Elder Tanner Leishman Serving in the Washington DC South Mission: Week #29

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas. Mine
was awesome. I got to talk to the fam for a couple hours which was
pretty sweet. It's crazy how much they have grown and changed (and
grown mustaches hahaha). It was so nice to talk to everyone and to
meet Louie. I loved all the Christmas gifts I got from everyone. I'm
so glad I have so much support from everyone at home.

This week we had a lesson with two of our now "new investigators". It
was awesome. We had planned to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ but
ended up teaching more about the restoration! They had a ton of
awesome questions that we got to answer. The spirit was so strong in
the lesson so we decided to ask them if they would be baptized. Regina
said, "I've been baptized 3 times already, but if God wants me to be
baptized again in this church, I'll do it!" It made me so happy to
hear that. It's amazing what people will do when they feel the spirit
of God confirming things in their life.

On Christmas Eve, the whole mission went up to the temple visitors
center to sing in a performance. I didn't sing though, I was able to
direct traffic flow in and out of the parking lot. It was quite fun
actually. We got to wear reflective vests and use lightsaber stick
things. I was having a lot of fun with it. Anything or anytime we get
to go up to the visitors center and do stuff there is an extreme
blessing. It's so peaceful up there and you can really feel that it is
heaven on earth.

I appreciate all the sweets and goodies that everyone sent me. I
actually appreciate it so much that I've set a goal for myself at the
new year to not eat any more sugar! I thing over the past two weeks
I've gotten and eaten enough sugar to last me the rest of my mission!
It has been awesome. But now time to cut back haha.

This week I've been studying a lot about the prophet Joseph Smith. Let
me tell you, I have so much respect for Joseph and Emma Smith. The
things they had to go through are motivation to me. One thing I love
about Joseph was that he wasn't this perfect man that a lot of people
believe him to be. He was just an average guy like us, trying to do
the lords will and restore his church. Man, that must have been
difficult. I'm so glad that he had imperfections just like I have.
It's comforting to know he and I have some of the same struggles. I've
have really come to strengthen my testimony of Joseph Smith so much
over the past week. I'm thankful that he restored Jesus Christ's true
church back on the earth today and those same ordinances that Jesus
Christ performed, we can perform today. I know Joseph Smith to be a
prophet of God and I know that he translated the Book of Mormon
through the power of God. I know without a shout of a doubt that this
church is true and I would lay down my life for it! I love this church
and this gospel so much.

Have a good week!

Elder Leishman

With Elder Beatty from Desert Hills HS at the Washington DC temple on Christmas Eve. The missionaries performed a special Christmas program. Elder Leishman signed up for "parking patrol" - lol!!