leahwithanidea

[leahwithanidea]

14 SEPTEMBER 2020 — A LIST OF FIRSTS

Ya girl has been in Utah for about a month now! yeehaw. Here is a list of Big Yeehaw Energy Things.

1. First time making homemade frybread.

2. First time in Nashville. Including the first time seeing Alyssa since I was transferred from Pueblo West.

3. First time meeting Bryce!

4. First time road tripping across America!

5. First time back in Ratón since the mission.

6. First time ever seeing and killing a real rattlesnake.

7. First time I could let Lucy sit on my lap.

8. First time seeing Aleahlani since I left her in the Valley.

9. First time in Pueblo Lake. And first time trying my hand at water sports!

10. First time longboarding!

Many more firsts to come.

Adios,

Leah

[leahwithanidea]

10 AUGUST 2020 — 100 GOOD STORIES MAKE ME INTERESTING AT PARTIES

Oh hi. It’s been a while. Oops.

Some Good Stories from the past few weeks:

1.

LOKAI came to visit. aka my actual best friend aka golden boi aka deteriorating seeing eye dog. Is it bad I get more excited to see him than my stepdad who brings him ?

2.

I’ve really reached outside myself in terms of art this summer! Did collages and marker drawings for the first time in agesssss. Anything to get some poetry going, amirite? LOL SOS send help. Or writing prompts..

3.

My mom’s dad died of covid. It sucked. I predict it won’t feel real until halfway through fall semester when I realise I won’t be seeing him on my trip to Boise. We arranged a wonderfully beautiful graveside service for him, in which my siblings and me and my cousins recorded a rendition of God Be With You Til We Meet Again and nailed it. We recorded it that Sunday after Chee died. It was the sweetest Sunday. We ate dinner together, sang for hours, and broke out the old picture boxes and sifted through long-hidden memories. I will forever tell find stories of Chee.

4.

Six days after that, I turned 21! I dragged Emma and Noah to Lake Anna with me where we spent the day swimming, hiking, pic icing, and hammocking. There is nothing I love quite like the outdoors. I’d live like a nomad in a heartbeat. My One True Wish for my birthday was to go to the beach, but plans, people, and money didn’t work out as always, so we settled for a day trip to the lake. Which was just what I needed. I am way too thrilled for Utah’s outdoors.

5.

Wondering how long this Wearing A Facemask thing will go on. I am fairly used to it because I have to wear one for work, but school will get tiresome. Fav thing about work is tryna get to know coworkers and deciphering what my managers are tryna tell me with the sound of the order machine, oven, and muffling of the mask all present. Ultimate Sleuth Mode activiated.

6.

A True African Wedding: Sierra Leone meets Ghana style. Freddy married a guy named Brian. They are way cute. I have never had so much fun at a wedding. I saw one of my best friends Choe and we did the thing where we looked over at each other and realise who we were and our mouths hung open and we immediately exited our previously occurring conversations and ran to hug each other. Best thing ever. Bishop last minute gave us two curtains and was like Go Decorate The Getaway Car, so me, Emma, Lilly, Ashleigh, and Another Unnamed Cousin through together the most smashing concept after I, being given the car keys, parallel parked it on a busy neighbourhood road in the middle of the night. Yeehaw to the bride and groom.

7.

Emma and I going through our wardrobes has been a Journey. Felipe and Martin helped me with mine. I’m just tryna look Acceptable Before The Lord But On A Budget ya know?

Anyways.

Cheers.

I leave VA this week!

Love from yours truly,

Leah

[leahwithanidea]

13 JULY 2020 — PERFERCT

Sup hömies. This has been one heck of a week. Ya girls back on her groove.

Some firsts: first time doing someone’s wedding hair, first time holding a gecko, first time playing settlers of catan (yeah yeah i know).

Even after 20 years, life still doesn’t get boring. I have a crush again. I can’t find an apartment to live in. HAHA.

Sorry for the short update, but there is much to do before The Great Roadtrip Of 2020!

Love from,

Leah

[leahwithanidea]

6 JULY 2020 — YOU! CAN’T! STOP! ME!

So far, this summer has been a perfect mix of Being A Carefree Kid Again and Being A Responsible Adult. I hope I always have a perfect mix.

I’ve grown zucchini and delivered pizza and gone on road trips and rewatched Avatar The Last Airbender and made coworkers into friends and reminisced with my siblings about living overseas and playing outside.

There’s a verse from the Book of Mormon that I think about a lot. Like, a lot a lot. It’s some of the last words we have recorded from the ancient American prophet named Jacob: “...the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream...” (Jacob 7:26). That’s what this moment in my life feels like. Time passing with me, and it all feels unreal. I only wonder what it’s like for God to watch us grow up. For him to aid us as we struggle through mortality and learn the laws of heaven.

Despite the delusions and hallucinations that plague my sick brain, some realities remain in tact: I am made of flesh and blood like Father in heaven. I have the intense ability to Feel. In the end, I will make it.

Signing off but not forever,

Leah

[leahwithanidea]

29 JUNE 2020 — SUBATOMIC

Hellooooo world! Again. After an unintentional hiatus. Again.

In the wake of modern and personal events, I have been depressed. The kind of depressed that has me mad at myself when I find myself awake at 1pm every morning, especially considering how many days I spent waking up at 6:30am on the dot and getting ish done.

*Dramatic Drawn-Out Sigh*

And yet again, God fuels my optimism and gives me moments that make me feel Alive and In The Present and Very Grateful.

Like finding myself on my old high school football field, three years after graduation, in the same intense heat that made sweat roll down my back.

Like being more than 4ft off the ground. #deathtothewhitehandbook!

Like hiking up the side of a mountain along the Shenandoah with cousins I haven’t seen in agessss.

Like teaching Emma and Christian how to skip rocks on the river and telling tales of my great Canadian friend Jeron who could skip rocks like he had invented earth.

Like hiking seven miles in the pouring rain listening to Miles Davis.

Like chopping my bangs for the first time since New Mexico.

Like voting for the first time.

Like seeing my baby sister off on her senior prom.

Like remembering how much I MISSED the water being out in Colorado.

This week I also penned some Deep Childhood Trauma to paper and concluded that come fall, I will be enrolling myself in Therapy and also trying Acupuncture for the first time. Something you only learn from experience: healing hurts.

Til next time,

Leah

[leahwithanidea]

8 JUNE 2020 — SWEET SUMMER SADNESS

Missing a week of writing means double pictures this week YAY.

The public should know that I have not been historically known to take such a high quantity of selfies. Like ever. But I have been recently for two very specific reasons: 1) I was reading through an old journal from like 2018 and I wrote how I wanted to be in front of the camera more often, rather than behind it, bc I want my kids and grandkids and greatgrandkids to be able to know me through pictures, and 2) my babies in Castle Rock are still on their missions and still in quarantine and still sick, so every day I send them a selfie to brighten their day.

Introductory Tangent completed.

Even though being home for the summer is a cloud filled dream, it’s still sad. Like, every experience I have, every person I meet, I know will be done or gone by fall. My brain snags on those sorts of things. Like rainbow sprinkles on white sheet cakes. Or chocolate chips in mint ice cream.

I have been learning a lot about relationships. Not romantic ones. Like platonic ones, like familial ones, like spiritual ones. I am learning which relationships to keep, which ones to root out, which ones to work on. I have been trying trying trying to put more effort into helping people feel valued and loved. It is a lot of work. As it should be. But I have found that typically it is not one-sided. And if it is one-sided, I need to take a step back. Is this what growing up feels like?

Maybe. Maybe not. I still chase butterflies through cabbage patches and consider it a Best Day Ever if I get to pet someone’s dog. I still *really* like putting on dresses on Sundays and playing with people a third of my age. I still like knowing people’s favourite colours and I still like looking at pink sunset clouds.

I was talking to Angel yesterday about perfectionism and depression. I had an epiphany right as some words I hadn’t planned on saying came out of my mouth. I said: I Think We Are All So Hard On Ourselves Because We Want So Badly To Be Like Our Father In Heaven, And He’s Perfect. Wanting to be so good is a noble desire, the drive for life, the purpose of the eternities. BUT. We must be accepting of the road of imperfections and stumbling and one-sided relationships and summer sadness to get to that goal.

Over and out.

Leah

Pictures from the last two weeks:

1. I like these glasses and so does everyone else so win win

2. Sunset from my backyard. Oohs and Aahs are encouraged.

3. New leopard print dress, who dis?

4. Emma did my eye makeup and wow??

5. Some fun with our boi Ian

6. Me n Mr. Blue Sky

7. STRAWBERRIES

8. Butterfly catching

9. Geekin over cabbage

10. Jumping off a fence

[leahwithanidea]

25 MAY 2020 — GOOD MORNING

I have a coworker at Dominos named Mason who is the sunshine of our driver crew. His usual greeting is a happy Good Morning! no matter what time of day it is.

I’ve learned a lot from Mason. Mostly about how to have fun while working, even when you’re stuck in the back room folding boxes and sweating through your hat, face mask, and black jeans.

But I’ve also learned that every moment can be a Good Morning moment. A dawning of something hopeful.

As a lot of you know, I was not thrilled about finishing my time as a full-time missionary. I did not want to come home. I loved what I was doing and I loved the people and the God I was doing it for.

But home life has proven to be a sweet, sweet experience. Every day I pray for opportunities to share the testimony and the light that I have. And every day, someone is put in my path that I am able to help. Miracle upon miracle, to sum it up nicely.

Every single person I’ve become friends with at work is being prepared or has been prepared to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. God proves to me every single day that member missionary work is real and alive and faith-filled and faith-building and successful and wonderful.

Take James. Who briefly talked to some missionaries years ago in Albuquerque. And who has been studying the scriptures and Trying To Figure It Out ever since then. Who labels himself as a Calvinist but wants to hear out this “Mormonism” thing. Who accepted the copy of the Book of Mormon I left for him on top of the dropbox in the office at work.

Take Darryl. Who met the Spanish Elders on their bikes last summer and has been meeting with them and learning off and on. Who is currently reading in the book of Nephi. Who accepted my invitation to go see the DC temple open house come October.

Take Trinity. Who is the daughter of a recent convert I helped teach two summers ago.

Take Alex. Who knew a member of the Church on his high school baseball team.

God is willing to put people in your path to prepare for the Morning of Christ’s coming. You need to be willing to prepare them.

There are a million more dawns ahead of you. Do something good with them.

Good morning and good night,

Leah

1. Hansen begging never to come to Montana. Ohhhh I miss the west.

2. I made that tower of boxes.

3. Me yesterday missing putting on my name tag every morning.

[leahwithanidea]

18 May 2020 - BACK TO WORK

Hello from your local civic hero! While the world slows, pizza delivering grows. This week was uneventful besides the fact that I started delivering pizza. I have officially become That Girl.

Being an essential worker means two things: 1) you work lots of hours, and 2) you get to participate in the rarest form of social interaction — face to face. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

Most days I put on a face mask, clock in, and take double orders of pizzas across town, listening to the radio for the first time in a year and a half, and discovering neighbourhoods I never knew existed.

Outside of work, the movie watching endeavours persist. Getting back into a groove of being able to sit still for 2 hours is a process. But I made it through The Rise of Skywalker without moving from the couch, so we’ll count that as a feat. Side note: that movie blew me away. Other activities include watching High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in a matter of days. It’s actually better than the title makes it out to be. But only slightly. LOL.

I feel like I’m finally getting what people are saying about spending more time with family during quarantine. In the hours that we aren’t dead asleep in our beds, we are watching something together or making weekly runs to the Krispy Kreme in Manassas or cooking fried zucchini or loading the dishwater for the millionth time. Just ordinary things. But ordinary things that feel special.

Sorry for no update last week. Things are slow. As you can imagine.

Much love,

Leah

Pictures:

1. Do ni mos

2. We got the same forehead

3. Strawberry donuts >>>

[leahwithanidea]

4 MAY 2020 - IN WHICH LEAH GETS HER ISH TOGETHER

Sometimes I think back to my pre-mortal life days (not that I can actually remember them #theveil) and wonder if I really understood everything on the contract of Coming To Earth before signing it. Truth is, I probably didn’t. Because that was the point. Having faith is always the point.

Did I really know the extent of all the spiritual, physical, and emotional trials I would go through here on earth? No. But I knew I would get through them somehow.

Every weekday at 1pm, all the young single adults in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area pow wow on Zoom for an hour and talk about the scriptures and the gospel. We call it “daily institute.” One day this week, we talked about having faith through opposition. I was Highly Inspired. I didn’t retain much from that class session except for a statement made by our teacher/moderator Michael: “Our faith is in Christ, not in the outcomes.” Boi just dropped the mic and we coulda ended class right then.

A lot of less-desirable outcomes have come to pass in my life lately. But I can always keep breathing and know that Christ can make this medication or this part-time pizza job or this stay-at-home order or this or that move me closer to my Father. Even if it’s completely inconceivable to me at the time.

How can I keep breathing and know that?? It’s simple. God has told His children all throughout time to make and keep covenants (fancy word for “promises”) with Him. In the 1800s, there was a lady named Emma Smith who was going through some CRAP. God simply told her: “...cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:13). She did. And through Christ, everything turned out.

We see that truth EVERYWHERE in the scriptures. Samson? Didn’t keep his covenants. Didn’t turn out so well. King David? Broke his covenants. Big oof for him. The people of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s? Kept their covenants even in the wake of imminent death. Blessed forever. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego? Kept their covenants. Those guys walked out of literal fire unscathed.

The point is, covenants are powerful. They help us get through stuff in this life. They help us fulfill our purpose here. They help us have JOY. I know that ordinary things bring more joy to me because of the covenants I have made and kept. Straight up. Even things like hiking in the middle of the Shenandoah. Or making scrambled eggs for my dad in the morning. Or writing these blog posts, even though I’m pretty sure only like two people read them.

In short, things are looking up. They always are. Sometimes I’M just not looking up.

HAPPY STAR WARS DAY,

Princess Leah

1. Still got it.

2. #coverwhenyoucough

3. Me and honeybaby feat. some flowers I picked

[leahwithanidea]

27 Apr 2020 - ON THE MORROW COME I INTO THE WORLD

Once, my good friend Kelly told me that there would be a grieving period for my mission. That RM’s actually go through this weird version of the grief cycle. I didn’t really know what he meant until now.

Today I talked to my academic advisor at BYU, Sharon and she said, So You’ve Been Home For A Month Now. And I felt like throwing up. ???

People always told me that adulthood was gonna be so hard. But honestly I’ve been dealing with the same crap since I was like 9. I hate that adults think kids don’t deal with crap, too.

At the core, we all want the same things: to be loved, to love, to believe in something, and for someone to believe in us. In part, I am glad for the quarantine. I feel like everyone is being forced to reflect like an RM.

I am bouncing between the Woe Is Me attitude and the Have Faith It Will Pass attitude. When the world was crumbling around the Nephites in the Book of Mormon right before Jesus came, there were some who believed in all the signs given and some who thought those who believed were absolutely ridiculous. There was a point where the unbelievers said their “faith concerning this thing [had] been vain” (3 Nephi 1:6). Ouch. What turds. Then the believers were like Dang What If We Were Wrong ? But then the prophet at the time was like Alright God, We Need A Surge Of Faith and then prayed. This was the Lord’s reply:

“Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets” (3 Nephi 1:13).

I gave my homecoming talk/speech/sermon yesterday via zoom (shout-out to everyone who listened, including but not limited to my best friends Dan and Ann Marie). I talked about my crappy but indescribably amazing mission experience. And I talked about how God’s will is always greater than ours. Hands down.

You might be grieving your mission. You might be dealing with some crap. You might be doing some painful reflecting. Your world might be crumbling. People might be mocking your faith. You might not be having a graduation or a prom or a reunion or a wedding or a lunch date or a job or any hope that this will pass. But God knows the end from the beginning. And the middle is supposed to shape us, not be easy.

Lift up your heads. Be of good cheer. Make yourself malleable.

Sorry for the brain vomit.

Sincerely from the confines of my house,

Leah

Pictures:

Me and my fav book.

School is an act of faith.

[leahwithanidea]

20 Apr 2020 - A COLORADO HOLIDAY

Well. This was another quarantine doozy.

This week I started and finished a cleanse! Very riveting. If you followed my stories on The Great Instagram, I posted a picture of every fruit-and-vegetable-filled meal I consumed this week in an effort to purge my system of a year and a half’s worth of stuffing myself full of dessert out of politeness. I’ve never felt so wonderful. A lot of people asked me about this throughout the week, so if you have questions, check out https://go.shaklee.com/7-day-healthy-cleanse-2/

Other than that, my sister hit revolution 18 around the sun, so well done on her part for surviving annual apocalypses and getting this far. We celebrated with homemade carrot cake made by yours truly and a rack of ribs made by Famous Dave’s truly.

On Sunday, I joined my congregation’s Zoom meeting morning devotional, where I got to listen to my dear friend Josh speak about his missionary experience in Provo Utah! Got me misty-eyed because I FREAKING LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. Next week I’ll be giving my speech.

Prior to the devotional, I video chatted Angel all the way from Texas and I helped him start the Book of Mormon! He is way excited to keep reading and praying. And I am excited to keep helping him every Sunday. #missionaryworkgoeson

Love from Virginia,

Leah

Pictures:

1-3. Some of my favourite meals from the cleanse.

4. Me and sister lookin like fresh adults.

5. Costco’s new decoration.

[leahwithanidea]

13 Apr 2020 - A LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN

Sleep schedule? wack.

Motivation? a little down the drain.

I won’t lie and say that coming home from a mission sucks. And I won’t lie and say that coming home from a mission is the best thing ever. Because it’s neither. It’s this weird brownish grayish colour that reminds me of the hum of a car on the highway on a roadtrip in the middle of Kansas. 

But in other news, Burnside Farms in Nolksville is really good at making sure people are social distancing. And so is the Aldi in Woodbridge. 

The tulip farm was by far one of the best outings of this quarantine. Yes, I very much daydreamed that the fields were all mine and that I had slipped down the rabbit hole of a Studio Ghibli movie. I have found myself daydreaming 110% more than I did 3 weeks ago. Like yesterday when I accidentally spent an hour and a half eating breakfast because I was imagining what my life would be like if I was a legit scuba diver.

I decided I would do a cleanse this week. Because what else is there to do but be a wee bit more concerned about your health that you used to be. This required me to have a bit more vegetable volume in my fridge. So we braved the grocery store. And I wore my yellow mask for the first time. And I waited outside in a line to get in. And I went up and down the one-way aisles all by myself. And I had a nice conversation about Easter with the cashier Jennifer. And I realised that these new virus rules are actually a bit of a relief for an anxiety-ridden person because that was the most relaxed I have ever been in a grocery store ever. Ain’t nobody makin fun of people with OCD anymore. We are all cringing and saying I Told You So.

On Easter I listened to the words of modern prophets. And I devised plans (aka prayed and listened to what Father is trying to beat into my head) for self-progression and missionary work. I am giving more thought to how I can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone in my life. Since now I have a lot more freedom and creativity at my fingertips. 

A friend from sophomore writing class downloaded the Book of Mormon app and agreed to let me help him read it! Angel watched General Conference and really felt like he “needed to read that book they were talking about.” This boy’s life is abouta change for good.

I’ve also befriended the garbage man who comes every Tuesday, much to Joshua’s amusement. Garbage man always asks what I am reading outside on my step as I’m doing my personal study. I always tell him, The Best Book Ever. Tomorrow if he comes, I will give him a copy of The Best Book Ever. aka The Book of Mormon. 

There are good things ahead. We just can’t see them yet.

Much love,

Leah

Pictures:

1. Ya girl in a Studio Ghilbli movie.

2. Foot pictures will be making a comeback.

3. In Aldi.

[leahwithanidea]

30 Mar 2020 - ONE DAY AT A TIME

I made it home! to my pretty little city. Which, seems pretty abandoned because everyone is inside. I go on runs and am the only person/car/dog on the road.

My going home was less than ideal. What typically is a nice 2 day quiet reflection eating meals together and worshipping in the temple turned into a scramble to find everyone a flight home and place to stay until then because our departing group jumped from 8 people to 36 in the span of a few days.

My respect for President Stevenson, the Head Of Figuring All Of This Out, skyrocketed.

Amid the chaos, God breathed Be Still. We felt Him every day, and we gloried in Him. Here are a few of those moments:

Overall group morale was low. Elder Rosie was fading fast. To save him, I asked if he had any sheet music in his bag. And if he would play for me so I could sing. The best smile crept onto his face, and for the next few hours we put on a mini concert in the Aeroplaza chapel. We had never jammed to hymns and Lés Mis so hard.

Usually, as part of departure, we have a final testimony meeting in the basement of the mission home. This go around, we all sat 6 feet apart in the chapel and stood up one by one to bear short testimony. I will never forget the tangible Spirit in the room as we finished and President Stevenson gave us his final testimony of Jesus Christ. We sang together God Be With You Til We Meet Again, and I watched Elder Rosie cry at the organ. In that moment, I knew God loved me as His daughter, and President and Sister Stevenson loved me as theirs. During the closing prayer, I was too full of gratitude to keep my eyes closed, so I looked to the ceiling and imagined angels in the air. I probably wasn’t imagining.

Nobody wanted to be stuck inside at the Super 8 or Days Inn, so we laced our tennis shoes and went for a walk in the night. Kenny bounced around the streets of the Springs, and I bounced with him! As Allison put it: “I feel like this is relieving the past two years of stress.”

We had a whole 24 hours of Nothing to do. So we went to the park. I swung on the swings and I climbed trees and I ran because I felt like it. I remembered how good it felt to have leaves in my hair.

The APs knew we were going crazy. So our OG departing group hopped in the mission van and we drove to Hurts Donut Company. I bought the best donut in the case. And on the way back, we screamed at the top of our lungs to the CCSM anthem. Surreal.

MOVING MOUNTAINS LIKE WE WERE MEANT TO.

Coming home, the airports were empty. That morning, Joshua had come downstairs fully dressed and Kenny had come barefoot and wrapped in a blanket to help me with my bags. Now they were being tagged and put on a conveyer belt. When I finally flew into DC, I couldn’t take my eyes off my pretty little city. Coming home isn’t so bad. Especially when you can see the temple shining white from the airplane.

Next week I finish my quarantine! And enter a longer quarantine til June 10..

Love from,

Leah

Video: my backyard

[leahwithanidea]

23 Mar 2020 - OF THE LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE

18 months ago

I arrived in the small town of Towanda with three suitcases and a sense of determination. We knocked every door in town. 17 months ago

I moved to the grand suburb of Green Tree and learned how important studying was.

16 months ago

I spent my first Christmas away from home. We spent it with everyone else who didn't have a place that day -- in churches and on trains. People called us angels.

15 months ago

I moved to Provo again, but this time, for missionary training. The Clemens were baptised that Saturday, and I ate cake by myself at the MTC to celebrate.

14 months ago

I entered a new mission field, and I made the best of friends in northern New Mexico.

13 months ago

I trained one of my best friends. We watched the seasons change in Raton. We also got to watch Pamela get baptised. 

12 months ago

I saw the poorest of people become rich with life as they learned the gospel of Jesus Christ.

11 months ago

I left Raton happier than I have ever been in my entire life.

10 months ago

I discovered a land called the San Luis Valley. I was taught to set goals and to run.

9 months ago

I fought the worst battle of depression I have ever fought, but came out more myself than ever. 

8 months ago

I laughed every day, sliding down sand dunes, hiking mountains and mesas, running through water, and trekking through the tiny town of Manassa. My skin bronzed with the work of the Lord.

7 months ago

I took on the challenge of mission leadership in Pueblo West and learned the true meaning of charity and diligence. I remembered my determination from Towanda.

6 months ago

I took a trip to Denver and spent the whole day in the temple with my best friends. I felt real and joyful satisfaction. 

5 months ago

Anxiety came tearing through hidden places and I learned to take things hour by hour.

4 months ago

I went door to door Christmas caroling in the dark, smiling and skipping and warming my fingers in the folds of a coat. Ages of hard work began to pay off, and all the discouragement dissipated.

3 months ago

I welcomed in the New Year moving into an upstairs bedroom in Castle Rock. Here, I changed the game.

2 months ago

I thrusted in my sickle with my might and we found and taught the humble and willing, despite the stigma of the city.

1 month ago

I came to realise that I had learned pure, Christlike love, for which I will ever be grateful. I got to witness things come full circle at Art's baptism. What a privilege to have spent this time as a full-time servant of the Lord. 

"Brightly beams our Father's mercy

From His lighthouse evermore

But to us he gives the keeping 

Of the lights along the shore"

See you on the shore! Sister Leah Gaush Castle Rock, CO FROM THE BEST LAST WEEK OF MY LIFE:

1. Sister Gusher pt. 1

3. We wrote 195 pass along cards the first day of quarantine haha (Wednesday)

4. Me studying, wishing I could go outside and talk to people

5. Me when the STL's sent a memo about DQ's free cone day

6. Castle Rock on the first day of spring

8. We got to break out of quarantine to go to Art's baptism. We also got to break out of CCSM mission borders to go. Me after we got home that night. Best day of my mission.

9. Wow-my-hair-is-long selfie. 

10. Even in quarantine, we teaching.

11. Eye colours at Home Depot.

12. Video chat with the Carpenters!

[leahwithanidea]

16 Mar 2020 - BUT TO US HE GIVES THE KEEPING

Whilst the world panics, we as missionaries are panicking also. Just kidding. We are washing our hands often, staying away from old people, and teaching the message of the Restoration. Some things that suck about covid-19:

- tracting is banned

- church is cancelled

- we can't teach Johnny because he's in a care center and doesn't have a phone

- our temple trip for next week isn't happening

- Walmart is even sadder than it started out to be

Everything seems to think we are quarantined.. but we're not! yet. Here are some positive/funny things that have happened the past few days as we've been out and about: ☆ Follow-up training at the mission home! All new missionaries go to this in their last 2 weeks of training and they talk about what they've learned and what they want to work on throughout their missions. It always pumps me up. ☆ Our last time serving at the Rock, since our service activities are now banned, too. We went out with a BANG. Like. We literally banged on pots and pans in the kitchen after serving dinner. ☆ Baptismal services are still a Go For Launch. So we are prepping Art hardcore. The Centennial elders took a way cute picture of him to put in his baptismal program. I cried a little bit. ☆ We taught a lesson to a family of 6 girls who straight up live in an RV by the highway. It was awesome. ☆ The Alves ladies took us out for froyo for the first time on my mission and I talked to the cutie cashier named Lizzy and shared the Book of Mormon with her! ☆ I learned the entire plot of Little Women from Sister Maxfield ☆ Logan fell asleep on his pecan pie at dinner on Pi Day ☆ Having the sacrament in the Johnson's living room. With Conor. I literally almost started giggling I was so happy and filled with the Spirit. And then we had a good discussion about baptism and why we still take the sacrament even though church isn't happening for a while. ☆ Brother Weaver, a recent convert, playing the bass guitar for us. This mans rocks. To round out the week, Sister Madsen hopped on a flight to Brasil this morning. Her visa-waiting has come to an end.And then President Stevenson called and asked if we could take another missionary into our companionship tomorrow. We accepted. We will be a trio again! Training Sister Fitzgerald straight from the MTC! #companionnumber14 No virus can slow God's work. Being a missionary is a sacred trust. God trusts us to care for His children. To find those who are searching for peace, to teach them the truth, and to "be an instrument in the hands of God" (Alma 17:9) I wish I could be a full-time missionary forever. Here's to my last week! Sister Leah Gaush Castle Rock, CO YAY PICTURES.

1. The colours of Follow-Up Training.

2. The Rock crew.

3. Lower line, the Rock.

4. Upper line, the Rock.

7. ART, OUR BEST FRIEND

8. Windy and cold attempt at a district picture.

9. Better district picture inside MyCafe, one of my favs in Castle Rock. E. Sadler, E. Kendall, E. Yardley, E. Gleed, E. Ostvig, me, E. Maher, Sis Madsen, Sis Maxfield, E. Campbell, E. Fitzpatrick.

10. Sis Madsen and I at the froyo place, Smart Cow.

12. "Church"

13. Bro Weaver rockin

[leahwithanidea]

9 Mar 2020 - FROM HIS LIGHTHOUSE EVERMORE

Daylight savings really kills as a missionary. Please pray that I get enough sleep every night. This trio saw a GOOD week. We taught Johnny again! He is making big strides.A month after teaching him twice a week, he finally understands the Restoration lesson.When we taught him about what repentance is, he said: Wow! I'm Going To Repent Tonight!We should all have the zeal Johnny has to turn to God every day.His countenance is changing. This last Sunday, he walked into church, Holy Bible and Book of Mormon in hand, and no cane!We love him.And the fact that he tore the cover off of the Restoration pamphlet because he wanted a picture of Jesus to put on his wall. We will be returning with many more pictures of Jesus for him :) We had a cool lesson with our friend Conor over video chat!We just read the Book of Mormon with him and asked him some simple questions about what he has read so far and how he has felt as he has read.He told us that he is a big fan of Nephi because he is so faithful.And that every time he reads the Book of Mormon, he feels like he's at home in his heart :')He said: I Know It's Just Words, But They Always Make Me Feel Like That. I went on "exchanges" in the Springs with Sister England!Every 6 weeks we swap companions for a day. This was my last swap. And probably my favourite.Months ago, I was Sister England's Sister Training Leader, and now she is mine!It was sunny and warm and everybody and their dog was outside.So we set high goals for the day, and met almost all of them! By 1pm we had given out 4 copies of the Book of Mormon.2 of them were to some guys we had seen putting stuff into a moving truck. They were from Cameroon, so we chatted it up about French and Africa. And one of them was moving to Virginia, so we chatted it up about Virginia. We will be sending a nice referral to the Virginia missionaries next week :) As a missionary, we are counseled to Talk To Everyone. We are promised that as we do, we will have many people to teach.Being a missionary has taught me how to open my mouth, even when I don't know what to say, exactly.It has taught me to love everyone, even when my brain's first instinct is to judge. Because when people start talking, it's all about the heart, anyway. Sister England and I saw the results of Talking To Everyone as we sat inside a Kneaders eating banana bread and teaching Ellie about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.A week earlier, Sister England had struck up a conversation with Ellie as she was out walking her dog. Now, she is excited to meet and learn more every week.Ellie has a Why Not? Attitude. And so does Sister England. I'm a fan.#PMGworks If we don't open our mouths to the people around us, how do we expect to share the light that Christ has given us? Example goes a long way, but words go longer. SPEAK UP. Sister Leah Gaush Castle Rock, CO FEAST YOUR EYES.

1. Coronavirus got everybody paranoid about soap. We were tasked to fill all the soap bottles at the Help & Hope center.

2. My frens at Taco Bell.

3. We were treated to a concert this week after teaching a lesson about prayer.

4. The view from our front door, featuring Sister Maxfield

5. Came out of Arby's from a lunch appointment to see a guy with his window rolled down sitting right next to our car. Our landlord and bestfriend, LOL.

6. My last exchange! With Sister England! A literal angel!

7. see above.

8. Everything comes full circle. We tracted these apartments in Fairfax I stayed at Sister Hekking's last night in the field. Wild.

9. Pretty sunset from the Springs. This exchange was the first time I have ever gotten to work in the Springs my whole time in the Colorado Springs mission. LOL. Sorry dad.

[leahwithanidea]

2 Mar 2020 - BRIGHTLY BEAMS OUR FATHER’S MERCY

Motto for the week: What's the BEST that could happen? At the start of 2020 I decided I would just GO AND DO, no matter what. Miracles occur when you do that. I feel like a lot of the times as a missionary you can get caught up in the thoughts that swirl around in your head:"Nobody is interested.""I'm gonna bother that person.""They're going to think I'm weird.""There's no point.""I'm having a hard day, so I can't go out and work." Literal Bologna. It's been a challenge working with companions that often get caught up in those thoughts. Which isn't to say sometimes I get caught up in those thoughts, too. But this week we saw the miracles of GOING AND DOING despite the thoughts swirling in our heads, or the personal struggles we were facing, or the trashy mental health that incurred. We watched the Restoration movie with Johnny. It's been a slow process teaching him. But this was a turning point. He was on the edge of his wheelchair the entire movie, and you could almost physically see the Spirit teaching him as he watched. Later in the week, we came back to read from the Book of Mormon with him. Maria, another lady at the care center we had met weeks ago, joined our lesson. Every week we came to teach Johnny, we would run into Maria and invite her to join our lesson. She finally accepted. She rolled into the dining room with three Ghirardelli chocolates and a willing heart. She is excited to start studying the Book of Mormon, too! I have learned the true value of developing relationships with people in the community. Over the course of my mission, the longest I've ever stayed in one area was 4 months. Not long. Because I only have 3 months to spend here in Castle Rock, I've tried extra hard to make good friends and not hide anything under a bushel. Because of that, here are some things that made my heart happy: ☆ Connor and Caden from the Rock giving me their paper name tags after a night of volunteer work☆ Phone conversations with the Centennial elders about how amazing Art is and how we can help him as he prepares to be BAPTISED☆ Our district potluck (complete with sweet potatoe chips)☆ Playing Dominoes with "Queen" Victoria and Ally at the Women's shelter we volunteer at (they are darling) What's the best that could happen? In my case, giving someone a little more light. LOVE, Sister Leah Gaush Castle Rock, CO ALOTTA PICTURES:

1. Tribute to my last area AHHHH

2. Help and Hope weekly selfie

3. Inside our Rogue named Joel. why    do people name cars

4. my tongue. you're welcome.

5. The trio after teaching a lesson. Photocred: Sister Carpenter, our fav

6. FOOT PICTURE ??? at the Rock. Guess which foot is mine.

7. Missionaries are goofballs pt. 501. At the Rock. E. Ostvig, E. Campbell, E. Fitz, Randy, Coron, E. Kendall, Sis Maxfield, me, Sis Madsen, Pete

8. My last zone conference picture. I'm in the middle ?

9. At the Plum Creek building after interviews with President

10. The view coming out of Sapphire Pointe

11. We love our elders. at Vitality Bowls, E. Kendall's choice.