11-12-13

Well Folks,

Quite a few interesting things happened this last week. Starting out though, is interviews with president. I don't know how I can explain how wonderful it is to have 15 minutes to go straight to him as President and find out exactly what it is that he wants, or sees, or feels, or advice he would like to give. Now I know this is no substitute for going straight to the top through prayer like we know we can, but it truly is super awesome!

In other AWSOME news that is just in. DAVID A BEDNAR IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!!!! Ya that’s what’s up, you’re all jealous. A week from this Saturday is what I heard, and were going to go listen to him as a mission. I’m SO PUMPED!

This last Friday we were able to get done a little bit of less active work with Ethan Gonzales, 15 years old, with the help of Zeni Reyes and his cousin. Along with a couple other members. We played basketball. OH YA! I love it so much, and what’s better, is that Ethan loved it! AND, Ethan came to church last Sunday too! So sweet. I also found out that the 60+ year old Brother Sotelo can make it rain from distance jaja!

I’ll be honest though. I think the absolute best part of this last week, was getting to church after having worked our tails off all week, and seeing that Isamar came! and that the other Elders that I love working in our branch had Brenda come, and Luna, and Esperanza and her mom Esperanza come!!! It was wonderful to see that even if we can't directly see the fruits from our labors, which really bites sometimes, we are still able to see our branch grow and grow. I hope that they can continue to catch the spirit of missionary work, because it is the Lord's work. As our Mission President stated and I repeat with force that I am more sure of this restored gospel than of gravity. I know it holds true all the time every time, but I never really know when i’m going to accidentally drop the keys just to see them float there jaja.

It was really cool because we were able to make it to cottage meeting with Isamar at the mission home this last Sunday, and Brenda came too with the other 2 Elders. After the fact we were all super excited and pumped to go get some stuff done, especially Isamar; I was so happy to see the renewed drive to take baby steps no matter how insignificant they seemed.

Yesterday for p-day, since we couldn't email, Elder Wagner had gotten permission for us to go out to the Lynwood mall, and we were there with their investigator Brenda, and the recent convert who spoke in cottage meeting Hadid. He got us some lunch. His story is super crazy cool though. On Sept. 11 he had decided to take the day off; he worked at the pentagon and he grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. After a lot of trials and crap given to him from his lifelong friends he was able to make the decision to be baptized. He's super awesome. But after going to the mall, Elder Gressier and I ran over to the high school again to play some soccer on their turf. We don't know how much longer we will be together and be able to play, but we do know that the weather won’t be not raining for very long either. It was just absolutely a great cap of to a great ending of the week.


Love Elder Phillips

Happy Halloween

10-28-2013

Dear Familia,

Well, I’ll be completely honest with ya. I don't know that I have had a crazier week, or a more frustrating one, it was absolutely nuts! But first of course, I need to pay the dues. I MISSED GRANDPA'S BDAY!!! what the heck, sorry, and happy birthday, top of the hill just now crossing right ;)

Dads story made me DIE! oh man I just had an ESPN video rerun going through my mind titled 'racquetballs' ha-ha so funny.

So anyway this past week on Friday I was going to get my blood taken over at the clinic by the hospital, and for some reason I had decided that we needed to go right then, rather than finishing our companionship study. So we left. and as we were walking into the clinic we saw a lady walking in too, so we said “hi how are you?” “Not good.” “Oh man why not?” tears, tears snot, tears, sobs. She was practically hysterical. Right at the same time another lady was walking by saying hi Elders, then stopped to talk with us and Lynn, (the lady.) turns out this was a member, Sister Albrecht, from a ward on the other side of our stake. Sis Albrecht and Lynn got into the elevator together because they were both going up, and we were on the bottom floor for our appointment. I went to get my blood drawn and on our way out we decided to go check on Lynn. so we go upstairs, and found her in a waiting room still sobbing. Found out she had shoulder surgery the other day and had been kicked out of her house earlier that day. Now with no money or home, and only one arm was feeling quite helpless. But she was then called into her appointment, and I was praying for help because we need to follow rules, and we want to help her but we can’t have her in our car or anything so.... in walks Sister Albrecht after her appointment with the member physical therapist about her shoulder too! (man, if we include Elder Gressier's bad shoulder I’m surrounded by the one arm gang) This member coming back to check on her. MIRACLE! We talked with her for a bit, then Lynn came back out, the this SAINT (Sister Albrecht) volunteered to help us out. We went around the town with her for 2 hours more! getting the little money she had, grabbing her stuff from the old house, picking up a prescription, and then heading out to another members house with a room in Sultan! Crazy day.

The next day, we get a call in the morning from the Sultan Elders, and basically told us that what happened was that Brother Styles, who is housing Lynn, was told by another member to watch his back because she could steal some of his stuff, especially since she is a recovering addict. Well that put Brother Styles on edge, and he has only a small part of his heart working, so this other member was worried about his health. So basically they were forcing us to find a new solution, and we had till the Halloween party that night to do it, and then Bro. Styles was kicking her out. What the heck. I still don't know the end of this story by the way, but it was a bit frustrating.

What was cool though, is that right after all that went down on Saturday, we had a lesson with Isamar AND with President and Sister Bonham! It was so sweet! They were like laying down the law and being super bold, and FINALLY Isamar is going to take a little bit of action, take a few baby steps. and for right now she is going to get her drivers license’ so she can get a job, so she can be financially independent, so she can move out, so she can live the law of chastity, so she can be BAPTIZED!!! So ya, that was sick.

Then that night at the Halloween party Elder Gressier and I, along with the English ward Bishop were selected to be the chili contest judges... I never ate so much chili in my life... and, I never had such a party on the throne in my life! Then they also had all 6 missionaries play 'chubby mummy'. Where you have to say chubby mummy as they stick increasingly more and more marshmallows in your mouth. I was up to ten and then died. only good enough for 3rd place, ha-ha. There are some crazy missionaries.

That's all I got and all the time I got. I will be writing you in a week. Keep smiling!

Elder Phillips


　

　

A little bit creepy

10-21-2013
MAN! Let me start by putting to rest any questions anyone has wondering if church authorities are called of God. THEY ARE! We had the chance this last week to listen to Elder Paul V Johnson of the Seventy speak to us! and he is sweet! not to mention that our Mission President who talked to us too is a boss. But it seems like we are talking more and more about how to work with members. That’s you! and the reality is that without members missionary work does not function and on top of that, super recently we have been hearing a lot about member missionary work from the First Presidency and higher! So do it! It was actually pretty sad yesterday to have finally had an investigator come to our branch for church, receive nothing more than a few handshakes and nice comments, then in EVERY class being asked to stand up in from of the whole congregation and introduce themselves. I couldn't help but think how much better it had been in the past, when members had met them as they came in, and lovingly asked if they wanted to sit by them, got to know them, then did the introducing for them. Point of the story, don't just be nice on the cover. BE a friend. Sorry about the little rant there.

Last week has been a little bit creepy as we have been continuing working with Isamar. Such as sinister texts that show up on our phone, but not hers when we check. Even receiving them with hers in her hand right in front of us. Elder Gressier was freaking out a little because who or whatever is doing it, called him out specifically after he replied to it. So anyway, we are going to the mission office to see President and get it figured out today. Prayers for Isamar and Elder Gressier are appreciated, the whole thing just seems a little bit dark, not to mention Isamar’s past experiences, but a boost for them would go a long ways.

This week we had lots of opportunities to give service! One time in specific we were doing an emergency move into a one room place above the extra building garage behind their grandma's house. Well if you start imagining a garage, with a random staircase going up the side to a one room sitting on top, your getting pretty close. So we get to the three seater couch... it was a blast.

Jaja, we carry it up the stairs and stand it up on its end on the small top platform to these stairs; its too tall, and a bit too wide the way we have it, we already have it up the stairs, so its time to try some angles and whatnot. After everything, we had decided to teeter totter it over the railing, because of space, the longer end hanging over a 20 foot drop. No dice. Nothing was working. Now here is my plug to the fact that inspiration comes through SO many different ways. No body knows why, but I said lets try one more thing, we already have it up the stairs. then I rolled under the couch, and started leg pressing it jaja, giving it a little more gas on the left to push it higher for the right angle. 20 seconds and it worked!!!! we had been there for 20 minutes already! then because some kid got a little creative it went through ha-ha. That was pretty cool and funny.

Sorry i’m out of time, heading to the mission office right now, love n squeeze.

Elder Phillips

I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!

10-14-2013
My Dearest Fellow Members of the Family,

I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK! Last week has been crazy, and we didn't have tons of new stuff going on or tons of success but I love it! Last week at the beginning was full of a lot of meetings and stuff which took a lot of our time, and then on Thursday I went with one of the zone leaders to do an exchange with him all day! So my companion and Elder Bosworth were left in our area just going to town. Friday we had to be at the mission office for a training meeting since i’m training Elder Gressier, that took a lot of more time too! But, this week was super sweet. Like one day we just walked all the way from our apartment over the other side of the town to Miguel Sanchez’s house because he was going to come see an investigator named Gustavo with us. We talked to like a million people on our way over, and gave out a million more pictures of Jesus. Unfortunately when we got to Gustavo’s house they were all eating dinner, so we didn't get to have a lesson but Miguel invited him to church and offered a ride so it all turned out good. Then when I was on exchanges with Elder Pymm we did a little bit of tracing and we made it super fun! We were offering everybody service, and when they would say no thanks were fine for now we would say, “well can we take your trash out on our way?” “No.” “Can we bring you garbage cans up from the street?” “No.” “Can we water your trees?” ..... “Son we live in Washington” ha-ha. ha-ha “Ya I know I was just kidding, instead can I use your bathroom and water the toilet?” “Ya for sure man second door on the right.” ha-ha it worked out super well! Especially since Elder Gressier and I have been taking the gallon challenge of water a day, so I had to stop for the bathroom all the time. I think for the most part people were more open to us because we were different, possibly weird different, but we weren't robots and talked with more people ha-ha.

On Friday we had to leave early from a meeting at the mission office, because we had an appointment clear out in Gold Bar! Like an hour drive from the mission office. We were going out to see Valery, who wanted us to come by again, play a game of soccer and have a lesson. But when we got there, there were tons of little kids around, most Hispanic, so we played with them for a while then moved up to the porch to have a lesson. Which was really good, but I think Valery is going to take a lot of work. she's 15 and her parents are Catholic, but they lost their jobs and ended up doing a lot of stuff with the Christian church, and her parents and the churches just keep blasting her with God, and how everything she does is a sin and she's going to Hell! We were like holy cow! and she was talking about how she feels sick and tired of God and church because its getting shoved down her throat along with doing her first communion. So her skepticism grows as everyone else is jerks about it, but hopefully we can get her to start acting on what she feels when we are over. But anyway, when we were walking away from her house, we saw these four teenagers hanging out so we started talking to them, long story short there was a soccer challenge placed and we got to play some more soccer with these Hispanic boys. Three of them were really good, and one not so much, who of course got put on our team to make 3v3. But we started off scoring 3 goals on them and they had nothing, but as we started to get tired and sweaty in our white shirts and slacks, they just started taking over. after the entire half hour we totally lost ha-ha.

Last crazy story of the day is all about Isamar. Friday night when we were texting her she wouldn't reply, then Saturday she finally did and said we could come over whenever, but it was really weird and she was talking about feeling sick and not being able to sit up, but come over anyway. We asked if she'd like a blessing, and she replied yes, please. So we went over there and found her laying on the couch with like 4 blankets on her, covering her head, and James just sitting there playing call of duty! She starts thrashing around her head then goes still again ( afterwards Elder Gressier said he got an impression in his mind, so in his head he cast out any evil spirits in the room by Christ's authority,) and that’s when Isamar flopped back to the couch again. it seemed like James didn't really care, and really carelessly saying you want to go to the hospital? she started moaning again and so Elder Gressier and I gave her a blessing and ran over to the clinic with her and James, then to the ER, where they said probably a kidney stone, the full diagnostic would take another couple hours. So we went back to the car and went on our way again. then at the end of the day we went back over there to see what the final say and info had been from the hospital. James answers and is talking to us and says that they said she had gotten a stomach infection and then gave her a ton of medication and anti biotic for it, but in the middle of telling us this Isamar walks out of her room, and she looks a little bit pale but like perfectly fine! and at that moment I got slapped with the perfect realization of the power of the priesthood! We had a little mini lesson with her, and the next day she came to church AND to a cottage meeting!

Miracles are worked everyday no matter how big or how small. and if there is nothing else that I have learned this week, its that the priesthood is REAL! and it works in real life in real peoples lives! I know this authority is from God and I know that this is His church.

"Have I done any good in the world today?" is the question and the answer is in the next few moments. Get ‘ER Done!

Love Elder Phillips

10-9-2013

Dear Family!

So ya! This email is only coming to you like a day and a half late, sorry about that, the library was closed yesterday, super lame. and today was the first time that I have had any time.

CONFERENCE WAS SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Super powerful. Last Friday night we got stuck a little bit in our planning session. so we decided to have a prayer, then analyze our thoughts and feelings. So we did, and we sat there for like another 5 minutes silently, then we brought our ideas, and decided that we needed to go to village way and contact on the street. We had no idea why, especially because there’s like no houses, and almost certainly none that are Hispanic. But we put it down. So then before Priesthood Session we go over to that street and start walking, and we see this Mexican guy! So we go contact him, and he totally blows us off, tell us to scram. nicely. We were like what the heck? That was probably the only Mexican here. So we keep walking, and really really randomly I find myself walking up this driveway for no reason. Elder Gressier was like this place is totally white, and I just kept walking and said I know. We get up to the door and its wide open, but we can’t see anyone inside, so I knock really loudly on the frame, and we here hello? reply: Hey, come on in. We’re like ok sure, sounded like a guy. So we get in there, and there’s this guy just sitting on his couch, invites us to have a seat. He looked a little bit beat from the day, and smelled like he had already drank one, and he was watching like animal planet or something. We start talking with him, and he's telling us about his life, and how his family is going through a rough time right now, possibly awaiting a divorce. He told us about his daughters and what they were like. We talked with him for like 15 minutes, and Elder Gressier was in the middle of saying something when I asked, "Jo, do you feel like you have ever gotten an answer to prayers from God?" totally cutting my companion off. The reply was a solid, no. Then I continued, “well if there’s one thing that helps me find direction and answers from God its by listening to his called servant the prophet and in like 20 minutes we going to go listen to him and Gods other called servants, and its just for men, and were going to go listen to the Lords instruction for us in our day, would you like to come?... “

“You know what.... I’ll be there. Where?”

It was so sweet!!! and a half hour later we walked into the chapel with him into the Priesthood session of conference. We are listening clear up through President Uchtdorf’s talk, practically directly addressing, it seemed, his issue and he leans over and taps my comps shoulder and says I got to go. So he leaves, and when we follow him out we find him sitting in his car, engine on, staring and his steering wheel. So we asked what’s up, and he said nothing. So we talked with him some more and he said he thought that the conference was really corporate, really business like. Which I can imagine it would certainly seem. Then as we talked more, we shared the message of the Restoration with him, told him about restored truths. Then he accepted a book of Mormon graciously and said thanks you guys a lot.... (then to Elder Gressier) can I give you a hug? of course! So we both gave him a hug, and he thanked us again, and said “I think i’m going to go home, watch a little football, wait for my family to get home, then go get all of this fixed“ and he left. It was wonderful! Really feeling like a tool in the Lords hands without caring about what nationality the person was!

So that was super sick.

Yesterday since we didn't have any library time, Elder Gressier and I went over to the Monroe high school and started playing soccer on their field and a gym class came out and was playing and we talked to the coach guy, and he was like oh yaw’ we'll have a little more room over there. Sweet. We played for like 2 hours, and just about as we were going to leave, another class came out, and that coach was like, um if your going to be out here you need a pass from the office, so were like ok, so we walk in there to go to the bathroom and ask about passes, and the front desk lady was like, um excuse me? this is a closed campus school, you cannot use the field during school hours. oh. ok mama our bad ha-ha. but it was fun nonetheless. Even today, being a Tuesday was crazy, because we had to be to the mission office AGAIN to go to transfers, so that Elder Gressier could go through the training with all the other new missionaries. So I got to sit there for a while, but then I got to see a bunch of old buddies too. Elder shaver came back from the land of English, and Elder Fiala came back AND went zone leader in Marysville! That was super sweet to see them.

Elder Gressier and I have been running in the mornings, and the other morning we were running up this road, but being 6:15 in the morning there was like no light. We started running up this road, and then all of a sudden there aren’t any more street lights. A bunch of cars pass, and Elder Gressier sees this man walking like 40 feet in front of us. Then another wave of cars pass, and illuminated nothing, the man had disappeared. Elder Gressier said he got a feeling at that point. "Stop. Turn around" he’s like were just running were fine. "Stop. Turn around." were missionaries what’s anyone going to do to us? "STOP! Turn Around." So he grabs me flips us around and we start booking it down the hill! so as creepy scary as this experience was, the point I wish to make is that we give thanks to all of your prayers of protection, and openly reply to you all and confirm that they are heard, and our Heavenly Father listens to prayers. That I have no doubt of.

Best wishes for the week!

Elder Phillips

Found a ball and had to see if I could still make a basket even in a white shirt and tie.

9-30-2013

 Last p-day after emailing we had to drive clear out to the mission office to pick up Elder Gressier’s white shirts, because he's only had 3 since the beginning of his MTC stay in Mexico, so that took a while. But that same night I started an exchange with elder Coles (who upon review of the pictures I sent is yes, benching a door) and it was super funny because on this exchange with Elder Coles we got a call on his phone from the mission office, he picks it up like what the heck, then hands it to me "its for you" I was confused as to why people would be reaching me from the mission office so urgently that they found out where I was and called Elder Coles’ phone, but then when I said hello, I found the friendly voice of Sister Cahill on the other end wondering how I was, and then moving into to a series of FBI questioning to find out why I didn't email on Monday ha-ha! It was absolutely hilarious, especially because I had already realized the mistake and sent you all the letter stating such. That was really funny.

Also this last week we had a lesson set up with Isamar at like 8, but 15 minutes beforehand she texted us saying hey there’s lots of people and noise here. We just went over anyway, and found her, with 4 other 20 yr old ish girls playing on her keyboard and singing a bunch on worship songs from the Christian church that they go to and the only reason this was troubling is because Isamar didn't come to church but was at theirs this last Sunday, afterwards saying I like their church I think its nice too. So without any malice showing we/I played the keyboard with them, and they sang/played a song for us, which was nice, and then I played a couple hymns in between other songs. THEN I realized that I had my backpack on me, which inside of it had a couple sheets of music in it, which I haven’t gotten around to learning, but I pulled one out ( I am a child of God) and asked the girl if she could play it. She said oh ya totally, but then after looking at it and me explaining it was a different rendition of the original, she said well what key is the original in? I said well let me pull out my handy dandy mini hymn book! and played the melody of the first line. ( I knew I shoulda done it when grandma said to learn that whole song, fortunately I knew enough) then out of nowhere Isamar had found it on her I pod and plugged it into the stereo, and Elder Julius and I sang to it in Spanish while it played. Ha-Ha! Game, set, match, they all loved it and we had a winner. So sweet.

And we also had to drive to Everett this week to fill out some paperwork for Elder Julius because they needed to send it to Missouri where he is going this Wednesday. So that was a long drive too. I’ve had enough of this doctor visit nonsense.

That was right before we had planned with an investigator and her husband and his co-workers to play soccer, but then nobody showed up! I was a little bit upset, however, directly following what was to be our soccer game we had the weekly activity of volleyball night, which was super fun and full of Spanish people.

This last Saturday we had planned to go over into woods creek, a part of our area that doesn't get seen a lot because its clear out in the boonies and there’s tons of space between Hispanics. Like a 5 or more minute drive between Hispanics. But we went out there, and it was like no luck, no luck, no luck, no ones home no luck. Then we pulled up the last one on my gps, and it took us down a dirt road and out and around up and down, then we made it to this little farm deal, and found the place we were looking for CLEAR out there in a trailer. Knocked on it, and this lady named Petra answered. she’s catholic, but loves to learn about God from all sources, so we talked about the BOM and invited her to read a chapter, and we talked about living prophets, she liked that. Then we were like WAIT! Today is the general women’s broadcast! So we got her digits and she told us to call in a few minutes when we knew what time. so we called a member, who said they’d be glad to give her a ride, and that it was at 6, so we told her information, and said to give her a call. Unfortunately that night with the women’s broadcast didn't go through because she couldn't get a hold of her, but it was still a sweet lesson! We ended up going straight from there to a families house for dinner and his birthday, who invited us last week when we met them on the street in front of their house. They fed us some great pasole! We left straight from there over to the Reyes home because their other son just got home from his mission in Chile! They were having a party and a lot of food, so they gave us some papusas and more and more food. Then Elder Gressier said we have to tell them we have to go, because I think i’m going to throw up from all this food! So we said our goodbye's and when trying to get our shoes on one of the members runs over to us and hands us these paper plates of a big ole slice of cake each! ha-ha You should have seen his face. I just smiling took them, walked outside, and said get used to it. He gave his cake to Elder Julius to eat.


Love Elder Phillips

9-16-2013
Hola Familia!

Hey so we actually had a couple of changes this last week, and my companion is not actually going home for another couple of weeks for surgery, and today in a couple of hours is when I'll be going over to pick up my new boy, who will be three packing with us for a little bit. All that I’ve found out about him is that he's from Connecticut, went to the Mexico MTC, his Spanish is already pretty good, and he had done something to his shoulder so he's in a sling. Elder Gressier. ha-ha so now I already know what’s going through your heads, wow Elder Phillips got hooked up with not 1 but 2 crippled companions! ha-ha. Nah, its not really like that; because Elder Julius won’t let his knee stop him, he just walks a little slower, and because Elder Gressier is my son! So its like it doesn't even matter! Anyway, there’s the news on that little piece of excitement.
We were also asked to do a musical number in the English ward next week, so were still working on that one. We were able to finally get into contact with a couple less actives and sit down with them. unfortunately none of them came to church, it seems like we don't have a ton of new meat to talk to here in Monroe, so last week was a lot of seeing former investigators, and finding out where they're at, haven't had tons of success in that one yet, but its coming along with my new missionary. Last night we ate ice cream cake with Isamar for Elder Shaver's b-day today, even though he's gone ha-ha. Good excuse for a party and it was sweet because her boyfriend actually joined us, and we were able to teach him a little bit too. Topped off nicely with a sweet testimony from Isamar herself! It was SO AWESOME!
She even attended the baptism of a child of record this last Saturday too, and she brought her 7 year old sister and they both loved it! Those sort of things are so cool. Love em.

Anyway, I got nothing else.

Love y’all to pieces!

Elder Phillips

The Monroe Missionaries having a b-day party for Elder Shaver who isn't there anymore.
They sure do miss him.