Hola from Tacoma!!

Hello,

We landed in Tacoma around 9:30 and our Mission President, his wife and the AP's (assistants to the pres) were waiting to greet us. They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I feel like I already have this wonderful connection with them. He even gives side hugs :D (mission pres. shouldn't do that, but he does...YES). They call it the WA-TAC mission. They are prideful of their great success of baptisms. It's kinda fun! I cried like a little baby when I had to leave my companions from the MTC. We were all just coming to really love each other and get used to everything and then we have to leave each other. My new companions name is Sister Fisher. She is from Falon, Nevada. She will be going home in December. We are pretty much complete opposites, but we both have a love for the work, so we will get through it. Missionary work is so hard. And it's not that it is so much physically hard (besides the 4 hours of sleep I got last night) it's just emotionally draining. Everyone say's after the first week it will get better and I know it will, I just have to keep moving forward taking it day by day. My testimony has grown a ton already. I love the gospel. I can't wait to meet the first person who I will be able to teach and help them come closer to Christ. I know that through obedience, miracles will occur even if your not a missionary!

We are in a area called Puyallup, WA. We are over a Singles Ward Branch (haha) and the sunrise ward. Both Sister Fisher and I are new to the area. Which usually one missionary would have already have been here, and that way she knows a little more of whats going on. So we are working on getting organized, seeing what areas need work, figuring out our daily schedule and hopefully not miss any appointments. We go trackting every day from 5-7 and I have a feeling that's when the "good" stuff will happen. I live in a members home. Her name is Sister Swanson. She actually just got engaged so my guess is that sisters won’t live there very much longer.

Washington is SO beautiful. The weather has been overcast these last two days. Oh and did I mention it's freezing EVERYWHERE I go. People leave there air conditioning at 60 degrees 24/7 ( mom you would love it-me not so much). The people so far have been really nice. We went trackting yesterday, we got denied every door we knocked on, but at least they were nice...right?! Sister Fisher got bitten by a pit pull last week and has a nasty mark on her leg :/ scary! I will send you pics next monday when I have time to print them out.

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Love you-

Sister Phillips

if you want to write Lakyn her HOUSE address is:

18806 103rd Ave. E

Puyallup, WA

98374

this address will obviously change with every area she serves in, but it will be the fastest way to get her mail and goodies :)