August 31st, 2015

Crazy sounding week! 

1st off that door! I can´t imagine that dad is super thrilled about it. But I think it looks fun :) Is it permanent? are you going to get a new door or will it be waiting for me in 2 years?

And the tabernacle! That´s pretty legit! And you got to learn a lot about Christ, the Atonement, and the Priesthood too! pretty awesome. 

It´s unfortunate the horseriding lessons are coming to a close, but sports are good! Ellie is in Volleyball, Anna is in Soccer, and Megan in rugby? right? Down here in Mexico, every Wednesday the youth gather at the church to play soccer. Sometimes volleyball or basketball, but mostly soccer. As missionaries, our mission president wants to be safe and not play any sports. It´s rough, and I have to admit that I may have broken that rule once. Just once. And as for the photos, I´ll work on sending you some next week. But for now, just remember that I still have all my hair and I look great. 

Our Zone Leader is Elder Brazzel(American) and Elder Borgel(Mexican). Elder Brazzel is going home in 4 weeks. He´s from Nevada I think. Our District leader is now Elder Ramirez(Mexican) and he is my new companion! We had some special transfers and Elder Aguilar went to Casas Grandes (Another city in our area), Elder Lastra came from there to be Elder Sanchez´s companion, and Elder Ramirez(who was with Sanchez) is now my companion. 

Our Ward mission leader went inactive so last week we got a new one! Hermano Gonzales Zapata. He´s pretty cool and excited for the work. I think I told you a bit about him already, right? last week? 

Anyways.

And so that´s how megan poisoned herself! That girl has the absolute worst luck! But I´m glad she got a blessing and that it´s all better now. 

And we have our Zone Meeting on the 7th and a District meeting later today. 

The District leaders and there companions had a meeting with President Derbez this week. it was 4 hours long, in spanish, and I understood practically all of it! My spanish is officially functional! I am able to understand almost every work in most conversations and answer questions without having to stop and think about it! Awesome! Not quite fluent, but somewhat close. My new companion doesnt speak any english either, but fortunately, my spanish skills have become sufficiently epic. So yeah, that´s what´s been going on with me.

I Love You!

Elder Phillips

I will start taking more pictures soon! This area is really boring, but I´ll see what I can do for ya :)

I thought I would throw in a picture of the door since he mentions it. Quite a beauty, right!

And this is the tabernacle that our Stake Young Men put together

And here is a section from a letter to Dave, most of it was similar to mine.

Something funny happened this week: we basically got our fortunes told. 

We were walking home from church when we ran into an old man (not too old, 60yrs?) and started talking about religions. He believed that we worship Joseph Smith and we think he´s Jesus. We explained to him our beliefs and began talking with him a bit, casually, about religions and stuff. He told us that he believes we all have a guardian angel and that our angels were talking to each other. To prove his point, he told us what his "angel" was saying about us. That my companion likes cooking and will someday be a great chef, but he wont be a great missionary because his desires are elsewhere, in the things of the world. And that I would be a great missionary, a Saint, a Bishop and eventually an Apostle. Interesting thoughts and all, but I think I´ll stick to my Patriarchal blessing. He also said that my companion would marry a girl named Jacqueline Smith. Yup. Definitely legit.

So that was our funny experience this week. Not a whole lot else happened though.

I Love you Dad, Keep up the good work!

Elder Phillips

August 24, 15

How does megan manage to run over her foot with a parked car! that´s pretty hilarious :) i mean, uh, that´s terrible! yeah. I hope she recovers soon. She has had a rough year. But I don´t remember her poisoning herself, What happened there? (she parked the car at the school, got out, saw a rock in front of the tire, pulled it out, the truck rolled forward RIGHT ON HER FOOT!  She had to push the truck off her foot to get it out!  They think she has a stress fracture and she has to stay off it for 6-8 weeks. Crazy kid! What a year she has had.  Broken wrist, concussion from red rover, stabbed a pocket knife through her cheek, poisoned herself, and ran over herself with a parked car!)

And Ellie didn´t make the A team, thats a real bummer. But she´ll be able to help the B team be the best! back in middle school our basketball B team played against the A team and beat them pretty soundly. I think if they work hard, they can do the same!

And Mark Goodale got injured too! How long was he even out for? that really sucks. Just remind him that the best thing for him to do is recover quickly and then head back out. how did he injure himself anyways?

So a little bit more about the wonderful world of Juarez,

This city is crazy huge! Like really really big. I dont really know how else to discribe it. There are different Colonias (Colonies) all throughout and around the city, but I havent really gotten a chance to see many of them yet. Some of them sound really interesting. Colonia Juarez is a Mormon Colony. Loads of Mormons! Another one has a bunch of Polygamists. And there´s even one nearby a beautiful deserty sand dune area! I believe the one we´re currently closest to is called Praderas de los Oasis. 

This week my companion and I both got sick. I think it was strep throat, but I really dont know. Sore throat, fever, a bit of a cold, a funky white thing on my tonsil. Yup. But we´re better now! My companion is also now the District leader. This means I have 30 minutes extra to write you guys! Yay!

So we´ve been teaching this guy, his name is Alex. His wife is a member, but not super active. He knows the bible super well and always has a lot of honest questions. Like why dont we use wine in the sacrament? Aren´t all sins equal? and stuff like that. Some really good questions that I´ve never really thought about. Christ said to use wine, so why use water? Answer: D&C 27. Honestly, we could use wine. But it isnt important. Its the symbolism that matters. And the other question, are all sins equal? Answer: Alma 39. The problem here is that he hasnt yet read much of the book of mormon and hasnt prayed about Joseph Smith. Because the doctrine is clear, but the bible isnt. That´s why it´s so important to pray and recieve answers about these things.

Anyways, that was just some intersting stuff I came across this week.

Have fun! Party hard! Remember that God knows you personally and loves each of us more than we know! 

Elder Phillips

Dear Everybody,

I´m sorry, but this is going to be pretty short today.

Being a missionary, you teach a lot. You teach a lot of people a lot of different lessons using a lot of different scriptures. However, as a missionary, you learn a lot too. You learn about the scriptures. You learn to love them. You learn that you can recieve answers to prayers.

This week was a learning experience. Nothing huge, nothing profound. I think it rarely is. But by teaching others about these basic principles of the gospel, we come to truly understand them for ourselves. And when we truly understand them, we can better teach and live them. "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God." (Mosiah 2:41)This week I was able to observe that this is a true principle. Commandments are here to help us, to guide us, and to give us happiness. Not a brief happiness, but a lasting joy that comes only through living righteously.

So Live Righteously. 

Elder Phillips

Jacob 5:12

August 17, 2015

We didn't get a real letter from John this week, don't know what happened…. He managed to get a quick one to Dave though!

      There is 1 huge downside to being here in Mexico: Nobody knows what Mtn Dew is. I have decided that I must begin a quest to find it. There are many little shops (called Tiendas) all around where they sell coke products, chips, peanuts, and more or less everything else that is unhealthy for you. but none of them have Mtn Dew. But I won't give up! Kindof like that guy from Zombieland, This is my objective! There is a slightly chilled can of mtn dew out there in Mexico somewhere, and it aint gonna last forever!

I really hope the Buckners progress. How long have they been talking to the missionaries? And what got them interested? what is really holding them back? 

And Wish Ellie luck for me! I hope she makes A team and becomes one of the best!

So you and I are both slimming up quite nicely from the sound of it, I think we should have a competition! I don't know what it should be, but we definitely need to have a competition! 

I love you dad!

Elder Phillips

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Dave Phillips <boisedwp@gmail.com> wrote:

As you can si, my espanol has begun to blossom. I am pretty mucho bi-lingual.

We went up to the lodge this past weekend with the mcombers, johnsons, dahlia, Saints, and buckners. We also had Kate and Tadman Nettles with us. We had a great time. It was a bit crazy with that many people but everyone got along well. There was a bunch of ATV riding, and fishing, and boating, and playing on the beach. There was also way more food than wa needed, so I did my best to gain 30 pounds in two days. I did not quite make it, but I cam close!  Everyone had a really good time.

So we met with the missionaries and the buckners again last Monday and will again tomorrow. It is going pretty good but sometimes I wonder if they (especially the mom) is really serious about it. They love the results of what living the gospel results in: joy, happiness, family, friends, string values, etc but I think that they may have a hard time making the decision and not being prideful and able to admit the gospel is true and not be influenced by others who don't agree. It is great being part of it -- this is the first time since my mission that I haven't been involved in missionary discussions.

Ellie is doing volleyball tryouts. She should know in the next few days if she made A team or B team or something else. She is feeling pretty good about how it is going. I think she will either be on A team or she will be one of the best on B team. She is really enjoying it and wants to do well.

It is good to hear the language is coming along for you. That is something I never had to deal with so I can't give much advice, other than:  Do Good, Be Good. It is also cool to see that you and your companions are having success in bringing people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is Awesome!!

Mom and I just finished another FitMania challenge. It was good. I am less fat now than I was before and my Achilles is healing nicely. I am able to do most things now. They say it will take a full year to get close to normal. It has been 8 months and i already feel close to normal. That is one thing that FitMania is good for - it keeps me pushing to do more and do better and strengthen it each day. Just like spiritual health- it is a process that requires constant effort to get better little by little each day.

I love you. You are awesome. Keep up the good work. You are a great example to your siblings and to you cousins.

David Phillips

August 10, 15

Hey Everyone!
This week we had a mini tornado! It was super mini, but it was big enough to tear a bit of the roof off our neighbors house! It was strange because it usually doesn't get very windy here. The weather is usually just kind of bland. But it was fun, I tried to take pictures, but i didn't have my camera with me. And as all you photography professionals out there know, It's pretty hard to take a picture without a camera.

As far as languages go, I think Spanish is as easy as it gets. It isn't easy, and having the gift of tongues sure does help, but it is much harder for the Mexicans to learn English. We use vowel sounds in our language that they dont understand or know how to make. It's tough, but all the missionaries down here learn a new language. I'm also thinking about starting to learn Maya soon. Not super soon though. But I don't know anything about their language, pronunciation is like spanish, but grammar wise? who knows? So I think I'll stick to spanish for a bit longer. But it's coming great! I can teach a bit now, mostly the 1st and 3rd lessons. As well as the Commandments. the 10 commandments still trip me up though(I always forget how to say "Thou Shalt Not Covet and stuff).

Our English classes have been going well, but we don't have as many investigators as we would like showing up. Many want to learn english, but don't want to go to classes. doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now does it?

We met with Alex Leon this week and got to learn more about his family. His wife is a member of the church, and he is a Christian. He loves the bible and is very receptive to the message of the restoration. We are going to teach more about Family Home Evening this week because they want to learn how to strengthen their family. They are super awesome, and kind, and hilarious too! They have 2 kids who are quite the handful but during the lessons they practice sitting reverently. 

"I don't believe in luck. But I do believe that when we work hard, we have better luck."
-Obispo Vargas

Mosiah 4: Super awesome Chapter!

Warmest Regards,
Elder Phillips

Hey Mom!

That is quite the DI steal! I like it. I'm glad to hear you've been having fun (and Fit-Mania), and that The Buckners are taking the discussions! Awesome! That really is super cool! And don't worry about Ashley. Usually when they aren't mature enough there isn't really much you can do for them. Just pray, teach them, and hope she makes the right choice.

I would like you to know that my teeth are beautiful pearly whites. Perfectly taken care of. Except I might have forgotten to brush this morning... But other than that, They're very well taken care of!

We have transfers coming up next week. It went by crazy fast. I feel like I've only been with Elder Aguilar for 2 weeks. I'm hoping that I can have 1 more cycle here in this ward. Hna Gomez (the recent convert) has a son named Rojelio. He has been a member for almost 2 years but fell away a bit about a year ago. He started working a lot and got a girlfriend and they were living together for a while. She left him about 3 weeks back. We taught about baptism and Rojelio wanted to get married, come back to church, and live the commandments again but she didn't really want to. So she took her 2 kids and left. But last week she came back and now they have a wedding date! Yesterday the Bishop visited them with us and talked to them about marriage. And the kids want to be baptised and the mother is thinking about it too! everything is just now falling into place but it may be time for me to leave. If it is, I pray that the next missionaries can do a good job here. That family is super awesome right now and very enthusiastic about the church. 

Just thought you'd like to know a bit more about what's been going on down here.

Lots of great experiences, wonderful food, spicy food, and spiritual experiences. So what are megans plans? Mission? College? 

Love You!

Elder Phillips

Aug 3, 2015

Got a few letters this time!
Hey Mom!

Everything is going great down here! My shoes are great, My belts are great, My ties are great! I even found an awesome use for that towel you sent me! look!

I'm the first Mexican Ninja ever!​ And here's my companion too!

My feet are super awesome, and I think the bigger Clarks are a bit better, but both are good, they just needed to be broken in a bit. I am eating pretty healthy most of the time, but when we're eating with members and they offer ice cream, we can't really say no, now can we?

The only thing I can think of are a few mini english hymn books. My comp asked me to see if you could send us a couple because we cant order them down here or anything. But we don't really NEED anything. But thanks mom! I love you and I love the pictures!

Love ya!

Elder Phillips

That sounds like a crazy awesome weekend! I hope your tooth doesnt hurt too much and the dentisty stuff goes well! And Seth is leaving tomorrow! CRAZY! Where's he going again? Spanish speaking in the south, right? How cool. And russell and Parker too! Everyone's leaving! That is so awesome! Did everyone else in the family enjoy the Cruise as much as you did? Because with that much food, how could you not have a great time, Right? 

The mission is super awesome! We had divisions again so I went with Elder Sanchez, from Guatemala. He is super cool and has only been out here for 1 cycle more than me (6 weeks) so we're pretty close! We had a great time and ever went to help set up at a Quincenera! And took a picture too! Quinceneras here are super big. There was almost as much soda here as at a Phillips family reunion! About 20 2L bottles of it! They sure love to party hard.

Let me tell you though, Agua de sandia is truly the most refreshing substance known to man. It is Watermelon Juice and is super delicious. You have to try it some time! 

My spanish is going great right now! i'm not near fluent yet, but I can communicate pretty clearly with most of the people. Understanding them used to be really hard, but it's gotten easier now. Reading the scriptures in Spanish helps a lot! 

Hey Everyone!

This week was super awesome! Where else can you have random people come up to you and ask if you can teach them the gospel? Only here in Mexico! (And possibly many other places). 

This week we ran into a family from New Mexico who were talking with the missionaries but moved back here. Awesome! They are ready to keep learning and want to know more about the gospel. We have been blessed and guided out here in Mexico. We have been led to those who want to hear the gospel.

Another awesome "Family of the Week!" : Familia Gonzales. They are a young couple who have 1 baby and have been together for about 2 years now. They are very receptive to the gospel and are beginning to understand the importance of marraige and baptism. Unfortunately, many people around here arent married. That's usually our biggest problem down here. 

There are many members in our ward who are super awesome. Wonderful people who are doing everything possible to help the missionaries and spread the gospel. They are awesome and we love these families! However, there are many who are "Passive" members. Members who go to church, but aren't really doing anything. They aren't really living the gospel. They go to church enough to be counted as active members, pray when they need help, and read their scriptures when the TV is broken and they cant sleep. Do they do the basic things they need to do, Yes. But why do they do them? Why do YOU do these things? Is it out of Convenience? Fear? Because you need help? Or is it out of love? Out of the love you have for God and your fellow man? That is why we need to do these things. Reading the scriptures. Praying. Going to church. The good news is: we can always improve.

Many people out there are just waiting to hear the word, many people are searching for the truth. As Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is our privilege and our duty to go out there and share it! Don't be selfish, there's plenty of truth to go around! So go and share it with someone that you love! 

This message was brought to you by: Elder Phillips, 1Nephi 8: Lehi's Dream, and 2Nephi28:20-27. Read Them.

Anyways, It is always important to do what we can. It is important to have love for those around us, especially when it isn't easy.

Warmest regards,

Elder Phillips