How was everyones Thanksgiving???

Mine was great, any holiday on the mission is the Best! We woke up that morning and had breakfast with the Beylers, then we spent most of the day at the Gehrings mom and dads house.(her dad, who's house we were at, is a retired general authority!!) It was really fun, the little kidos put on a little skit for us..so cute! We then went to say hello at the Agors and ended our night at our mission pres. house. ( its nice living close to them:)) We played lots of fun games and sang Christmas songs around their piano. It was a blast!  

We have a family in our ward who is from the Uintah Basin, a.k.a. Roosevelt. They are the Bettes family. We went to there house for dinner the other night and guess what he cooked us????? Deer Meat!!! I haven't eaten anything like that for a good 15 months. ha ha. They are so much fun. Poor sister Nanto just sat there the whole time and had to listen to us talk about how AWESOME Vernal was and all the people we knew, etc ....They are a young family with a little guy, who is so cute. It's really fun to have someone who knows what your talking about. I get a little taste of home when I go there :)  And a shout out to my cute friend Erin Busch...her boyfriend is Brother Bettes Brother, so we talk about her too ;)

This week was a busy week for us!

We finally got over to teach Spencer the plan of salvation. We brought fellowship, brother Gamez, who I aspire to be one day ha ha. jk! Spencer is caught up on the more deep doctrinal side of things. Him and his wife Belaida shredded apart the word of wisdom. They researched and experimented things that I have never even thought of. It was crazy. We stressed to him that he needs to keep it basic. We even through out Moses 5:4-8 which is a great scripture for those who don’t understand the word of wisdom. But the great thing about it is that, we don't need to understand everything...and that is what he is missing. He is a very intelligent man and wants to know it all.

At church on Sunday I was talking to Belinda and she said they almost didn't come. She said last night she was so fed up with him doing all of this and not feeling with his heart that she just wanted to be done with it all. That night Spencer had a dream. He said he had two very dis ting impressions. I don't want to get to much into detail because I believe it is a very personal and sacred thing, but he woke up with peace in his heart that he hasn't felt in a long time. He is now content with learning by "small and simple means" because it is only then that "great things will come to pass! 

In Sunday school we found out that our ward mission leader hadn't showed up to church and he didn't tell anyone, so we had to teach it. We taught the gathering of Israel and I thought it would be great to hear some testimonies from people since the lesson was mostly on missionary work. While people were sharing there testimonies the spirit testified to all of our hearts. I had the impression to ask Belinda to share hers. I fought it for a while because I knew she would kill me. oh. p.s. she is a less active member, who is taking the lesson with her husband-Spencer. After about 3 times, I did it-I asked her. And of course she gave me the look of death, but she did it!!!! She bore a special, but real testimony of her life and how she sought for other Church's her whole life and always came back. She called it "she would always come home" after the closing prayer she couldn't help but weep in her husbands arms. It was a very tender moment. I know that she needed to realize the testimony she already had and it was still in there. When we learn the gospel even at a young age it never leaves us. It never leaves because it is true and we have the gift of the spirit to bring it back to our remembrance.

I know the gospel is true. And even if were 8 or 50 God still loves us and wants us to come back home!

I love you all, 

Hello!

 

I hope you all are having a great day. I love Mondays! This week has been good as well. The rain hasn't stopped for a good three days straight and It's not just misting is pouring rain all the time. Got to love Washington!

 

This week we went to Anderson Island to meet Jason and Angela. I had been a little nervous all day (don't know why) but I was just so excited to teach someone on the Island. There hasn't been anyone taught there for about a year in a half and before that years. This was a really big deal to the little branch members. Jason and Angela were so welcoming. We started teaching them the restoration and Jason just soaked it all in like a sponge. They had a lot of questions and we used a lot of scripture. I was really fun teaching them. But Jason left his church about a year ago because he was told that animals or nature don't have spirits (typical Washingtonians). That preacher should know better if he wants to keep people! But we explained to him that God created everything spiritually before physically. Concern 1, Resolved!

 

At the end of the lesson when we were teaching the first vision, Angela left the room in tears. She said when we came to her house she had a lot of judgments and that Jason actually made her listen. But when we were teaching she was sent back to when she was a little girl when her grandpa taught her about Jesus Christ, and until now she hadn't heard anyone preach the same doctrine that he did. Her Grandpa was an inspired man! :)

 

They were excited to come to church and on Sunday they came! The branch was so excited to see new people it was so cute. These people are so special. Our branch ward mission leader is in his 80's and he goes over there to DPC them almost every other day,haha. He is so excited to have someone to teach. The field is white and already to harvest, even on Anderson Island!

 

This week I have tried to focus my thoughts on everything I was thankful for. I was humbled and was reminded when I ready Alma 34:38 and Amulek teaches us that we need to have thanksgiving within our hearts EVERYDAY! I am in the war chapters this week in Alma and was so drawn to the humility and thankfulness of the Nephites. These people are fighting with all there strength and might to save there wives and children, but after everything they do weather it be successful or not, they give thanks to God. They taught me that we always need to remember who gave us all we have. God! We have no need not to be grateful this time of year and everyday.

 

Thanks be to God for sending his only begotten Son to die for us. Thanks be to God for sending us families to teach us and help us become the son or daughter we ought to be to return to our Father. Thanks be to God for sending us the gospel to preach and to live by!

 

I am thankful for all of you,

I love you very much

Sister Phillips

 

My purpose!

Hello,

How has every one's week been? I hope great! I saw that it snowed in Vernal....yay! I miss the snow. All we get here is rain, rain and more rain. Yesterday you felt like you were walking in a small pool, the puddles were everywhere.

This has been full of change. Getting a new companion always comes with new adventure! Sister Nanto is actually from North Carolina and is a huge Duke fan. She talks about it a lot and relates everything to duke, but she doesn't like to play basketball??hmm! She did agree to play sat. mornings with us, feew! I am so used to exercising every morning and she hates to exercise. I feel so slumpy(if that's a really word), but I am going to have to do something this week because I don't feel as well.

To all you future missionaries I have a very strong testimony that a healthy missionary=successful missionary!

At transfer meeting we found out that Washington State Legalized Marijuana and gay marriage. From Pres. Weaver and I quote, "Washington's government Sucks" ha ha. It was a sad day, but we know that this only means we have to be even more fervent in our standings with virtue and morals! Just because the worlds point of view changes, God's does not! I am so grateful to know that God is unchanging. If he was, we couldn't fully put our trust in him as a father. I know that as we stick up for what we believe in the power of the adversary will decrees and Satan will have less influence on our families and friends!

This week we worked hard and saw a lot of progress with our investigators. Spencer who we have been teaching for about 6 weeks, committed to baptism the other night. I learned a great lesson of being bold. I am not going to lie, I had been a little nervous of the thought of putting him on date. But that night the spirit spoke true and we did it and he accepted. My jaw almost hit the floor. I was shocked. It reaffirmed to me what my purpose was as a missionary. I am here to Find, Teach, and Baptize. This family is the greatest. I will keep you updated on them. Keep them in your prayers.

Tierra's mom is still not budging. We went to her house this week to talk to her and she was very distant and didn't want to talk. I know just like 1 Ne. 3:7 that the Lord will always prepare away!!! I have faith that he will do the same for Tierra. My heart is so full of hope for her and I will try my hardest to do everything I can to help her mom change her heart!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. Don't' forget to think about all your thankful for and share it with others!

Love you,

Sister Phillips

Family,

I can't believe that it is November already? That means this month is going to fly by too and then Christmas lights will go up!!! It still feels like October because the leaves are still so bright and colorful here :) This week has been full of Miracles and tender mercies.

First of all...Sister Grenfell is being transferred to Tacoma. We were really sad. We asked to stay together, but I guess the Lord has different plans for us. Thats okay because she will be right next door to me, just in a different zone. Sister Nanto is coming to the blessed land of Steilacoom. She has been serving for about 10 months. She came out with Sister Brown and they were comps. I don't really know her all that well because she has served in the same area her whole mission. I am excited to show her how awesome the central conference is. I do know she is from Virginia and likes to rap :/ haha.

Sister Douros and Sister Brown are companions :) My little babies get to serve together...I thought that was so cool! I think they will really like each other. They will probably kill Gig Harbor with kindness and convert the whole city!

 Oh I also got to talk to Lisa!!! My convert in Tacoma. She got really sick last week and had to be rushed to the hospital. I was so worried for her. Right before she got sick she went on a trip to Carthridge Jail and Nauvoo. I sat on the phone last night listening to a 2 mo. member of the church bearing solid, powerful testimony to me that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. I felt like Ammon in Alma 26 when he tries to express his happiness and joy he felt from seeing his brothers and sisters receive the gospel. I had so much joy within my heart it could have burst!

Yao Shen Su was baptized last Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I ever tell you how cool this kid is? He is awesome! The baptism was personalized just for su. People from our ward came wearing ties from China. We were all laughing. Then on Sunday our ward mission leader gave him a tie from china that said, "families are eternal". Su thought it was cool. Brother Checkitts from Anderson Island also came to bear his testimony in mandarin and the spirit was so strong. He is even talking about being transferred to BYU. I am all for that idea since sister grenfell and I will both be close by to keep watch on him.

I know deep down in my heart that Su is going to be a powerful tool in the Lord's work. He will be a strong influence for good for his family back in China and his friends here. There is also a Chinese branch in his hometown in china. So, if he ever goes back there will be saints to welcome him home :) "The gospel is spreading to every nation, kindred, and tongue!"

Sunday morning we went to Anderson Island for church. Of course the meeting was very missionary focused since we were there and they LOVE visitors. You feel so loved there. But I had a prayer in my heart the entire time we were there that we (members or missionaries) could find someone to teach there. Then-while we were waiting for the ferry to go back, we met a man named, Jason. He didn't know we had a branch on the island and was really interested in bringing his family to church next Sunday :D My heart was filled with so much gratitude.

Oh and almost everyone on the ferry knows who we are!!! They are the funnest people. We joke around with them a lot. We are trying to get them to come to church ;)

When we got back to the Steilacoom ward, it was fast and testimony meeting. It was the FASTEST meeting I have ever been in. The spirit sunk deep into my heart and stayed for a long time. Uncle Sam (Samoan) got up and bore his testimony. With his job he drives around the whole state of Washington. He said every time he would drive by a chapel he would feel his self get really excited and have a big smile on his face. He pondered that for a while, "why would I get so excited?"

He bore powerful testimony that it was because church is a place of healing. People come here and many leaved healed, they leave happier, they leave with a greater assurance that they are a child of God

.

Isn't that what the Savior does? The Savior healed thousands while he walked this earth. We can feel those same healing powers as we walk into our dedicated church buildings every Sunday prepared to take the sacrament and be "healed". I know that this healing power is the power of the Atonement. It can change us, it can help us become who we need to be to live with our Father in Heaven once more! I know this to be true, because I have seen those same healing powers change my own heart.

I know I will be starting a new journey this week, but I know with the Lord's help the work will continue! (D&C 35:13)

Never stop being a missionary, the Lord will send prepared people to his prepared servants. Keep on Strong!

I love you all,

Sister Phillips