Sunday, December 14, 2014

100 THANKS!

[On Tuesday December 2, 2014 Emma wrote the following.]

What a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful week. I am in Awe!

Above all the countless lessons I have learned on my mission, one stands out above all. I have learned what life is like when we trust and depend completely on Our Father in Heaven. This week I have so much to share with you!

First off, I am a new Aunt! I am so excited about this. My new little nephew named Kingston Evans Shaw is absolutely adorable. I know which baby I will be running to hold right after my mission! I know families are a gift from God.

I must share the mission miracle of the week! So, for the last few weeks our area seemed to be having a new investigator drought. As a mission we have been focusing on finding, but we just weren't finding many. It was making me so nervous! Because, just as Preach My Gospel says, nothing happens in missionary work until we find. We live with sister Metcalf and Sister Johnson, two really amazing missionaries, and Hermana Boman and I went to them to see what ideas they had for us in order to be finding new investigators. Sister Metcalf thought about it for a second and then replied, "Honestly, I would pray. What better thing could you ask for than Heavenly Father's help with this."

We agreed and we began praying, and praying hard. Then Hermana Boman and I felt this sense of determination to do more of what the Mission President has been asking us to do lately. He has asked us to ask everyone we talk to each day for referrals. Somehow I had gotten into a rut where asking street contacts for referrals was so easy, but at lessons I was forgetting to do so. We knew it was in our power to be asking for referrals more completely.

Also, we walked as much as we could, talking to everyone we could, and sharing with them the new initiative Missions are doing countrywide called, "He is the Gift." There is an absolutely beautiful video that goes with it. Watch it!! (christmas.mormon.org)

Somehow, and to this moment I am not sure how, we ended up getting 11 new investigators this week. Heavenly Father really does help us if we only ask! Also, these new investigators came perfectly at the time we needed them.

Adonay, one of my best friends and investigators, got caught up in a tight spot. So we are praying for him and that things can get sorted out. He has faith that everything will work out! I do too. Heavenly Father just gave me a sense of peace about the whole thing.

This week we are continuing to pray and follow Heavenly Father's direction in where he would have us go.

On Saturday, we knocked on an apartment of a referral we have been trying to contact for three months now. The door opened to the sweetest little family of three. We started visiting with them and they let us in. As soon as we sat down the wife sat down and told us how they have been searching for a Spanish Church this whole month, but haven't been able to find anything. Last Sunday she broke down in tears because she could feel the difference of not going to church for such a long time. (They just moved here from Miami). She then said that God must have sent us as angels to help her find a place to go. 

So her esposo and son came to Church on Sunday! The branch loves them! They are adorable. She ended up getting really, really sick and couldn't come but we are going on a Church Tour with them today at 6 pm. I Love this cute new family!!

There are miracles everywhere! I need two more hours to write them all! But I will send pictures and hopefully that will make up for the rest.

For THANKSGIVING! SO Wonderful!! We ate at our Branch President's home. The most perfect American Thanksgiving Celebration. It was beautiful. In the middle of dinner their son turned to me and said, "Sister Phipps, weren't you here last Thanksgiving?" Sure was!! Never left!!!

Then we ate dinner with Rose and Julio. (Okay... Rosie now wants to be called Rose. It is a good name, I must agree)! BEST MEXICAN REPRESENTATION OF THANKSGIVING!


WE GOT TO HELP ROSE MAKE TAMALES 
EARLY IN THE MORNING!
BEST SERVICE EVER!!


YUMMY!!
HERMANAS BOMAN & PHIPPS
I LOVE TAMALES!!
I AM GOING TO MAKE THEM FOR 
YOU ALL ONE DAY!


THANKSGIVING SPANISH STYLE!
I LOVE IT!
I LOVE MY MISSION!
I LOVE LIFE!!



FOR THANKSGIVING...MEXICAN STYLE...
FLAN, TRES LECHES, AND SALSA.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?
I HAVE REASONS TO GIVE THANKS FOREVER!!

Les queremos muchisimo! A la luna y back!
Love, Hermana Emma Rose Phipps

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