Lots of Exchanges! 8/20

Dear Friends and Family, This week past week we went on exchanges in five zones and it was awesome! It was so great to work with the Zone leaders in so many areas. We have some awesome missionaries serving as zone leaders and they know how to work! I ended up working with Elder Bellen in Palayan, (he's companion's with Elder Andrus), Elder Masterson and Elder Ambao in Cabanatuan, Elder Heidiman and Elder Talento in Munoz, Elder Biggs in San Jose, and Elder Larsen in Baler. They were all good exchanges. I love exchanges because it gives you an opportunity to learn how to improve as a missionary. Everyone has their own strengths and talents and their own style of teaching and through exchanges you get lots of new ideas. Like I told you last week I was able to work in Cabanatuan and in San Jose! It was awesome to work in my old areas. In Cabanatuan I was surprised when Shirly (an investigator I taught for 4 months) came to a teaching appointment with us. Since I left Cabanatuan She has been baptized and has started becoming active in the missionary work. Her testimony in the Lesson was soooo powerful! It was such a joy to see her again. She was really surprised to see me too. It was also good to see the progress of others I had previously taught. It was also a great blessing to work in San Jose even though it has only been a couple of months since I have been there. I saw Joseph Galam (the wife of one of our recent converts) and she is getting ready to be baptized this coming week! On that exchange we visited one less-active woman who never knew that I left. It was pretty funny when she asked about Elder Biggs (the elder you replaced me in San Jose). I have to admit however that it's not quite the same working in an old area as it was when you were there because it's not your assignment. It's not yours in a sense. It still brought me great joy to see the progress of the area and to see some of the people I love so much. This week I better understood the importance of obedience. Obedience is really the key to success in an area, zone or mission. It was really evident to me on exchanges when I talked with the zone leaders about their zones. Obedience needs to take a concious effort on our part. Everytime I teach a workshop or have a teaching opportunity with missionaries I use the white missionary handbook to teach principles. President Martino noticed this and suggested that we use it more in our meetings and every day as missionaries. Obedience because you love the Savior opens opportunities. This past week was wonderful! I had some great spiritual experiences. I wish I could share them all. I am happy. mahal ko kayo Love Elder Leishman ps. pictures. The first is of a sign in front catholic church which says "who established your church?" Interesting to say the least.... One picture is of Elder Garcia and I by a very big tree and the last is of me in Baler. That's the zone in our mission which is by the ocean. The zone leaders area there includes the beach and they less-actives members who live right on the beach!