NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

aaron.phillips@myldsmail.net

Week 2: Chelsea, MA

WOW! Time is going by fast! It sure is fun to be here. I really feel the spirit is starting to work through me more and more every day. It is so so so so great! Me and Elder Molina are really starting to get a feel for each other. So last Monday was so awesome! First P-day...we played soccer like all day...awesome! Then we had the best pizza I have ever had in my life...so so good!

But, Wednesday was like the longest day of my young life. We worked so so hard. We contacted and tracted like all day then we did service at this little clothing shop that sales Columbian clothes for a few hours. We worked dang hard and taught a bunch of lessons. Very, Very good and long day.

Thursday was crazy and probably one of the most difficult and rewarding things I have ever done. It was an awesome day. We had a bunch of lessons all lined up and they all ended up dropping, that is the problem that seems to be most prevalent here is everyone is willing to talk to us and everything but then they get busy and are never home. It is super frustrating, but at least people are willing to talk to us. That is good. Then we had a barbeque at my padres house, haha! (This family has pretty much adopted the missionaries.) The food was so dang good! Gosh they cook dang good food in Mexico, and I seem to have a new love for spicy sauce and spice food! After dinner, this is what was hard and awesome, we went to a ladies house and gave her a blessing. I didn't give the blessing, but the spirit was so profound and special. It was like God was there and mourning with us. This lady has had cancer for a long time and was going to die soon. We read to her what the purpose of life was and where we are going after this life from the scriptures, then gave her a blessing. All she could do was moan, it was so sad that I was tearing up the whole time. Super hard and sacred for me. She was on morphine she was in so much pain. She died the next day.

I love this work so much. I get spiritual confirmation every day that this is where I should be. I am having fun and working hard and prayers are being answered. I love you guys!

Love,
Elder Phillips

My first week in Boston!

Let's see, WOW, what a week a lot of new things have happened! The plane landed, I said goodbye, and then met the Mission President. He is super nice and a good guy! Then he took me straight out to my house in Chelsea and I met my companion, Elder Molina, who is from Uraguay. We only speak Spanish together plus we only speak Spanish to all the people we see because everyone is Latin. We have gotten to know the members because me and Elder Molina are both new, we are "shotgunning." We have made a few contacts and taught a few lessons. We live with two other elders, Elder Standage and Elder Carrillo. They are really cool and we have lots of fun together joking around and stuff.

Funny story: Elder Molina is not very good at English so he copies me and says how are you. It sounds like "howareyou" like Jackine Chan in Shanghai noon. So, so funny!

Let's see...we got a baptism date but we have to give it to the English speaking missionaries because we are only allowed to speak Spanish. This guy has faith like I can't believe. We have been praying that he will find money and work. After our second lesson, we left and he checks his mailbox to see if money came. He checks and he got a check for 100 bucks! Talk about faith and answer to prayers...so so so cool.

We were teaching an investigator at a member's house and the longer we were there the more food they brought out. First a tortilla and cheese and horchata, then dinner, then desert, then cooked bananas, then grilled corn, then cupcakes. They just kept bringing out food! The members are taking good care of us, they give us dinner every night.

I don't have an email address yet, hopefully, by next week. I can receive letters everyday! Please write!

I love you guys!

Elder Phillips

Saying Goodbye........again!

We took Aaron to the airport today to catch his flight to Boston Massachusetts! Aaron needed a companion to go with him, so his dad got the wonderful experience of flying to Boston with him. They had a great time talking and laughing the whole way to Boston. After arriving in Boston, Aaron's new mission president, President Evans, was there to greet him. He gave Aaron a big hug and welcomed him to Boston and told him that they were so happy to have him serve as a missionary in Boston. Aaron and his dad said a quick goodbye and he was whisked away!