week 1‏

Hey so the first week has been kinda crazy i have no idea where everything is yet or who anyone is in that case! but everything has been good for the most part we do a lot of tracting and we meet a ton of nice people but everybody is strong in there own faith. but it is nice as long as we are busy and i like to be busy. so, so far so good the members are great in fact a lot of them are from Idaho and Utah so it is nice to relate to people. the members feed us fairly well so i can already tell i am gaining weight and our wards each have around 200 members so ya.but my area is not very redneck it is more like Logan! with a lot of Ghetto.. We have already been chased off of a farm and been critisied more than a few times oh and flipped off by an old lady so ya just enjoyable. And there are no side walks so we hug the edge and i have already almost been hit a few times cause the roads are not big enough. but we have two people with baptismal dates and hopefully two more tonight. yeah. i miss the mountains so much there are no mountains here only lots of trees and the weather doesn't make any sense it will rain in the morning then by 2 it will be 70 degrees or vis versa. so that is always fun and when it is cold it is cold cause of the humidity and when its warm its hot. tomorrow is the last day for suit coats so i am happy for that. i have some pictures to send but if you are sending a memory card then i will just send my memory card home and i would like a bigger family picture and maybe an album o and my adapter for my camera other than that i have been good i think i will be in this area for a couple months. i have placed 2 Books of mormon started being able to teach. i have been surprised i haven't seen any deer of turkeys yet but there is a lot of geese and a lot of waterfowl hunters so i like talking to them. sorry there isn't a ton to say it is only my first week and i will write some letters today love you lots
Elder Phillips

PuDdLeS & wEt StOcKiNgS‏

Hi guys! I just walked through a 5inch puddle in my clean stockings and shoes to email. J now I get to sit with cold feet, lol…..it is rainy and cold here! :’( where is summer!??? J are you excited for general conference! Geesh! I sure am! I can’t believe it is already here again!

No much has happened here. Yesterday Mike, Reshma, and Ashley were confirmed members of the church and received the Holy Ghost which was awesome. Ah it was so good. So now we are startin all over trying to find new investigators, since our 3 are now baptized. Its hard but good. J Next week is the last week of the transfer and I can’t even believe it….enough said. I am sure that S. Smith and I will be staying together another one J

I am sorry this is a boring one, I just don’t have much to say. We are having lots of fun being looney and tired, and pressing forward spreading the good word. I love you all so much and hope this finds everyone well and dandy. LOVES!



Sister Phillips

weekly‏

Hey fam. I don’t have much time but I will try to fit in as much as I can! The past weeks have gone so darn fast. This week I saw things no one wants to see and things that every one wants to see. It seems that as the weather gets warmer, the city gets scarier. But things are all good.

We were working really hard this week and didn’t get much of a break or even home on time. It was well worth it though when I was able to see the family (Mike, Reshma, Ashley; from Guyana) we’ve been working with get baptized yesterday. :D Oh my….. I don’t’ have any words to describe how incredible and beautiful it was. Every time we went over this week it was if they wanted to learn more and more, their desire increased each time. They just soaked up what we were teaching. It was so incredible. To see them all in white and be baptized was so awesome. The spirit was incredible. I was kinda going crazy in the way that the Relief Society pres called me the day before to teach the lesson lol. And the family also asked me to do the Holy Ghost talk. But they said that it was really good so I felt a bit better. They fed everyone at the baptism Indian food; roti and chicken curry. Oh my…..soooooo yummy! But it was so incredible.

Sadly, after the baptisme, Amos called and dropped us. :’( That is another story in itself which will prob well….maybe you could figure it out on your own. It’s why we have elders to teach the men. Sorry! I am out of time!!!! I love you all and will be back fast! J



Have a great week!

Sister Phillips

#2

hello‏
From: Bradley Joseph Phillips (bradley.phillips@myldsmail.net)
Sent: Wed 3/17/10 8:35 AM
To: phillipstrucking_252@msn.com

hey hope everything is well i am good we got our flight plans on thursday and we leave this monday at 4 in the morning and our flight leaves at 705 i am excited to get out there and get started the mtc is awesome but i cant sit that long any more 12 hours a day it is just to long.. although the spirit is amazing last night we got to hear from elder quentin l. cook and it was amazingly spiritual and his wife spoke with him and i really liked that.. this was one of my favorite things she said " there is nothing more powerful than truth, other than truth in a musical form" something like that it was cool though.. i can't believe how much i have grown to love music i love singing hymns it brings the spirit so strong. there is so much to learn and i don't know how i can learn it all in 4 days. i am having the hardest time typing because there is so many retards around me being very disrespectful. but i am trying to be better with my christ like attributes. so it is so cool to see the spirit work and show things to you. i was teaching and i saw a foot note i had a feeling to go to it and use it and it worked great the scripture is romans 8:17 i believe. our zone is so cool elder akina did the haka last night i videoed it so i will have to send my memory card home so you can download it, it was cool. i am sending some pictures home today so be ready for them. i wish i could down load them and send them through email but they won't let us so i have to mail them. i think i told you about elder tenney he is going to the philipeans well he is going to come and stay with us for a few weeks during the fall that i get home so we can go hunting. he is ranked 10th in the world for turkey calling. and elder hintze is coming to. elder hintze is from st. george and is just like me in a lot of ways he plays a lot of sports and hunts to well i will talk to you later i was hoping you would be on but anyway love elder phillips

rAiN & miRaCLeS‏

I think that weeks go faster and faster from here on out. This week was a good er. It’s lookin a lot like spring! It has just POURED! I really gotta find me an umbrella lol. But we had a crazy storm the other day that was just BOMB! So beautiful….

I got to go to the Manhattan Temple on Thursday for my ½ way mark. Wow…. I was a bit nervous the day before, I think bc it’s been so long and I was sad to find that my temple dress has gotten a l.i.t.t.l.e bit…..smaller since the last time I wore it. Lol…darn missions. I gotta find a different release haha. But it was seriously incredible. I love the temple and can’t wait to go a lot more when I get back. I’m dealing with crazy emotions right now. It was crazy to be at the temple and try to think that it was really for my ½ way mark and then that it was all done and over with so fast. I would say the next time I go will be my departing trip, but we’re gonna get some ppl there before then J But it was so nice and what’s crazy is when you realize how much a mission takes out of you. When I got back I was so drained in every possible way. I got a bit overwhelmed with all the feelings of how fast time has gone and I feel I don’t have enough time for everything that needs to get done. It was really hard to focus/concentrate bc I was so “hurry hurry hurry!” But things are pickin up again. Wednesday I experienced a miracle J We were at the bus stop waiting and I thought that while I was waiting I would try to talk to some ppl. I stepped out when I Spanish lady stepped in, I smiled and said hello. I stood there contemplating if I should try to talk to her or fearless someone else. For about 3 mintues I was just standing there talking in my head lol. I was looking around when I turn around and she is next to me. She says, “I need to know about your church.” I think that maybe my jaw just dropped. I haven’t heard that one yet. I was just screaming in my head, “Oh my gosh.” I was like, “Oh, haha, well…” and I pointed right at the street sign, “It’s right on that street on block down.” I thought she was gonna cry, “Really!? That is so great!” She proceeds to tell me that she was living in Manhattan for a little and was meeting with the Spanish missionaries there for about 6 months. But she lost contact bc she stopped going to church bc the commute was too hard and then she moved here. I find that she is a single mom of 7 children, her husband left her. I was able to carry her stroller and talk with her on the bus. She is such a sweetheart and I was able to get her information. She wanted me to send the Spanish elders, she wants to go to church. At her stop I helped get her stroller off and said good bye. I just sat on the bus…so humbled. It was incredible. The elders have called her and she is very sincere. They are meeting with her tomorrow J I hope to see her at church. The family we are working with, Mike, Reshma, and Ashley are getting baptized on Sunday :D It is going to be so nice. We went to another baptism yesterday. His name was Janet (Johnea) and he is actually a famous painter in Haiti. It was really neat. After E. Merrill baptized him, Janet turned around and just grasped him in a big hug. It was soooo cool. Another woman is also getting baptized next week with the family. It’s going to be awesome. Well! I think that about does it for this week! I hope you all have a SPLENDID one! I love you so much and will be back next week! Love you!



Sister Phillips

Brad's first email

Hey hows life going the email thing isa pain but i am finally on. so the Mtc is sweet so many nice people and a lot tolearn so you wont believe who is the 1st counsler in our branch president.. it is Joseph Craig Phillips dads cousin so we had a nice talk and he took our phone nember. And this missionary in my branch is elder Funaki's cousin so small world. also there is this other Elder tenney is just like me a hunter and all so it is fun, and the elders in my room are amazing. There is my Comp. Elder Beach then elder Hintzy And Elder Schofield. I hope you got my letter and you willbe recieving another soon. would you like to get me some addresses for colby and logan. andsend me those close and a jacket and the hoodie and a pair of my wranglers the middle color of blue and maybe some Mtn. Dew. ha ha. Yesterday we got to hear from President Bruce C. Hafen of the seventy and it was amazing the spirit is out of control and it is actually going farly fast. but there is still a lot learn Remember I love you. Love Elder Phillips

Hi ya family! This week went by so stinkin fast! The weather here is (opera voice) INCREDIBLE! J It feels like baseball season! Tehe. I can go out with out my coat and in the sun, with out a jacket! J I hope the snow doesn’t come destroy this greatness J Brad is now Elder Phillips J So crazy! I can’t wait to hear how he is doing! Yesterday we had yet another baptism. J We haven’t had a Sunday without one since I have been here. We got our investigator Amos to come with us. He came to church and then to the baptism right after. He is really awesome. There are some crazy things going on that we are wondering if we could get him baptized, but still, he is a great guy who is so….GOOD!

I get to go to the temple this Thursday for my ½ way mark! I can’t believe it is seriously march! That it has been a year since I got my call….???? Fareakky! I can’t believe I have lived in New York for 9 months now. We are working with some great people, investigators and Less Actives. The work is going well. And it is so true what Elder Perry said in his talk from last conference. Tracting isn’t as effective, but when we get referrals from the members the work just flies! The family we are working with is referred from a recent convert, they all want to get baptized. The mother, Reshma (hindu) has a date of March 21st. This gospel is great. The work is miraculous. I love Joseph Smith so much for the things he went through to make the Restoration happen. We are so blessed to live in these times. Keep on keepin’ on family! I love you and will be back next Monday! J



Love,

Sister Phillips

MTC (mothers tourture chamber)

mArCh MiRaCLeS‏

Chellom! Brad’s last Monday at home! I had to force myself to not think about it all week, which was especially hard on Sunday. I kept thinking of what everyone was probably doing and was really wanting to be there. I know Brad did amazing and he’ll be a great missionary. I miss him lots….it’s gonna be a while till I see him again.

This week was a really slow week, but it was really good as well. We went to go look up a former investigator. We were heart attacking her door when I man came out of another door on the same floor. We got done and went to go down the stairs where he was standing. We said hello and asked how he was. He answered not good, he was having a rough day. We asked him if there was anything we could do and he asked if we could talk. We were like, “sure!” We ended up talking for 11/2 to 2 hrs. He was raised baptiste and told to not talk to the Mormons. He asked a lot of great questions. At the end he said, “I really like what you are teaching. It makes sense.” :D He wanted a BOM so we met him again the next day and taught him. When I told him that we lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ before we came here he said, “You have blown me away.” He was astounded. He loved it. He told us the first time we met him that he believes that everything happens for a reason and that he knows that we were supposed to meet. He is 27 from Florida and has only been in NY for 21/2 months. He said that he has been looking for a church that is right for him bc he has been putting God second in his life. He was so prepared. We were planning on going to Bensonhurst (S. Smith’s old area) on Sunday (yesterday) bc if you all remember Isabelle, who showed up at church and loved it but ended up not being in our area; well she was in Bensonhursts area and she is getting baptized. So Pres said we could go bc S. Smith was originally “supposed” to be there and I had first taught her. But when Amos said he was going to take Sunday off to come to church, we both wondered what we were gonna do. We went home and prayed about it and didn’t know. When we met with him the second time, the spirit was so strong and we both knew that we must make this sacrifice. We were called here, we must be here. Amos came to church yesterday. :D The hard part was seating. We had over the number that we can fit in the chapel. The elders were bringin in as many chairs as they could fit, and a lady came and stole Amos’ chair. So he stayed out during the sacrament and Elder Merrill taught him about the Priesthood. :D He came in and during one of the talks he leaned over and said, “I like this.” He kept nodding his head at things and even sang the songs. Then we got in gospel principles and man….haha, ppl were all surprised bc he just had such amazing questions. Then we had a game where we had to guess what prophet went to what story. Amos knew all of them except Adam, he didn’t understand why we looked at Adam as a prophet. When he left his only concern was a living prophet and knowing if he was a true prophet and not a false one. He loved the elders and when we got out he told us that he wanted to be a lot more forward and ask a lot more questions but the teacher was so “small and innocent” that he didn’t want to put her on the spot. HAHAHAH. So we are meeting him at the church with the Elders. Its gonna be awesome. :D I am really excited. He is so funny, we just love him. So pray for Amos.

Then we met with another investigator who has only been here a year and is learning English, she speaks French. It was so awesome bc the sisters before never showed her The Restoration DVD, so that was what we were gonna do. We ended up watching it in French with English subtitles. The spirit was incredible…..absolutely incredible. You could really feel that there was someone else in that room. I loved watching it in a different language.

Today we got a text. We have been asked to take the greenies on a street sweep (where we go out on the sidewalk and talk to ppl). They get here today and before they go home they are putting them right in….RIGHT HERE IN JAMAICA! Haha, poor kids….Jamaica is so crazy, this will be their first fearlessing experience. It’ll be awesome. We get to meet the new sisters. There are two coming in, but idk if they are English or Spanish.

I can’t believe it is already March. My half way is on Wednesday which is even more weird. It’s so weird to think that the time I have left is how long I have been here. It’s scary bc it went so fast, I feel like I just got here…..how will the next 8 months be? Hmmm. Pretty scary. But I am excited for summer still!!!! It snowed like crazy here!!! Brrrrr. I can’t wait to get rid of this coat!!!! It is so beat up. I find my wardrobe quite funny….the sole on my shoe is practically hanging off lol. Gotta find some new ones J Hey! I love you all and hope you have a hApPy MaRcH!!!!



LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Phillips

farewell pics