I've learned not to doubt what God can do.

February 9th, 
Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you are all doing swell.  This past week was pretty awesome for us.  We encountered 6 or so different deaf people this week.  It was a miracle!  A few of them were pretty interested in our message and we actually will meet one this Wednesday.  It is pretty amazing what can happen in missionary work.  I've learned not to doubt what God can do. 

We had zone conference this past week and there were so many things that impacted me that day.  I think one thing is that maybe as people we look at ourselves too harshly.  Some people are prideful, thinking they are the best, and maybe they should look at themselves more harshly, but I feel like for the most part people aren't like that.  Many people see themselves as failures.  Whether that is true or not, God does not see us that way.  He sees us as most parents would see a downtrodden child.  Not with harshness, not happy that this wayward child finally got what's coming to him, and not with any ado in beginning to heal us.  Love you all. 

Love,
Elder Phillips

February 16th,
Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a good week.  This past week we met with a deaf investigator named Mr Lee.  He also introduced his wife, who is hard of hearing, to us.  They were both very kind and interested in the gospel.  Mr Lee was able to come to church yesterday.

Chinese New Year is coming up.  It is by far the biggest holiday in China.  There are a lot of cool traditions that have to do with this holiday.  One of them is "red packet money." I'm sure you have all heard of it!  It is where older (usually married) people give red packets filled with money to some of the younger (usually non-married) people.  It's a pretty cool tradition if you ask me, I mean who doesn't like some extra money?

Other than that, the two most important things that are a part of the New Year are family and food.  Family visits are expected around the New Year and are very important.  In fact in Chinese there is an extensive set of vocabulary used to address specific relatives.  It gets very specific.  In English you might just say grandma, grandpa, cousin, aunt, or uncle.  But in Chinese it is much more specific. For example, rather than calling your aunt "aunt" you could call them a-yi, gu-ma, gu-je, yi-ma, kau-mou, and more.  They all mean aunt, but they give insight into whether or not the aunt is paternal or maternal.  It also tells how old they are in relation to your parents, and more.  So you never call them by their full names, you just call them aunt, uncle, grandma or whatever.  There is no confusion since there are so many specific terms for each person. 

Anyway love you all.  Wish you the best!

Love,
Elder Phillips

Prayer and faith goes a long way.

Jan.18th
Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a long time since I've written an update!  It has certainly been a great time in Yuen Long so far.  We have a few deaf potential investigators which is super exciting.  Mostly they were found by other missionaries who then turned them over to us.  We are very blessed.  

Here is one awesome story about one of those turn overs.  Elder Hafen (my old friend from Hong Kong island zone) called us and said they found some deaf people that wanted to meet.  Elder Hafen is a Mandarin missionary.  Back when we found Roger (an awesome guy from Mainland) the Mandarins always came to our church building to teach him.  Because of that Elder Hafen got to learn sign language a bit because he always saw our deaf investigators at the church.  Anyway, now he is serving in another part of Hong Kong and always seems to run into deaf people.  So Elder Tung and I went out to his area to meet these deaf people.  We met them at the Metro stop in Sha Tin, and then went to a nearby Mcdonalds.  We ate and talked.  Then we started talking about the Book of Mormon.  it was a simple lesson, but I went away from there feeling so good.  In that lesson I think my sign language was the best it has ever been.  There was definitely divine help.  It was so humbling and amazing to really communicate with such good people.  We will meet them again later. The story might sound plain, or simple, but I came out of that McDonalds feeling as good as I've ever felt in my life.  

Love,
Elder Phillips

Jan. 25th
The week was sweet.  We met a bunch of new deaf people. It's been amazing to see all the miracles that have happened. When I came here I just kept praying that something would actually happen with deaf work, and it has!  Prayer and faith goes a long way.  

Love is an incredibly powerful thing...

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I certainly did!  It was basically a regular missionary day but we went to a BBQ activity that our ward was holding.  The activity was actually held in my first area (Tuen Muhn).  Going back to Tuen Muhn felt pretty weird.  It was a cool feeling, though.

Yuen Long is a cool place.  We met a lot of new people this week so that was awesome!  I don't know if I mentioned this already, but the sisters found a deaf lady on the street and gave her phone number to us.  Then we were able to schedule her!  This is the start of deaf work in Yuen Long for me and my companion. 

Love is an incredibly powerful thing.  It can penetrate all barriers, destroy any sort of negative feeling, and give you the strength to push on.  After this week of meeting new people on the streets, in the ward, and also talking over the phone with my family back home, I have realized again how vital love is.  Greatest of all is the love for our Savior.  I have realized you cannot fully love God while harboring thoughts of hatred toward another.  Love brings miracles. 

Love,
Elder Phillips

I am now in Yuen Long...

New Companion Elder Tung

 

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas!  I moved.  I am now in Yuen Long.  In Hong Kong there are two wards with Sign Language translation.  1. Yuen Long 2. Pok Fu Lam.  I was switched to the other sign language ward, so you can all guess why I ended up in Yuen Long.  Leaving Pok Fu Lam was the hardest thing I've done on my mission.  I was there for 10 months.  That place was my home.  I'll never forget the people I met, the things that happened, and everything else about Pok Fu Lam.  It was very hard to leave, but I was also very excited to come to Yuen Long. 

I attended church yesterday in Yuen Long and I don't want to sound vain or prideful at all but I felt like a hero coming in.  The bishop actaully asked my mission president that sign language missionaries would be sent to his ward so they could help them more.  People were just so glad that they had sign language missionaries.  The deaf members were ecstatic.  I knew two of them from before because they came and visited Pok Fu Lam Ward a while ago.  Brother Chung is one (he is just hard of hearing so he can actually speak and do sign languge but his wife is deaf).  When he saw me he hugged me and they invited us over next Saturday.  I'm glad they are excited we are here, because if we are to have success, it will be dependent on the ward members.  I've never found a deaf investigator on the street.  It is all from referrals or from other missionaries contacting them. 

All I have to say is that I am here for a reason.  Here on my mission, here in Hong Kong, here in Yuen Long.  It is all for a reason.  Whether or not we have success is of no great importance.  If we follow God and serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength we will already be successful in his eyes.  I will not be ruled by doubt, fright, or anxiety.  Jesus Christ whose yoke is light and buden easy, is my ruler.  Merry Christmas to all.  Watch some Christmas movies for me.

Love,

Elder Phillips

 

 

 

 





I'll never forget the people I met, the things that happened, and everything else about Pok Fu Lam.  

 

I think all of this proves that God will provide a way.

Grace's Baptism!! (more pictures below)

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a good week.  Yesterday, Grace was baptized.  She is a great lady.  She is very humble.  Her testimony and desire are very strong.  Her baptismal service was a great event.  Everyone in the ward felt so close together.  Our relief society president is so boss.  She translates a lot because she knows sign language, but yesterday at the baptism she welcomed Grace to the ward.  It was really cool.  

A lot of crazy stuff happened this week.  We had companion exchanges and I went to Causeway Bay for a day.  It is so busy, so we went to a park to go finding.  I was with Elder Peacock who is from Ireland.  He is a swell guy.  It's so important to get a new perspective on things, because it is so easy to get yourself into a rut when dong missionary work.

Leadership is a very important thing in the mission, church, and entire world.  But many have a misconception of what that it.  I have learned that great leadership does not come from domination or asserting your will, but from bringing out the good in others. When one person tries to use force to get others to conform, that person kills so much good that could be brought about.

 I've also learned that in every argument, debate, or fight.  It is not exclusively the fault of one person.  Usually both parties have contributed to the contention.  So with that I have learned to sincerely apologize, and not expect one in return.  Whether or not the other party admits their fault is not my problem.  If I've forgiven others, and asked for their forgiveness then I am clean before God.  If the other party thinks they have nothing to change then they have their reward.  

I thank you all for your support, love, and prayers.  I know there is much more you do that I do not know about. Love you!

Love,
Elder Phillips

Dear Friends and Family,

I don't have a lot to write this week, I just want to wish you all the best!! In some parts of Hong Kong they are serious about putting up Christmas decorations!   

Grace was confirmed in yesterday's Sacrament meeting.  It is so interesting to have a sizable part of the ward be deaf.  Grace is doing great.  A really cool thing that happened yesterday was that 5 deaf less actives came to  church!  The deaf members here are hardcore about finding the deaf less actives.  That is a huge miracle right there.  

Move calls are tomorrow.  It is a bit scary.  I don't like the idea of leaving Pok Fu Lam, but if I must, then of course I will.  Learning and working in Sign Language has been the most unexpected but greatest part of my mission.  I think all of this proves that God will provide a way.  It does not matter that they can't hear.  The gospel still rings true to them as it does to all people, in all nations of the world.  Even to the ends of the universe.  The changes and things that happen in our lives can never overshadow the unchangeable fact that God is real.  He is our life and our light.  I know that he in a very real sense is with us, even unto the end of the earth. Love you all!  Merry Christmas!

Love,
Elder Phillips

Grace's baptism pictures!

P-Day

Lunch Date

View from our apartment

The worth of our souls is great in God's eyes.

Engraved in this rock is the date that a group of Saints dedicated the land of Hong Kong!  That was all the way back in 1949!  Pretty sweet huh?


Dear Friends and Family,

Thanksgiving was very cool.  We brought ice cream for our zone because we were too lazy to make anything!  But the ice cream was very well appreciated.  It was really nice to have a thanksgiving meal and be with friends.  I saw some old friends including one missionary I met way back when I was in Butterfly.  She started her mission about the same time I did, but she will be finishing this month.  It was very shocking to me because I realized that I'm getting old.  

Another interesting event this past week was a wedding reception at our chapel.  We didn't really intend on going at first, but we found out two potential investigators would be intending.  One of them is the little brother of the bride.  I talked to him on the phone a week or so ago.  He is awesome and really wants to meet, so we figured it was a good time to meet him face to face. Anyway, we came for the tail end of the wedding.  There were a ton of people from Africa there because the groom is African.  He does not speak Chinese but his wife and him speak English to each other.  It was super cool because a lot of the Africans came up on the stage and played this awesome song.  

Among all the fun of this week, we got a lot of work done.  Grace is doing well.  She will be getting baptized this coming Sunday.  

I would not dare classify all deaf people into one category, but I have seen a trend among many deaf people.  They are just humble people.  They speak simpler.  They act like real people.  I would say in general that they are not as fake as others can be sometimes. That's why I like them so much.  It was funny.  President Hawks came to visit Pok Fu Lam Ward this past Sunday and Sister Chan kept telling him not to move Elder Groberg and I!  Seeing that I really mattered in the eyes of my friends makes me feel grateful to God.  The worth of our souls is great in God's eyes.  I want to see people that way.  

Though I never give a full account of what is happening here, I hope you can all have an idea of just how great these things are. They are not always fun or easy, but they are great.  I love you all.

Love,
Elder Phillips

View from the mountain hike we took.

This Thanksgiving, I have chosen to be grateful for everything in my life...

Hong Kong Temple

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all eat a lot and have a great time.  This Thanksgiving we will be celebrating as a zone by eating a meal together.  It's going to be cool.  Our responsibility is to bring dessert, so we decided to get ice cream.  

The mission has proved to be hard in ways that I never thought possible, but it's all part of the plan.  This Thanksgiving, I have chosen to be grateful for everything in my life.  I want to thank God in the good times and the bad times.  

Our investigator is doing very well.  Hopefully she will be baptized in December!  I will send some pictures if it happens.  She has received the commandments so easily.  As soon as she heard the Word of Wisdom she stopped drinking tea an coffee.  Tea may seem like an easy thing to give up in America, but in China tea is a huge part of their diet and culture.  They drink tea as if it is water.  So it is no small feat when a person is able to turn away from that.  

Every day is a new start for me.  I am so far from perfect, yet I have confidence that the Lord is changing me.  The holiday season will be very special for me.  Though I am far from many of those I love, I will not forget who I am.  Love you all.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

Love,
Elder Phillips

Cookie Baking Activity