July 26, 2011

Another Birthday Party!

Wedding of my good friends!

Street contacting...

This was probably one of the best weeks on my mission! I was asked to participate in a wedding. It was the greatest experience and the spirt was so strong. I could just tell that there was so much love and there were so many miracles around the wedding. My friend was even able to adopt the young girl which was a huge miracle, too. Brady Ririe was the one that baptized the bride and then I introduced them to each other. I believe that is the reason I went to Chelsea...to be a part of something that will be together forever... it is very rewarding! I love them a ton!

Another thing that happened was really sad. I went to visit the man that I gave a blessing to a while back. I knew that he was not going to make it, like I felt it in my heart and he died today. It was really sad. We sat with him for 30 minutes and talked to him. He brightened right up when he saw us. Then he died. It was just so sad.

Oh man, I am still having birthday parties! Yes this is true...presents and cakes are still going on! They make me feel so loved. A family gave me a surprise party last night. We have another party tonight and probably a couple more this week! I am so spoiled. It is wonderful!

We were given a referral by a member. She is amazing. She is a surgeon but lives super humble. She has read all of the Book of Mormon in just a few months. She didn't want to meet the little missionaries because we are just 19 years old, but she saw us teaching in Sunday School class and answering questions. She was so impressed that she can't wait to meet with us personally and get involved. She loves the doctrine and the questions that we answer with the Book of Mormon. Talk about great member missionary work. That is how it should be. She will be baptized soon. I love the family that has worked with her. She is so prepared.

I was listening to a talk this past week and the speaker compared the end of a triathlon to coming into heaven to live with Heavenly Father. He said that in a triathlon it looks like everyone won because they are so excited to finish. Who cares how you got there, you did it! I loved the talk!

Love,

Elder Phillips

July 19, 2011

I made cupcakes for the zone!

My new Red Sox jacket and other presents!

Lunch at the Deli with Rob and family.

Birthday dinner with one of my favorite families.

Well, I just had the most fantastic week ever. It was just great and I loved getting spoiled on my birthday. Everyone makes fun of me...they think it is ridiculous how many cards and presents I got from my family and friends. The ward here was even worse! I had lost 10-15 pounds and lets be honest we all new it was coming...I pretty much gained it all back. That is OK...I was preparing for the birthday and it was fun and worth it! Who really cares on your birthday?

Monday: We had a fun day with a family and went and picked blueberries.

Tuesday: We went to one of my favorite families from Thailand and had a birthday dinner and some truly celestial cookies. They gave me wasabi peas for my present.

Wednesday: We went to Rob's deli and my friends there bought me a cake. I love them soo much...they made me really happy. We went to another family for dinner and they didn't know it was my birthday. With short notice they found candles and gave me some new socks for a present.

Thursday: I was treated like a king all day. I spread out my presents and I opened half in the morning and half in the evening so I could enjoy my birthday all day long! You all know how I am, I love being spoiled! All day long, people gave me presents and cookies and people kept telling how much they cared about me.

Friday: I went to have dinner with Lori Hernandez and her family. I made some homemade peach salsa and we had chicken and had decorations They made me my very own ice cream cake. It was so good! Then I made cupcakes for the whole zone! Everyone was so surprised that I did that...but I just wanted everyone to enjoy it!

Saturday: We celebrated with the Bishop and his family. I am really close to them and we had fun together for a bit. I really did celebrate my birthday for a whole week...just like I said I would!

A cool thing that happend was the Legendary Entz returned from their mission in Germany. They pretty much baptized every member in the Worcester area. They are just great people and really happy! They will be working with us. We already had one activity with them last week. I am sad that a lot of my friends here are leaving to go back to college again. Some of them are leaving to go on missions. It is good for them, but hard to say goodbye to my new friends.

Let's just say, my new companion likes to talk about himself a lot! I mean a lot, a lot! But, he does have some skills that I can learn form so I am doing my best to be a happy companion.

That was my great birthday week!

Love,

Elder Phillips

P.S. I love you guys so much! Thanks for making my birthday something to remember. I love you more than anything! I got a cool Red Sox jacket and didn't want to take it off even though I was sweating away. I love the tie from Ashley, the treats from Katie and Annie and the candy and supplies from Scott and Anya. Gosh, I have the best family and friends ever!!

July 12, 2011

Picking blueberries for Family Home Evening.

Giving a blessing to an elderly man.

The view from a members house!

I am doing sooooo great! I felt like this week went by really fast and the work is going well. We have found a few new people to teach so things are looking up! We still teach a fair amount of people so that is really great! My companion has a talent for contacting people, so I am trying to learn from him and apply it to how I contact people. He is a good guy, but he does have a strange side... For example, a group of us were out playing ball. He says that he loves basketball, but I found him inside playing monopoly! He said he didn't want to get all sweaty! Weird...any way, I had a lot of fun! After basketball, we had dinner with a family that is new to our ward. Then we went and picked fresh blueberries. It was a fun Family Home Evening activity! They are a part member family. I hope that the non-member had his heart softened a bit by seeing us have fun with his family. That is sometimes how missionary work works...

We have put a new focus on our recent converts. We are trying to look after them more. We are finding new people to teach. The Lord is blessing us and that is great. Hopefully, we will have a few baptisms by the time I leave here. I am feeling that it is coming and I will be transferred soon. I am ready for a change.

As my birthday gets closer, I thought I'd tell you what I like to do on my birthday. I work in the day and then spend dinner with the members that I love...for like 2 weeks! I don't want to celebrate for just one day...I am smarter than that....I drag on the celebrations as long as I can!

Last week, we gave an older man a blessing that is not a member and we taught him about blessings and how they could help him. He is a special man that is really sick. We helped him shovel his sidewalks during the winter.

Elder Pacheco and I teach a lot the same way. We use similar scriptures and stories in our teachings. It is really weird. It throws me of sometimes...it really does. But, he is great!

I hope everyone is loving their summer like me.

Peace and Blessings!

Elder Phillips

July 5, 2011

4th of July celebration in Boston!

My new companion, Elder Pacheco!

I just want to tell you thank you so much for the support and prayers that I have received. I have felt them and I think that Elder Carrillo did as he went through a difficult situation. It was really hard for me to let him go but he was so excited. Elder Carrillo and I got so close this transfer. He is sure a great guy and I will miss him.

The last transfer was difficult because we had a lot of problems that we had to work out: Elder Carrillo's problems, car problems, bike problems, etc. We were not focused on the normal work of a missionary, so we got behind on some things...we don't have many people to teach.

The Massachusetts Boston mission combined with the New Hampshire mission last week. My new companion is from the other mission and his name is Elder Pacheco. He is a great elder and has the best intentions in the world. He is well organized and clean, like I am. He loves basketball. He is a native spanish speaker but born in the United States. His family is from El Salvador and I just love the way he talks because I learned my Spanish from the Central Americans. We talk Spanish all the time, so that is really good. He is a little frustrated with all the different rules and how we do things in this mission. I am doing my best to help him and get organized. He wants to make some changes, which is great. I am trying to understand how it would be to come to a new area. I am sure I would be frustrated too. We will have success together just like I have had with other elders.

We got to go into Boston all day yesterday. Oh, my goodness the 4th of July here is just spectacular. They really know how to celebrate here! The fireworks were with music and they had a free concert. I was really fun! I really enjoyed it. We sat on the side of the Charles River on Cambridge with a bunch of members and with a ton of missionaries. It was awesome and so fun. We just talked until they started the fireworks. We are just all really tired. We got home a 2 a.m. because it took so long to get home. It was totally worth it! It was one of the best and coolest experiences that I have had on my mission and we did it with permission! It was great!

I can't believe I will be turning 21 years old. I am glad I have changed and learned to be patient. It has been my goal to get along with everyone and bite the bullet and take it. I just pray for help and the Lord has rewarded me. I didn't realize how much I had changed until I got my new companion!

Peace and Blessings.

Elder Phillips