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

Sept 19 Isa pang magadang linggo sa Burgos

Dear Family, friends and loved ones,

This past week has been a very busy, successful one! It's hard to choose what to write about and where to begin. First I want to share and experience this from this past week I had with an investigator. This past week we were teaching Dixtor who has been an investigator on and off for over a year and had attended church lots of times. While we were teaching him we asked him what had been keeping him from getting baptised for the past year and he brought up a lot of different questions and concerns. I answered one of his questions with the book of Mormon and then I asked him if he had really been reading the Book of Mormon. I then bore testimony to him about the Book of Mormon and how the answers to his questions are in the book he was holding. I also told him that the Book of Mormon was his way to know the truth. If the Book of Mormon is true then we don't have to worry about why we should avoid coffee because we know it's a commandment that came through a living prophet. I said more things about the book Mormon, but it basically came down to if you want to know the answers to your questions and know if everything the Elders have taught you are true, read the Book of Mormon. This experience really strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it really is the keystone of our religion. The Book of Mormon is such a powerful tool in conversion and is essential for investigators to gain a testimony. It is also essential in all of our lives. I love reading the Book of Mormon everyday and I don't know what I would do without it.

This past week we tried to contact a referral 4 times but were unsuccessful. However yesterday she came to church on her own and the member who referred her introduced us to here and we taught her the restoration yesterday. Her name is Nina and she is so prepared to receive the Gospel. The fact that she came to church on her own says something. I am very excited to teach her and I pray that she will progress and gain a testimony of the Gospel.

Our new chapel is far away from a lot of the members and a lot of members have meetings after church. Because of that a lot of members brought lunch to church yesterday, because they wouldn't be going home will 3 or 4. So yesterday after church we set up a few tables outside and we all ate together. Everyone brought their own rice and ulam (rice toppings, main dish, ect...) but most of the families ended up sharing ulam. It was like a little branch picnic. Elder Tating and I brought food to because we go straight to work after our meetings. I loved eating with the members yesterday. We were like one big happy family. I feel so blessed to be here and I love my branch so much!

This week we have 2 baptisms for Nora and her Daughter Ronalyn. I'm very excited for them. They are very ready and excited to become members. Right now we also have 7 other investigators for Baptisms in October 15. That is like our universal baptismal date right now and I just pray that our investigators can continue on the path.

Today marks 8 months on my mission and it really is just hard to believe. It goes fast... too fast. The important thing is to take it a day at a time and to do the very best you can.

I love being a missionary and I love you all so much

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

ps. the picture is of me and 2 of my favorite kids. Clarence (recent convert), and John Ray. They are awesome!

7 months, WOW!

Dear Family and Friends,

It's hard to belive that I'm here writing again and that 7 months have already gone by on my mission! Time really flies! As usually this past week has been another great one in Burgos. We had 2 baptisms which were awesome. We had to make a lot of last minute adjustments to our plans but the Lord answered our prayers and everything worked out perfectly. So far this transfer has been awesome. It has been such a blessing to be a trainer. I feel like I am learning more than Elder Tating. Right now we are the first transfer to use the 12 week program and it is awesome. It is the Iron rod to successful training. It helps you become a preach my gospel missionary and helps give the trainee opportunities to take the lead with teaching, finding, and planning. It's so important to let them take the lead even when they aren't 100% comfortable. It's through the act of doing that we really learn. It amazing to see the changes that are happening in missionary work right now. Things are a lot different now from the time I got into the field 5 months ago. It has made me realize the blessing of having Church Leaders who receive revelation to further the work of the Lord. Elder Tating is an awesome companion. He is from Laguna Philippines and his family are all members. He is really easy to get a long with and we learn things from each other everyday. Elder Tating has been such a great example to me of enthusiam for the work. He's always excited to the work. Even when it's pouring rain, when we walk 5 miles in Philippine heat, when he is trying something new or teaching a lesson for the first time he is always excited. It makes the work so much more enjoyable when you are excited about being a missionary and there is love and unity in your companionship!

This past week we had an awesome experience with one of our investigators. Her name is Nora. We have been teaching Nora for 3 weeks now and since the begging I have thought that she was really shy. It turns out that she doesn't understand Tagalog really well and really only speaks Ilicano. However before we learned she talked to her fellowshipper and told him that she had felt a different good feeling in her life and She didn't know what it was but she really liked it. Her fellowshipper (a recent convert) told her that it was a spirit and it came from living the Gospel. We now have a member act as a translator at all our lessons, and Nora's progress is awesome. Because she has felt the Holy Ghost she knows this Church is true. This helped me realized the importance of the Holy Ghost in Conversion. That a missionaries we aren't always perfect at the Language but the Holy Ghost can speak to anyone. Conversion only takes place through the spirit.

This past week we found what we thought was a Golden investigator. He was awesome! We oym'ed him on our way home once night and came back and taught him two lessons. However after two lessons he moved to a different city for his Job. We told him he can conctact the missionaries there and I pray that he does. This week we also had one of our investigators who was progressing towards baptism tell us we couldn't come back and teach her because she had gotten into a fight with her husband about her becoming a member. It was really hard to hear that. It's hard to see the people you love tell you can't continue. However the Lord has a plan for everyone and when one door closes another door opens. This week we had some great doors open with new investigators and with working with the members.

Right now the work is good and it's really busy! Our new meeting house should be dedicated in a couple weeks and it is giving us so many great finding opportunities. The work continues to progress in Burgos! This past week I really enjoyed Alma 26:12. It helped me realize that to be humble we have to have confidence, not in ourselves but in the Lord. "In the strength of the Lord I can do all things". We really are nothing without the Lord it is only through him that we are able to do what we do everyday.

As far as the pictures go. In the first one, my tie is wet from yes, sweat:) The second one is from the baptism of Mayanne and Richieanne.

Being a missionary is the greatest! I love this work so much. I Love my Savior and I know he loves us all. I love the people here and mahal ko kayo!

Love Elder Leishman