It has been a stellar week...

Jason's  baptism pictures!

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a stellar week.  Jason Li got baptized yesterday.  It was an awesome event.  My companion Elder Groberg actually baptized him.  We met him about 6 weeks ago, he has made so much progress in that short amount of time.  I've seen him become happier, and that has been a great blessing. 

Here is a cool story.  Elder Groberg and I were teaching Chan Kam Yan, and at the end of a lesson a young man comes in the church and asks us for a Book of Mormon.  We had never seen him before, but we had him sit down with us as we finished up Chan Kam Yan's lesson.  After that, we started talking to him and found out he had met with missionaries a year before.  He had a Book of Mormon already, but he wanted another one to give to his friend. He knew that Book of Mormon could help his friend.  He himself also knows the Book of Mormon is true.  He agreed to baptism.  He does not live in our area, so we turned him over to the Aberdeen Elders.  His name is Aldous. 

I don't have much else to say, other than I know this work is true. There are times of joy and times of sadness in it, but at every time God is in it. 

Love,
Elder Phillips

...the love of Jesus Christ brings freedom.

pictures of Chan Kam Yan's Baptism.

Also Sister Chan's son (Sung Ho) was baptized.  

a picture at the Sport's Day event where I ran into a member from my old "Butterfly" ward.  

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a pretty good time in Pok Fu Lam lately.  This coming Sunday, we have a scheduled baptism, so next Monday I will let you know if it all works out!  His name is Jason and he is a very good kid.  He is 15.  

September has passed by too quickly.  A week back, Sister Chan's son got baptized.  His name is Sung Ho Wing.  He has always been a pretty loud and sometimes naughty kid, but he has changed a great deal.  I remember riding on the bus with him awhile back. We passed by a graveyard and he said: "We don't worship our graves, because we worship Jesus Christ."  I thought that was pretty awesome.  On another occasion, we were at a Sport's activity and he came up to me and said:  Jesus Came today!  I looked up at this cloud that had rays of light beaming out of it, and I knew what he meant.  I thought it was really sweet, to see such a strong belief. Even though he is only 8 years old, the gospel really has changed him for the better.

I think I've found one of my purposes in my mission and for the rest of my life.  That purpose is to be a voice of compassion to the poor in heart.  The world is full of harsh, cruel, and disturbing sounds and voices.  I think I was meant to be a voice of mildness and love, speaking things that are pleasing to God.  I know that it is not my love that will free these people, but it is the love of Jesus Christ that will free them.   "Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy."  

An awesome baptism and an inspiring visit from Elder Rasband!

Area update - Elder Phillips is still serving in the same area (Po Fu Lam Ward), I think I left everyone hanging for a couple weeks after he had mentioned that transfers were coming. They came and went and he remained in his area, sorry about the delay.

Sept. 1st
Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday our investigator Brother Yan got baptized.  It was so awesome.  He is deaf, so we had another deaf member baptize him.  The deaf member used Sign Language to baptize him, so it was so cool.  I will send you some pictures of the baptism in a moment.

For the baptismal service, Pok Fu Lam and Aberdeen Ward combined.  Between the six missionaries 3 people got baptized.  I never expected that I would teach a deaf person and help them get baptized.  Life is full of suprises. 

There is not much more I can add to what happened this week.  Just look at the pictures and see the result of everything we have been striving for. 

Sept. 8th
Dear Friends and Family

Again I am so sorry that I cannot give you the pictures of the baptism.  We had a last minute missionary meeting today and I forgot my camera!  Let me tell you about that meeting though.

Elder Rasband (Senior President of the Seventy) came to visit Hong Kong this past week.  He attended Stake Conference as well as this Missionary meeting we just had today.  It was a great experience.  I feel like there is real improvement happening in Hong Kong as well as the entire world.  I feel like the Church is starting to truly hasten the work of salvation.  Barriers are being broken down.  Maybe it is all in my mind, but I think the members of the church worldwide are coming together.  These were my thoughts this weekend as we heard from Elder Rasband and other speakers.  

Here is a cool story from this week.  So a while ago a missionary wanted to learn sign language, so he asked me to ask Sister Chan (the deaf sister) to buy some sign language books.  The other night, sister Chan bought them and gave them to us to give to that missionary.  I intended to give them to him at the "all missionary" meeting today.  However, I ran into an old friend named Elder Hafen.  He is familiar with deaf work in Pok Fu Lam and we taught him some sign language.  Afterwards he went to Macau and recently he contacted a deaf couple in Macau.  Then they introduced all their deaf friends, and now there are about 15 deaf potentials in Macau.  So as I talked with Elder Hafen, I realized we have these awesome sign language books that he could learn from because nobody (missionaries) in Macau knows sign language! They currently are looking for people who could potentially translate.  The deaf wave has spread to Macau!  I won't say anything too soon because we don't know what will happen there.  But we are all very excited.  

That is all I have to say today.  Love you all!

Love,
Elder Phillips