Hello everyone,

 

This last week in the beautiful land of Steilacoom/Lakewood we...

 

Never saw the temp. go below 44 degrees Yea!

Saw the sun EVERYDAY

God seems it funny to continually teach me patience

Found some amazing people and not so amazing people

Got hit/stocked by some black guys

Committed someone to baptism in the font :)

Got to hear Austin sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for the last time.

Witnessed another drug deal

Almost died as people turned around in front of MOVING traffic on a freeway

Went into food comatose as we ate, ate, and ate some more

Witnesses an apocalypse during a 5-7 on a Friday night

 

This week was great and that's not even half of what really went on.

It's amazing to me how things can change so quickly. We went from having a teaching pool to having no teaching pool in the span of a week. Sister Hall and I have been working so hard everyday trying to find the "elect" that God is preparing. We find many people everyday, but as we continue to work I know and feel deep within me that we are working for a much greater cause.

 

Sister Hall has been doing great. She is someone who had prepared before she came on her mission and it has made the world of difference. We have been able to be more direct in our work and the unity came instantly. I consider this one of the greatest blessings on my mission that I was able to serve with her my last couple weeks as a full-time missionary. My mission means the world to me and as I prayed about worthy goals I knew it would take a companion who would want to see the same things happen. She has been more than supportive and like me, loves work! We may be a little crazy together, but it works. I mean what greenie will go tracting a whole extra hour on a p-day with you and LOVE it? She does! Yes I will put sister Hall in a frame when I get home, ha ha. jk.

 

This week I still have been on brain rest, which means no reading. So, sister hall reads the book of Mormon to me in the mornings and then we discuss what we read. It has been a lot of fun. Now I know why scriptures unite families so much. We discussed the power of Hope and came to the conclusion that Anxiety is the antithesis of hope. Isn't that brilliant?! HOPE is: Sure, unwavering, and active. When we have Hope we TRUST in the promises that God has made with us. You INCREASE in hope as you pray and seek for God's forgiveness. (Alma 22:16) 

 

I thought that very interesting that for us to have hope we have to be continually repenting. How does that work? As I pondered more about this, it made perfect sense. When we repent and receive forgiveness from God it truly feels like He is letting light shine into our mind a little at a time, which in return gives us more Hope! Hope in the Savior's Atonement that it is working through YOU. Hope is evidence that Christ lives, that he is healing our wounded hearts and helping us become more and more like Him.

 

We all Hope in something, that is our human nature. But what are we hoping for? I want to testify that if we focus our Hope in Christ our Savior that like Nephi  we to can: “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Ne 31:20) 

 

"The things we hope for are often future events. If only we could look beyond the horizon of mortality into what awaits us beyond this life. Is it possible to imagine a more glorious future than the one prepared for us by our Heavenly Father? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we need not fear, for we will live forever, never to taste of death again.Because of His infinite Atonement, we can be cleansed of sin and stand pure and holy before the judgment bar.The Savior is the Author of our Salvation." President Uchtodorf

 

This week I pray that we can all pray to receive more hope in our Savior and in our selves. I want to express my LOVE for you all as this is the fitting week. I am grateful for all the love you have shown to me and hope that I in return can pay it forward, but most of all remember your Savior's LOVE for you!

 

I love you,

Sister Phillips