March na in San Jose

Dear friends and family,

This past week has been amazing! First we had our Zone leaders council meeting at the mission home. It was such a spiritual experience. ZLC is definately my favorite meeting in the mission. In this meeting we discuss mission buisness, have zone accountablity, talk about the mission training plan for the month, get trained by the Assistants and by President and Sister Martino and we have a testimony meeting. At this past ZLC the focus was faith. I have always thought that faith was very simple principle of the Gospel but this past week I learned so much about Faith! I don't have enough or the english skills to say everything I want to about faith. However one of the favorite things that I learned is the importance of Faith in connection with obedience. In order to be obedient we need to have faith. Obedience is impossible without faith. However when we are obedient our faith in Jesus Christ grows and we gain spiritual power. Faith really is a principle of power! We also talked about the importance of leading by example. As a leader you can't expect anyone to do anything that you are unable to do or aren't doing. Jesus set the example "Come follow me". He is the perfect leader. One reason is because he led by example. Because of ZLC my faith has increased so much. THe quality of my study, prayers, and all aspects of the work have increased. I feel like this is all because of faith. I still have so much to improve on but I know that with faith and the help of the Lord I can do it. At ZLC it was also fun to have some of my batchmates there like Elder Andrus and Elder Tuitama who were also my roomates in the MTC. I still havn't seen Elder Tomasi yet in the field but it has to happen eventually.

This past week was a good week in the work. We are working with a lot of less-actives with the Rescue program. Here in our area we also have a lot of new investigators and hardly any of them are progressing. Right now we are focusing of basic commitments to help them start their progress towards conversion, but with how big our area is we have having trouble with frequent contact to all of our investigators. It's a challenge but we have some great things happening everyday. Brother and Sister Bade (the new recent converts from the Baptism last week) Are doing great and really want their children to listen to the Gospel. They have 2 children who are ages 17 and 22. They aren't that excited to listen to us but came to church yesterday and we have an appointment with them tonight. I am praying that it will be a good appointment and that they will be receptive to our teaching. Teaching families is one of the best parts of being a misisonary and I know the Bade family can embrace the Gospel as a family. Keep them in your prayers.

Things here in San Jose and doing good. Our zone is awesome! We have some awesome hard working missionaries! Right now we are really trying to help our zone be 100% That is what will allow us to reach our full potential. This transfer is off to a good start. I'm still adjusting to the area but things are going good. I am also really enjoying being companions with Elder Adao. We are on the same page about misisonary work and are having a lot of fun together. Missionary work is fun!

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

ps. I took the first picture while walking to an appointment through a rice field. The Second picture is of Elder and Adao with an investigator(the brother in the orange shirt) and with his next door neighbor who has a pretty great bullcut!

3 New Members in Cabanatuan 2/19

Dear Family and friends,

Wow! This past week has been awesome! We had our challenges but so many good things happened! One of the great things that happened was our baptism last Saturday. Vivian, Brian and Marcelino were baptized and confirmed. The baptism was great. The spirit is different at baptisms. It is just such a special thing to witness and to be a part of. Baptisms is such an important step in every one of our lives. I have talked about Marcelino in the past but as a reminder he is a part-member whose family has been less-active for years. Now the family is reactivated and are preparing to go to the temple in August or September to be sealed. It was wonderful to see how happy the Caluza family has become and to see them at Marcelino's baptism. Vivian and Brian are great as well. It has been a real joy to watch their conversion. They have come to know the truth of the Gospel through the spirit and especially through Ang Aklat ni Mormon. They love to read the Book of Mormon. it has brought peace to their lives and answered their questions. They are so excited about the church that they have given us many referrals. One of them is a family of 7 who want to come closer to God.

This past week when we went to one of our appointments at a part-member house we found out that they had a visitor. Their visitor was named Sam and is from England. His wife died a few years ago so he moved to the Philippines and became friends with the family we are teaching. We invited Sam to listen to the lesson and I taught in English for the first time in my entire mission. Sam is atheist and had a lot of questions. Filipinos love God and almost everyone has a firm belief in Jesus Christ so it was definatly an adjustment to teach an Atheist... in English. Even though Sam would accept any commitments or and didn't like any of the answers we gave to his questions, it was a powerful lesson. I felt the Spirit testify that what I said was true. The mother of the Family(who is less-active) also bore her testimony and it was powerful. It made me really sad that Sam wouldn't accept our teaching. I desired his salvation. He is such a nice man, but doesn't really have a firm purpose in life. I am thankful for the Gospel in my life and the foundation and peace it brings all of us.

I love this work! I love being here is Cabanatuan. The rescue program is the Philippines is revelation and is the best! I just love it. This week we have transfers and I'll let you knows what happens next week.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman


Pictures: The first picture is of me and the tricycle of less-active member we have been teaching. He is now active with his wife and 7 children. Please read the Words on the tricyle... I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
The next two pictures are of our baptism this past week. One of Marcelino and his Family (minus a couple siblings who are working) and one group picture from the baptism.

Jan 23 Another week in Cabanatuan

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been another good one in Cabanatuan. We keep seeing improvements in the work. One thing we're struggling with is keeping our investigators progressing. I can't even tell you how many times we these past 2 transfers that we've had an investigator who will starts to progress and comes to church and out of the blue gets a job and works all day, or moves to a different city. We are praying that things will work out with our investigators now so they can accept the gospel and become active members of the church. Vivian and Brian are still doing great and are working towards their baptism date in February.

Yesterday we had a great moment at church. We have been teaching a less-active tatay for a couple of months now. He has an active daughter but after a surgery a few years ago he hasn't attended church. Yesterday he came to church and was welcomed so greatly by all the members. They were so happy to see him and he was so happy to at church. One of tatay Pineda's good friends is the stake president. When our stake president saw Tatay Pineda he came and sat next to him for the 15 minutes of sacrament meeting. Helping rescue less-active members is amazing. It's a very important part of the work and often leads to part-member families and referrals.

This past week we had 3 lessons interrupted by drunk people. We'll be teaching a spiritual lesson and then out of nowhere our investigators next door neighbor will come in drunk as can be and the spirit leaves. Once the spirit leaves it's hard to bring the lesson back even after the drunk person leaves. You can imagine the things they say and they don't ever want to leave. As you can imagine this was a little bit of a challenge but all things worked out ok.

I love this work, and I love being a missionary. I love my savior and I love the Philippines.

mahal ko kayo

Love Elder Leishman

p.s. sorry this letter is short. Next week I'll get a better letter in with some good pictures!

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