Mission Tour with Elder Teh

Dear Family and friends,

This week has been an amazing one! One of the big highlights of this past week was our mission tour with Elder Teh. Elder Teh is the area president for the Philippines. The tour was on Wednesday morning but we set the chaple up with the Assistants of Tuesday night. Elder Pioquinto showed me the program and I saw that I would be conducting. I was a little nervous to be conducting a meeting with a general authority... On the morning of hte mission tour we had a leadership meeting with the zone leaders and district leaders. It was an amazing meeting. Elder Teh talked about John 10 and the Good Shepard. He compared all of us to good shepards and the need to know our sheep, gain our sheep trust and protect them from wolfs of the world. Every has their own wolves and it's a leader job to know those wolfs and protect their sheep. I was so inspired and uplifted from the leadership meeting. For our main meeting with everyone I was conducting. Not all of the program was announced so I sat next to Elder Teh who told me who out of the missionaries would be giving talks. It was really cool to watch him choose what missionaries would give talks. I think my conducting went ok. The mission tour was a spiritual feast to say the least. Sister Martino talked about looking up, no sideways, President Martino talked about the vision of our mission and President Teh talked about the "Puwede na current". Puwede na means good enough. This is current that many missionaries fall into where they kind of sit back and cruise through the mission, and stop striving everyday to improve. This talk was an answer to my prayers and taught me the importance of being happy of where we are but never being satisfied enough to stop seeking for improvement. Lately I have felt like I have become a little to comfortable with my calling and might have gone through the motions a little bit. This was a wonderful spiritually reminder to serve with my all my heart, might, mind and strength everyday. After our meeting Elder Teh interviewed 9 missionaries and I was one of them. It was a very powerful interview. I was surprised by the questions he asked but I left the interview with greater hope because of the greatness of the Gospel and our calling as a missionary. After the inverview President Martino informed me that President Teh would be checking our appartment. President Martino smiled and said "I hope your house is clean" with a wink. We usually keep our very clean and had tried to get it extremely clean because we knew there was a chance that Elder Teh would be checking some houses. However the night before the mission tour we had 14 Elders from distant zones sleeping at our house in order to make it to the conference on time. We left the house at 5:45 to get the church open and when we left our house it wasn't looking to pretty..... When President Martino told me our house would be checked I prayed that the Elders had cleaned up their mess that morning! Thankfully they did. The house looked great and it was good house check. One of the my favorite parts meeting the Teh's was hearing them talk about Dad and Grandpa Lolo. They only had the best things to say!

Besides the mission tour we had a very busy week with exchanges and with progress in our area. The work is really starting to flourish here in our area. We have seen the spirit touch the lives of many people this past week, especially with our investigators and less-active members. Seeing the Gospel change lives if such an amazing thing. This Saturday Marcelino, Vivian and Brian will be baptized. I am so excited for their baptisms. They are very ready to make these important covenants with the Lord. This past week we went to contact a less-active referral from the ward and we ended up teaching the family. The Father of their family and the 5 children aren't members but they excitedly welcomed us in and we had a wonderful lesson about eternal families. We taught them the restoration on Saturday and all of the family was touched by the spirit. This is an example of the miracles happening everyday. We are working on returning families to the fold and completing part-member families. This is such a great way to do the work.

This past week I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Tating in his area. It was such a joy to work with Elder Tating again. It was like being back with an old best friend. Elder Tating is an amazing misisonary and is great example to other missionaries. I learned a lot from that exchange. This week I have realized how blessed I have been to have some great companions on my mission. Elder Casilac being one of them. Missionary work really starts in the companionship.

This past week one of my favorite things I have learned from the scriptures came from Mosiah 2:41."I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God..." One of the things I have learned on my mission is that obedient missionaries are happy missionaries. It make me really sad to see disobedient missionaries. They don't know how blessed they could be if they would just be obedient. I know that Obedience is key to becoming a successful missionary. God wants to give us blessing and for us to be happy, but for us to receive happiness and blessings from the Lord we need to be obedient.

I feel so blessed everyday to be a missionary. I love this work sooo much! I love my Savior. I love the Philippines and the wonderful people here.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Jan 15 Another Transfer!

Mga minamahal kong pamilya at kaibigan,

This past week has been an interesting week. It was transfers this past week, and as you guessed I didn't get transfered! This means I get another 6 weeks in Cabanatuan! We had a lot of transfers in the zone this transfer our zone is going to be awesome! Elder Tating got transferred into Cabanatuan Zone and is a new district leader. I am so excited to be zone mates with him. In the Philippines when you train a new missionary you become a tatay, which means dad. Your trainee is your anak, or your child. Elder Tating is my anak in the mission. Elder Tating trained after me in Burgos, and his trainee is now training. This means that I am now a great grandpa in the Philippines Angeles mission! It's pretty exciting I know. This means that there are five generations in my mission family who are still in the Field. That's a lot! Anyways, back to the new zone... Sister Young from Bountiful got transferred to Cabanatuan and we have two new missionaries from Bacolod. One's name is Elder Lozano. He told me that His father knows Grandpa Lolo. I'm very excited for this transfer and for the new zone.

This past week we made zone great progress with some of our investigators. Vivian and Bryan are a mother and son that we found on a bus. We left them our number on a pamphlet and they text-ed us and said that they wanted us to come and teach them. We went and taught them and they as close to golden as I have found in my misison. They came to church, they read, pray, are now following the word of wisdom and are just awesome. Yesterday we taught them after church and when we visited them Vivian told us about all the churches she has attended in her search for the truth. She said that she always felt that something was missing and she wasn't comfortable in any of the churches she had entered. Yesterday she said that she finally felt comfortable and that nothing was missing. It just felt right. That's the spirit. Bryan and Vivian have a baptism date for the second week of February.

This week we also had more appointments fall through than I have every experienced in my mission... However things are still going to. The work of God is still progressing. No unhallowed hand can stop the work! This week we had a broadcast from the Area Presidency about establishing the Church in the Philippines. It was so amazing. I am so excited for our goals this year in the Philippines we have real work to here in Establishing the Church. We as missionaries are going to play a big role in this. The key in doing this is going to be the misisonaries and the members working together in unity and having everyone catch the vision! My favorite quotes from the Conference were "without a vision the people perish", "If not now, when? If not us, who?" "They is us" (In reference in thinking that other people will do things) and "We havn't seen anything yet. The best is yet to come!" I hope that everyone, especially the members get as excited about this as I am!

This past week my favorite scripture come from D&C 6:36. "Look to me in every thought. Doubt not. Fear not." This was an important reminder to me of always thinking about Jesus Christ. Everyweek we covenant to remember our Savior always, and as we do we will have the Spirit to be with us. When the spirit is with us we have no reason to doubt or to fear. When our confidence is in the Lord, not in ourselves, we become instruments of God.

I really love this work! I love my companion. I just love it.

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

ps. The first picture is of the old zone at transfer announcements. The second picture is us eating adobo after a service project.

Transfers! A Farewell to Burgos! Oct. 19

Dear family and friends,

We just had transfer announcements this morning and .......... Tomorrow I will be transfering to Cabanatuan Zone in Cabanatuan 8 Ward! I will be a Zone Leader and my new companion will be Elder Burog. Elder Tating will be training a new missionary in Burgos. I have really mixed feelings about this transfer. I have loved my companionship with Elder Tating. I'm going to miss him but I know he's ready to train. I don't have to say it but I love Burgos! Burgos is my new home. I love all the people there so much. I was a speaker in sacrament meeting this past week and I teared up as thought about probablly speaking for the last time in Burgos. It will be sad to leave tomorrow but I'm also excited for a this new experience. I'm a little nervous to be a zone leader but I know it will all be good.

This past week has been a great one as usually and one of the Highlights of the week and of my mission was the Baptism of Adonis. We had it at 6:30 am (due to his work schedule) at the river and it was so beautiful. It was so peaceful and spirit was so strong. I baptized Adonis and it was a great moment I won't ever forget. Adonis is a father of 6 and is the last member of his family to become a member. It was so amazing to see the Benosa Family together. On sunday night we taught about temples and eternal families and now the Benosa family has a goal to be sealed as a family in the temple in a year. They are all so excited. Especially the children who have been waiting for years for their father to accept the Gospel. I just felt such a joy and excitement for them. Helping families return to their Heavenly Father; that is what missionary work is about!

This past week Fidel was also baptized. Fidel lives with his Grandmother who is a member. Fidel has been great and really loves church. I hope that he can help support this grandmother in the gospel. One of the things we focused on this past week as a mission was increasing out oym's or (open your mouth). Elder Tating and I reached a number of oym's that I have never been close to before on my mission. By doing so we have found a lot of potential investigators that will be contacted this week. This experience helped me realize that there have been finding opportunities that I have missed. I need to always be finding, even when my day is full of appointments. We don't know who the Lord has prepared so we need to do all we can to talk to everyone and not ever be afraid to open our mouths.

This past week I have also done a lot of reading in 3 Nephi and have loved it. I love the words of Christ in his ministry to the Nephites. I never realized how special 3 nephi was before. I especially love chapter 11. I love the way that Chirst came to the Nephites and how he invited them all to "thrust your handsinto my saide, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and feet". 3 Nephi is just great!

Well I havn't packed yet and We need to leave the house tomorrow at 6:00am so I need to end my email. I attatched from pictures from the baptisms. I hope you enjoy them.

Mahal ko kayo,

Love Elder Leishman

2 more Great Members in Burgos!

Dear family, friends and loved ones,

I need to start off by saying that being a missionary is great!! This past week has been a successful one! The highlights of the week for me were Nora at Ronalyns Baptisms and confirmations. They were so spiritual. We had to have their baptism at the stake instead of the river and everything went perfectly. We only had two tricycles for transportation but lot's a members who wanted to come so we ended up with 14 people on two trikes. It was pretty impressive! On sunday Nora, and Ronalyn were early to church and excited to be confirmed. The spirit was very powerful during their confirmations. After their confirmations they were beaming the entire day. They still seemed to glow as we went and taught they last night too. Sister Nora also gave an amazing heartfelt prayer expressing her gratitude for the savior, and that she was able to be baptized. It has been such a great joy to see Nora and Ronalyn accept the Gospel. They have grown closer as a mother and daughter, and have experienced a "mighty change of heart". They are real converts.

This past week we also found some awesome new investigators. One of them is family and one of the daughters is named Cindy. She is deaf and teaching her has been, very different... but very wonderful. She communicates through sign language and her siblings only know a little bit so we are really trying to find ways to help her understand. We have been using my little whiteboard, pictures, and body language to help teach her. I know that she has felt the spirit and has understood parts of our teaching. This has been awesome because I have been reminded that it's through the spirit that we are converted. The spirit can speak to anyone. As a missionary you don't need to use extravagant lessons and fancy words to teach people the Gospel. The spirit will testify as you are worthy, follow promptings and teach simply and clearly.

This past week we also had a zone conference and one of the focuses was using the Book of Mormon to rescue less-active members by teaching the atonement. This focus was a good reminder to me of how the Atonement is central to every aspect of the Gospel. It is so important to teach other the atonement. We can teach and testify of the atonement as we teach any principle of the Gospel. The Book of Mormon is the best way to do this. There are sooo many references to the atonement in the Book of Mormon but one of my favorites is Alma 7:11-13. I love the word "that" in these verses. It shows us that everything that Christ suffered and did but for us. The atonement is all about love and only Christ was able to atone for our sins. I am thankful for the atonement everyday and the power it has in my life everyday.

The work is going great in Burgos right now. I am still loving being a trainer and a district leader. Elder Tating is great. I don't feel like I'm his trainer. He is a great teacher and is becoming an awesome missionary. We get along really well and have some good laughs everyday which brings a good balance into our work. One of the things I have loved these past couple months about being a district leader has been the opportunity to teach in District meetings. It's a great opportunity to serve others and show my love for my district.

I attached a couple pictures from the baptism.

Mahal ko Kayo

Love Elder Leishman

September 14, A New Chapel in Burgos!

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been another wonderful week in Burgos! This past week had many highlights including Clarence being baptized and attending church in our new Chapel! So first the baptism was beautiful. We had a lot of support from the primary come out and a priest in our ward who was present at all our the lessons for Clarence was able to baptize him. Everytime we have a baptism I really feel the spirit. There is such a real joy I feel as I witness or perform baptisms that is hard to describe. We have 2 more investigators that have a baptismal date for September 24. They are Nora, and her daughter Ronalyn. Their conversion has been awesome. For the first 2 weeks of teaching them they didn't participate much or keep their commitments but then one day there was a change. You could see it in their faces. This change came because they felt for themselves the Holy Ghost through prayer. They know that this is the true church. They also have made great sacrifices to attend church and keep their commitments. They are excited for their baptism and I pray that they will continue to progress.

Yesterday we had church in our new Chapel and it was an awesome experience. The new chapel is on the opposite end or our area in comparison with our old meeting house. It actually is in Lawac not Burgos so the name of the branch and my area is probablly going to change. It works out a lot better because of the way transportation works in our area. Yesterday we had a lot of less active members and investigators who are close to the new chapel attend church for the first time. We were able to meet with some of them after and they all had great experiences. The new chapel is beautiful and our members finally feel like they have a real home. They have moved a lot of times in the past 10 years and are so excited to finally have a chapel, not a tent, or a house, but a chapel. The new chapel has helped spark the excited for missionary work in the members here. They are not only excited to do missionary work but also to help rescue less active members and help them become active again. Yesterday was just a great spiritual day.

This past week there were a few verses I read in my personal study that I really loved. Alma 53:20-21 about the Strippling Warriors, "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all - they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. 21- Yea, they were men on truth and soberness, for they had been taught the keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." The strippling warriors are a great example to all of us of the type of people we ought to be. I really like the phrase "they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted". This helped me realize the importance of be constant in our obedience to God and in fulfilling our responsibilities. We need to be true at all times. As a missionary I need to be a missionary in all I say and do 24/7. For us in our daily lives we need to strive to be true to our covenants and to who we are as children of God.

Before I end this email I just got to say that I love Elder Tating. I am very blessed to have him as a companion. We are becoming such great friends and we learn and grow together everyday. We are able to be obedient and work hard as a team. Because of that the work is more enjoyable and we are able to have fun and laugh together. It is so important to be unified and have love in your companionship. Missionary work really starts in the companionship.

I really love this work. I love the people, I love the Lord, I love being a missionary.

Fight the Fight of Faith

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

September 7

Sorry I have fallen so far behind! Another letter from Elder Joe...

Dear loved ones,

This past week and half have been great as usual! There are definitely trials in the work but it has still been wonderful. I first need to apologize for forgetting to tell you this week is transfers so I didn't email on Monday. I got the package you sent and it was awesome! As you already know I will not be transferring but will spend another 6 weeks with Elder Tating in Burgos as we finish up the 12 week program. This past week we had some investigators make some awesome progress and we found some awesome new investigators. One of our progressing investigators is Clarence. Clarence is 10 and will be baptized this upcoming Saturday. Clarence is awesome. He isn't from Burgos but he moved in a couple months ago with a family of members because they offered to provide him with schooling. He is awesome and has been a great example of faith to me. He has taught me how strong Faith can be in Children. The Rolio family (members) have been an awesome support to clarence and have really been the key to teaching him and helping him learn the Gospel.

This upcoming sunday we will start church in our new chapel and I am so excited! It is close to all of our new converts and is already doing so much to help us work with less actives and to find new investigators. One of the great things happening in my area right now is that we have some members really getting excited about missionary work. Because of this, and because of our new branch mission leader our work with the members has become much more effective and finding has been awesome with the support of the members. Members are a huge key in missionary work! A couple weeks ago President Martino shared his new vision about our mission with us. Before our Focus was here in the Philippines Angeles mission we Baptize. Now it's Here in the Philippines Angeles Mission we Baptize, retain, and Rescue. The new focus on "Rescue" or helping re-activate less active members. There are lot's of less actives here and I am so excited about this new "vision". Because we can help strengthen our branches by working with the members, finding part member families, activating less- active members and by teaching their families and friends. Elder Tating and I are starting to apply these principals with a new emphasize to rescue and have already had some great experiences.

With all the good there is always some bad and this past week we have had a few investigators and recent converts give in to old addictions with is hard. It's hard to see the people you love make progress and then fall back again. The important thing is to help them not get discouraged and help them overcome their addictions through faith. A couple of our recent coverts are embarassed to go to church because they know it is wrong. I have learned that the important thing is to help them stay active and while encouraging them and strengthening their faith to overcome their problems. With all of the people I have taught who have had concerns with the word of wisdom a few things are the same. They have all said that the Book of Mormon has been a big help in avoiding whatever substance they use, and also they couldn't do it without prayer. It has shown me that prayer and daily reading in the scriptures give us strength and protection from Satan's temptations.

As far as the pictures go, the first is a picture of my Branch President's family and I at the stake center for stake conference. The second is of me with a very large statue of Jesus Christ. This was at a place called Monestaro De Tarlac which is actually in my area at the top of a mountain. We went there today for P-day and it was so beautiful. The third picture is a picture of my zone here in Tarlac.

Well I love love love being a missionary. I couldn't be happier to be here in Burgos for another 6 weeks week serving the Lord.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Frog Adobo

Dear loved ones,

As usual we had another amazing week in Burgos. On saturday Jennifer was baptized and it was perfect. Her brother Cesar (a recent convert) was able to baptize her. The morning was beautiful and the spirit was so strong! It made me so happy to see Cesar baptize his sister. The gospel really is for families. This saturday we have two more baptisms. One is Richieanne daughter of a recent convert and the other is her cousin Mayanne. I don't know if I talked about this last week but we recieved a portable dvd player to use in our companionship study and for the new 12 week training program. We only use it to watch the preach my gospel dvds. I have absolutley loved using it in companionship study. It is such a big help and has helped Elder Tating and I learn how to improve our teaching and how to become better missionaries. When watching the short segments I have received promptings about how we can help our specific investigators. I am thankful that we can use technology to help the work of the Lord move forward. This past week one of our focuses in our study was on finding. We focused on finding in our area this week and had great success. We have 5 new investigators 2 who attended church and many more potential investigators. We also received 3 referals from members. Right now our real enemy time. We don't have enough time to teach all the people we want to. This past week has strengthened my faith that God prepares his children to receive the gospel. He will lead us to them or lead them to us. We always need to be finding.

So this past week I ate frog twice. It's a lot like chicken with a lot of little bones. The second time I was the one who cooked it and not going to lie, my frog adobo was pretty amazing. Masarap to say the least! My cooking is actually getting pretty good. I am learning how to cook a lot of Filipino food and most of the time it's not half bad. I have had a couple epic failures but they were funny so everything was good.

As far as the pictures go two are from the baptism. One is of Elder Tating and I in the poring rain. Elder Tating's umbrella got locked in the church so we didn't have umbrellas and the rain started to pore just as we started our 1 and a half walk from from Labney. We were very wet, but it was a really funny walk home. The last picture is of a member and I in our branch president's tricycle on the way to the baptism. Don't worry my companion was in the tricycle too:)

Sorry this letter is so short. I love you all. I love Burgos and I really just love it all.

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Magandang Araw sa inyo!

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been an exciting one! It was fun to head back to the mission home to be trained and pick up my new companion. My new companion is Elder Tating. He is from Laguna, Philippines. He is awesome! I am so excited to be his companion. He is so excited about the work, our investigators and area and really just about everything! He is very happy and our companionship is off to an awesome start! Right now there is a brand new program for Trainers and trainees. The curriculum in the MTC changed and so now starting this transfer around the world there is a new training program for the field. For the first 12 weeks for a trainee and trainer they have an extra hour of personal study everyday and there is a guide for what to study for that extra hour. The goal of the program is to have the trainee ready to train a new missionary by the end of 12 weeks. The program is awesome. I have spent time studying it and I know it's inspired of the Lord. I have already seen the benefits of it. I know that if we follow it with exactness Elder Tating will be ready to train a new missionary in 12 weeks. I am really excited about the next two transfers! We have had to do some adjusting to our schedule and have lost some proselyting time so our hours of work are fuller than before which I didn't think would happen. We are really busy right now which is the best way to do things!

This past week there have been two bagios so it's been raining a lot! Despite the rain the work continues and we have had great things happen in the work. Right now we have 3 investigators with baptismal dates on Aug 13 and more on the way. It seems that the closer that investigators get to baptism the harder Satan works on them. It's so important to follow up with investigators, strenghten their faith and be there for support and encouragement as they prepare to covenant with the Lord We have a new chapel being built in our are right now and it should be done this month. I am so exctied and so are the members. There are lot of new investigators by the new church and the work is really going to blossom when it opens!

This past week these scriptures really stood out to me Mosiah 27:25-27. When you have time read them. They talk about how we must be born of God and changed from a carnal state to spiritual state become new creatures. It says if we don't do this we can't inherit the kingdom of God. This helped me realize that to return to our father in heaven we have to have a "mighty change of heart". We have to literally beocme "new creatures" This is only possible through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Only through the atonement can we experience this change. This change doesn't happen all at once, but it occurs as we repent everyday, and strive to become disciples of Christ. Let us all strive to become new creatures by become disciples of Christ, putting off the natural man and striving to be a little better every day.

I really am very happy and I Love being a missionary!

I love you all!

Love Elder Leishman,

The pictures are of Elder Tating and I, new zone Jerseys:), and Elder Calianga and I on a pogpog or hand tractor!