I will share the gospel all of my life...

Hello Friends and Family,

This past week was a pretty cool week.  Our investigators with Baptismal Dates are doing really well.  Mr Chan and Mrs Lee are our two solid ones right now. 

Move calls are this coming week.  I hope I get to stay.  Learning and teaching in Sign language has been a highlight of my mission.  I'm far from perfect at it.  But I know the Lord calls us in our weakness and qualifies us for his work.  The case is the same with Chinese.  Surely I have only scraped the surface of it.   However, I know that the things I fall short on will be made up for by God.
  
We have been finding some new people with potential.  All around it has been pretty good. I will share the gospel all of my life.  I know when I get home that my purpose is still to invite others to come unto Christ.  It is the greatest responsibility the Church has, and the greatest responsibility I will have.
  
I started studying Chinese characters a couple weeks ago.  It has been going great.  I feel like I am learning a lot.  I am on the quest.  It is kind of like becoming a Jedi in Star Wars.
  
Mom, I hear you are in Arizona.  I hope everything goes well with Lexi!  Send me some pictures when you have a chance!  Tell everyone I love them!

Today we are going to Monkey Mountain.  Do you remember how much I hated Cosmo (Uncle Derek's monkey).  This time I might actually get mauled by a monkey!

Love you all!
Elder Phillips

Lion's Rock...famous among missionaries.

Lion's Rock

Dear Friends and Family,

We had good things happen this week!  The greatest thing is that our investigator Lee accepted a baptismal date.  I am really hoping to be able to see her get baptized, hopefully I won't move! hehe.  

We had a mission tour this past week.  Elder Randy D Fung and Elder Wong came and talked to us.  They gave some inspirational talks.  I think it is very important to have those meetings.  No matter how good of a missionary you are, you always need to be recharged.  

We got a call this week from the missionaries in Tolo Harbor.  They told us that the Lost Sheep Elder Groberg and I found is doing very well.  He is committed to come back to church and become active again!  It is pretty cool.  

Today we went on a hike called Lion's Rock.  It is famous among missionaries and we got some pretty cool pictures.  I will send them to you.  I'm still sweating from the hike.  Anyway love you all!

Love,
Elder Phillips

Some good...some sad...and some crazy stuff

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was pretty good. Our new investigator Lee, came to church and brought her son.  It was pretty sweet.  Her son is not deaf.  He really liked church, so he says he will come back next week.

Last night we ran into a lady who is from the Gwong Chau Province.  She is planning on having her baby in Hong Kong.  Her name is Tina.  She wants her kid to join a church.  So she was very happy to run into us on the street!  She scheduled to meet us this Wednesday with her husband.
  
Sadly, our investigator Mr.Wong was not able to be baptized right now because of some pressure and opposition from his family.
  
So here is a crazy story.  Last month when we had summer missionaries, my companion had a run in with some guy from Chi Fu.  The guy had pretty good English and he was mocking my companion and the summer missionary.  I was not there for that part, but later that night when all four of us missionaries were together,  we ran into him again.  He approaches my companion and starts saying some rude stuff to him. Then the Elder whips out an English Class flier and tells him to come to English Class to improve his English. The guy was super offended because he is prideful about his English, so he said some British cuss words to us that we did not totally understand until we later asked an Elder from England.  Anyway we got on the bus and escaped from that guy.  I thought we'd never run into him again...

However, two nights ago he saw us in Chi Fu and started following us around.  Eventually we go into the mall to go to the bathroom.  Before I go in, Sister Chan (the deaf member) walks by and we start chatting with her.  As we are chatting, the crazy guy comes up to the same Elder as before, and gets in his face.  The words that came out of his mouth were startling.  He was cursing left and right. The guy was not happy at all.  At the end he walks away.  As he walks he whistles to get our attention and then sticks his middle finger up.  Sister Chan saw the middle finger and she was in shock. Anyway, was a bit humerous. 
   
Love you all,
Elder Phillips