to flush the toilet paper...my favorite!

Some pictures from the plane

And she's off!

Sister Leonard leaving the MTC... bound for Brazil

One Month Down

Oi!

It's been a really great week here at the MTC. I got to host on Wednesday and that was really really fun because i actually felt like i was helping sisters feel welcome. In other news we started teaching two new young men, hunter and Carlos. While continuing to teach Mateus and Stepherson. Hunter and Carlos are roommates with very different backgrounds and it's a little hard to prepare one lesson for two very different people, but luckily for us the Gospel applies to EVERY person's life. So Carlos accepted the invitation to be baptized, hunter is still learning how the things we teach can help him but he feels it is important and is very interested in learning more. Stephenson went to church last week and really enjoyed the family focused meetings. We taught him about why we keep the commandments and asked if he would keep the Sabbath day holy-- his work is very important to him but he said he would ask for Sundays off. And finally: Mateus, he has been on vacation for the last week but while he was gone he read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know if it was true. We asked him what it would mean for him in his life if these things were true. He told us it would mean that joseph smith was really a prophet and that he really saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. It means that they really did restore the Gospel to the Earth and that he needs to be baptized. So we are really excited about Mateus and we will be inviting him to come to Church on Sunday. So the work is going well! The language is coming slowly but surely. 

Things i learned from devotionals this week:

Sister Carol F McConkie:

-missionary work is not easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience.

-cast everything at the Lord's feet every fear, doubt, worry, concern, distraction, and give yourself more fully to the Lord.

Brother Steven B Allen:

-Satan hates missionaries, i make him really upset, and he wants me to fail

-trials temptations and difficulties -all apart of the growing process

Neil A Anderson:

-we sacrifice for the things we love and we love the things we sacrifice for

- the greatest sacrifice of all was that of God's Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He suffered because he loves me; He suffered so I wouldn't have to

-Don't hold back, be bold.

So great stuff:)

Te amo

Sister Leonard

Sister Riding and Sister Leonard.  I forgot to mention Jen was my Sister Training Leader.  She is now been reassigned stateside awaiting her visa

The Orange Sisters before Devotional

Proof that it does rain in Provo!

Just a few more days

Not too much to report this week but we did commit hunter and Carlos to be baptized on the 20th of September so that is really awesome. This week has been really hectic with school starting, we are no longer teaching Stepherson or Mateus. And we got a new teacher Irmão Croskrey, he is replacing Irmão Dodge, and Irmão Hodson is still with us, he is awesome. Sister Reeve got her VISA so she will be my travel companion, which makes me really happy. Sister Francis got her reassignment today and will me in the Oregon, Salem mission, she is super excited, she leaves tomorrow morning so that is exciting. I’m really sorry i don’t have too much to say about this week. It was a really normal week. We hosted again on Sunday. 

It is really important to remember that the Lord is in the details, he knows what will make you happy, better than you do. Remember to pray and to rely on Him with all the Faith that you do have, even if you don’t think it is a lot, because when we exercise that faith it will increase. Read the Book of Mormon, it is true and will help you in your life no matter what you are going through. I’m kind of freaking out about going to Brazil, like I’m excited but freaking out but that only happens when I think about me. When i focus on the people of Natal and all the blessing the Lord has in store for then I beam ear to ear. This is the Lords work, He wants all his children to return to him and be happy. 

Thanks for all the love and prayers. I will post my address when i get it. You may not hear from me until the 16th or so, until then keep the faith and pray often.

Love you all

Sister Aleah Leonard

 

We love to visit the Temple.  Sisters Reeve. Leonard and Francis

We are all about doing service, even if it is cleaning bathrooms!

With my favorite Elder friends.  Elder Willams and Elder Kesler.  They left last week.

A Letter from Sister Francis

9-1-13

Dear Bro & Sis Leonard,

Oi!  I’m Sister Francis, one of your daughter’s companions here at the MTC!  We both thought it would be fun for me to write you a letter.  I don’t know what she’s told you about me, but I like writing letters, and thought it would be good to report on her.

You’ll be glad to hear that Sister Leonard is an awesome companion!  She’s hilarious – you have a very funny daughter and I love her.  The other night, when we were in the bathroom getting ready for bed, I said, “My foot itches.”  She said, “I’m on it” and came and started scratching my elbow.  Another time, not long after we got here, we were standing in the doorway of a classroom waiting for our other companion Sister Reeve, who was talking to a friend. I said, “Man am I tired all of a sudden!  It just hit me.” And she without hesitation turned and hit me in the face.  Good thing she’s fluent in sign language because I think she may have a hearing problem.  At least I know she’ll always be there for me if my elbow itches or if I need someone to hit me!

We have a lot of fun together. The MTC is a wonderful place, but it can get boring sometimes, so it’s good to have a companion like her to liven things up.  Sometimes we’re perhaps a little too lively, but we also work well together as we study, plan and teach.

She’s probably told you, but we’re doing really well here and we are very happy.  It’s impossible to be anything but happy for more than 30 seconds because the spirit is so strong.  I know it was hard for her when she found out about the death of her friend, but she really handled it well.  I’m grateful to have such a strong and faithful companion, and I think it would be awesome if we could be companions later in the field!

What else…?  Sister Leonard is always cheerful, even when things are hard.  Her Portuguese is coming along great too!  Anyways, good job on being good parents and raising such a good girl.  I’m sure it was a challenge, but congratulations—your perseverance and hard work have paid off.  I hope you had all your family are well and happy.  I’ll meet you in about a year and a half when I come to her sealing to Elder Wood, and I look forward to it!  I hear a lot of great things about Texas and I can’t wait to go there myself after the mission. 

I love this work and I know that this church is true.  I feel privileged to be able to serve the Lord fulltime, and I know that He is there to help all of us, no mater what our needs are.  Turn to him and you cannot fail!  The Lord loves you and so do Sister Leonard and I J

Sister Sydney Francis