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