October 31, 2016

Story time!

Legend has it that if a pregnant lady doesn´t put a safety pin on her shirt (where the belly button is) the moon comes and eats her baby. weird, right? It makes it easier to tell if a girl is pregnant though. 

I sure would love those donuts! But you´re right,  they´d probably go bad.

Watch out for that ex mish.... I don´t trust him😉 (Megan brought a friend home, Hayden... just a friend :)
Happy Halloween!!!

haha, watch out for the old ladies! They´ll get you every time!

Down here they really don´t celebrate halloween much. Day of the dead is normally bigger, but here on the border our holidays are actually bigger than theirs. 

You may already know this, but many missionaries near the end of their mission start thinking more in their homes and work less. My goal is to never do that. My goal is to use my experiences to make this the greatest time of my mission.

I don´t really know what else to say...

I only have 6 months left (crazy how time flies).

The sister missionaries from the mtc now write me from their homes.

I´m working hard, trying to put a good example for my companion.

Everyone is super jealous of my crazy socks you guys sent (a few months back)

I love you a lot!!

Elder Phillips

(I had a funny story for you, I had to look back and was shocked I didn’t tell you already! I was at a restaurant and had to use the bathroom. I was in my stall and my mind wandered and was thinking of how awkward it is when you make eye contact through the crack of the door… when …. a hand GRABBED MY SIDE!!!  I screamed “Holy COW!”  I looked to my right and the garbage that was on the wall of my stall had been unlocked. There was a 150 year old women in the next stall that had gone to throw something away, knocked my side open and touched me! I then had fits of laughter as the weak, crackly, wobbly old voice next to me said “are you OK?”

So funny!  I now look to find those garbages when I go in a bathroom……)

Oct 24, 2016

Fun fact: it turns out that I´m awesome at basketball!

Ok, not really. But we´ve started playing as a Zone and it´s been great! The people down here really like Basketball but aren´t very talented so I feel right at home!

My companion and I had an awesome experience this with with a new investigator. Her name is Ruth.

her family had asked us a few questions about the plan of salvation at the end of our first visit. So when we came back to teach them, we showed them how the Book of Mormon could answer their questions. Her qeustion was about what happens after the death, and if her father was with God (her dad had died just a year or 2 before). Our plan was to leave them the answers in the scriptures and have them read it for a homework assignment, but she was too excited and read it immediately. She looked kind of strange for a moment and then her eyes filled with tears. She looked like she wanted to say something so we asked if she had any questions or comments. This was her reply: ¨I do have a question, Why do I feel like this? I mean, my inlaws are Christians and we´ve read the bible and stuff, but I´ve never felt this way before. What is it? I feel...free. I feel happy, peaceful, I don´t know how else to describe it. I´m not sad but I want to cry andI don´t know why. Please tell me, why do I feel like this?¨ 

This was a wonderful moment and the spirit was so strong! When someone truly has a desire to know the gospel, God answers. 

Scripture of the week:

Moroni 9:6

Have a great week!

Elder Phillips

October 17, 2016

This was a pretty good first week in Casas Grandes. I´m in the Villa Hermosa Branch with my new companion Elder Cruz. 

We spent a lot of time contacting people this week, and it paid off! We were able to see The Lord´s hand many times throughout the week. 

While we were walking down the street we saw the daughter of an recent convert and she motioned us over. We got there and she told us ¨Guess what, My brother wants to get baptized!¨ 

¨Wow! That´s great¨ We said, ¨And you? ¨ 

¨So do I!¨

So we started working with them more. We put her baptismal date for the 12th of November and we´re praying for her!

 Her brother is a 30 year old ex thug covered from head to toe with tattoos (he has over 100). He´s trying to flip his life around and become a good person. He also came to church on sunday! 

There is a wonderful feeling that comes when you see people genuinely trying to live the gospel. As he walked in on sunday, I felt so warm and good inside. I know that Whoever you are or whatever you do it is never too late to repent.

Another story:

As we were walking to an appointment, we stopped to knock a door. They opened up and out came a middle aged lady to greet us. We talked for a minute and she told us that she had gone to our church before down in Aguascalientes, Mexico (other state) but that she had moved and lots contact with the missionaries. We put an appointment to go visit her and then her sister came out. So we put an appointment to visit her too! They both accepted our invitaion readily and enthusiastically.

When we went to visit the first one (Ruth), she invited us in to talk and then went to invite her family to come out and listen too. Her 16yr old son and her uncle came out to meet s and we got to know them pretty well. And it turns out that her son had gone to many activities and that her uncle is a member! They were very receptive expressed to us their sincere desire to come closer to God and go to church.

Alma 13:24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

I know that God is continually  preparing the people to recieve the gospel. This week he was able to guide us to visit those who were prepared and those who needed the gospel. 

And I know that he´s preparing people for you too. 

So Go. 

Find Them.

Elder Phillips

October 10.2016

By the way, "Los Choneros" as they call us, are getting changed. I'm going to Villa Hermosa,

Elder Reyna will be in Buanaventura (middle of nowhere with polygamist exmormons)

Elder Rodriguez (with glasses) will be training in Juarez

Elder Nelson (the white kid) will be training here in Ascension.

We got to know each other really well and had a lot of fun together.

So yup, I was kind of hoping to pass the next 6 months here in ascension, but I guess it just wasnt meant to be :(

On Mon, Oct 10, 2016 at 4:38 PM, Johnathon Phillips <johnathon.phillips@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I hope you have a wonderfully fun celebration! And just know that I'll be here celebrating your birthday too!

Haha,  I showed my comp a pic of megan and jenny at a school dance and ever since he's been asking for their email addresses! I haven't to anything yet, but just warning you that if they were to come down to mexico they could marry just about whomever they wanted to! 

Funny story, I was walking down the street the other day and I got a strange craving for home made pretzels. Just letting you know that even this far away from home your baking is still the best

Yeah, the whole politics deal is kind of messy right now. Guess what? I can vote from here! I don't think I will, but I could! I personally consider myself too uneducated as of now to make such a decision (I don't actually hear a lot about politics other than complaints). But yes, Grandma always includes spiritual insights :)

Haha, as for packages... I don't know. Food? cookies? A USA flag!

Don't have much time to write, we had an activity today that was super cool! I'll send you and dad some pics.

Elder Phillips

October 4, 2016

The talks this conference were absolutely amazing! I loved them all! The internet transmission that we saw down here broke down for 2 talks sunday morning, but from what i saw they were great! 

This week in my personal study time it dawned on me: sometimes I ask too much and do too little. i was studdying in the Priesthood handbook (part B) on how to make inspired decisions, and I realized that I do well up until it comes to the part where I have to act. When it says in the scriptures: ¨Ask, and ye shall recieve¨ (3 Nefi 27:28) it does not mean that all we have to do is ask and wait. No. That´s not how it works. We have to ponder, pray, ponder more, make a decision, pray to confirm it, and act! And sometimes we have to act in order to recieve the confirmation. 

So anyways, we have to act. Personally I always pray that God will guide us to those who need us and those whom God has prepared for us. however, I often wait for God to tell me who to talk to instead of following the PMG guidance of ¨talk with everyone¨. God gives us help when we act. not the other way around. If it werent like this it wouldn´t require faith.

This week we met a family of Tarahumaras. That is one of the the local native tribes. Their culture is very machista, and they mainly live in the mountains in hobbit holes. They speak Rarámuri, but this family had adapted and now mainly speak spanish. They are really catholic but are willing to listen and accept our message. The mom´s name is Eustolia. but goes by Tola. She is super kind and wants what is best for her family (she has 10 living kids, but only 3 live with her). She noticed that ever since we started visiting her, her family has been more peaceful and their house has had a warmer atmosphere. There has been less shouting and her rebelious son is now calmer and comes home earlier (instead of around 4am). These are just a few of the changes that the gospel can bring into our homes. Truthfully, I have seen the gospel work miracles here in Mexico. 

I am so glad to hear that you could go to the Conference, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! 

Your son,
Elder Phillips

The district of Ascension