January 18, 2016

That place looks absolutely awesome! I love it! I do have a pic for you today! The Baptism photo! How awesome that the Buckners will be getting baptised! I'm so glad that you've been able to be a part of the "Obra de Salvacion"/ "Work of Salvation"! It truly is something miraculous!

 Today I'll explain to you a bit of the mission baptism stress.

1. MMST (Mexican Mormon Standard Time)

You may be familiar with this phrase. It means that as members of the church we normally arrive at the last minute or late. Well here in Mexico it's worse. Everyone shows up about 30-45 minutes late. So we told everyone that we'd have the baptism at 4:30, they started to show up at 5:15.

2. The Problems Begin.

So we showed up a bit early to finish the preparations (The other missionaries were there with our ward mission leader cleaning and filling the font for us because we had some appointments) and we showed up with an awesome investigator family. Statistics say that 80% of the investigators that go to a baptism will be baptized, so things are looking good! Anyways, they couldn't open up the fancy outside boiler shed because the only guy who has keys for it was out with his family and coultn't make it. Eventually we found a way to get to the boiler without opening the shed, but it turns out that we didn't have any gas! So that means cold water. In the winter! We asked Mayra (it was her baptism) if she wanted to be baptised in cold water or if she'd prefer to wait and do it another day and after thinking a while she decided to do it! So people start showing up, the font fills up slowly, so we had the baptism at 6:30! We had other problems too, but after a lot of prayers it all worked out. The water was freezing cold though! I was the one to baptise her (My first baptism!) and We had to do it 4 times! Her dress floated up everytime and we didn't have a whole lot of water. So in the end we had to do it on our knees (remember, we're still in freezing cold water and she's already been dunked in 3 times now). But we got it the 4th time!! Surprisingly, she didn't say anything about it being super cold after she got dunked the first time. I thought that it was pretty cold though.

Afterwards she was invited to share how she felt, and she told us that the moment I put my hands on her and started to say the prayer, she felt warm again. She felt a warm feeling spreading through her body and it became a lot easier (and less cold) for her. 

3. Resolution

In the end we went and all ate donuts with atole (like a warm drink that they make from milk, oatmeal, cinamon, chocolate, and ocasionally other stuff). It turned out to a very stressful experiencia, but also a wonderful one. 

So here's the pic! And one of the inside of our house. We have a pretty nice house here. I like it. It falls me good. And another flashback photo of Elder Kopsa on Day 1 in the MTC.

And I recently started talking to some members here who still have connections in there homelands (Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacan) and they're helping me to put together a legendary package for you guys! Ok, not super legendary, but yeah it'll be cool! Sorry I still haven't sent it out but I'll get around to it soon!

And if there is a next package, I would love some Peanut butter (chunky), and other snack foods (my companion recommends the following: Summer Sausage, Pringles, Easy Cheese, Chicken-in-a-biscuit, cheezits, and/or cinnamon life). And if you can, a few garment bottoms. They've started to wear out a bit.

Remember: Miracles Happen.

I Love You!

Elder Phillips!

Dave's Letter had some of the same parts copied, so I will just post what is different

How awesome that they'll be getting baptised! I am so super proud of you guys, thank you so much for helping out the misionaries back home! I know that he'll eventually commit especially with the pressure from his wife! Keep up the good work! With the spirit testifying of this to him I know that he'll make the right choice!

Here's the picture from our baptism! After several months (like 6 months) investigating the church, she's finally getting baptised! Sometimes it takes a little bit of time, but one does not simply ignore the spirit (see what i did there?, it's a Boromir quote). 

Guess that was it :)