The best part is... I AM STAYING IN THE NORTH!! Yea, all my deepest wishes have come true. I am so happy. And I get to be with my bestie Hermana Boman too! Life couldn't be sweeter. With what happened the last few days I think we would have revolted if we both didn't get to stay in this area.
Halloween was lots and lots of fun! But I have some slightly sad news,... mostly sad for me, I still haven't gotten my camera from our member's car. :( Soon though, very soon! We had 7 appointments set up at the beginning of the day! It was loads of fun! We ate at a members house and their food was scary! It looked like real human beings! It was almost disturbing to eat... as you will see in the pictures next week. We also got to do lots of service on Halloween. I absolutely love service!
On Saturday, we had an appointment set up with Adonay. That night was the best ever! When I walked into the house Krystal nonchalantly announced that Javier and his whole family were there visiting from Seattle! OH HAPPY DAY!! It had been far too long since I had last seen Javier. He has been going to church out in Seattle and the Sister Missionaries have been meeting with him. His family is now meeting with the missionaries too! I am so proud of him. He is doing so well. He is also just glowing with the Spirit. It was so nice meeting his whole family. They are all so lovely! They came to church yesterday also, and they seemed to LOVE it. I love my MISSION!!
After saying Hello to Javier, we met with Adonay and Norma. It was such a wonderful moment! We read part of "The Family, A Proclamation to the World" with them and talked about eternal marriage and the temple. Adonay said, "I know! I am so excited to go into the temple in a year and be sealed to my family!" We reminded him how he needs to be a Baptized Member for a year first before entering the Temple to be sealed and he said, "How about this... I promise to get sealed just over a year from now if you two promise to be there!" That is one promise I am so excited to have made him! {Add EXCITING HAPPINESS OF GREAT JOY AND SUNSHINE, I AM SO HAPPY!} Mom and Dad, it looks like I am going to stay very connected with Spokane! Which is A-Okay with me! He is praying to know what day to be baptized. I feel it is just right around the corner. The Lord really is leading Him and he is fully aware of it.
We also got to help our beautiful, wonderful, dear Galindo family move into their new house. It has been so delightful! The Galindo family are our Eternal Best Friends! I love them oh so much. I could never truly explain it.
On Sunday I sat in the very back left corner of the church pews. The Galindo family sat right next to us. The two pews in front of us were crammed with the entire Lopez family and Javier's family. As I sat there in that little corner, a flash of a million memories ran through my mind. Being in my favorite Spanish Branch for these last 10 transfers have been amazing. So many things have happened! I am taken away by the beauty of it all.
All the testimonies that day seemed to be based on Temples, which was perfect for Adonay and Norma. What I didn't know was that it was even more important for Rosie to hear this at that time. Rosie was the second to last member to bare her Testimony. The Spirit flooded the room the moment she began. She quoted her favorite scripture (1 Nephi 1:14). My soul was just so at peace as she bore powerful testimony. But in the middle she went on to tell something she hadn't told anyone besides her family. She is facing thyroid cancer and will begin treatments this week. The moment she explained this my heart became all worried. But as her testimony continued, I could feel the peace and strength she was feeling and I felt like I had no need to fear either.
President Condon, after the meeting pulled me aside and said two things that gave Hermana Boman and I so much relief. First he said, "Rosie is pretty lucky when it comes to the kind of cancer she is facing. If I had to pick a line for which cancer I had to get, I would jump right into the thyroid line." She is so strong, she is going to pull through this without doubt. Then he went on to say something that was an answer to a question that has been nagging me my whole mission. He said, "When we wonder why bad things happen to us, just as we are making such good decisions in our lives, we have to be careful that we are looking at it in the right way. God doesn't send these things as punishments or an unneeded obstacle. That wouldn't make sense. He allows it to happen, by His merciful and loving understanding, just at the moment we will be most prepared to overcome the hard things." Rosie now has the endless blessings of the Gospel and the support of the ward to help her through this. Isn't Heavenly Father so amazing? He prepares the way for us to overcome all things.
I want each of you to know that Heavenly Father is so real. He is gently watching over every single detail of your life. Even though I don't understand how He does it, I have a complete understanding that he does do it. That is all I need to know. He is arming you in every moment with the things you need to succeed and get across even the hardest mountain ranges. I know that Heavenly Father wants to give us everything we need to overcome trials. We are never left alone. I am most certain that I am never left alone. Heavenly Father gave me you. He gives me each day the tools I need to go forward in Faith and do His work. How amazing is He?! I just hope I can give more and more of me to Him each day.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Hermana Emma Rose Phipps
[Sent on November 3, 2014]
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