July 28, 2010

Yo, Yo what's up? I'm staying in Chelsea again. So happy, but Elder Molina is getting transferred. I am happy for the change even though we have gotten along so so good this past week. I am glad Jesus gave me patience with Elder Molina because without it, I wouldn't have gotten along with him. We are just so different.

Last Monday, was the best p-day ever. We went downtown and ate at the best sandwich place. It is called Alcapones. It is amazing. I love it. Literally the best thing ever. Then we just chilled downtown and relaxed. Just loving life in the best city in the world. We shopped around and then went to another birthday party for me with another family. My birthday continues, I just think everyone wants to see me fat! HaHa!

Tuesday, I discovered something...that if you pray for something and live it and work for it, the Lord will reward you. I am learning Spanish...I am praying for it, and working hard, and living the Spanish culture and that is why I have been learning it. I have also been praying for patience, I have been working for it and trying to live it and the Lord has rewarded me with patience. This was a break through for me.

Thursday, we went on a referral to a guy that we know smokes weed. We start talking to him and he says he understands and has a testimony. Then the spirit whispers "talk about quitting smoking!" I kinda pulled a Nephi and was like "what you want me to chop of his head??" haha! But I talked to him and he wants us to help him quit smoking because he is interested in the church! We are also teaching this lady named Antonia. She threw me a birthday party and then took us to her sister's families house to teach. Pretty amazing, we are now teaching a family of seven!

Friday, I cooked dinner for a family. They usually cook for us but the lady hurt her hand and I thought it was a good idea for service. So, we went over there and had family home evening and I cooked dinner and then we taught after. It was awesome!

This week I ate fried pig skins! Yeah! It was pretty good, too!

I will update you on my new companion next Monday! Peace!

July 19, 2010

WOW! Thanks everyone for sending me everything and making it the best birthday ever. I am just so so so happy. I have not been this happy in a long time and it is all because I came back out on my mission. Thanks for the support and prayers. I can't believe I am fat and twenty! Haha! Fat is not my fault. It is the members here and the week of my birthday I had like 4-5 birthday parties with different members. It is super fun. I love it!

Monday, we went to the mall in Cambridge with all the rich people. I spent all my birthday money. I bought a new Boston hat, a soccer jersey (Messy from Argentina) and a new pair of pants (much needed). I had the shopaholic syndrome! HaHa!

Wednesday, Happy Birthday to Me! Yeah Baby! Go 20! Really...I want to stay a teenager forever...I don't want to grow up...I want to be Peter Pan! Anyway, I wanted to wait until night to have my party at the house and it was just so so great!

Thursday, I made cupcakes (Thanks for the cupcake stuff) for the whole district!

Saturday was a really really good day. I got the ring! Probably my most favorite present I have ever gotten. I just feel the support of all my family on my finger. I was just so happy to get it because my parents played a trick on me. I asked my dad about it and he said..."I'll talk to your mom about it." Leading me to believe that they hadn't even looked into the ring yet!!

Sunday was a good day. Just went to church and later that night found our long lost investigator with a baptism date. I hope I don't move so I can baptize him, but yeah...he still has a testimony. He is just working a ton so he can save up because he is moving back to Guatemala. We need to baptize him before he goes so that Elder Ririe can find him and take him to church!!

Spiritual message of the week: Ezekiel 37:15-17 and II Nephi 3:12. This is the Bible and the Book of Mormon testifying of the other! It is talking about sticks, but it is referring to the scriptures. The church is true! Proven!!

July 12, 2010

WOW! Shout out to my bestest friends in the world that sent me a package: annie, katie and brock! I love you sosososo much. You are the best friends in the whole entire world. I got it today and all the other elders are jealous! hahahah That was awesome, I am going to wait till Wednesday to open it. Thanks also to my parents for their package. I loved it all! I can't wait till my party Wednesday. It is going to be so so so awesome. I love you so much thanks for the gifts.

Last Monday, we played soccer. I just loved it we played it on the beach. It was so totally awesome. I am just loving it all. Loving it here in Boston, I want to move here later in life...it is just amazing here.

Tuesday, I was sick and tied of not sleeping, so I fixed the air conditioners and now we are freezing at night, just the way I like it. I am happy that I have the opportunity to have an air conditioner...really our apartment is amazing and I was pretty much the hero this week for fixing it.

Wednesday we went on exchanges and I went to East Boston. We taught this kid that is 14, he has a baptism date but his mom is hard core Catholic and won't let him. East Boston is totally different and is surrounded by water and is a ton closer to the city. I was on an exchange with Elder Standage, he is one transfer a head of me so we had a fun time. It was hard on the street trying to tell people about the church, we were kind of arguing, it is hard to explain stuff in Spanish when it is hard to explain it in my first language. It was a fun day and a good break from Elder Molina.

Saturday we went and served food and cleaned at the Boys and Girls Club. It was awesome, they needed us bad for sure and we got tons of food. We met a ton of new people it was really effective.

Sunday was the best day of my life. So we get out and go to the church for the confirmation of Maryse. The sister missionaries call us and tell us that Maryse wants us to be there. When we get there the sister missionaries tell us that the Bishop isn't there and they want me to do the confirmation. Of course I say yes, I would love to even though I have only seen like 2 including mine. So what do you do...go to the white handbook, do a little memorizing then go up there and do it. I messed up and had to start over, but I just felt so much peace that this is why I am here to help people come unto Christ. So that was just amazing. I love this work so so so much!

Love,

Elder Phillips

July 6, 2010

Tuesday we did service all day with one of my favorite guys in our ward. He is awesome. It was the one who had the party for the girl that turned 15. We moved and did stuff all day for him. It felt good to get sweaty and work really hard, plus they payed us with food. That happens a lot here. Oh yeah, we threw the other missionaries in the back of the loading truck....no worries, just breaking the law to serve others! Haha! I am sure God understands, we just did our best. It was that or drive with girls, which is worse???

Sunday was the day that made it all worth it on my mission so far. All the fighting through things and everything. I am glad I came back. I don't know if you remember our investigator Maryse, but she was getting taught and we handed her off to other missionaries. We set the date of baptism and didn't get to see her since. Then we get to church Sunday and see her at the baptismal font and I get to watch her get baptized. I know I didn't baptize her, but I was definately a part of this my first baptism.

The church is true, I know it!

Love,

Elder Phillips