THE MOST AMAZING THREE WEEKS EVER!!! -- WEEK THREE

WEEK THREE OF THE THREE MOST AMAZING WEEKS EVER

JUNE 16th 2014

H E L L O!!! :D

   I love promptings from the Spirit! Hermana Walton has been on a roll with following the Spirit. About 4 weeks ago, Hermana Walton got a distinct impression to knock on a random door we had driven past. After driving for about 1/2 minute she asked me to turn back and we went to that house. There we met 3 boys, one who had checked out the Book of Mormon from his school library and had just finished reading it, though it was overdue. On his hand was a stamp that the school library had given him to remind him to bring the book back before the school got out for the summer. 

   We quickly passed them on to the English Elders and during Stake Conference the Stake President told a story about how they have all accepted to be baptized!

**WE ALL NEED TO BE LISTENING TO THE SPIRIT!**

   Then on last Thursday, we had spent a lot of time weekly planning and I was hoping we could get out and work hard. But as we first got going, things were pretty slow and no one was home or out for us to talk to. We had gone to the areas of both our first and second plans and had talked with everyone we could but we weren't sure where the Lord wanted us to go next. Then Hermana Walton remembered that just around the corner was a house she had seen a Spanish looking person enter a few weeks ago. We decided to go try it out!

   As we got to the street, Hermana Walton figured it had to be one of two houses on the street. We both felt especially good about one, but we went to the further one away first. No one answered. We went to the next house and our knock on the door quickly brought someone to the door. We then met Cassy, a less active member who has been wanting and praying to go back to church, but didn't know where she was supposed to go. AND... her family is Spanish Speaking!! Her story is quite amazing. She is coming to Church next week and we are starting to visit her family with our first visit planned for tomorrow! 

   I felt the Spirit really testify to me that it doesn't matter how much time we have to work as much as how we work and if we are making sure we are being led by the Spirit so we can do what the Lord would have us do. Especially after we work our hardest to use all our study time and weekly planning time effectively, the Lord makes up the rest!

   We had exchanges this week. Exchanges are usually full of miracles and full of surprises! I always expect that. But exchanges this week beat all the surprises I have ever experienced!

   FIRST REASON why this is so: Everyone we went to go contact was home! WHICH IS SO EXCITING!! Two weeks ago at Zone Training we were trained on a new way to do weekly planning! It is really intense and can take up to 8-10 hours a week to accomplish, but I am seeing why it is so worth it. Having more people answer the door then not shows that this really is the way the Lord wants us to be planning!

   Each time people answered the door I was a little taken back, I thought to myself, "Oh wait, here we go again! AHHH! Am I ready to speak Spanish all by myself?" Ha ha... this was my fourth exchange in a row where I stay in my area, so I should be used to things like this! It is always an interesting experience. But exchanges don't really phase me. I quite enjoy them! It brings a different pace to the day! 

   SECOND REASON why this exchange was a surprise! Ha ha, this might have been the most interesting moment of my mission! There is a trailer park in Cheney where about half the people that live there speak Spanish. I have no clue how the ratio turned out to be so high in this random area, but it has made this trailer park FAMOUS for us Spanish Speaking Missionaries. Also, whenever we ask for referrals in Cheney, all we ever seem to hear about is these trailers! Sister Walton has been gong there constantly since she came to the mission and told me she was a little burned out from going there. So every exchange she tells me all the trailers to go to in order to see what will happen when the people have two new missionary faces show up at their door.

   So we went, found lots of people at home. Got some return appointments set and were on our way out to go to our next area. While walking out of the park we crossed paths with a young man. We said, "Hello, how is your day going?" To which he replied, "I GOT MARRIED TODAY!" He kept walking and wouldn't stop to talk to us, so I called out, "I know God is so proud of you!" Then we turned to the next person who was walking towards us.

   The person who we were next talking to quickly introduced himself as "a traditional Native American" and explained that he had come to perform the marriage ceremony of the other man we had just met. We started talking to him about the gospel! It was quite a neat experience because many of his beliefs were exactly inline with the restored gospel! 

   In the middle of our conversation though, he stopped and reached out to grab both my hands. I am not a touchy person, especially as a missionary (well, except I have been working on my hugging skills)! I didn't know what to do! I awkwardly only gave him three fingers of my right hand. With a face of desperation, I turned to my Sister Training Leader companion for the day with eyes screaming out for help! She answered my cry for help, but not at all in the way I expected! She reached out and took from my arms my two copies of the Book of Mormon and pamphlets, my only last hope of protection to not hold some random man's hands!!

   As he grabbed my hands, he explained that he would be reading my Spirit in order to know which animals make up my Spirit Totem Pole. Not seeing anyway to get out of it, my mind quickly decided to just go with it. In my head the sentence repeated, "I'm a dolphin, I'm a dolphin, I'M A DOLPHIN!!!!!!" After 30 seconds he told me I had relaxed enough to be read. Then he next broke the silence by saying something like, "Red Tail Hawk, of the medicine woman type, Eagle, also of the medicine woman type. these two mean that you care deeply for people. Oh, but also, you have a badger! And you are stubborn in the most random of ways and won't be moved from what you believe." My companion for the day laughed and said, "THAT IS HER EXACTLY!"

   He also went on to say some other things telling me that I have an 'elder' following me around, which the Sister Training Leader who was with me uses as a joke! He told me that it is essential that I need to learn the ways of the land and that my spirit is a 'native spirit' and has lived before. 

   Well, when we finally made it back to the car I was trying to figure out what just happened! I am so grateful that when I was set apart I was told I would have fun on my mission, or else I might not have known how to handle some of the things that just pop up out of nowhere! Above all, I learned that life is beautiful and the things people believe are beautiful! And so much of it follows the truths we know from His Gospel. I love embracing everyone and all that they hold dear and offering them patterns to add more treasure also! Everyone is searching for the truth. Above all, I am beyond grateful that the Lord has given us the Restored Gospel so that we can have His truth in its fullness. 

   The mission is definitely one AMAZING journey!

      Love, Hermana Phipps

It is Official:

I AM DEFINITELY A

WASHINGTON SPOKANE MISSIONARY!

  

THE MOST AMAZING THREE WEEKS EVER!!! -- WEEK TWO!

WEEK TWO OF THE THREE MOST AMAZING WEEKS EVER

JUNE 9, 2014

I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW EXCITED I AM!

LISA IS HAVING A BABY!!!!!

I REALLY WISH ALL OF YOU COULD SEE THE CRAZY MOMENT 

WHEN I GOT THE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Seriously!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I am still freaking out! Ever since mom mentioned that I had a surprise coming for me I was trying to figure it out. I finally got it down to a guess, but let me tell you -- I wasn't even close AND THE NEWS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMED OF!! Actually, my companion totally guessed it before I did! Ha ha! But luckily she just said, "Oh I THINK I know what it is!" So it was totally a surprise. My outburst of joy the second I read it was so much fun! I don't think I can imagine being any happier! I can't wait until I get to meet him!

   So this week was very interesting! Ha ha, I guess it always is interesting but still that is just the perfect word to describe this week!

   So our favorite family Arcelia and clan are doing wonderful! BIG NEWS! Arcelia might just actually be a member! Ha ha! Who knew?! When we first were meeting with her almost 3 months ago she said that she hadn't been to church (that she knew of) since she was 5 when she would go with her great grandma. On Friday, we taught the third lesson 'The Gospel' and were explaining what a baptism was like to her kids and she said, I really think I might be a member! She then explained the baptism and it sounded just like the Restored way of doing a baptism! We are working on finding her records now!

   Hermana Walton and I were talking about it and we decided that it is the biggest blessing to have her already be a member! We learned that her husband doesn't just dislike Mormons, he just dislikes anyone who isn't "Christian." He returns from working in North Dakota in about two weeks and we can't wait to meet him officially and tell him the glad news about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families! Having Arcelia already a member will help out because she can testify that everything we do is focused on Jesus Christ and what it means to her to be a member!

   The Lord really does have a plan for us! As I was thinking about this whole situation I just really felt so grateful that because two missionaries 20 years ago baptized a sweet little 11 year old, two more missionaries are able to work with her and her family and help them get to the temple. Especially exciting is Arcelia's daughter Michelle. Michelle might be one of my most favorite people in the entire world! She is 15 years old, knows Spanish and English perfectly, and really is one of the most amazing youth I have ever met! I feel like Hermana Walton, Michelle and I are best friends forever! When we taught about baptism, she took the picture we were showing to her siblings and held it and looked right at it for the rest of the lesson. You could just tell that she REALLY wants to follow Christ's example. 

   Please pray that we can have the right words to say to Arcelia's family as her husband comes home. I can tell that Heavenly Father is rooting for them to get to the temple! 

   It is quite peculiar how the Lord has guided us to multiple of the same situations! We are currently praying for MULTIPLE families where one spouse is completely excited about the Gospel and the other will have nothing to do with it. It is a hard situation to be in! Especially as a missionary! All I want to do is let them hear the gospel and have them be united by its spirit, but we have to be respectful of those who are just not ready yet. Sometimes it is kind of hard because I just don't know what to do! Hermana Walton and I are praying hard and we are getting answers! We really are depending on the Lord with each step we take!

   On Saturday we met with one of the families that are in this situation. Abel and Maria were baptized into the Church in their 20's in Mexico but haven't been to church in countless years. Abel is the Spanish speaker we miraculously got his number for and he is so excited to hear from us every time we call him. He showed up to church on Sunday even when his wife tried to stop it from happening. On Saturday, we had an appointment set up so we went over with our favorite missionary mom -- Hermana Torres (the wife of our Ward Mission Leader who really is the mom of all the missionaries in the Branch). We planned to teach the Restoration focusing on how the Gospel blesses families and help Maria to realize the joys the Gospel will bring to her family as she comes back. But when we got there Maria was gone and because Abel gets really sick sometimes, he was asleep, but their son (whom we have never met) answered the door.

   Ha ha, I was my awkward self as usual and in meeting Aaron, the son, I started spouting out all the random facts I have gathered about him before even introducing myself! Ha ha! It caught his attention though! I said, "Oh, you must be Aaron! How was graduating from High School yesterday!" And also about five other random details that he was super confused that I knew about. Well, he went on to tell us how his parents wouldn't be able to meet with us, but then he said the best phrase ever, "But could you tell me a bit about what makes your church what it is?" I said, "Yes, we sure can if you let us in!"

   WE WENT IN! Aaron went on to tell us how his member friend had been telling him about the church two weeks ago! What his friend had been saying really caught his attention. He told us about how in the moment he was really confused by all the different churches and how he is searching to find what God really wants him to know. He says that he likes reading the Bible, but he is just nervous that it was translated too many times and he wants to feel that it has all of God's truth We taught him about the Book of Mormon and all through the lesson he said, "This makes so much sense! I have been looking for a way to find God's word in a pure form!" He also said, "I have heard that when you read the Book of Mormon you can find all the answers to life's questions and not always just by the words you read, but by thoughts that come to your head. And, I heard that as you read it you feel this good, bright happy feeling."

   Basically, Hermana Walton and I were having the time of our life teaching this lesson! We just basically got to testify to everything he was saying! But in the middle of it, his mom came home. We immediately stopped the lesson to invite her over to join, but she wasn't happy. I felt so bad! She declined to come over. Afterward I felt so uneasy about it. After leaving the lesson, we were talking to someone on the street and she walked past heading to the park.

   After finishing speaking to the woman on the street, I turned to ask Sister Walton if we should go and apologize to Maria. We went to talk to her and she told us that she doesn't want us coming over to the house. We just promised her blessings from the gospel and asked her permission to visit with her husband and she would be invited to join with us anytime. She declined and we just kept testifying, but she was firm.

   On Sunday I was a bit upset. I wondered if we just hadn't gone over to apologize, could we have scheduled a lesson and had her feel the spirit of the Restoration again and not have burned any bridges. (Now, looking back at my thoughts, I know that I shouldn't have been thinking like that.) Luckily, Hermana Torres was the speaker in Sacrament meeting and she quoted one of my absolutely favorite talks from Conference and said every single word I needed to hear right then. She talked about how we can only be an example for those around us and we can't force anyone to do anything. We also can't think that we are solely responsible for helping others back to Heavenly Father. That is Jesus Christ's role and we are just His servants in this beautiful work! 

   During the talk she also talked about the lesson with Aaron. She helped me remember just how amazing the lesson was and I have confidence that the Lord is going to help him get to church, even though we can't go to their house right now. The Lord WILL find a way!

   I love this work! I love my family! I love my Savior. At the end of my life, there are only 2 things I really want to do in Heaven that will make it Heaven to me. I want to give the biggest hug to each of my family member and Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. That would be Heaven!

   I know that is what the Lord has planned! So... I am one blessed little soul!

LOVE YOU!

   Hermana Phipps

PS We passed Francisco on to the Elders. His apartment only holds 5 people max and therefore it was impossible for us to bring Brothers from the ward as fellowship! It is for the best!!       

THE MOST AMAZING THREE WEEKS EVER!!! -- WEEK ONE!

WEEK ONE OF THE THREE MOST AMAZING WEEKS EVER

JUNE 2nd 2014

We Are Not Made For Endings!

   In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings. 

   Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.

   The more we learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions -- temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.

   How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings.

   Sunday, after church, Hermana Walton and I walked right to the car, sat down, and sat in complete silence for about 10 seconds. The silence was soon cut short though because our excitement had to burst through the air! Let me just say, yesterday was unbelievable. It really put me in shock quite honestly. Every 5 seconds for the rest of the day, I kept turning to Hermana Walton and asking her, did this all really just happen?  Here is the story:

   The weekend of General Conference, almost two months ago, we received the worst text Hermana Walton and I have ever received. Arcelia, who might just be the most amazing person I have ever met, texted us saying that her husband had sent her an Anti-Mormon website and she wouldn't be talking with us anymore. This text came during the very first talk on Saturday morning and we had members arranged to pick her up for the next session. Our hearts broke, Hermana Walton and I couldn't hold back our tears. Arcelia and Michelle, during our first lesson with them told us they wanted to be baptized and we set a date. They both already had a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Then, all of a sudden, she was slipping out of our hands.

   I was so anxious the rest of that day after the text, I just felt heartbroken. But then I remembered watching President Uctdorf's talk, "Grateful in Every Circumstance" and the words from my Heavenly Father entered right into my heart. I was refusing the idea that we wouldn't be meeting with Arcelia anymore. It seemed so unfair to me. Then a wave of comfort came. I started to understand that this wasn't the end for Arcelia and I needed to be so grateful to be part of her beginning. I am so grateful for prophets and how we hear the Lord's voice through them!

The words from that day have already proved to be true.

ARCELIA CAME TO CHURCH THIS SUNDAY!

I don't even know how this happened!

Oh wait, yes I do, the Lord is in the details of our lives!!

   Here is how it happened! (All because of the Hand of the Lord, I would have given up much sooner.)

   Tuesday we had an appointment set with a new investigator that we were 95% sure was going to go through. During planning the night before we felt that we should put Arcelia down as the back up plan.

   We decided to go and visit Arcelia. We figured that either a miracle or a catastrophe would happen from this visit. Luckily it was a miracle! Arcelia opened the door, ushered us into her house, and started spewing off about all of her problems in life and how they got way, way worse once we stopped coming by. She was like, "Why haven't you come by for two months?!" Ummm... well, it was because you told us to not come by again, was my thought. She just continued on about how she is going to stop with the excuses and she knows she needs to come to church. Saturday night rolls around though and Arcelia texted us about how she wasn't going to go to church and we were so bummed. (Satan does anything to stop the best from coming!) We promised her that she would feel peace and I absolutely loved her reply. She said, "You know what, I'm coming." OH YEAH!! But I was still nervous that she wouldn't come. We had told her we would come by at 8 am to help her gather everything together for church and after texting and calling her to see if there was anyway she could come, but without a response we decided to still go by at 8. So we decided to knock. She answered and we asked, "Are you going to come to church?" Everyone was still in pajamas, and not meaning to sound rude, but she did look exhausted and so I was nervous that she was going to say no. However, she said yes with no hesitation! 

   We got there and she LOVED IT!! Not only that, but she got up and bore her testimony! She bore testimony that she knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is where she needed to be. She said, I know this is the perfect place for my family five different times! She invited everyone in the congregation to stop with the excuses because she knew that was something she needed to work on. She even closed, "In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen." To say the least, I was on cloud 9! Oh, and I almost forgot! In her testimony she was talking about how she is a less-active member but that she is going to be here every week. Ha ha, she is not even a member! I was pretty much dying laughing in my seat! I'm still confused on how she knows all of the Mormon lingo like "less active" and things of that sort. But hey, I can't complain! Long story short, everyone in the branch is obsessed with the newest family to come to the Branch!! 

   Now going back a few days... So, I'm going to do a re-cap of a whole lot of background information so you can all understand the immensity of the next miracle that happened! We received a Spanish referral from two different sets of missionaries at two different times, but he was crazy and then never home the other times we stopped by. One time when we stopped by, our potential's homeless friend was outside his door, we talked to him and had a lesson with him, and then the homeless friend gave us his number. We needed his number so we could call him back in a few hours to get the number of his friend, our potential, because we didn't have it. So when we called the homeless guy a Spanish speaker answered the phone. CRAZY RIGHT?! The Spanish guy's name is Abel and he was actually baptized in Mexico before moving here. We have set up times to meet with his family but they are never home or his wife is crazy mean and tells us to go away. So we called him on Wednesday to try and to set up something and he told us that it would have to be at church on Sunday because his wife doesn't want us in their house. Meet you Sunday... at church! Yes, just come to Church! He was SO PUMPED to come to Church! We told him that we would pass by at 8:30 so he and his daughter could follow us to church. Saturday night we called to remind him, but his wife answered the phone and told us that he wouldn't be home Sunday morning so we didn't need to pass by. She hates us. Anyways, we were so sad! So back to Sunday -- we were sitting in Relief Society and there is only 5 minutes left when the Elders look through the door and motion us to come out right now. We walked out to find the Elders standing with ABEL!! Abel introduced himself to us and my jaw probably hit the floor. He asked us why we didn't stop and we told him that we had called his phone and that his wife answered and told us not to come. He just kind of laughed and turned to the Elders and said, "Like I was saying, my wife doesn't want to come to church." Anyways, his wife was sitting out in the car and so we went and said HI to her. (Apparently, after leaving Mexico and coming here they went to church and got offended and so that is why they never came after.) She was really hesitant talking to us but we were just so excited! We asked her if we could give her a hug before she left. What did she do? She gave a big, dramatic, annoyed sigh and got out of the car so we could give her a hug. It was great!! We then turned to Abel and he took my hand with both of his hands and gave me the biggest, most happiest handshake ever with both of his hands AND THEN HE HUGGED ME. I was still in shock from the amazing day and the miracles to where I was slightly mortified, yet cared less at the same time. We have an FHE Activity tomorrow. We are excited to take them.

SO... This Story was long, so I borrowed half of it from Hermana Walton -- I love how she writes!

   I wish I had like 20 hours to tell you all the amazing details! Arcelia is acting like a well seasoned member! During Relief Society she signed up to feed the Missionaries, signed up to bring a crock-pot of soup to the Stake Conference, and answered all the questions! Abel, came to church on his own! These things only happen because the Lord is so amazing and so merciful.

   Moral on the story of my mission life... Be Patient!! Have FAITH!! The Lord has His work moving forward and no one is going to get lost along the way! Even though I don't understand how, Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. I love this Work! I love the Spirit! I love the Scriptures and I Love sharing it ALL everyday!!

   I love my family, thank you for being the BEST! Shout out to Amy and Jon... Have fun in EUROPE!!

Love, Hermana Phipps

PS... Never, ever, ever, ever, ever entertain anti-mormon thoughts EVER! Not for a moment. Never listen or read them. They have an Evil Spirit about them (which makes sense because the source is definitely not from our Loving Heavenly Father). I know I can feel the difference when we talk to an investigator after they have been reading anti-mormon literature. It is scary honestly.

OH!... And Francisco is still doing so GREAT!! He is heading toward Baptism!!

    

BEST NEWS ~ WE ARE FINDING FAMILIES!

   This week really was the best way I could ever have imagined to start off a transfer!! SO MANY MIRACLES, I can hardly believe it! The Lord has really changed this area in the last few transfers that I have been here. We are finding people everyday! THIS IS SO AMAZING! I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am. It all just seems like a dream.
   It is amazing to me to look back on this week and realize just how many Spanish speakers the Lord is leading us to. I wish there was a secret formula that I could jot down explaining how we found each person, but really it just came down to Divine Intervention each time. I am really realizing just how dependent I am on the Lord in every moment of every day during my missionary work.

BEST NEWS!

WE ARE FINDING FAMILIES!!

I want to CRY I am so overjoyed!!

   President McCombie, the West Stake President, asked us to commit each family we teach to pray for the future Cheney Branch. I know it is because of the faith of the members that we are seeing these miracles!

   On Friday during our planning session for Saturday, Sister Walton and I decided that we were going to do all that we could to make that day a Super Saturday. We wrote down the name of every single person we wanted at Church and made sure each hour was crammed with making sure we invited them to Church. We woke up excited to get to work! This is when the miracles came! While running around inviting everyone to Church we found 18 Spanish speakers we have never met before! In this moment, I can still hardly believe it! 18!! This includes two families who just moved into the Spokane area and are excited to hear from us! When Sister Walton told our Ward Mission Leader about this she said, "I think we might have found more new Spanish speakers today then we have the rest of my mission! Ha ha, her statement may have been a little exaggerated, but the miracle is still so awe-inspiring! I am so so so grateful!!!

   So this week we have been teaching our investigator Francisco! He is progressing so very well! He went to Temple Square three years ago and ever since, he has wanted to know more about the church and be part of it. (So many people I have met here in Spokane have been to Temple Square and it made an impression on them. It really helps to spark peoples interest!) When we first began teaching him, he was concerned about going to church so early in the morning and for so long. But Sis. Walton and myself and every member who has gone with us to teach him have been promising him there will be blessings he will receive from coming. Members are the BEST! During one of our lessons with him the amazing Hermana Burnette said, "Listen Francisco. You want to be baptized, you want Heavenly Father to give you the biggest blessings He can give you. You want to follow Him. I am here to tell you that you need to show him that you are serious about this! So, to show Him your faith, make plans now to come to Church. Pray to Him and tell Him that nothing will get in the way of you coming. And then go! It is worth it, so just do it."

   Finally he committed to come! He wrote us the best text after we told him that Hermana Burnette and her family would be picking him up to go to Church. [PS, this is written exactly how he wrote it.] It said, "Ok, sister... just can U MAKE sure that I GET A WAKE UP CALL BY 7:30 AM please??? thank U..." 

   Bright and early (well, for him) we called and he got up! At his request, we also called him 10 minutes later to make sure he was really up! HE MADE IT!

   After church he told us, "Three hours have never gone by so quickly in my life!"

And the miracle beyond belief is we had two other investigators at Church too!

    Then yesterday, one of the Spanish speakers we met on Saturday invited us to come back to visit him and his family on Monday. By his family we thought he meant him and his wife and three of his children who are still living at home, but when we went by, his sister from Yakima was visiting with four other relatives! As we walked up to the door past the window we heard them talking to each other saying, "Wait, THEY speak Spanish?!" Ha ha... I love being able to understand another language!

   Sister Walton and I keep on laughing about how funny our faces must have been when we walked into the full house! Hermana Walton and I need to learn how to brace ourselves better for Mission Miracles!! We pulled ourselves together and shared the Restoration. MY FAVORITE LESSON! Each person seemed to understand each point really well, the Spirit must have been teaching because they were all so prepared to listen! They asked really sincere questions. Like when we introduced the Book of Mormon, they said, "I've never heard of this book, which Prophets wrote it? Where did the Prophets come from? How can I get this Book?" Juan answered all our questions like a seasoned member! At the end of the lesson the grandmother asked us, "What day do you go to church!" Which we replied, "EL DOMINGO!" And she said, "That is perfect! That is the day I feel it should be!"

   We walked out of the lesson and as soon as we walked a few houses down Hermana Walton and I gave each other the same look that seemed to say, "Wow, that just really happened, right?!?"

   We are visiting his family again on Thursday!

   I am just so overjoyed! This really has been such an amazing week. We are praying for BIG MIRACLES right now. We need our Savior every hour! Thank you everyone for being the BEST! LOVE YOU ALL! I am so humbled to be part of this work! If it was up to just my strength, none of this would happen! There isn't even a doubt about it. 

   Love, Hermana Phipps

                   PS ~ Francisco has set June 21st as his goal to be baptized!

THE BEST AREA IN THE WORLD!!

   I remember my perspective of the Southwest Area before I came here. I heard it was a hard area with very few members and very few Spanish speakers to be found. Going into the area two transfers ago, I was a bit nervous, especially since I was leaving an area where lots of investigators were having us over constantly. But everything has changed these last 12 weeks. While driving this week the happiest thought came so strongly to my mind,... this really is the BEST AREA to be serving a mission in the World!  We have the Lord on our side, amazing members who are searching for miracles, and wonderful people to speak with on the streets everyday. Not only that, we are finding Spanish Speakers everyday? Heading up to transfer calls, my heart did not want to leave!!
   As we go around doing our work I have found so much JOY! Sometimes it is hard to get going at the beginning of the day, but Hermana Walton and I have discovered that all it takes is 15 minutes of our time handed over to the Lord and we find a miracle. That miracle gives us the energy to keep going for the rest of the day! There is not a night I come home without my heart rejoicing about someone we met or how in some way we saw the Lord's hand in our lives. I am so grateful for Hermana Walton's example of constantly searching for the next miracle. We can't wait to keep on improving and learning this next transfer! We have already made some huge goals and changed the way we pray so that we can have the Spirit with us more to guide us.
   There are so many reasons given by Heavenly Father that I have seen such a change in myself and in the work here. One of the biggest changes is from setting a vision. Really, the Lord's work is the work of rising to divine potentials. Our Stake President helped us find that vision for this area. We pray about the vision everyday and we asked the members to pray with us. I can see FAITH building the foundation everyday!

I LOVE MY SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

I know that this isn't my mission at all.

This really is His mission and I am somehow lucky enough to take part in

watching Him move His work forward!

I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON! 

I just want everyone I meet to read it and feel the Love Jesus Christ has for them.

It is so abundant on every single page. Everyone needs those words!

I cannot wait to keep on working on giving my ALL Every Single Day!! 

I know the spirit will help me as I learn how to more fully serve the Lord.

UPDATE ON INVESTIGATORS! 

We are teaching a man named Francisco. He asked if he could have a rain check on church until next year when it starts at 1 pm. We promised blessings Big Time and he said he is starting this week to get his mind prepared to wake up before 12 noon! That really is a sacrifice for him, so we are praying for the Lord to lend him strength!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Love, Hermana Phipps