Pasko! 12/18

Dear Friends and Family,

I can hardly belive that this week is Christmas! This month has flown by. To start off this letter I want to share a miracle that we experienced this past week. Last week we had an appointment to teach two investigators who are students at a university here. When we went to their house their next store neighbor called out to us and told us they weren't home. We ended up talking to the neighbor who referred us to her daughter who is a less active member who was baptized 8 years ago. The daughter had moved but was still in our area. This past week we were able to contact the less-active member and we were greeted with a large smiles from her and her family. We taught Sister Dela Cruz with her husband and son. The spirit touched them as we taught about families and how the Gospel blesses families. This is one little miracle that happened. This week we have a return appointment and I am so excited. They have the potential to be an eternal family. That is really what missionary work is about. Building eternal Families. Working with part member families are such a great way to this.

This past week was another good one. The work is starting to pick up a little. We have a lot of investigators that are so close to gaining a testimony and becoming ready to make convenants with the Lord. I am excited for these next couple of weeks and what is going to happy. This time of year is such a great one. I am excited for my first Christmas in the mission. Joy won't be baptized this week but next week she will. Her brother is so excited to have his sister join the church and will be the one to baptize Joy. They also reffered us to their father this past week which I am excited about.

Right now I wish I had more time to type. However my time is up.

I love being a missionary and I love serving the Lord. This is the Lord's work and I am so blessed to be a part of it.

mahal ko kayo

Maligayang Pasko!

ps. the picture is of the branch missionaries, Elder Casilac and I eating lunch in front of our apartment before we went out to work. I'll send you Christmas pictures next week.

Endure to the End 12/11

Dear Family and Friends,

This is such an exciting time here in Angeles mission. This past week all of the District leaders and Zone leaders in the mission had a meeting about the new plans for our mission and the plans of the Area 70 for strengthening the church in the Philippines. Our new focus is Enduring to End. There is a very large percentage of less active members in the Philippines area and now we as missionaries are working on Rescuing our less active members. Not just rescuing them now we will teach them until they go to the temple. We are doing the same thing with our recent converts. This now means that we will be teaching our recent converts for a year after their baptims and teaching less active as long as it takes till they go to the temple. Without the temple we cannot gain exaltation. That is what the all want. Not just salvation but exaltation. We now have new key indicators and they are awesome. It is hard to explain all of these changes but just know that I am very, very, very excited. This work is about building eternal families and through the revelation of the area 70 and President Martino we will now be doing a better job that. I am just excited.

This past week was a hard week of work. Elder Casilac and I worked so hard, but we had a lot of things fall apart. We had so many appointments fall through and had some investigators tell us they didn't want to be taught. However miracles still happened. We talked to everyone we could and found some amazing people and less active members. One of the less active member families we found has 2 college age children who aren't members and we are planning to teach them tonight. One of the important things I have learned over the past few weeks is the importance of trials and difficultly. Without trials we can't grow. Through difficult circumstances we get to reach down and find out who we really are. My mission isn't easy but it is so amazing! I can't explain it words. I just love being a missionary.

This morning I finished the Book of Mormon again and I tested Moroni's promise again and received a witness of the truthfulness of hte Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth and it is a source of joy, knowledge and revelation. It is also so crucial in all of our lives. If all members read the book of Mormon everyday we would avoid so many problems. I know that it is true and that it changes lives. I know that if we read it everyday, we will feel the love of God and the spirit in our lives more abundantly and things will just be better.

Here is a little funny story for you from this past week. As Elder Casilac and I were walking one night a group of about 15 children ages 5-11 were caroling. They were singing "we wish you a merry christmas". When they saw us they started singing louder and the leader of the group sang "We wish you Amerikano" Which means american. They all started laughing and singing "we wish you amerikano" and It was so funny. Elder Casilac and I couldn't stop laughing. It probablly would have been better if you were there but I enjoyed it.

I love my Savior and his Gospel and I love being a missionary

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

mga p.s. - Next week I'll send pictures.

P.s. I am sending you a Christmas package but you won't get it before Christmas.... sorry!!!

p.p.s. I just got some news about Burgos and 8 of my old investigators there have been baptized which brings we great joy!

A New Week and A New Companion 12/4

Dear family and friends,

It has been another good week here in Cabanatuan. This past week was transfers and I got a new companion. His name is Elder Casilac and he is awesome! We were zone mates when I first went to Tarlac and I was very excited to hear that we would be companions. This is his first transfer as a zone leader so we are both pretty new but we are both really excited. This past week has been a great start to our companionship. Elder Casilac is Obedient, hardworking and we are just on the same page about a lot of things.

This month the motto for our mission is "Miracles will happen in December". This is a wonderful motto or a wonderful time of year and the miracles are happening. This past month we havn't seen a lot of progress in most of our investigators but the spirit is working in their lives and things are starting to happen. Yesterday we taught a young family that we have been teaching for about a month. They haven't been keeping a lot of commitments and havn't yet attended church. Yesterday we taught them about eternal families and the spirit touched their hearts. It was almost like a seeing a light switch on in their heads. They finally realized that the truth of what we had been teaching them and that we need to live the gospel to be able to return to Heavenly Father. The father who hasn't accepted a lot of the teaching because of his Catholic beliefs said that he wanted to live with his family forever and that he was going to quit smoking and start coming to church. It was a very spiritual lesson and I am so excited for this family. This past week we also made good progress with another young family we just started teaching. They said that after the first time they listened to us they started receiving blessings and they want to know more. I love teaching families and I love the Gospel.

Because it is December right now Christmas is starting in the Philippines. The people hear love Christmas. One of the things that I love is all the caroling. People go house to house and usually bring instruments and something even speakers in trikes and they Christmas songs. They do it at all times of the day and it's awesome. Usually people will give them a little money if they want more songs. I have loved listening to the carolers. The Filipino people love Jesus Christ and Christmas is a season which they show that love. One of the way they show their love is through their singing. The hymns here are the greatest! They bring the spirit so strongly. It is just a happy time here and I love it

One of the important things I have learned here is the need to be happy. Our purpose in this life is to prepare to meet God and to have joy. We all have trials and difficulties. Life can be really hard. No matter how hard things can be we can't forget to be happy. We need to find ways to have joy. We need to find times to laugh. Any person can be happy if they choose to be. Living the Gospel is one of the greatest sources of happiness.

As far as the Christmas call goes, I do not yet know if I'll be calling on Christmas eve or Christmas day. However we can either use a cell phone, or skype. If we use skype president says we can use webcam if we want. Let me know what you think about that. We'll get it figured out in the next couple weeks.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Mga minamahal na Pamilya at mga kaibigan,

This past week has been a good one. My birthday and thanksgiving were both this past week but they were both just normal days of work. This past week I lots of good things happened and I learned a lot. One of the most important thing I learned was the importance of gratitude and a positive attitude. With all the changes and adjustments that have happened this last transfer I havn't always had the best attitude. I didn't always take the time to look for the positive and just be grateful. This past week I changed my attitude and it made a huge difference. It effected everything. I just feel so happy and so blessed. I am so thankful to be here in the Philippines and here in Cabanatuan. I am so thankful for the wonderful people here. The Filipino people are the nicest people in the world and if someone tells you otherwise their aren't telling to the truth. We have so many things to be thankful for and as find them and thank our Heavenly father for them you become happy. Also as we see our blessings we realized the need we have for the Lord in all that we do.

This past week we had great progress with one of our investigators named Joy. She is a young mother and is the sibling of one of our recent converts Jonathan. One of the things that has helped joy has been the Plan of Salvation. She has found peace in the knowledge that families can be together forever. That really is what the Gospel is about. Helping families return to our Father in Heaven. But back to Joy she is doing great and has a baptismal date of December 24. Even though I'm in a Tropical country I still might have a white Christmas! That's in my prayers right now. Right now one of the mottos for our mission is "Miracles will happen in December". Miracles occur everyday and they happen because of our faith. I know that by the faith we have that miracles will happen here in Angeles mission this upcoming month. As we go about setting goals right now it is a great time to test our faith and see what we can do with the help of the Lord.

This past week we also spent more time in the farthest part of our area. The area was awesome and the members there gave some great referrals. This week is going to be a great week and I am excited to see what is going to happen there in the next couple of weeks. The work here is improving. We have a lot of investigators struggling with commitments right now but they are starting to make progress and see the blessings that the Gospel brings.

This past week we also did a service project at a members house and they gave us referrals. It reminded me the importance of always serving others. Service. That's how we show our love.

As far as the pictures go. The first is a picture of me on my birthday. I made sushi and I even used the star wars lightsaber chopsticks that dad sent me from Japan. I made california rolls and we even had wasabi! I guess that is one of the advantages of being in the city is being able to buy food like that. On my birthday our branch relief society president also made us pancit which was masarap and very nice of her. Speaking of my birthday thank you so much for the package and letters. My house mates have loved the food. The alfredo sauce and chili were definatly the favorites for the Filipino Elders and Morris was a fan of the M&M's. My favorite item however was the Pillowcase. Thank you so much. The next two pictures are from earlier this morning. This past week they changed our p-day schedule so we no longer have district meeting on P-day! I am really happy about that because now we have more time on p-days and can actually do activities. This morning we went bowling.... Pinoy style! The bowling here is awesome. The balls are really small, and the pins are small to but they are spaced out more. You get 3 balls per frame and if you all 10 down in the first two balls they set them up again. It's pretty great. Definitely a good p-day.

This work is a wonderful one. I love being a missionary. Transfers are this week and I'll write you on monday to tell you what happens. I can't believe how fast this transfer went. Way to fast.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Cabanatuan 11/21

Dear Family and friends,

This past week has been another good week. The work is progressing in our area. Slowly but surely. This transfer we have found a lot of new investigators but with most of them after 2 or 3 teaching appointments, they move, or start hiding or we can't get a hold of them again. However we have found some wonderful people who are making progress. A lot of them have concerns but though finding their concerns we have been able to really focus our teaching and study on them. Missionary work is so wonderful when you are teaching people not lessons.

This past week we continued our efforts with some of the less active members in the ward and they are making awesome progress. Elder Burog and I have already seen the blessings of the Gospel return to their lives. We have also had some of start to attend church. One of them even worked with us one time this week and is now planning to go on a mission. Before we thought that he didn't have a chance of going on one. Working with and rescuing less active members is another great part of missionary work. It brings real joy and seeing a less active member come back is often like seeing a baptism It's great! One of the great parts of working with less active members is they almost always have family or friends who aren't members and that is how we find a large part of our investigators.

One of the important things I have learned this past week was the importance of faith in Missionary work. Not just on the part of investigators but on the part of the missionaries. Faith is our foundation and it's through faith that we are able to preach the Gospel. Without faith nothing will happen. It takes faith to go out everyday. I know that miracles happen everyday and they happen through faith. I love the example of the Brother of Jared. His faith was so strong he couldn't be kept from seeing the Lord. That's real faith. For me I am trying to strengthen my faith to the point where I can do anything the Lords needs me to do and to have the courage to do it.

This past week I also learned the importance of attitude. We usually can't chose our situations, but we choose how we react to them. Our attitude makes all the difference in life. I learned taht I need to choose to love things. Whether they be hard or easy I need to have a positive attitude and look for the good. There is good that comes from all things, we just need to find it! It's about enjoying the little things. The little things make all the difference. Espescially in living the Gospel.

I love you all and I love being a missionary! This is the Lord's work.

Tomorrow I'm 20 That's kind of crazy

Well,
mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

CAB November 14

Dear Family, friends and loved ones,

Yet again it's been another good week in Cabanatuan. This week we had more appointments fall through than I have ever experienced before but we also received some great blessings. Sometimes its discouraging when you get all the way to your 4th or 5th back up plan and either the people you want to teach aren't home or have some reason for being able to be taught. However this past week I learned that God works in his own ways to lead you to the people that he prepared to hear the Gospel. This past week we had one of these experiences. We got "punted" 5 times and we decided to go and try to contact a former investigator we had talked to on the street a few days earlier. When we found the man's house there was nobody home but we started to talk to his neighbor Charlie. It turns out Charlie has been feeling lost and has been searching for direction in his life. After talking to him about the Gospel he invited us into his house and we taught an awesome lesson! He came to church the next day and loved it! Tonight we are going back to teach him again. I am so excited for Charlie. Yesterday we also had some less active members we have been working with come back to church. It is wonderful to see people come back to church. There are a lot of reasons for members to become inactive but I have found real joy in working with them and helping them resolve their concerns and come back to the Gospel.

This morning we had a ddm meeting about personal revelation and it made me think about the blessing of Revelation. Personal revelation is one of the greatest blessing! I love revelation! Revelation is so important for every aspect of missionary work. For me one of the greatest times to receive personal revelation is during personal study. However I have learned that personal revelation comes more freely when I have a specific question, or am thinking about a specific person. The Lord said "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you" but it's harder to have the door of revelation opened if we don't ask. God wants to guide us but we need to seek his guidance and ponder to receive it. It's also important to write down the revelation we receive. I have started taking notes in my planner and in my study journal of revelation and it has made a huge difference in the Work. The great thing about revelation is it's available for all of us. Revelation is especially important for investigators too!

Cabanatuan is good. I'm blessed to be assigned here. I just really love being a missionary.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

ps. If the picture works, the picture is of Elder Andrus and I at a service project we did for a less active member. It turns out he has a giant harry potter poster at the back of his store. It really made me smile.

Two Baptisms and Lots of Finding!

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been a great one! We had two baptisms which were wonderful. Jonathan and Joshua were baptized and confirmed members the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What a glorious thing. In our branch right now we have a very active branch mission leader who made a program, contacted and the members and even arranged for a musical number. It was pretty nice to not have to worry about those things. The baptismal service was great and my favorite part was hearing the testimonies of Jonathan and Joshua. Jonathan talked about how for his whole life he has gone to church was there was always something missing. He said that the first time he attended church here he felt something different and he found what he was missing. Even though Joshua is young he still has a strong testimony too.

This past week we had appointment after appointment fall through. However we didn't get discouraged we just tried to find new people to teach. Through our efforts this past week we found 11 new investigators! That's a lot of new investigators for one week. We found all of them in different ways. It helped strengthen my testimony that God prepares his children to hear and accept his Gospel. I just really pray that they will all continue to listen, to keep commitments and to come unto Christ.

This past week I have a great experience. One night during nightly planning we felt like we should visit a less active member. She is a mother of 5 children and we had taught a couple of her children but had never actually taught her. When we went to her house we had no idea what we were going to teach. I started to ask her some questions and I listened for the spirit to know her needs. I shared a verse from 3 Nephi and then she opened up to us. She has been inactive for years because she committed a sin and didn't know how to repent to how to go to the Lord for comfort. It turns out that this sin has been a heavy burden in her life a long time. Elder Burog and I were then able to teach a powerful lesson about the atonement and about repentance. The spirit was so strong. We taught purely to this sister's needs and the Holy Ghost gave us the words to say. We were able to give this sister a hope that she hasn't had for years. That's one the beauties of the Gospel. It gives us hope. During this experience I can say that I honestly felt like an instrument of the Lord.

I also had the opportunity to go to the mission home this past week for zone leaders council. It was a wonderful day and a half. I learned so much more about the mission and how everything works and I was able to get a fuller vision of missionary work. We talked about a lot of things at this conference but one of the things that really impacted me was the assistants workshop about leadership. I realized that I need to be a leader not a manager. It's not about managing numbers and people, but about inspiring hearts and making a difference. The way to lead is by example. Through thoughts, words and deeds. I learned about the importance of love. Without love a leader is nothing.

I really love being a misisonary. I say this every week but it's so true. I just love the Gospel. I love the Savior. I love the wonderful Filipino people. It's all about love.

Mahal ko kayo.

Love Elder Leishman

Cabanatuan! Oct 23

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been a little crazy, but still great at the same time. It was sad to leave Burgos. I cried on the Jeepney as I looked out at the fields, houses, and people that have become so familiar to me as I headed into Tarlac on Thursday morning. Transfers were a little stresfull because I procrastinated my packing but it all worked out ok. Cabanatuan is a lot different than Burgos! First it's a City. That in itself is big difference. I guess that Cabanatuan is the Tricycle capital of the Philippines and it's true because there are trikes everywhere! My new house is big and there are 4 of us living there. One of them is a brand new American from Kaysville named Elder Morris and it's been fun to have a greenie as a housemate. The only with problem with the new house is when I got there it was really dirty, mostly from the floods a couple weeks ago so we're working on getting it looking nice again. My new area is Cabanatuan 8 Branch. They are a Branch right now but they have a goal to become a ward so right now that is goal too. I am really excited to work in this area. Our branch president here is great and is excited about missionary work. He also knows how missionary work works and the responsibilites of the members which is a big help. Before the zone leaders had two areas and they didn't really focus in Branch 8 so it's almost like we are reopening an area. Our area is pretty small with the exception with the exception of Aliaga which is a 30 or 40 minute Jeep ride. Even though it's far there are active members there and we have 2 referrals we are going to contact there this week. We are doing a lot of finding right now but we have 2 awesome investigators who have baptismal dates for November 5. One is named Jonathan (age 19) the other is Joshua (age 12). They are both excited about the Gospel, have awesome fellowshippers and have testimonies. Because we are doing to so much finding we spend a lot of time pretty much going house to house or walking around taking to people. On my first day Elder Burog asked we where I wanted to go and I had know idea so we just started walking down random streets. We eventually ended up lost and found ourselves talking to a less active member. It had been a long time since she had seen the missionaries. When we returned to her house we contacted her neighbors who were taught all the lessons 8 years ago and that we are now teaching again. These experiences have taught me that the Lord will lead us to those that are prepared to hear the Gospel. Not everyone we talk to will listen to us but there are many of God's children who are prepared. However we usually don't know who these Children are. The important thing is that we talk to as many people as we can so we can find everyone that it prepared. We can't be afraid to open our mouth.

My zone leader responsibilities started the first day and have had no stop. In my first week I have conducted companionship exchanges, helped the sisters move apartments, done lots of paperwork, worked on call in reports, started preparing a workshop for zone interviews etc.... It has been very busy and I haven't even had time to unpack my suitcase. It's busy and I love it. To tell you the truth I feel a little inadequate to be a zone leader, especially since most of my zone has been in the mission a lot longer than I have. However I know that I have this calling for a reason so I'm doing my best to magnify it. Speaking of my new Zone, Elder Andrus is one of my new zonemates! It is awesome to finally be with some of my batch again. Elder Burog is great and I'm excited to be his companion. He is also really short:) But really he's great.

One of the things that I am constantly reminded of here is the need to be obedient and to have a love for the Lord, the work and the people. For me these things will make such a big difference in the work. Even though I'm new here I already love the new branch, the members and my investigators. I'm struggling with learning all their names but I love them. I also love being a missionary. I have no doubts that this is the Lord's work. His hand is in his work. As a missionary I'm not alone.

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

p.s. the pictures are from our branch family home evening last saturday and of the Burgos t-shirts we made. Elder tating and I made them for us and our 3 branch missionaries.

Two more pics, Oct 19

Love these last pics of Joe's baptisms in Burgos!

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

Conference in the Philippines

Dear Family and friends,

This past weekend has been wonderful! It was also very, very busy. The highlight of the week definitely had to be general conference! Wow, it was good. I was blessed to be able to head into Tarlac to attend all sessions and to be spiritually fed (and also physically fed, with a trip to 7-11 in between sessions on saturday. If your wondering my first slurpee in the Philippines was masarap!). General conference has taken on a new meaning to me here in the mission. I get so much more out conference and better understand the purpose for it. I feel like there were things said that were just for me. One of my favorite moments was singing "We thank the O God for a Prophet" as the rest hymn in the sunday morning session. The spirit was so strong as the overflowing Tarlac stake center was filled with the words of that wonderful hymn. I felt the spirit very strongly and my testimony was strengthened that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet of God on the Earth today. I don't know where to begin with my favorite talks this conference but I loved the many references to missionary work. Throughout the conference I felt so blessed to be a missionary involved with the wonderful work of God. I loved President Uchtdorf's talk about how in comparison to the Universe and God we are nothing, but to God we are so important. I have seen the hand of the Lord in my individual live and in the individual lives of others. He knows us, and we are so important to him. I think one of my favorite talks however was by Elder Christoferson about repentance. I loved how he said the invitation to repent is an invitation of love and now repentance is an invitation to change. Repentance brings us peace and joy into our lives. It's not a pleasant process but brings our will closer to that of will of our father. This talked helped me realize my role better in inviting people to repent and come unto Christ because I love them. It also helped me realize the things I need to do to change, repent of to become a better missionary.

This past week the work was good as well. It has been busy with 5 trips into tarlac for various meetings but great things have happened. Brother Adonis had his interview and will be baptized this upcoming week!!! I couldn't be more excited. His family is thrilled as well. They now have a goal as a family to be sealed in the temple. Helping to build eternal families is one of the greatest blessings of being a missionary! Yesterday we taught a recent convert and he told us that the Book of Mormon is our best guide. He shared an experience with us that he had had with the BOM. One day he was really angry and he saw his Book of Mormon and decided to read it. As he read his anger left and he forgot the source of his anger. He told us that hte Book of Mormon has brought peace into his life and has given him answers to his problems. The Book of Mormon is always there for all of us. The blessing of the Book of Mormon are uncountable and I know without a doubt that it is true.

Next week is transfers so my p-day will be on Wednesday. I don't know where I'll be next week but I'm trying to make the very most out of my time in Burgos. I love it there and the people so much. I have loved my companionship with Elder Tating and I'm sad that the 12 week program is almost over. 12 weeks go by amazingly fast.

As far as the pictures go the first is of me in a ricefield. It's not quite ready to be harvested but it's close. Right now it's harvest season and the people are very busy harvesting their rice! It's been really fun to watch the whole cycle.

The second picture is of my zone yesterday after conference. You just got to love Tarlac Zone!

Well the work is good. I love being a misisonary and I love the Lord. I love the Philippino people.

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

A Wet Week In Burgos! 10/2

Dear Family and friends,

This past week has been an exciting one! This past week we had 2 bagyos come through central luzon, which means lot's a rain! This past Thursday Elder Tating and I headed into Tarlac so I could conduct an exchange with a member of my district. The rain was really coming down but we thought it would be all good. When we got to the apartment of the missionaries in Tarlac we got a text from the zone leaders telling us we were now in level 2 which meant we couldn't leave our apartments. I ended up staying the day and night in Tarlac and it was a pretty impressive storm. Not going to lie, I really didn't like not working but I got some really good study in. That was the first Bagyo. This past saturday we had another one but luckily the wind wasn't as strong in Burgos so we were able to work. Right now there are a lot of areas in our mission that are flooded. There are some missionaries sleeping in Chapels, but luckily Burgos is higher in Elevation so there are currently no problems with flooding. About a month ago President and Sister Martino really stressed getting a 72 hour kit and I know that for many missionaries it was a great blessing. It helped me realize the importance of Following the council of President Martino.

Besides the weather this past week has been a really good one! Yesterday we had a lesson with Brother Adonis which was awesome. Adonis is the father of 6 children and is the only non-member (besides the children not of baptism age) in his family. We started teaching him last april and teaching him has been a joy for these past few months. He has struggled a little bit with his testimony of Jospeh Smith and the Gospel because he hasn't had some great, wonderful, powerful experience. However last night he told us that he knows that this is the true church and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I asked him how he knew that and he explained that over time as he read the Book of Mormon, prayed and was taught by us he felt that things were right. "Dahan dahan" or a little bit by a little bit he has felt that this is the true church and he as gained a testimony. This was such a great thing to hear from Him. He has made big sacrifices to attend church, and keep commitments and he wants so badly to be unified with his family. This was a good reminder for me that conversion doesn't happen all at once, neither does gaining a testimony. Conversion is a process of change that usually happens a little bit at a time, but it takes effort on our part and on the part investigators. I like the example of a seed that Alma used in Alma 32. The seed doesn't become a tree with fruit in an instant. There is a process of growth before the tree has delicious fruit. This experience helped me learn how I can help other investigators recognize the spirit and gain a testimony. Side note: Adonis has a baptismal date of October 15!

This past Saturday was a bagyo day as I mention earlier and saying it rained is an understatement. Despite the rain we worked and had a great day! We used umbrellas but it still didn't take to long till we were drenched head to foot. One of the things we were able to do was offer our umbrellas to those who got caught without them when the rain came. It was a great opportunity for little service. Little acts of service make a big difference. It was a good reminder to me to always search for opportunites to serve. No matter how busy I am, I always need to look for opportunites to go about doing good.

For us here in the Philippines, general conference is this upcoming weekend and I am very, very excited! I really love general conference and am trying to prepare myself to listen to words of the prophets and receive personal revelation. I was glad to hear some good things about conference in your emails and am really looking forward to it.

My favorite quote I read this week is from Jospeh Smith,"When the Lord commands, do it". I could go on for a while about this, but it is a great definition of obedience.

I love you all! I love the work and I love being a missonary!

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

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!

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

August 29

Dear Family and friends,

As you probably guessed it has been another great week in Burgos. It wasn't without challenges but it was great! This past week we had a mission tour where the new area 70 in the Philippines Elder Ardern and his wife came and visited the mission. Elder Ardern is from New Zeland, has a great accent, and is just awesome. Our zone conference with him was such an incredible experience. I think my favorite message from Elder Ardern was about the scriptures. He said, "The Lord packs more into the scriptures than we unpack". He then went through his own personal scriptures study from that morning and how he tried to unpack the verses. It was awesome. Since then my personal scripture study has completely changed. I'm not thinking so much about how many pages I'm reading or how close I am to finishing the Book of Mormon but how I what can I get out of what I read. By doing this I have been amazed with the things I have learned and found. There are treasures on every single page of the Book of Mormon. It's up to us to unpack them. I have found that the Book of Mormon is a powerful source of personal revelation. Often times we find the answers to our prayers in the Book of Mormon. Sister Ardern talked about how we need to "match our message" through obedience, conduct, language and appearance. This was a good reminder for me that I am a missionary of Jesus Christ. I need to represent him in all I do. There are unseen eyes that see the things we as missionaries do so we really need to match our message.

Yesterday was my last sunday of church in Burgos because this week we have stake conference and then on September 11 we will start at our new chapel! I don't know how much I have told you about the new chapel but I'm so excited! Right now our meeting house has literally been a house that the church rented. I have grown to love our little crowded meeting house but I am also so excited to have a real chapel in our area. The member are super excited to. This new chapel is doing awesome things for the work right now because it is in a different area than our meeting house and it's by the main road so everyone sees it and has questions. We also have a lot of progressing investigators close to new church who are preparing for baptism, including Nora, her daughter and the Alcantara Family (Mayann'es family). Our branch continues to grow and become stronger and it makes me so happy!

Here in the Philippines investigators often describe the spirit as "magaan", or "magaan sa loob", which means light (as in not heavy). They say that the heaviness inside them leaves and they literally feel light. I have really thought about this. I love this explaination of the spirit because it is so true. When we spirit isn't with us, the world can really weigh us down. Our sins can make us feel heavy too. Through repentance and through the spirit the things of the world leave us and we come closer to our Heavenly Father. We feel magaan.

This past week we had one teaching experience that really stood out to me. We have an investigator with some real Law of Chastity concerns. Elder Tating and I planned really well for this lesson. When we showed up to the teaching appointment I felt a prompting to change our approach. We did and our lesson ended up being very different from our plan. However is was just what our investigator needed. Through the whole experience I literally felt guided by the Holy Ghost. I felt like the questions I asked and the things I said didn't come from me but from the Holy Ghost. It was a powerful lesson and afterwords Elder Tating said he felt the same way. Our investigator commited to live the Law of Chastity. He knows it's a commandment of God and it's what he needs to do. I also learned the importance of being bold. Not overbearing, but being bold with love. For me not beating around the bush. As we are straightforward with our commitments with our investigators we can show are love for them and invite them to repent. Really it all comes back to love. The gospel is about Love, about our Heavenly Father's and Christ's love for us. I know that Christ loves us all more than we can understand.

Well I love you all. Mahal ko kayo.

Fight the Fight of Faith!

Love Elder Leishman

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

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

August 7

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time again. It's amazing how fast a week goes. This past week was extremely busy and was full of ups and downs but none the less was a great one! This past week I taught my first workshop in a district meeting, and was able to conduct a baptismal interview for the first time. They were both awesome experiences. This past week we only had one day with a normal schedule. We went into Tarlac 4 times for meetings and interviews and we had baptismal interviews for our investigators. It was a challenge to balance all of our business and still fit in all of our appointments and study time with an extra hour everyday. However whether it was waking up early or coming home a little early we were able to fit everything in. One of the things I have really loved in my mission is the time I have to study. I love the scriptures! Through the scriptures we can receive revelation and answers to questions. Through the scriptures we get to better know our Savior. The scriptures need to be a part of our lives everyday. No matter how busy or crazy our lives are we need to find time everyday to read the scriptures. I have to say I that I am so blessed to have Elder Tating as my companion. He is great! We come from very different backgrounds but we get a long great and are really becoming a team in the work. Elder Tating is excited about the work, about our investigators, is very teachable and just great. We both are learning from each other and are developing a great love in our companionship.

This past week Mayanne had her baptism interview and she talked! My prayers were answered. However she didn't attend church yesterday (long story) so her baptism is being moved to august 20. However we still have 1 baptism this coming saturday. Yesterday we had a lot of investigators not attend church. It is difficult to not have your investigators come to church. I love them and know how important church attendance is in their conversion and I pray for them everyday. Satan really works on investigators to get them to not come to church but as they do they feel the spirit. Right now church attendance is the main concern of almost all of our investigators. They read and pray but when sunday comes around they don't come to church. This week we are going to focus on helping our investigators overcome concerns in order to help them attend church.

This past week I have thought about the tender mercies of the Lord. Our heavenly father knows each and everyone of us and is aware of all we are going through. This past week I have felt the tender mercies of the Lord in my own life and have seen them in the lives of others. The things is that the Lord usually works through others to bless our lives. I am thankful for all the people in my life that been the answers to my prayers. I hope that we can all be more in tune with the spirit to become the answer to someone else's prayer.

I love you all so much and I pray for you everyday. You all know know this but I really love being a missionary.

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!

3 more months in Burgos!

Dear family and Friends,

Drumroll please....... we just had transfer announcements and I will be staying in Burgos, training a new missionary and will be a district leader! There is a new program for trainers because the curriculum changed at the mtc so I will have 2 transfers with my new companion. This means that I will be in Burgos for three more months! When we got a text telling us to call President Martino I had no idea what it could be about. I was very, very surprised when he told me I would be a trainer. I feel a little inadequate for training a new missionary but at the same time I'm really excited. It's going to be a great experience! Tomorrow I go to the mission home early in the morning for training and meetings and then sometime in the afternoon I'll meet my new companion and we'll head to Burgos. I really am so exctied that I'm not transfering! I love my area so much and there is lots of work to be done! I am so excited that I get 3 more months with all the people that I love!

This past week has been another great one! Great things are happening in the work. I see the Lord's hand in my life and the life of my investigators everyday. Miracles happen everyday. This past week I we found a LOT of new investigators! Among them are 4 families! I really couldn't be more excited. I have been praying to be able to teach a family and now we have 4 of them to teach and they all are very interested and most of them have already committed to go to church, read and pray. We found all of them through members, investigators and recent converts. One of the things we have been trying to do these past couple weeks is help all the people we teach recognize the blessings they have received from the Gospel and how they can help share these blessings with others. By doing this everyone has become more excited about missionary work (especially our recent converts) and we have received many more referrals. It's so great because members are so important in fellowshipping and supporting investigators and converts. Almost all the lessons we have taught this past week have been with a member present and it makes a big difference! Right now our next scheduled baptism is on August 13. We have three investigators who I pray will be baptized on that day. One of them is Mayann the cousin of the Dupitas family. Charlie and Jaymart Dupitas are two recent converts. Mayann is 15 and is being taught with her cousin Richieann who is the Daughter of Charlie. Mayann was blind for 5 years due to a cataract and doesn't know how to read so Richieanne reads to her. They both have had their prayers answered and have a testimony that this is the true church. The one problem is Mayann is very very shy! This is a problem because she needs to have a baptismal interview next week and she will hardly talk. I pray that she will be will able to overcome her shyness for her interview. It would be great if you could pray for her as well.

One of the things I love about church in the Philippines is the music. The people here love music and love to sing hymns. They can't always pronounce all the words right things, the notes are often very off pitch but they sing from their heart with all they got and you can feel their love for their Savior in their hymns. I have really grown to love hymns and they way that they invite the spirit!

This past week the scriptures that stood out most to me in my personal study are Mosiah 14:3-4 about Jesus Christ. I really want to talk about these scritpures but my two hour email time is up. It goes too fast! I tried to send pictures but the computer crashed.

I love the Work, I love the Lord, I love Philippines, I just love being a missionary!

Fight the Fight of Faith

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

6 months today!

Dear Family, Friends and anyone who may read this,

As you can guess it has been another great week her is Burgos. Tomorrow is the 6 month mark of my mission which is hard to believe! It's really hard to describe time in the mission. It's fast... soooo fast. This past week we taught the most lessons I have a taught in a week and most of them were to investigators that are progressing! One of the highlights of the week was an experience with one of our investigators named Jennifer Macapulay. Jennifer is the sister of Cesar Andujar (a recent convert). When we asked Jennifer about her prayer about Jospeh Smith her response was awesome. She said that she has prayed her whole life but since we started teaching her she has felt a different spirit. She said that she feels it when she prays, reads the Book of Mormon, and when we teach her. She said that when she asked if Joseph Smith was a prophet she felt this different spirit really strongly. She then said I know that this spirit is from God and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. When she said this the spirit filled the room. We were then able to explain that this feeling she felt was the Holy Ghost. The rest of the lesson was very powerful and she attended church yesterday for the first time! She has a Baptismal Goal date of August 13. Yesterday Charlie Dupitas Blessed the Sacrament and Pepito passed the sacrament. It was amazing to see these new priesthood holders in their new white shirts participate in the Sacrament for the first time. It brought me real joy.

I think one of the most important lessons I learned this past week was the importance of love in your companionship. One day this past week I was really frustrated with my companion. I'm pretty sure he was mad at me as well. The spirit wasn't with us and I realized that when there is contention is your companionship the spirit leaves, and you really can't do any missionary work without the spirit. I realized that I needed to find more ways to serve Elder Calianga and just Love him. I started to do something I like to call gratitude post its. Once a day I write a post it to Elder Calianga expressing my gratitude to him in someway. Elder Calianga was really surprised at first, but I have seen a real change in our companionship. I can honestly say I love my companion. Though these sticky notes I have been able to look for the good in my companion instead of his faults and I have gained a greater desire to serve and love him. When there is love in a companionship, there is unity, and when there is unity there is power. Really it all comes back to Love.

Mom, dad and family, I would also like to thank you for the package! It made my day to say the least. The Yoda Shirt is number 1, the tape was awesome, and the comments on the pictures were oh so excellent! It was so nice to hear everyone's voices. Also jeff is way better at talking and his voice is already changing! I promise I'll make you a tape and send it to you. If you have any questions that you want me to answer on the tape let me know! Really though, thank you so much for the package! Last week I also recieved the Leishman line, so please give my thanks to grandpa. The Leishman line is awesome! I also recieved letters from the primary which were awesome as well. I'm glad to hear that trek went well for everyone!

Next week is transfers so p-day is on Wednesday not monday. There is a good chance I could transfer but you never really know. I'll give you the news next week.

I'm happy and I just love my mission!

Mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

Well...

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been a busy one! One of my highlights of the week was meeting President and Sister Martino! I attached a picture of Elder Martino and I. I honestly couldn't be more excited that President Martino is my mission president. He is awesome. He is humble, very spiritual, is good at Tagalog, has a great Texas accent, and I love his attitude about the work! He has already started to make some changes and I am excited about them all. This week I'll have my first interview with him and I'm really excited for it. Sister Martino is great too! Sister Martino has a said we need to be sparkling missionaries. Meaning that when we teach, we sparkle. When we teach we speak from our hearts with the spirit not just with our mouths. When we are sparkling missionaries we have the Light of Christ in our countenances. I hope that I can be a sparkling missionary! This past week I saw the hand of the Lord in the work in so many ways. I see miracles everyday. This past week I had a feeling to visit a member Sister Macapulay after one of our appointments fell through. We went to her house and it didn't take long to figure out that she has been having a lot of personal struggles. We were able to share a very spiritual message with her and when we were leaving she expressed her gratitude to us and told us that the Lord had sent us to her. Two days later we when to visit the Sister Macapulay again and we were able to teach her husband for the first time. We have been trying to teach him for months but this was the first time that he was wanted to listen. If we wouldn't have followed the promptings of the spirit to visit Sister Macapulay the first time we wouldn't have returned and been able to teach her husband. I know that the spirit prompted us and I am very grateful that we followed that prompting. Also right now we are teaching Johmer Diaz who was a former investigator. He is 19 and is really interested. He stop the lessons because he moved away for a couple months and the missionaries were transfered when he returned. This past week we taught a lesson to him , and everything we said was good but we didn't teach with the spirit and Johmer didn't understand our message. When we taught him again we asked questions, focused on his needs and the experience was completely different. I felt the spirit and I know he did too. This taught me how important the spirit is in teaching. Conversion won't take place without the spirit, no matter how beautiful or convincing your words are.

One thing that I have better learned on my misison is the importance of the family. Family is Central to God's plan for us. This past week I read Jacob chapters 2 and 3 in my personal study and It helped me understand the importance of finding and teaching Families. The Gospel blesses families is so many ways and in the world today there are so many forces in opposition to the family. Through the gospel people can find peace and happiness and strengthen their families. Our efforts in missionary work need to be centered on families.

Well the Work continues in Burgos. I attached a picture of a rather large spider in our appartment. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I love the Work and I LOVE the people here! I'm so grateful to me a missionary. I love you all.

Mahal Kita,

Love Elder Leishman