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