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

Happy Birthday America, From the Philippines!

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy fourth of July!!!! As you can probably guess I won't be doing anything to celebrate this holiday! This past week has yet again been a great one! Our baptisms were a great success! This week the weather was perfect! We had to move to a different place in the river but it was still soooo beautiful. Everytime we have a baptism I feel such a great feeling of joy! It really is such a different feeling. Seeing the investigators you love exercise faith, change and accept the gospel this amazing. On the other hand it's difficult to see the investigators you love tell you not to come back, or fall back into an old addiction. The four investigators that were baptized have all had to overcome their own trials and challenges on their path to becoming a member. One of our investigators who was baptized is named Allen. He has great faith. He is sixteen, has only completed 1st grade and doesn't know how to read. Inspite of these things he has strong faith and a strong testimony. His mom used is a member but was inactive when we first started teaching Allen. Allen's mom reads the Book of Mormon to Allen and now they are all active and closer as a family. They live really far away from the church and a couple of weeks they didn't have any transportation so they walked 3 hours each way to church. That is such a great example of faith. Before President Puzey left, I expressed a concern with how things are going to change when the new chapel is done because it will be more difficult for many members to go to church to do location. President Puzey said "Instill Faith in the members. If they have strong enough faith they will walk for days to go to church". This principle is true and I have seen in in Allen Anchetta and his family. When our faith is strong enough and we trust in the Lord, we can do all things!

Another one of our investigators who was baptized is Cesar Andojar. I think I wrote about him last week. Cesar is an awesome recent convert and is our only potential missionary in the Branch right now. He really wants to serve a mission and share his testimony and is already starting to become a missionary in our branch. With his help we are now teaching his sister Jennifer who is really progressing!

Family. Thank you for everything that you all do for me. Thank you for your emails. I love them! They make my week. Sorry that I don't respond to everyone's emails personally. I really don't have that much time. Thank you for your prayers. I feel them when I'm down or when things are hard. I want you to know that you are in my prayers everyday. I love you all soooo much! We are so blessed in everyway. Whenever things are hard, know that our trials are for our good. It is through our trials that we are able to learn, grow and become more like our savior.

As far as the pictures go. They are pretty self explanatory. Sorry that three of them are widescreen... I gave my camera to another missionary and he thought it would be cool to put it in widescreen... Oh well. The butterfly is real and alive!

And my patriotic thought for the day in honor of the fourth of July. Being here in the Philippines has made me realize how blessed we are in America. I love the Philippines and it really is my new home, but we are so blessed in America. America is a chosen land, and God's hand was in the creation of the nation of America. I'm thankful for our founding fathers and the good old USA. Enjoy the fireworks and BBQ and all that good stuff.

Mahal Kita. Sorry my email is short. I promise to try and make it longer next week. P.s. I'll meet president Martino on Wednesday. I'm really excited.

Love Elder Leishman

A Wonderful, Rainy Week in the Philippines!

Dear family and friends,

As always it's been another great week in Burgos. There was a Baguio and it rained for 4 days without stopping and almost all my clothes are wet. We got punted a few times because our investigators were out in the fields planting rice becuase of the rain but despite the rain it was still a good week. We had our last zone conference with President and Sister Puzey. It was awesome! It was such a spiritual, uplifting conference. President Puzey focused on the the need to be Christlike, and Love. Chapter 6 of Preach my Gospel (Christlike attributes) is my favorite chapter. As missionaries it's not just about what we do but it's about who we are. I have mentioned this chapter a few times but I really love it. As missionaries it's all about love. We need to gain charity and love for all people; Our Savior, our families, our investigators, our companions, the members, the people you sit next to on jeeps and even the drunkard who swears at you as you pass by. When we have charity we are different people. People also need to know that we love them. There is a saying that I hear a lot from other missionaries "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" It's really true. It's like the Example of Ammon. King Lamoni probably wouldn't have been converted if Ammon and marched in and said "I'm here to baptize you!" . He first served the King and showed his loyalty of love.

Saturday was a crazy day. I woke up to the sound of pouring rain and my first thoughts were about Pepito's Baptism. I knew that we probably couldn't hold his baptism at the river. I spent a most of the morning praying that we could find a way to have a baptism for Pepito. When we went to the meeting house no one was there. Our branch presidency had gone out into the fields to work because they thought we wouldn't have the baptism because the river was dirty and overflowing. The wife of our branch president was home so she was able to get a hold of the Branch Presidency. We then were able to contact the Zone leaders who happened to be having a baptism an hour later at the stake center. We hopped on a couple of trikes and headed into the city. There were only six of us, because there was no other transportation for the members but things worked out great. The trip to the city took 1 hour each direction in the pouring rain. When we got the stake center the font was filled and Pipito was baptized. I am so grateful that the Lord provided a way for Pepito to the baptized. When there is faith and will, there is a way. Yesterday the rain was still coming down. I knew that Pepito would have a hard time getting to church. Pepito is very poor and he usually barely has the money to go to church. Since he used all his money for his pamensahe to his baptism, the Tanedo's gave him some money so he could go to church and be confirmed. Pepito was able to get a ride with a private jeep (which never happens) and was able to attend church and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Pepito said that he had been praying for a way to be baptized and to be confirmed. He said he knew that because of his faith and prayers the Lord provided a way. This was a testimony building experience for Pepito and for me. The Lord does answers our prayers. However faith needs to be the essence of our prayers. I am so grateful that everything worked out and that the Lord answered our prayers. When we have faith nothing is impossible.


Things with Elder Calianga are good. His style of work is almost exactly opposite of Elder Pioquinto's so we are working on adjusting to be able to teach and work together in Unity. He is really quiet and very serious but slowly he is opening up to me. The work is good right now and it's continuing to improve. This week we have four baptisms and again I pray that everything will work out. It seems that right before baptisms crazy random things happen in the lives of investigators. This is Satan's way of trying to prevent them from following the Gospel. However with faith, effective follow up and the support of members things work out.

Here is a little funny story. Last night we had a member drive us home on his trike. It's a 1 hour and 45 minute walk from his house to our apartment so we pay for his gas and he drives us home. Last night the store where we usually buy gas was closed so we were going to get gas closer to our apartment Halfway home we ran out of gas.... We then pushed the trike with the member's son steering for 30 minutes in the rain. We were using a flashlight to see. I loved every second of it and we laughed a most of the time. When we were about 10 minutes away from our apartment we finally were able to get some gas and we were able to make it home before 9.

Well I love the Gospel, I love the Work, I love the Lord, I love my investigators, I love the members, I love my family. It's all about love

Love Elder Leishman


Note from mamalar:I thought Joe looked terrible in this pic compared to the pics he has sent the last two weeks. He assured me that he is healthy and feeling great, he just looked like that because of the rain. Hmmmmmm

A rainy pday in the Philippines

Dear Family and Friends,

Right now it's a very rainy P-day. It's rainy season now so it rains a lot. The good part about rainy season is things are starting to cool down. My area is also getting very green and beautiful. As usual this past week has been a good one! It has been different to lead the area and to have a new companion but things are good. Elder Calianga is from Quezon City. He is really serious and doesn't like to talk a lot but he is a great teacher. We have only been together for 5 days and one of them was a split so things are just beginning. It will be a good transfer for sure. Right now our baptismal goal for this transfer is 6. I hope and pray that our investigators can continue to progress and gain strong testimonies about the gospel. This Saturday we have a baptism for Pepito and next saturday hopefully we will have 4 more. I don't know how much I have told you about Pepito but he is awesome. He has been the most prepared person to here the Gospel that I've taught yet. Before we met him he had been praying to find the religion with the word of Christ. A member casually introduced us to him as we were leaving an appointment and we decided to OYM him. From there on he has kept every commitment and has gained a testimony that this is the true church. The Tanedo family has been his fellowshippers and without them his church attendance wouldn't be possible. I am so grateful for the help of the members here in the work. I have realized that every investigator that we are teaching that is really progressing has some connection to the members. Members are so important in missionary work. Without them conversion and retention is very difficult.

Because the zone leaders are in my district, my companion is automatically the district leader. Because Elder Pioquinto and Elder Calianga have been district leaders I go on a lot of splits with the zone leaders. I even had a split with the AP's. Companionship exchanges are such a great opportunity to learn. I have been grateful for the opportunities to see other missionaries teaching styles, get feedback and set goals to improve.

Right now one of my barriers in my teaching is my Tagalog. It's coming slowly and surely but it's not where i want it to be. I can say pretty much anything I want to but not in the way I want to. I want to teach in clear simple terms but it's hard in Tagalog. However I have to say the gift of tongues is very real. There have been times in teaching situations where I have taught and said things I didn't completly understand in Tagalog but later learned the meaning of what I said and realized how it was what the investigator needed to hear.

This past week while studying about the atonement the phrase "infinite sacrifice" really stood out to me. I thought about how I have found comfort through the atonement in my trials and pains. I then thought about the pains and trials of the people of the Philippines, then the people of the world then about all the "living creatures" to ever live on the earth. I can't even come close understanding the magnitude of the suffering and sacrifice that our Savior Jesus Christ did for us. This helped me better understand that Jesus Christ knows our pains. Every single one of them.

Things are good in Burgos. I love the work. I love the Gospel.

Mahal Kita

Love Elder Leishman

ps. about the second picture. can you say zone jerseys?

A New Companion!

June 15, 2010

Dear Family, Friends and Sportsfans,

Drumroll please...... My new companion will be Elder Calianga! The actual transfer happens tomorrow so I havn't met him yet. I heard he's awesome and I'm really excited. This next transfer will be a great opportunity to set goals, to learn and to grow.

The work in Burgos is great right now and I pray that it continues to improve. Elder Pioquinto is going to be a zone leader this next transfer. Not going to lie, I'm going to miss the Elder. We have grown a lot closer these past two weeks. I've realized how much he helped me. I'm really grateful for the opportunities I had to be companions with him. This past week Hinckly's baptism was great! President and Sister Puzey came unannounced to the baptism which was a great! All the members, investigators and Hinckly were 30 minutes late..... The 45 minutes of sitting with President Puzey with no members or investigators were a very long 45 minutes! ha. However everything worked out just fine. It was a very spiritual baptism. Hinckly's father was able to do the baptizing which was what we were hoping for. I'll attach a few pictures of the baptism for you. Hinckly was confirmed on Sunday and is now a great happy new member of the church!

This past Sunday we had some visitors at the Burgos Branch. The Banson Family attended church in Burgos and it was great to meet them! They were so kind and so awesome! They showed me pictures of Tanner Leishman, Grandpa, Mom and dad in Manila last year. It was great to spend a few minutes with them. They really love Grandpa Lolo. After church they gave us a ride home and gave Elder Pioquinto and I 2 big bags of food! It was the good stuff too! I am so grateful for their kindness. Mom, it would be great if you could express my gratitude to them. I also am attaching a picture of The Banson Family and I. Last week dad asked about the food here. The question is where to begin. I love the Filipino food. My favorite food is fruit. Mango, Bananas, Pomello, Papaya, Guyabano, Pineapple and Langka. To say the Least I eat a lot of Fruit. I also eat a lot of rice. My favorite ulam (dishes) here are adobo, sinagang pork, paksiw talapia, adabong sitaw ect... Really it's all good.

This past week I think I put on a little bit of the weight I lost. I couple weeks ago I was pretty sick after eating at a member's house but besides that my nothing has made me too sick. The first week I didn't know how I was going to eat fish for two years but now I actually really enjoy a nice piece of fish. Needless to say the food here is amazing! Mom, also in my package I would love a copy of my mission call. This past week I got the deodorant dad sent! It was a great moment in my day and I have really been enjoying having my old spice back.

These past week I have spent some time studying ch 6 in Preach my gospel (Christlike attributes.) I have learned that just as important as what we do is who we are. As a missionary I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I need to strive to be like him. However becoming Christlike is a lifelong process that we commit one day, one decision at a time. Before I came to the Philippines I kind of had this idea that when I got here I would magically become a great missionary. I would be able to speak the language, be a good teacher be Christlike and all the other things that we picture a missionary being. It didn't take me one hour to realize this wasn't the case. These past two months have been very humbling and I have realized how we need to Lord in everything we do. I am nothing without the Lord. I can't become the missionary I need to be without the Help of the lord. Progress towards becoming Christlike and the missionary I need to become happens one decision, one day at a time. The time to focus on is now. I have also learned that If we aren't progressing we are digressing. Progress is more rapid when we set goals and strive to achieve them.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I love the Gospel. I am so thankful to have the gospel in my life. I love the Lord. I love being a missionary. I love the Filipino people. I love my family. I'm glad you all had a great trip to California. I love you all so much! Everyday I realize just how much I love my family and how lucky and blessed we are in our family. I didn't get to write a lot of the things I wanted to write about investigators and the work but I'll give you a good update on Monday about the work and my new companion. If you ever have questions for me don't be afraid to ask. I love reading your emails and hearing about your lives.

Mahal Kita

Love Elder Leishman