Hello my cute family,
I had been looking forward to this day for 9 months, pretty much the first day I left the temple in Provo and knew it would be my last for a long long time. Thursday rolled around and we hopped on a big cheese wagon at 7am and drove to Belleview, WA. When we arrived It looked like a bunch of kids looking at Disney Land or something we were all so excited to be there. We had the opportunity to all be in the same session and was able to hear from the Seattle Temple President and his wife. One of the best parts was that I was able to take family names from my dad's side that needed to receive their endowment. (Thanks to Kaylen for loving family history :)) I had 6 names, so Sister Weaver took one and 4 other sisters helped out. It was one of the most pure and edifying spiritual experiences I have ever had. I went into the temple desiring to know weather or not my family members had accepted these ordinances we performed for them. During the session I felt one of the most special feelings, the spirit truly penetrated my soul and my heart was very full. I have no doubt that if the veil was lifted that day, they were there with me and so excited to make more covenants or promises with there Heavenly Father. After the temple we ate lunch and had a devotional at the chapel behind the temple. Sister Weaver commented of the assurance she had that the family name she was doing had been fully accepted. She was very thankful for that opportunity, as was I! While I was there the Lord reminded me that we are not here to just baptize, but even more importantly we are hear to prepare our brothers and sisters for entering into the temple! Everything we do revolves around the temple-so why shouldn't that be the case with missionary work? As I have changed my mindset and have focused more on the temple, my urgency, drive, and love have increased for the people here in Tacoma. I know now more than ever that there are people who are ready and prepared to receive ALL the Father has and if we are diligent and faithful to the end...we will find them! Sister Lyles is not endowed yet, so she did baptisms for the dead and she loved it too! :) On Friday we met with a guy named Mark. He is one of our members best friends that he grew up with. He approached Bro. Hemming and told him he needed to change his life and he wanted to learn more about the church...again. Mark has had lesson before from the missionaries, but I guess one of the sisters that was teaching him was a little to bold, so he was outa that! But I truly feel that Mark is now prepared. He is willing to give up things in his life that in the past he wasn't. We had a great lesson with them and taught him the restoration and he even approached us first about going to church on sun. :) The Hemmings fed us dinner after and his wife made us stuffed bell peppers...Delicious!!
We also had a great lesson with Kyle. We met Kyle a couple months ago, taught his the first lesson and then all of the sudden dropped of the face of the planet. Sister Hoffman prayed and prayed to find Kyle, but he was nowhere to be found. Two weeks ago Sister Lyles and I were driving and saw him at the bus stop. I quickly pulled over on the road of busy traffic and even more quickly set up a return appt. with him. We met with him the next day and had felt impressed that we needed to read the Book of Mormon with him. Not thinking to much of it, when we met with Kyle on Saturday we asked him how his reading had been going and WOWZERS his book was full of notes and every single line was underlined and he had even been studying with the footnotes. We were so surprised! He said he loved it and it was very enlightening to him. Then he said (this is the best part), "I was underlining all the things that stood out to me with my gold pen and I then realized that, this whole Book is Gold!" Cha-Ching!! I looked at our Bishop because he was our fellowship and his face just lit up. :) It was a great lesson and lots of progression. I am grateful that the Lord led us back to Kyle, I have no doubt that He knew Kyle needed to read the Book of Mormon.
The last couple of days Sister Lyles and I have been singing this miracle song, we found that it really pumps us up ha-ha! We love it and we always end up laughing afterward because we are just funny! But Yesterday at church we truly saw many miracles. At ward council that morning our Bishop talked about members role in missionary work :) He said we were doing to much finding and not enough teaching. Members are to find and we are to teach. He then challenged every one to pray about who they could refer to us within 30 days!! He then challenged the entire ward during fast and testimony meeting to do the same thing and he promised them that if they prayerfully asked the Lord and had a desire to share the gospel the Lord would put someone prepared in there path. Then..the entire meeting was about missionary work. People started coming up and sharing there conversion stories of when the "sisters" found them and taught them the restored gospel. Then right when Bishop Anthony was about to get up and close the meeting, Kyle got up and bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon :D!!!!!!!! It was so amazing, I was just in awe and my heart was full of gratitude for the mercy of the Lord and his love. Sister Lyles and I looked at each other and started singing our miracle song to ourselves ha-ha:) We also had 4 investigators at church that commented on how they really loved that meeting!
"And now I Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute now because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."
Ether 12:6
I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that if we will but read it with a prayer in our hearts that the Lord will answer our prayers and the spirit will bear witness to what you have read is true. The Book of Mormon teaches us truth and bear witness of Christ our Lord and Savior. I have come to feel a power to overcome temptation and an added measure of the spirit with me when I just open the pages. I bear my witness that the truth of any question we have is found in the pages of the Book of Mormon. It will truly bring understanding the soul and even more importantly it will help you come to know your Savior Jesus Christ more personally! (2 Nephi 2:6-8)
I love you all from the rainy WA-TAC,
Sister Phillips
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