So much to do

Querida Familia, 6-30-2014

So we have had a whole corn ton of stuff to do this last week. It's sort of been ridiculous. I think on one of my daily journal entries at the end of the day all I wrote was "today we got licked" then I went to bed ha-ha. Elder Cottle and I have been really swamped with things to do; meetings to be in, places to be to help out the other missionaries there, and instruction to give! Then we go back to proselyting right after. Last Monday I did an exchange with Elder Gressier!!! I love that guy, brought us back to the days in Monroe. Then on our way to drop him back off in Arlington and pick up my companion again Elder Cottle and I went on through to Granite Falls to have a meeting with the Stake President and the Mission President in the Marysville Stake. Got home around 8:45 just in time for a bedtime snack while making the next days plans. Which included going to district meeting, followed by a basketball game with a nonmember, a quick bite to eat and then we had to book it to Burlington to meet our ride who was taking us out to Anacortes, the first city on the islands, for our Stake Presidency meeting with the Mt. Vernon Stake and Mission President. Our ride picked us up a doughnut on the way back and we got home at like 9:45, with just enough time to shower before bed (since that hadn't happened after basketball. Just a big stick a deodorant) I think that was the day I had the really elaborate journal entry. President Bonham also explained to us that we needed to put more time and effort into a specific person named Edwin. Edwin is an investigator of our branch, currently taught by the sisters, but taught by Elder Cottle previously who helped him out a ton and created a great relationship. Essentially there was a whole lot of things tangled up in his past of gang banging that keep him from being baptized. The repentance process for which would include turning himself back in, then getting tangled further with groups just to keep him alive while in jail. He unloaded a lot of his thoughts on us the following night after dinner with him, which postponed our arrival at home till 10:10.

So there was the time consuming really tiring, difficult part of last week, but we have seen tons of miracles. Including that Maria; Jessica’s mom, has decided to be baptized on the 26th of July!!! Her husband wasn't all cannonball into that one but he's dipping in his toes too! Plus Alejandro, Jessica’s son, has been thinking about it too and this coming Sunday 2 of the girls in the branch are going to be baptized, both ages 8. So hopefully that will help him resolve a couple of his concerns. Really exciting stuff is happening around here. One of the things that I continue to learn; especially in this last week, is the power that is found in the Priesthood. Maria Lopez; Jessica’s mom, tried to cancel a lesson with us due to the pain in her arm. When I hung up the phone with her I had the though "I should have offered a blessing" so I called back right quickly and suggested it and she accepted. We found Jessica already over there when we got there with Marcelino Mejia. She was healed and she was comforted in her loneliness when Jessica paid a surprise visit. One family in particular (Edwin’s wife and brother. Wife being the only one baptized) have asked us for a bunch in the last couple of weeks and based upon their faith and our connection with the Lord's will, each of them have been healed. Even Edwin then thought to ask for some help with his migraine. He was helped. I'm starting to learn that it really is not enough to have a general, or textbook understanding of the Priesthood; but really we all need an experiential understanding of the Priesthood to bless those that are "afflicted in any manner and He healed them"- somewhere in 3nephi :-) afflicted in any manner is absolutely not limiting. Nobody's life needs to be on the line to receive some comfort/healing/council. Nobody's decision needs to be life changing to seek guidance. It surely requires a bit of humility to offer it, even more to accept the offering or ask for it; but the power of God is truly manifest in the "small and simple things"

So; I invite you to test it out.

But for now I got to run!

Love you

Elder Phillips