October 24, 2011

Helping the Phillips' family move! For real!!

Oh my gosh it was such a great week! We got to do a couple of exchanges with other missionaries which was really fun. As a District Leader, when I go with other elders, I really try to see problems that I can do my best to help them with. I love being a District Leader...it is a lot more work but the things that come with it is a whole lot better. I feel like I am making a difference. Our District is so tight. We just love each other and want to help one another. We have a lot of fun and try to have spiritual experiences as well.

The leaves are changing here and it is just breathtaking! Last year, I didn't get to really experience it because I was in the city of Boston. It is totally different in New London and it is just fantastic. I just love the work and have come to really love my companion. He is getting way "trunky" because he goes home in next week! He is really nice and gives me many public compliments. He is great!

I have such a strong testimony that I should be here and that there are people that I can touch and help here that were prepared for me. One such family has been receiving the lessons for years and has finally set a date for baptism. I am really excited! He is an amazing guy but he needs to make a few changes, so we will see what happens.

On one of our exchanges, we went and had a typical dish from the Dominican Republic. It was a good sea food dish that is fantastic with all the seafood you can imagine. It is a delicacy and it was so good...but the English speaking missionary I was with ...well lets just say it didn't sit too well with him! Ha Ha! It reminded me of when I first got here and I was trying to get used to all the different food! It was really hard on my body! It brought back some good memories!

We are preparing for the baptism of 2 people this week and we will also be having some parties to say goodbye to Elder Barnhurst. Next week is transfers again so we will see what happens. I don't think I will move because there is so many things going on around here.

I hope you have a great week. I love you all!

Elder Aaron James Phillips

Thank You Letter

I received a the nicest letter from a family in Worchester, MA last week. I thought it might be fun to share it on the blog...

Dear Phillips Family,

Thank you so much for raising such a wonderful son--we really enjoyed having him in our home on several occasions. He has been such an influence for good for my children--especially for my oldest boy, who is preparing to leave in the next year for his mission.

We feel as though your son really enjoyed and loved this area (not an easy one) and that makes all the difference.

Thank you for such a great kid!

Many Regards...

October 17, 2011

Ward Mission Leader!

Party at the church!

Oh, man...I loved hearing about all my buddies all over the world. I have noticed that other missions seem to be baptizing more than our mission, but I love my mission and am so grateful to be a part of it and doing the Lords work. There are a lot of hard hearts in New England but we are just working and going forward.

This was a solid week and we had some great activities planned. Thursday was a great day. We had to go out to Providence again. It is sure a great city. It is a lot like Boston but a lot smaller. The hispanic culture is just bursting there just like Boston and it is amazing to see it.

This week was a little slower and I had time to start feeling better and to let my back heal. We had a lot of rain which slowed us down but we were diligent. Friday, we did a lot of walking which is a little strange for us because we usually find people to teach. We did find a few new investigators that show a lot of promise. Saturday, we had a great activity that was so much fun. It was a great success. There were more nonmembers at church than there were members. There were people from lots of different cultures, but most were Dominicans. This is a culture that I have fallen in love with. They are great people. The ward mission leader did a dance that is typical in Peru. He was a champion dancer in Peru, but he said he was really out of shape. If he only knew me before the mission, he would really know what out of shape is!

We are preparing our investigators for baptism the problem is that the District Leader has to interview them, but he can't be the one that is teaching them. The District Leader that is going to do the interview does not speak Spanish, so they will need a translator! WOW, lots of work, but worth the effort because it is a baptism.

Elder Barnhurst and I have gotten to be the best of friends. I love him so much and we have gotten really close. It is just fantastic. It makes the work so much better when we are on the same page and doing the Lord's work.

Thanks for the package, I love it to death and cherish it! Thanks! I am so excited that I have been accepted into BYU when I return home! Thanks so much! I love you with all my heart everyone!

Have a magical day!

Elder Aaron James Phillips

October 12, 2011

Dinner with the Phillips' family...for real!

Fish fry!

This week has been interesting to say the least. I got a letter from a former elder that I lived with that told me that he read my journal...........Wow! I was really upset. I felt completely violated because I vent and put a lot of personal things in my journal. I thought we were all more mature than that, but I guess not! Then he proceeded to give my a lot of advice. Well, that was my latest drama. So, whatever! It is what it is and you just roll with it.

We had a lot of changes recently. We got a new elder in our apartment. He is a great guy. He is from California and he is a swimmer and water polo player...so we have lots in common. His companion had to go home for some surgery but plans to come back.

I have been sick the past couple of days. It is really lame and just kills what we are trying to do. I don't like it. I had to skip my studies and sleep in. The other elders know when I do that that I am really really sick. I have the reputation of being the workaholic hardcore missionary. I like that reputation and plan to do it to the end.

We have been doing a lot of service outdoors this week. Everyone seems to be getting ready for winter. We are still clearing trees and cleaning up from the hurricane. The problem is that I am not as strong as I was when I was playing football and I hurt my back trying to lift a log. It is pretty sore. I know that I need to be more careful, but when you are doing the Lord's work you don't have time to be sick or injured.

I love the mission more and more every day. It is really a great quest to find my soul and help others find their soul as well. Our investigators are getting ready to be baptized. I am really excited. We only have a few weeks left and lots of things to do for them. I just love it. Now we need to go find some more investigators.

Peace and Blessings! Have a magical day!

Love,

Elder Phillips

October 3, 2011

I finally found the beach in New London!

New England Patriots stadium!

Oh, it was an early Christmas present again for me...my last General Conference on the mission! In preparation for conference we had a really nice district meeting and we all prepared a little thought on one of our favorite talks. It was really nice. Everyone gave really good insight about what they thought and felt and what they think it is telling them personally and as a church as a whole. It really got me thinking about how I should listen to General Conference. I really enjoyed listening to conference. It felt like they were talking to me and that God loves me and answers my prayers. We have been promised that if we go into General Conference with a question, that it will be answered during one of the talks. This was true for me. I had questions that I wanted answered and I received some really good insight for my new assignment as the District Leader that brought me so much joy and love.

I heard a good description of the spirit at one of my meetings this week. There was an Asian investigator in Boston and in her broken English she said that the spirit feels like someone was loving her and that she was feeling a hug of the spirit! That is exactly how I feel at times when I am feeling the spirit, it is just great!

This week I had my first leadership meeting. It was very inspirational. We live so far from everyone that we had to sleep over in Providence. I got to go on exchanges with an elder in my district for the meeting. It was fantastic. We had a good ole time and got along really well. I would really like to work there because it is just full to the brim with Spanish people. It is a lot like Boston, just smaller. Anyway, after the meeting we got to go to Foxboro to see the New England Patriots football stadium! It was sweet! I took lots of pics of Gillette Stadium. It is honestly in the middle of no where...about 45 minutes south of anything close to Boston! It is close to the border of Rhode Island. I guess that is why they call it the New England Patriots instead of the Boston Patriots.

We are getting really close to a few baptisms which is really exciting. We are working away and getting prepared for that. I am very excited. Anyways, we are finding new people to teach and help come to Christ. I am doing my best to love and help my companion. He said something that made me feel really good the other day, he said "Thanks for helping me work hard for the last part of my mission!" That was really cool to hear that from him.

Have a magical day!

Love,

Elder Phillips