Feliz Navidad

I´m very happy with the outcome of this Christmas :) my family is happy, I´m happy, everything seems to be going pretty well. First and formost I feel the need to say that while worrying for my family when I first came on my mission, and still worrying from time to time, I was guided by the Spirit to a scripture that I´ve come to love. D&C 101:16,¨ Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.¨ Instead of Zion I think of my family. Before even finding that scripture, I had heard the Spirit whisper so many times.¨They are in good hands. They are in My hands.¨ I have a strong testimony that God cares for those that lose themselves in His service. As reads the scripture in Mark 8:34-35- ¨And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself (and let me add family), and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life (and may I add family) for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.¨ There´s nothing more comforting to a lonely missionary than the assurance that all the he cares for are in the hands of the Almighty, the All-Powerful God. I know that Jesus Christ was born more than 2000 years ago. I know that He lives. I know that those who lose themselves in His work are blessed beyond compare. We must all take up part of the cross that He bore. We must all carry the cross of our brothers and sisters. That means that we must serve our neighbor, and what better service than that of sharing His gospel. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot 

Consagración

First of all I just want you all to know that I am aware of the awesome gas prices up there in the USA. Haha man am I jealous!

On a more serious note, this week has been a great experience. With my new comp Elder Romer from Texas, we were able to see a few miracles within just a week! I´m pumped to see how this transfer goes because we have a good rythm going and hopefully we can keep up a good beat and keep on progressing because we have lots of potential here in Tucumán, Belgrano 1.

Yesterday we were able to attend a rather delightful Christmas conference with Presidente Chapparo and his wife. I especially enjoyed the talk by President who spoke about the need to consecrate ourselves to the Lord (not just in the mission btw, but also in life before and after). What most caught my attention is that he said that a consecrated person isn´t scared of what others may think, he is only worried about what the Lord thinks. A consecrated person is aware of God´s constant eye that is watching at all times and not only when others are around. It reminds me of an episode of Malcolm in the Middle when the youngest, Dewey, asks his brothers what God would think as they were playing a prank. He asked if God would know. Then the oldest says to his brother, No stupid, God can´t see through roofs! Hahaha it´s very ironic and so untrue! God knows. But that doesn´t mean that He will punish us very every little mess up or omission. The grace of God is sufficient to save a man FROM his sons but not IN his sins. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

These computers are really bugging me, it´s hard to send pics :(

I call home on the 25th at 3 or 4! Fun fun. But not the last. Haha

Estrés

I´m sorry that I didn´t write last week but it was pretty hectic last monday. But man, would I have to say that it was a fun week. Last monday, we planned to go to El Cadillal, a beautiful lake about an hour from our zone. We had everything planned perfectly. At 7 in the morning, we all were going to meet in the terminal, we were going to arrive at 8, we would hike for 2 hours to a waterfall that I visited last year, hike back in 2 hours and take the bus at 12 noon. Well, it didn´t exactly go as we had planned. Haha we got to the terminal on time, but 2 sister missionaries sent a text saying that they were going to get there a little late because their bus was driving slow. As we stalled the bus a little, they ran as fast as possible but we had already pulled out of the parking lot. Luckily, we saw them running and they ran to the bus just as it was about the leave the station. We got there safe and started to hike. We got to the trail head and I failed to pay attention/remember that it was a difficult hike not appropriate for girls who aren´t used to doing hard things. Haha after some three hours and hundreds of falls and helping hermanas get back up, we got to the waterfall. We took a ton of pictures. It was beautiful. I took lots of pics, mom, don´t worry. And we started back home at about 11:30. Not going as planned so far. Well, we did just about the same on the way back and decided to eat at a restaurant on the coast of the lake. We were worried that we would miss the bus so we ate like wild dogs and started for the bus stop. When our two ¨scouts¨ got to the bus stop it had already left and we were stuck in heaven. To try to get back in time, we had to all call a taxi and try to get home (paying a lot of money btw). Then we had to leave immediately because we had to travel to Salta for our Leader´s Counsel. When we got to the terminal for the second time that day, we saw all the missionaries that couldn´t get a taxi in their normal clothing arriving at the terminal. They had waited for the next bus that would have come at 6. I felt terrible. I had planned an activity and the majority ended up suffering for disobeying the schedule on P-Day. We called President and explained what happened. I´ve come to really appreciate what he told us. ¨The next time, it´ll be much better if you plan much better¨. (I honestly don´t know if that´s good english but you get the idea). 

Many times in our lives, we will run into obstacles and things won´t always go as planned, but if there´s one thing that I´ve learned this week, it´s that as we plan for the little things and for our failures, our lives become much easier. God planned our creation. God also planned for the fall of Adam and Eve. We also can follow His example by planning according to His will. Plan, it´s the easy way. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I don´t have time. I´ll send pics next week. 

Tucumán Tucumán

You know, after about 500 emails sent home I´m not exactly sure what I can say. Haha I´m happy. I´m healthy. I´m keeping myself relatively cool in this humid climate. And the people treat me well. If you want to hear something funny, I could tell you about the way people talk here. But I think everyone already knows that here in Tucuman it´s not the purest spanish in the world. Or I could talk about the number of dogs that are just funny looking because animal control doesn´t exist here. Or I could tell about the dog that lives in our apartment building that has a disorder and keeps getting fatter and fatter. Or I could even talk about the flies that are for some reason a little slower here and much easier to catch or squish. Or I could talk about the number of people that can fit on a single moped or motorcycle (you´d be surprised). But I want to talk a little about the love that God has for every single one of His children. ¨For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son.¨ It doesn´t matter how many strange things there are in Argentina, in fact, the things of this world don´t matter much at all. What really matters is our personal commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Savior. As I think of my Savior, I think of all the awesome people that I´ve come to help thanks to a simple decision to follow God and serve a mission. I also think of what I still owe Him and it makes me want to be better every day. For God so loved Elder Philpot, that He allowed him to serve a mission and meet all these wonderful people. For God so loved YOU, that He sent the Gospel into your life. The blessings are uncountable, infinite. Elijah, it´s about time that you leave on a mission. You have no idea what awaits you. I love you guys! We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. So simple, but so immense. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I believe in miracles

Well, I honestly have no time at all for a few inconveniences but this week has been awesome. I love my comp, I love my area, and I love the people here in Tucumán. We´re going to have a lot of success. I was also able to attend a special conference with the whole mission and Elder Cook. Suffice it to say that I was left open-mouthed. I also was able to eat lunch with the first baptism that I was able to see here in Argentina, Yolanda. One of the persons that I most care for. I am grateful for the mission. I am grateful for my parents. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know it and I live it, but most of all, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Baptisms and Buckets

For lack of time I´m gonna have to be short. It was an awesome week! There are so many people prepared to hear the Gospel here in Tucumán! This week a little boy was baptized and it was so awesome! He´s been wanting to be baptized for so long but the missionaries kept saying that he should wait for the rest of his family. He couldn´t take the wait so he was baptized this saturday. It was very special. 

The hard part was trying to drain the baptismal font afterwards! Haha the water sucker thing, I don´t know what it´s called in english, was broken so we had to use buckets and empty the thing by hand. Quite the adventure if you ask me. Haha but I´ve learned this week about the importance of maintaining a constant desire to be better than what we´ve always been. If we always do what we´ve always done, we´ll always be who we´ve always been. Progress is the habit of perfection. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Home sweet home

Sounds like everyone is having fun in their respective places of stay. I am also having fun in my new old place of stay. This week I was asked to pack up my things and take a bus to my city of birth (in the mission), Tucumán. Haha they transferred me to the zone of my first area, Parque Guillermina, and now I´ll be supervising the work in a place that I´m already so familiar with. My area is called Belgrano 2. What makes it even more ironic is that I´m with an old friend that I came to really love here in this very zone. My companion is Elder Smith. No... his name is not Joseph. When I received the call last night I was almost sure that I would go due to the already very long stay in Palermo. When they told me that I´d be ZL in the same zone where I started with a companion that I met while there just made me awe in amazement. Haha whats more, while in a conference together, Elder Smith and I proposed to Pdt Chaparro that he should make us companions. Well look how fickle life can be! Hahaha

Anyways, apart from the irony and a ton of fun memories, I´m super excited to get to work once again in Tucumán. During this week, I´ve also been able to acquire new skills. I´m learning to play piano and I´m not half bad. I´m learning to focus on the most important, because I don´t have much time. But what I most have come to learn is that God is in charge and that´s that.... but! we can plead with Him and He will listen. Prayer has the power, not to change what is around us, but to change our very selves so that what is around us becomes a miracle. This is a great truth. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

BTW- fam, I extended my mission until May 31st. I´ve prayed and I feel like it is what the Lord desires. And mom, I asked permission from dad. Haha

Oh esta, todo bien

For lack of time, I´m gonna have to be short. Sounds like everything is awesome at home, especially the news about the new Star Wars movie :O I´m a little sad, but at the same time, I´ll have more fun... I get to use the force here in Argentina... You all are just gonna see it on a big screen. Haha this week has been pretty great. I´ve been here in my area a little while so I´m starting get a little bored of the same sights. But, the great thing about being in the same area for a long time is getting to know the people and really come to love every single one of them. 

As for our investigators, they´re doing great! The only thing is that almost every single one of them has to overcome some big obstacle (such as marriage when the other part isn´t agreed, or permission, etc). One of the things that I´ve come to realize is the great need of being a constant pray-er. When things are alright, our prayers tend to lose power and we let our prideful selves get the best of us. I hope that we can all come to master the art of the forc.. I mean prayer. If we do so, our lives will be miracles. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Earthquake

As many may have heard, Salta has been shaking with fear of Elder Philpot. Haha a small and almost unnoticeable earthquake struck just the other day and luckily it wasn´t any more than the topic of everybody´s conversation. I missed it because I was blowing my nose. I was only able to hear the clattering of the windows behind me. But what most made me think was a comment that a recent convert made to my companion on the cell phone. He asked if we had felt the earthquake and he replied that we had. Then the recent convert said,¨I didn´t... because I´m founded upon the rock.¨ What a comment! If a man that was baptized just a month ago has the capacity to understand the very center of the Gospel, then why is it difficult for so many others to really grasp it. The center of everything that we do is Jesus Christ, the rock upon which we must build. The rock that, if we build upon it, will not let us fall. I feel a very profound love for the Gospel and I understand that everything depends on our obedience to and love for the Gospel. What I´ve seen abundantly here in the mission is the number of people who pull away from the Church for a negative comment said about them or for the faults of a leader. But what makes me even more sad is when they express a love for the Savior and fail to make it known by their actions. All the Christ asks is that be like Him but often times we blame our own lack of obedience on the faults of others. I hope that we can all keep in mind that the two great commandments are in order for a reason. We must love God above all things, afterwards loving our neighbor even unto ourselves. A question that I like to keep in mind, said by a member of the 70 in the conference of October 2014,¨Which way do you face?¨ If we face always towards the Lord, we will always feel His love. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

El servicio sin amor no sirve

Finally got my birthday package and man am I happy! Haha with all the flaming hot cheetos my mouth has been red and fiery since Tuesday. Thank you Cheetos company for making a young missionary happy far from home on a Mormon mission. Haha and of course thank you mom and dad. This week has been pretty busy and we´ve been running around Salta quite a bit. Once again we atended Leadership Council and shortly after we transmitted the message to the zone in Zone Training. I was lucky to share one of my favorite messages, one that I came to love while serving with a good bud, Elder Blake. It has to do with where our success comes from as missionaries. Obedience, Dilligence, and Charity. But with the little time I have, I´d like to talk about how much charity means to me in the mission.

In sacrament meeting yesterday, while sharing his testimony, a faithful brother explained that,¨Service without love is useless.¨ Or in Castellano,¨El servicio sin amor no sirve.¨ When I arrived in Argentina, I saw others around me and they seemed to love it so much. Honestly, I couldn´t tell why. I wanted to know so badly. I wanted to have that same energy.... I wanted to be a missionary. I wanted to come to Argentina. I wanted to learn Spanish. Why then was it so hard to be like the other missionaries? I often asked myself. The answer now comes to me with power. Missionary service without love is useless. I wasn´t striving to love with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. 

Sharing the gospel without love is useless. Church attendance without love is useless. Knowing the scriptures without love is useless. Without charity, we are nothing. Lucky for me, it was very easy to start loving the people, loving the culture, loving the language, and most of all loving to serve the Lord. I LOVE being a missionary. It´s been the best time of my life. I don´t remember if I was really happy before my mission but I´m sure that it doesn´t compare. But what matters most to me, I love my Savior. I love what He did for us. I love the restored Gospel. I love my God. Love matters. Charity is the essence of the Gospel. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

-The computer doesn´t love me so I can´t send pics :( haha

Service: The essence of the Gospel

I don´t have much time today but I wanted to express my thoughts on the topic of service. Often times in life we hear the phrase,¨Everything comes with a cost.¨ In part I would have to agree and in part I would say that I don´t agree. I disagree because there are many things that don´t have anything to do with what we can pay. For example, salvation. As explained in 2 Nephi 2:4,¨the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.¨ In a sense, it is completely impossible to pay our way into heaven. It is even impossible to ¨obey¨ your way into heaven. Because we all have ¨sinned, and come short of the glory of God¨, every one of us is unworthy to enter into the kingdom of God. Only by grace do we enter into the kingdom of God. 

In part I do agree that it all comes with a cost. Salvation requieres that we at least try our hardest. I am willing to give my all because what I want most is to return to my Father in Heaven with my family. I know that He is willing to shed His grace on thee as goes the song. I am convinced that it won´t be easy but that it´ll be worth it. 

This week we gave service and I honestly feel awesome! We cleaned the hill San Bernardo, which is a huge tourist attraction here in Salta so it was cool. The local news interviewed a member who participated and everyone got to see it on T.V. Cool experience. What´s more, we decided to offer our help when we saw a family carrying bricks into their yard. I got a little scrape so they invited us in and we are now teaching a family of 5. Haha the first time that I´m thankful for a little cut. 

God is actively guiding His children. We are the angels that He uses to bless the lives of others. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Nachooooooooo!

Nacho, Nacho, Nacho, Nacho! Haha Nacho got baptized on Saturday and it was really awesome! The sister missionaries in our ward also had 2 baptisms so it was a party. Since a ton of people went, we had to give all the talks and announcements in the chapel. I conducted and for the first time I felt a little nervous conducting a baptismal service just because there were so many people. What´s even better, 2 members brought friends and 1 of those friends came to church yesterday! These members are capos (bosses)! 

Anywhoo, the news came last night that my Chileno comp Elder Gutierrez would be taking off to Rosario de la Frontera (which is weird because I´ve been here longer than he has). I was honestly really sad to see him go. In spite of the culture differences and different customs, we got along super well. I don`t have a doubt that we´ll be good friends for life. In fact, we´re already planning our glorious reunion. 

My new companion is Elder Garrett from Utah. Very kind. Curtious. Clean. Organized. Definitely had to have been a boy scout.Haha I´m excited to see out the rest of this transfer, especially because once again I´ve been REUNITED WITH ELDER SANDBERG! We moved from the pension in Olavarría with Elder Barboza and Elder Guzman to the pension of our beloved Elder Sandberg and Elder Jensen in La Loma. I´m definitely excited to see what happens. We just have to hope that it never gets out of hand! Haha just kidding. Overall, I´m great. I´m healthy. I´m happy. I feel comfortable. And I love the people. I can´t describe how much I love being in Argentina. Not for all the sights and sounds, but for the love and the heart of Salta! God knows what He´s doing. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Disfrutelo

I am convinced that life isn´t easy because often times we aren´t looking at it the right way. I wouldn´t say that life is easy necessarily but sometimes we tend to think that if life were just a little bit easier we would enjoy it a whole lot more. Certain trials seem to surround us in the mission. Rejection, exhaustion, pressure from others, fear, disunity, and sometimes we just like to cry. Haha I´ve experienced it, I´ve seen others experience it and it can be sad to see. But there´s nothing that gives me more comfort than ¨this rallying cry.......´remember Him´.¨ It´s a little hard to explain but I think that the Elder Holland says it a little bit better. ¨I am convinced that missionary work (life in general) is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation was never easy. If our Savior can cry on His knees with blood dripping from His face, begging,´Abba, Father, remove this cup from me´,how could it ever be easy for us?¨ Christ suffered an enormous price for our salvation.

When we look at the suffering that this life causes it can seem pretty sad. But when I look at the suffering of our Savior before His crucifixion and death, I think of how gosh darn easy my life is. Somebody already payed the price of my suffering. I need not pay it. Thanks to this amazing sacrifice, I am free to really enjoy what I have been given and I also think of the superboost that Christ gives me in this round of gaming, difficulty: legendary. Haha I can honestly say that my suffering doesn´t affect my faith negatively. It strengthens it. 

I´m enjoying the mish. I love it. These have been the best moments of my whole life. I´ve ¨suffered¨, or so I think I have, but I look upon those moments with a smile and a little laugh. Don´t worry too much. Disfrutelo. Christ is risen. Thanks to Him, we all will be risen in the last day. We ALL have the opportunity to accept this happiness or continue living like suffering 9-5ers. Haha I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Repent ye, repent ye

It´s been a great week! German was baptized and pretty soon his brother will also be baptized. Unluckily, the two weren´t able to get baptized at the same time for a few reasons but in the short future they should be united as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For some strange reason we´re seeing so many miracles and I really couldn´t explain why. Then I read a few of your emails and I realized that in reality I´m actually not doing that much. Haha all your prayers are being heard because the Lord is hastening His work in Palermo, Salta. I´m excited to see what happens next. We´re planning a few baptisms in the next few weeks so keep Milagros, Jesus, Nacho, and Facundo in your prayers. Milagros is the mom of a teenage girl that got baptized about a year ago and is super super boss! Jesus is German´s brother. Nacho is also a teen who has been going to seminary for about a month or so and is absolutely sure about being baptized. And Facundo is the young guy from the story that I told last week.

Anyways, this week I´ve really come to appreciate the repentance process. In our Zone Conference this week we actually talked a lot about the topic. Jesus Christ, when He came to the earth, left His teachings and in just about every chapter of the four Gospels He teaches repentance and baptism. Now, we all understand what repentance means but do we really feel what it means? I think for about all my life until now I´ve only known that it´s necessary but I can honestly say that until just before my mission I didn´t feel it really take place in my life. Do we realize that every day we sin against God? Do we feel the need to repent? Do we evaluate our lives and eliminate the bad? We are all ¨destitute of the glory of God¨. Therefore it is necessary that someone pay the price of those mistakes. And someone already did. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. If we don´t repent, we reject the gift that He gave us when He bled from every pore, humbly knelt before our Father. He is the Gift. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Future Missionaries

This has been one of the happiest weeks of my mission and it has to do a lot with the people that are beginning to investigate the Church. I have always said that the mission is probably one of the best things in life and has done me more good than anything else in my life! That´s why I want to find young future missionaries more than anything. God answered my prayers. On thursday night, we finished up a lesson and decided to head towards another investigator. My comp said that we should just visit a contact that was closer and I agreed. As we searched the house, we came around the corner and without thinking twice I lifted up my arm to shake hands with a young guy sitting in front of his house. It felt as though God just lifted my hand out of nowhere. We started talking a little bit and right away he offered us Jell-O. Haha we declined but we invited him to listen a little and he accepted. He brought out a few chairs from his house and we began to teach him about the Restoration. It was something really special that I won´t forget. After he said the closing prayer he told us that he felt relieved and that he was going to go to church with us. He went. His mom was very interested and both accepted a baptismal date yesterday. His mom, Marcela, said the closing prayer yesterday and started crying, giving thanks that someone had reached out to her son who had been very sad and alone. As we were leaving, he asked us if he could also be like us, a missionary. I ecstatically said yes. What makes me even more convinced that God knows His children individually is that when I looked back at the address of that contact, I had read it wrong and wouldn´t have turned the corner if I had seen it correctly. There are so many benefits of being a missionary but the biggest one is being able to witness God´s hand so clearly in His work. There are more miracles but I don´t have time to write them all! God´s hand is in everything. He exists. He loves His children and He knows them. We are representatives of His son Jesus Christ. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

El Poder de los Miembros

Once again I forgot my camera so you´re gonna have to just bare with me. I know... It´s a real struggle. 

As for my life, it´s still pretty much the same. Working hard, openning my mouth to strangers, walking fast, planning, and most importantly sleeping like a champ (which is actually a lie because one of the missionaries snores like a bear in the night). Hahahaha just kidding, it was only a few times. Anyways what I really have been able to see until now in the mission is the power that is added to the Work of Salvation when normal members become missionaries in their own special way. One of our goals as companions was that of training the members to spread the restored Gospel in a normal but bold way. I actually came to really appreciate the pamphlets that are out and about the World teaching the message of the Restoration. I realized that the missionaries in my ward must´ve been somewhat unefficient because they never gave me a pamphlet and told me to share it with a friend of mine. Man, maybe my past could´ve been different if only someone had taught me how to be a teenage missionary. But I digress. The point is this: we spread the Gospel to edify ourselves and those around us. For that very reason, the full-time missionaries need your help! Here in Argentina, the zone Salta Oeste consists of 22 missionaries. Their are millions of people that live in our zone! Now, if we add the number of members to those 22 missionaries we´d have about 1000 people spreading the Gospel. You do the math. As the prophet Thomas Monson has said multiple times,

¨Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord´s vineyard to bring souls unto him.¨

The question is: are we obeying the voice of the Lord? Because as explained in Doctrine and Covenants 1: ¨whether it is by my voice or the voice of my sevants, it is the same.¨ And as said by the prophet David O. McKay,¨Every member a missionary.¨

Personally, I wish I had been of more help to the missionaries where I have lived because there is nothing that makes me more happy than what I´m doing now. I know that this is the work of out Savior Jesus Christ. I also know that we need you members. We need your help. God needs your help. I hope we can all feel the urgency of this topic. I hope that we can all follow the prophet. I hope, no, I urge that all of you contact the missionaries and ask them for a few pamphlets of the Restoration. Share them. Invite a friend to church. They´ll thank you in the future. I promise that if you invite at least one friend, the Lord will touch their heart. As we edify our fellow brethren, the Lord edifies us. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Y volví mi rostro a Dios

In life we come to understand why we need God in every situation. As you all may know, life isn´t easy. In fact, it will never be really easy. God didn´t make it that way. God gives us weaknesses and trials that we may be humble. This life is a time for man to prepare to meet God and, as taught by Christ, he who wishes to be great in the kingdom of God will be thy servant, but he who humbleth himself, yea, he shall be great in His kingdom. Or rather, this life is a time to be humble.  And life isn´t easy because if it were easy, none of us would really be humble.

This week, I´ve put a few goals because I feel like with more time in the mission I come to rely on myself too much. I´m not very humble. But until now, I really have only seen blessings and miracles coming my way so I came to the conclusion that I need to give myself trials and goals to be more humble. So I did it. I started a challenge to really dedicate myself 100 percent to our Heavenly Father. It´s paid off. Already we´ve seen many miracles and next Saturday we should see the baptism of 2 brothers. In fact God sent us 2 miracles. Literally, two different girls named Milagros or Miracles. Haha the two are progressing a lot and one of them will be baptized as soon as she gets married. Pretty ironic.

I guess my point is this. Todos tenemos que, varias veces, volver nuestros rostros a Dios y darle todo honor. We all must turn our faces unto God many times because that is why we are here. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Pink Eye

As reads the title, this week I got pink eye :( Pretty lame but I´m actually better now! Along with pink eye, we´ve actually been really busy and we haven´t been able to be together much, my companion and I. Multiple meetings and a few divisions makes it tough for a zone leader. Not only did we have, leadership council, but also zone training, and to add to that, we had divisions with the AP´s and another area in Salta Oeste. But I would say that the Lord has still blessed us a ton! Especially with the members of our ward.

En especial, one of the families that we´ve been visiting has been progressing a lot. This week we were able to introduce a member into the lessons and they have gone so much better. I don´t have much time to elaborate but I want all of you to know how awesome members are when they help a friend through the process of conversion. What´s even more awesome is when a member who doesn´t know the investigator makes himself their friend and does it anyways. Haha the members are the most important part of this work! Afterall, it is actually called ¨member missionary work¨. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Luchar con el Espiritu

I´ve gotta say that this week, even though full of blessings, has been actually really rough. Haha since a few weeks ago, something has been on my mind and this week I have been having several World Wars in my head. I feel a lot like Enos, who went to catch beasts and on his journey began to think about the words of his father. Later on it explains that he began to pray and didn´t stop praying when it got dark, instead he kept searching for what he wanted. After lots of thinking and lots of praying, I finally got to a point that I had been striving for. I feel the peace that Enos felt after hearing the voice of the Lord saying that his sins had been forgiven. Now I feel the same desires. Now, all I want is the well-being of my brothers. Both my brothers at home and my brothers here in Argentina. I think that it´s important that everyone arrives, one day, at a point in their life when they can feel that very voice in their head. Peace be unto thy soul. Thy sins are forgiven thee. 

As for Palermo, we´re seeing great progress! We´re even planning 3 baptisms this month. Two brothers who are really awesome. And the mother of a recent convert. They all have great desires to do the right. They all went to church also. As for my companion. We´ve been able to really connect lately and I feel like I´m starting to understand why God put me with him. There is always something to be learned from a companion. If it weren´t for all my companions, I don´t think I would have changed as much as I have. Special shoutout to Elder Blake who will be ending his mission soon, Elder Sandberg (a great example of humility, love, and diligence), and my beloved hijo Elder Starkey (best hijo ever). You guys have helped me a lot!

Anyways, I hope you all know how happy I am :) There´s nothing better than the mission. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Recap

Since, I didn´t have much time to write last week I´ll do a little recap of what´s happening in Palermo. Well, last week we had the privilege of seeing the baptism of Esther Cardozo. To explain this story, we must look three weeks into the past. Well, while on divisions with the AP´s, I was with my old comp Elder Blake and we started to talk with a ton of people. While walking on the street, we saw a woman walking toward the bus stop, we stopped her and started to talk about the Gospel. She told us that she already got baptized and she left because someone had taken the life of her son, during which, she didn´t have much support from the ward or anyone from the Church. At first, she was hesitant and didn´t want us anywhere near her house. I don´t know how but the Spirit worked in the both of us and her heart was softened. We passed by a few days later and she gave us a few blocks to sit on and we taught outside of her house. I actually didn´t feel like it was a very good lesson but for some reason she was very happy. The following Sunday, she arrived with 3 of her children and I about smiled my face off. Haha one of those children was Esther. She learned everything very quickly, understood hard concepts, and even read the Book of Mormon daily until her baptism. Another one of her daughters also started going to church shortly after the first sunday.

As I have shared, it would seem that many times, members of the Church who go through very tough situations find it difficult to understand why nobody was there to help them. As shared by the Savior Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:34-46 when we help our fellow friend in times of difficulty and suffering, even so, we do it unto the Lord. If you believe that there is nobody to help for now, it´s because you aren´t looking hard enough. Everyone suffers and everyone needs a helping hand. Don´t let anybody fall away from our Heavenly Father because we weren´t atentive to their needs. God loves His children. Many times, we are the angels that God sends to those in need. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I´m Okay

I don´t have much time to write due to the very unreliable argentine machinery. But just want to let you all know that I´m alright. We had a baptism on Saturday so I´m just peachy. We´re planning another one on August 1st. Things are looking pretty awesome. 

I learned this week that loving what you do is what makes all the difference. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

The Importance of Being a Missionary

Since we´re in the beginnings of this month, on Wednesday we had Leaders Counsel for all the zone leaders where we go over subjects that are presently important in our mission. This week we talked a lot about the power and authority of our calling, which seems to often be a subject that not all missionaries understand fully. I also admit that at times I forget the grand calling that I´ve been given. Nevertheless, I´ve come across many details that help me to understand really how important it is being or preparing to be a missionary. 

First of all, we have to understand a little bit better the importance of our Savior Jesus Christ to understand why a missionary is so important. When our Savior atoned for our sins, died, and ressurrected, He made possible an infinite amount of hopeful opportunities. By suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane He unlocked the gate to repentance and forgiveness. When He was hung on the cross, He unlocked the uplifting power known as Grace. And when He ressurrected the third day, He made possible the exaltation of man-kind. 

What does a missionary have to do with this? In D&C 84:20 it reads: Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.¨ To help us to feel the power of the Atonement, it can only be given by way of ordinances. To participate in repentance and forgiveness, one must be baptized. To understand and to partake of the Grace of our Savior, one must be true to said baptism and take the Sacrament every week. And if we are to achieve exaltation, covenants in the temple are necessary. 

Missionaries are the only people on earth authorized to open the gate to the Atonement for those who have not yet known the restored Gospel. I hope that my brothers can understand what it means to me to be a missionary. It really means everything. I can´t think of anything that is more important to me than my Heavenly Father and the work that I am in. This is His work. And I wouldn´t be in it if I wasn´t absolutely sure that it is His. I know that my Redeemer lives. I have felt Him in this work. The Book of Mormon is evidence of that truth. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Turning Awkward Situations into Miracles

This week has been pretty interesting with my new comp from Chile. I started off with lots of energy, trying to set a good example by talking with as many people as possible and within a day or two we were already seeing great things! On Tuesday, my comp and I were talking about contacting on the bus. It´s actually really tough summing up the courage to sit down next to someone and start talking about the Gospel out of nowhere... especially on a bus. But I knew that God doesn`t make exceptions of people and eventually they would thank me for taking an awkward situation and turning it into a miracle. So we hopped on the bus that takes us to our area and after a battle about the size of World War II inside my head, I decided to sit down next to a lady and start to talk. Well she turned out to be nice but pretty catholic and didn´t want too much to do with it. Hahahaha but my conversation started a chain. The young couple right behind me realized that we were missionaries and started to talk with my companion. They contacted us!!!! Apparently, the girl was a less active member and her boyfriend was really interested in getting married in the temple. They gave us their address and we stopped by yesterday. Unfortunately, something came up but they were planning on going to church together! We invited them to Ward Home Evening and they showed up just in time to have a blast with the members! What´s more, while talking with more people we`ve been able to find a bunch of new partial families and slowly they´re starting to get back into full activity. 

I guess the message that I´m trying to get across is that there are many people who need our help and we can give it to them through the restored Gospel. Personally, I know a lot of Mormons, but I don´t know very many Latter-day ¨Saints¨. A true member of the restored Church of Jesus Christ shouldn´t be ashamed of his religion. I actually love it when they call me Mormon, because it´s a thousand times better than hearing the kids scream Gringo at me. Haha Dare to be a Mormon, Dare to stand alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Mormon Neighbors

Unfortunately, today I had to say goodbye to a brother. Elder Fewel has been an awesome companion but his 2 years are up and the Lord needs him in another place. His plane takes off tomorrow and I hope to see him when I finish up. But this week has been one of the most fun ones and definitely a learning experience. After many weeks of joke telling, we finally came out with one that actually teaches a great lesson. With a Ned Flanders kind of voice we would act like a Mormon neighbor that always tries to contact his neighbors and get them to accept the Gospel. It really isn´t that funny when I write it like that.... But it kept us happy through the tough times. What it really taught me is that everyone needs to be a missionary in their own way. Even though it comes out weird or the person straight up rejects it, our job is to share with others what we know to be true. Something that I learned this transfer is that without ordinances of the restored Gospel, man cannot participate in the Atonement. It doesn´t matter how long you pray or how good of a person you are, we just don´t meet up to God´s standards. Even the most world-renowned people that have done unmeasurable good for the human kind don´t even come close to what God expects us to accomplish. If we wish to be ¨at-one¨ with our Heavenly Father and His divine design, we must participate in the Atonement, which is accessable by baptism, confirmation, the Priesthood, temples, and finally but most importantly Temple marriage and or sealings. If it weren´t for Jesus Christ the human kind would be inevitably doomed to eternal destruction. And those who don´t accept Him will not be able to experience real happiness. Therefore, SHARE THE GOSPEL. Just do it. Give references to the missionaries for petes sake. Your friends want to meet the missionaries, they just don´t know it! Haha

I love the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. When I see people, I just want to talk to them. I just want them to be happy. That´s why I´m here. To make people happy. You can do the same. Charity is service. Service is the Gospel. Give the Gospel. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot 

La Iglesia Mormonica

To start us off, I want to tell a story. Saturday night, while walking away from one of our investigator´s house, we found ourselves thinking about where we would be going. From a distance we saw a small figure walking toward us in the dark as if he lived in that house. Well, we were leaving so we said hi and shook his hand but before we could contact him, he starting to ask us a few things. The first thing he said is unforgettable. ¨Ustedes son de la iglesia mormonica?¨ Translation: ¨Are you guys from the mormonic church.¨ I said, with a surprised/sarcastic tone, yes, we´re from the mormonic church. Then he asked if we were elders. I said yes. He proceeded to ask our names and comment that they were strange. I agreed. Then he said, ¨Good, I´m going to church tomorrow.¨ Then he marched in the front door.... We passed by Sunday morning and he was already dressed. We walked together to church. Unfortunately, he lives in another part of Salta because his family is separated but it was the greatest experience until now in my mission. Haha what makes the story even better is that Jorge, our contact from last week, woke up early this morning and went to church by himself. He got there 30 minutes before church started. After all the meetings he said, ¨Alright, what´s next?¨ We had to tell him to go home. Hahaha I`ve learned quite a bit this week but what I saw most is the constant need to receive personal revelation from our Heavenly Father. Everyone needs help in this life and God isn´t a cold being that lives far away laughing at all His kids falling, getting up, and falling again. God loves you. He wants you to be successful. He´s very willing to lead you but He needs to hear your voice. I learned that God is preparing His children to receive success through His Church. I don´t have one single doubt that families are meant to be together forever. The Gospel has been restored for our personal progress. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Frolicking

Hey, missionaries don´t frolic! Well these missionaries do... Haha this week hasn´t been too different from the rest so we´ve been finding lots small funny things that help us loosen up. One of which is the practice of frolicking because it´s a little faster than walking, not too physically demanding, and much more fun. But don´t worry, usually we wait until everyone can see us to start frolicking in the streets. Haha anyways, we´ve been having a lot of fun lately and the transfers are starting to fly by and my companion is just about to end. It´s pretty sad how fast time goes in the mission but with every week comes awesome new experiences. This week we did companion exchanges and while I was with Elder Brazzel I learned that some of the best missionaries are also the most humble. If we learn to be humble, what the world thinks begins to leave our list of worries and what the Lord hopes us to do begins to guide our actions in spite of physical or mental barriers. Sometimes I wish I hadn´t been put in a leadership position because I don´t want to think about what others think of me. I wish that my thoughts were set only on what the Lord expects of me. I know that it´s important to help other missionaries but I think that it gets to all the missionaries´ head at times. Other times I think of the happiness it brings me to help other missionaries in their missions and I feel great gratitude for an opportunity to serve them. Service really is a sign of not only true discipleship but also humility.

But anyways, I wanted to share an awesome experience I had this week! While walking down the street last Monday, walking away from the house of someone that we wanted to visit (who wasn´t there), I felt as though we needed to talk with more people in the street... It´s just that there wasn´t anybody in the street. About a minute later I felt a strong impression and said to my companion,¨We need to contact the next person that we see!¨ My companion said,¨Alright!¨ and while I looked to see if anyone was turning the corner, Elder Fewel asked me if that was a shadow in the door at the end of the street or a person. As we got closer, someone walked up to him and shook his hand with a fist bump. Oh great, I thought, it´s just a druggie and his friend. We almost passed by him but I felt determined. As we shook his hand and began to talk, his face brightened up and I realized that he was way not a druggie. He let us in and expressed his desire to learn more. Turns out, he´s just an awesome dude, about 30 and surprisingly intelligent. The Lord definitely has a huge role in this work... This IS His work. Our Father speaks with His children. He knows every single one of us. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Good Times

This week has been full of different adventures. I actually don´t really know where to start so I´m just going to give a day by day synopsis.

Tuesday: Every month, all the zone leaders are called to Salta for a leadership counsil so bright and early in the morning, someone decided that we should go play futbol northern zones versus southern zones on a cement ¨field¨. A fun experience overall but since we live in Salta we basically had to spend a ton of money on a taxi and then go back to the pension then to the mission home again. Hahaha but it was nice to see a bunch of old pals in the leadership council!

Wednesday: Weekly planning.... Not exactly an adventure but we had to do it early because on thursday we had to give our Zone Training and on Friday we had to verify weekly planning of another area in our zone.

Thursday: Zone Training and divisions with an Elder called Elder Birch (pretty hilarious dude with great desires to become a better missionary).

Friday: Fun road trip to Ciudad de Milagros to verify weekly planning. The taxi driver was swearing up a storm so that was interesting. Haha

Saturday: Rest from all other duties. I got to spend the whole day in my area!

Sunday: an investigator named Hugo (we call him Hugity Bugity) showed up to church which was an awesomely present surprise!

I think what I learned this week would have to be the importance of church attendance in participating in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. After giving a lesson in the Zone Training about it, I´ve come to really understand that it is so important that we should never miss church. In fact, we can´t miss church. The grace of God is sufficient to save all man but only if we are willing to do what is necessary to utilize that ennabling power. Without the sacrament, we are unnable to enjoy the ennabling power of Jesus Christ´s sacrifice. I would like to refer you to the talk by President Uchtdorf in the last General Conference. Without the sacrament we would still be headed farther down in a hole that we can´t dig ourselves out of. God´s grace can be accessed by worthy church attendance. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Un Cerro para mi

I´m really liking my new area, let me tell ya! I´m in the capital of Salta with mountains all around me. It´s really beautiful here as well because the altitude is pretty high here so it´s not hot anymore (in fact it gets really cold at night).  Our pension is really nice but also small, plus we share it with 2 other elders. Every day, we have to travel about 30 minutes by bus to my area which is basically a big hill overlooking Salta and its surroundings. So every day, we have a great view of Salta and the surrounding mountains, mounts, and hills that make the phrase ¨Salta la Linda¨ very true (Salta the beautiful). My companion is a really great guy and very dedicated. We´ve been working pretty hard because we want to make this area a whole lot better than it is right now so we´ve been searching for God´s chosen ones so that they can come into the fold of Christ. As Zone Leader, we have to call every night to verify about the district leaders and their district´s efforts and so we´ve also been talking a ton about how to help all these missionaries be more successful. Until now, the zone isn´t very successful so we´ve been trying to come up with different ideas to change things up a bit. But, we´ll start this week with all that and we´re also planning to do a few divisions with those who are struggling a little bit more. Surprisingly, I´m not any more tired than before which is a giant blessing that I´m going to ride for as long as I can. Haha

Anyways, I´ve been thinking a lot about the Christ-like attributes which are really important, especially during the mission! I´ve come to really recognize how proud I am and how much I want to change that kind of attitude. While chatting with my comp, Elder Fewel, we came to the conclusion that all sin and all the traps that missionaries fall into really come from pride. As mentioned in the New Testament, if we can´t learn to become as a little child in this life, it will be really hard to get into heaven. Christ often times referred to children as the Kingdom of Heaven because a child is very meek and humble. I don´t know exactly why we come to believe that we can start doing things on our own without the help of our loving Heavenly Father but pride gets in the way of seeing that fundamental truth and even begins to destroy our souls (Jacob 2:16). The simple truth is, we wouldn´t be here if it weren´t for our Father in Heaven, we wouldn´t have a family, we wouldn´t have those precious moments that make life so sweet, and we wouldn´t have the possibility of being eternally happy as a family if it weren´t for Him. So, now I would like you to all ask yourself this question: Do I deserve the blessings that I have received until now in my life? Then..... Kneel down and give thanks for the millions of blessings that none of us deserve. 

I love my family. I love my mission. And I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that I am imperfect but with the help of the Lord, I can be humble and clean once again. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I haven´t taken pictures quite yet so next week, I´ll send a bunch.

Salta la Linda

I don´t have too much time to write since we had transfers today but I want to tell about where I´m at! Last night, we got the news that I would be leaving Pichanal and my son Elder Starkey. I would have to say that it was hard to say goodbye. We always had so much fun together and we learned a ton. We had lots of success and lots of good experiences together. But I don´t think I´ll have much time to sulk or be sad because they called me to be the new zone leader in Salta Capital. So I packed my bag last night and early this morning I hopped on a bus headed for Salta. My new area is Palermo and my companion is a champ! His name is Elder Fewel and he´s been on the mission for quite a while. He´ll be ending here in 6 weeks so I´ll have the honors of seeing him off to his home. 

Anyways, this week was really really special because the temple in Cordoba Argentina was just completed and this sunday it was dedicated. Since we are in the district of the temple, we were able to attend the broadcast of the dedication which was way awesome. I´ve gotta say that Elder Cristoffersen speaks some pretty kicking spanish! President Uchtdorf not quite. Haha I would have to say that it really lifted my spirits to have been there. For about the whole hour I felt as if I had been right there in the temple with them and I remembered how much I miss the temple. The blessings of a temple are ginormous! I honestly felt as if we entered the heavens and listened to angels speak. I would that ye all remember the temple in every situation and every moment. The temple is the doorway to having an eternal family and living in God´s presence again. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Happy Day of the Mom

Well, I don´t have much to say because I just spoke with my family yesterday but I do want to say how special my mom is to me. I´ll start it off straight and simple... I´m a Momma´s Boy. No shame about it. Haha there´s something divine about a mother that is not from this earth or of the power of this earth. She is special because God made her special. Nobody can replace her. And God wants this relationship of the family to last forever. I know that I would never be happy if it weren´t for the family that I have and especially the mom that I have. She´s not just a mom, she´s The Mom. And I know that she will continue being my mom after this life thanks to the blessings so abundantly given in Temples. Be a man, and even though it´s a day late, give your Mom a hug. She deserves it. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Feliz Cumpleaño

Well, I´m about smack dab in the middle of my mission guys. And let me tell you, it´s getting better and better the longer that I´m out here. This week was full of adventures, miracles, and blessings! This week was also full of fun animal encounters. Haha Miguel, one of the members here in Pichanal that always leaves with us to go teaching found an armadillo in ¨el campo¨ and brought it home with him. He called us up and asked us to go over and help him cook it... Haha well, we saw it but we didn´t have time to cook it that day, so we planned another day but unfortunately it escaped that night :( But, he totally made up for it because he gunned down a bird with his slingshot and I cooked it up this afternoon for lunch. Haha it was pretty tasty, a fun mix between chicken and meat. Hahaha Miguel has been a member for a very long time but he just recently reactivated about 2 years ago. He has a mental illness that lowers his age to about 13 or 14 in a body of a 40 year old so it´s aaaaalways a huge blast being with him, which is lucky because he always leaves with us to go teaching every day. Being with him helped me realize quite a few things. One, just because we feel inadecuate doesn´t mean that we are unable to help in the Lord´s work- anyone can do it- everyone must do it. Two, that the Gospel isn´t always about knowing everything from the beginning. God knows that we are uncapable of learning everything from the get-go, weaknesses serve us, they help us be humble before our Maker. And lastly, I realized that to ¨hear the music of the Gospel¨ doesn´t always come after ¨learning the steps of the Gospel¨. We can love what we do even if we have no idea what we´re doing. After all, I do it every day. Haha

Not much time, we had an awesome baptismal service on Friday. Maribel was baptized by the hand of my beloved son, Elder Starkey. Hahahaha I´m having a blast with this nut-ball! The Gospel is fun. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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40 Day Fast

I would have to say that this was the most fantastically normal week! Haha nothing too crazy happenning, just constant good things every day. I´m still having lots of fun with my beloved son Elder Starkey and we´ve been seeing quite a bit of success lately. The little girl that finally received permission from her father,afterall, wasn´t baptized but only because it would be better to wait and get baptized along with the whole family in the following weeks. On Thursday, we did divisions with the zone leaders and Elder Starkey did an awesome job of managing the area solo while I was in Embarcacion with a great Elder Robins, the typical Orem-ite, blond hair, blue eyes, straight teeth, and 11 brothers and sisters. Haha to be honest, the division really made a huge impact on my week. Thanks to my awesome past companion Elder Blake, I took the time to really search the strengths of this missionary so that after the exchanges I could let him know how awesome he really is. I learned so much about just being jolly all the time. The people seemed to open right up to this guy because he was just ridiculously happy all the time. Haha maybe we all get caught in the trap of thinking that the world is getting sadder and sadder while the people get less and less in-touch with reality. Maybe we all lose focus of what´s really important in life. Maybe we aren´t happy because we´ve been exposed to ¨the real world¨. Well I´ll tell you what I´ve learned this week: that stuff ain´t nothin but a thang! We can be happy if we want to be happy! But most importantly: real happiness comes from a correct understanding of how the Gospel blesses human kind. For that reason, I´ve started a 40 day fast to help myself gain a stronger testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like Jesus, I will be attempting a 40 day fast without food or water.... Hahaha psych! It´s just a period of time in which I fast to start and end this activity. During the next 40 days I will pray night and day, asking for help and giving an account of my previously set goals to the Lord so that I can really become a better person. Honestly, it really isn´t that hard to do but I am sure that the results will be unforgettable. I recommend that all of you think of the weaknesses that God has blessed you with and remember the words of Moroni (Ether 12:27). Join me on the light side of the force and begin your own 40 day fast....today! Fast and prayer has great power and is the principle of faith. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You´re the best dad out of all the dad´s that I´ve ever met. Including the USA and Argentina. Haha

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Milagros y Pochoclo

I think that this week has been one of the greatest weeks that I have ever had in the mission and I owe it to an awesome comp, blessings pouring from heaven, and love for my sheep here in Pichanal. Not only have I come to respect many of the members of Pichanal (in spite of the many things that I often hear of them). One of the two biggest miracles that I would like to share today started last Sunday night. For about 2 months, we have been teaching a sister named Amancia and she is one of the best investigators that I´ve been able to teach in the sense that she always is willing to do what God expects of her. She was even willing (desirous even) to pay tithing before being baptized! Well, yesterday, we got to experience her baptism... She didn´t want many invited so only a few family members were present. Elder Starkey, mi hijo, all dressed in white, next to Amancia, with a few dear family members, made me think of how happy I am to be here in Argentina. There was actually a set-back with the baptismal.... pool, but we were able to fix it and shortly after she was baptized. I wish that everyone could see the smile on her face after leaving the freezing cold waters of baptism. Since Argentines don´t smile, I couldnt capture it on photo. Haha

Later on this week, we did our weekly planning and tried thinking of the possibility of baptism next week. We actually thought of a young girl who was about to be baptized about 2 months ago when my last companion, Elder Sandberg and I were together. Turned out that the father was very opposed to the baptism and refused to give permission or even speak with us about the subject. Well, months passed and the other week, he stopped us in the street (drunk of course) and mumbled that he wanted to change and that we should pass by the house. Well, we passed by a few days later and nobody was there. As we arrived home, the sister of this man (a member of the church) was in front of the pension and told us that his wife, Rosana, had contracted Hanta Virus, a dangerous virus from rats and that he, Walter, wanted us to give her a blessing. A few days later, we travelled to Oran and gave her a blessing. Miraculously, she left the intensive part of the hospital and is on her way to full recovery. The father has now accepted baptism and suggested that his daughter, Rocio, be baptized this week. Crazy! We prayed specifically for a miracle, that God would help Rocio be baptized this Saturday. Walter told us that he would like her to be baptized on Saturday. Never has a blessing or miracle been so specifically given in my life. Miracle are real! Prayer and fasting has more power than we can imagine. I know it, I live it, I love it!

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Life-Changing

I would have to say that this week has been one of the most hectic weeks that I´ve had so far but definitely one of the most memorable. It all started on Monday... Since my companion is slightly less than legal here in Argentina, he was called to go to Salta (mission home) to do some fun papers and lots of waiting while I got to hang with Elder Fuga. I was supposed to stay in Ledesma which is Elder Fuga´s area but since he just got there from another area (transfers), we bought a couple of tickets to Pichanal and stayed here in my home away from home. During the 2 day wait for our companions, we visited multiple investigators. One of which, whose name is Maria, made a huge impact in my week. She recently lost a son to suicide and has felt alone, with hundreds of questions, angry, not only with herself but with God as well, and weak emotionally. At the end of a powerful lesson about the Restoration, we invited her to pray, but she refused. I asked her why and she responded,¨I was mad with God for so long that now he must be mad with me.¨ Sometimes we all fall in the trap of thinking that we are unworthy of God´s help, or even talking with Him. But there`s a story in the Bible that perfectly explains how God feels in situations like these. The Prodigal Son is a parable taught by Jesus Christ to demonstrate His response. Basically, a very well-off man loses a son to the riches and the pleasures of the world, who takes his share of money and takes off. I would encourage you all to listen to the General Conference talk by Elder Nielson, who explains more fully the parable. But, after failing financially, and losing all pride, the son decides to return to his father to ask forgiveness and to be allowed to work as a servant. The father does not even think of the loss of money, or the insults that were probably shouted as the son left, or the time of suffering that he had suffered in wait, or even the damage caused by his son on his family... Rather, he accepts the son gladly, puts a coat upon him, shoes on his feet, and prepares a feast. I described this parable to Maria and she understood that God angers not with her, but awaits her with open arms. In tears, she accepted to say the prayer before we left. It was so sincere. The Spirit was present. And I knew that God was happy that she was finally coming back.

Just yesterday, we witnessed a great miracle as well. Amancia, an investigator now for a long time, wouldn´t accept baptism because she didn´t feel ready, but we are so sure that she´s been ready for a while now! We invited her to pray and search for an answer concerning baptism. After about 15 minutes on our knees, she said that she didn´t feel her answer. I didn´t know why now! The Spirit was so strong! Then, all of a sudden, a member who was with us told her that God wanted her to know him more. Before he even finished the sentence, she started crying into her hands. I knew that she had realized that God was speaking through us so that she could come closer to Him. She will be baptized this Friday. I don´t even have time to explain the other miracles that were witnessed this week but I don´t have any doubts that God is hurrying His work. I have strengthened my testimony beyond compare. And I have come closer to my Heavenly Father. Miracles exist. God prepares us to see them every day. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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He is Risen

What a week, no? I think that this was the first time in all my life that I´ve come to really appreciate this time of year. First of all, for the first time in my time in Argentina, the people actually observed the Sabbath day, there was hardly anyone in the street! I was pumped! Haha but it actually made it pretty hard to talk with people since there weren´t any. Unlike Christmas, there were no bombs nor fireworks being set off. There was no normal bustle and hustle as usual (although it was still quite loud anyways). There weren´t any changos in the street selling substances less than legal. But best of all, there weren´t quite as many homeless people hanging around in the street. I think to myself, that must mean that they are in some place where they belong. Who knows, maybe a family member´s house, maybe they grouped together in a big old group, or maybe they all found a little quiet hiding place to avoid the worldly noise. Easter sunday in Argentina is more like Christmas in the US. And well, Christmas here is hardly peaceful. 

Let us all think of our homes and our families and our quiet places. Let us all think of the love that we feel as members of loving families. Let us think of the joy that we´ve all had in this life. It´s a wonderful life, isn´t it!!!! Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy!

Now... think of those times when nothing seemed to go right. Or when nothing made sense. Times when family was far away and you were all alone to make a decision, times when it was hard to get up in the morning and hard to get back into bed only to start all over again. Think of the unfair life that ¨God gave us¨ and the bad things that happen to good people. It all seems hopeless.

Why is life such a roller-coaster? I´ve asked myself multiple times why it´s so hard for people who want to do what´s right. I´ve come to the conclusion that even when we know the answer, it´s hard to accept, even so, we don´t accept it at times. We suffer because it´s necessary to grow... But why wouldn´t God give us just a little less suffering? I get the point so why is the suffering so great?

I don´t have an answer for the additional questions but I do know one thing. That one Man does know why. He knows you. He understands you. Even though it seems as though nothing seems to go right or that nothing makes sense. He is there. He is there when your family is far away and you have to make a decision. He makes sense when nothing else seems to do the same. He makes it easy to get up in the morning and easy to get back into bed after a long day full of pains in the neck, pains in the back, and pains in the soul.

Jesus Christ suffered for each one of us individually in the Garden of Gethsemane. And he will come forth suffering pains and afflictions of every kind that he may know how to succor his brothers and sisters (scripture in the Book of Mormon). After bleeding from every pore and suffering a pain a million times stronger than anything that you could ever feel, He submitted himself to death at the hands of sinners and hypocrites to fulfill the will of the Father and complete His divine mission. Yesterday, we celebrated the life, the suffering, the death, and the highest source of hope on the face of the earth. Christ has risen. He lives. And He will always have His merciful arm extended toward you. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Loor al Profeta

This week has been pretty great overall. We did exchanges with the zone leaders and I realized how much I enjoy the company of my ¨son¨ Elder Starkey. We are planning a baptism for this Friday. And I came to really appreciate the love that God has showed us by calling a prophet in these latter days. 

This Friday another grandmother named Yolanda will be baptized, just like in Tucuman. It seems as though all grandmothers named Yolanda seem to take a fancy to me. Haha but she is really great. She can´t read and hardly understands what we are explaning at times but she is so willing to do what the Lord expects of her and wants to do this to set an example for the rest of her family. Unfortunately, we won´t have a sacrament meeting this weekend because of General Conference so Yolanda will be confirmed next week. I´ll send pics and the deets next week!

That reminds me, I´m way pumped for General Conference! Since the branch is really small here, we are going to have to take a bus to Orán that´s about 45 minutes away to watch it on the big screen. It´s great time to hear the Lord speaking to us through His prophets and apostles.

The title of this letter,Loor al Profeta, means Praise to the prophet or more commonly known as the Hymn ¨Praise to the man¨. Multiple times this week, we shared short messages with our investigators and afterwards watched a film from the Church called ¨Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration¨. It´s a great movie and I would recommend it to everyone, member or not. It explains about the humble life of Joseph Smith and his search for the truth. In our day, there are thousands of churches and every one of them teaches differently.  Everyone seems to have the same question in all the world... Which is correct? And how can I know it? Joseph had that very question but in his time, just like ours, every church claimed to be the right one. He learned from the Bible that to know the truth, he should ask God and would be guided correctly if he did so. He asked and received an answer. He was told by God the Father and Jesus Christ the he should join none of them and that the true Church that Christ organized was lost after His death along with the permission needed to teach and baptize in the name of God. But God once again, to show His great love for His children, called a prophet and restored the Church of Jesus Christ. In the movie, Joseph invites one of the pastors from another church to learn more and attend the Church of Jesus Christ. The pastor asked if he was still determined to create this church of his. Joseph Smith responded by saying the following powerful statement,¨It´s not mine... It is His. It is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.¨ I know that this is the Church that Christ leads and directs. I know that God has called a prophet in these days to fulfill the writings of Amos,¨ For surely, the Lord God will do nothing save He reveal His secrets to his servants the prophets.¨ I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church with the proper authority for the salvation of all humanity. And if any of you wish to know for yourselves, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. 

Esta es la senda, y no hay otra... Lo sé, lo vivo, me encanta.

Elder Philpot

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Hablando, Se Entienden

Well, this week has been quite the adventure, let me tell you. We were able to see a few miracles and I got to learn a few lessons that really impacted me. First of all, the sister of Santos Diaz who was just baptized is starting to listen very seriously and accepted to be baptized on the 24th of April. She´s really awesome, just like her brother! She reads the Book of Mormon every day and even read when we forgot to leave a chapter for her. Yesterday, she arrived at church with her brother Santos earlier than all the members, except for the Branch President and his wife (I think). Haha Miguel Davalos, a member with a minor mental disorder, taught with us all week and helped us find new people to teach. The other day, he said something that made me really surprised. ¨Hablando, se entienden... No hablando, no se entienden.¨ Talking, they understand eachother... not talking, they don´t understand eachother. He told me that he learned it from his mom who passed away some time ago. After all these years, Miguel was able to understand something that a lot of us can have trouble with. Some of the most important attributes that we can achieve are: patience, humility, and charity. Almost always, we begin losing these attributes when we lose understanding about someone else. When I don´t understand why my companion does something, I´ll lose patience. When I lose my patience, I begin to grow prideful, thinking that my way is the best way and if others don´t conform, then they´re wrong. Then, I lose the love that I once had for lack of humility. It can be applied to any circumstance. (By the way, my companion and I get along great so don´t worry, it´s just an example). I would like to invite all of you faithful blog readers to let go of your pride and regain the love for someone that was difficult to understand. Find a way to speak with those who don´t understand you. Be Christ-like. When we speak with kind words, we will be understood, and ultimately found guiltless before God in the last day.

To end, I want to share a short story. One of the member families here in Pichanal is recently coming back to church after a few months without going. The mother of the family had gone to another church for a long time and I never knew exactly why because she seems to know that the Church is true. The other day, she told me that she was going to go back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She said that she had prayed to know that the Book of Mormon was true and received an answer. Every time that she read with the missionaries, she felt the Spirit and a guilt for not following the answer about the Book of Mormon. She went to church yesterday and I saw her very happy with a big ol smile. I realized the power that the Book of Mormon has in the process of receiving revelation. If we want to feel our Father´s love and the direction that He can give us, we must read His words. Read the Book of Mormon! It´s true! I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Deseos, Prioridades, Decisiones, Acciones

Well, this week was actually really normal and, for now, I can´t think of any really awesome stories. A real bummer, I know. But this week we were supposed to give our talks in Sacrament meeting about missionary work but turns out they cancelled us and talked about seminary and institute instead. Next week we´re going to give our talks but I really want to talk about the topic because it´s gonna be the best talk in the whole world. Haha I started off by searching in some of the General Conference talks that we have and I found one by Dallin H. Oaks from April 2011. In the talk he explained,¨ Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions.¨ I don´t know why but the quote really hit me. As I thought more about how to shape my talk to help the members understand the importance of our desires, I thought of multiple examples. We can look at some poor examples from the Bible: Cain, King David, Judas Iscariot, and a few from the Book of Mormon, Laman and Lemuel. Their desires consist of: Sin, Women (in David´d case), Money, Praise of men, Luxury, easy living, lack of rules, satisfy Satan even. As a result their first priority was to satisfy the natural man, and their second priority was to satisfy God. Later, we can see that temptation had an easy influence in their decisions: Cain chose to hate Abel and even God, David chose to lust after a woman unrighteously, Judas Iscatiot chose to deny the Christ, and Laman and Lemuel chose to rebel against righteousness. Later, Cain killed Abel, David sinned against God and lost his glory, Judas turned in Jesus to his death, and Laman and Lemuel became a sinful nation that killed God´s servants. Now, there are quite a few good examples but for sake of time, I am only going to include one.

The sole desire of Jesus Christ was fulfill the will of the Father. In fact, to know the Son was to know the Father, for they are one in purpose. The first and utmost priority of Jesus was His family: His Father, His brothers, and His sisters.... Us. By choice, He served everyone that came across His path during His life. By choice, He loved everyone that ever lived, everyone that was alive, and everyone that would eventually live. By choice, He lived a perfect life and set the perfect example. By choice, He set the means of salvation for every child of God. And By choice he gave up His life to take it up again (by choice). These choices lead Him to bring to pass the greatest act of all time. The Atonement, the Infinite Sacrifice, our Means of Salvation. 

I hope that we can all learn from the desires, priorities, and decisions of our Savior Jesus Christ so that our actions become pleasing in the eyes of our Father. Don´t follow the example of Laman and Lemuel. Be grateful for all that the Lord has given you. Take the initiative by desiring to be a better person. Take the initiative by loving everyone and inviting them to learn about the restored Gospel. Jesus Christ is our perfect example. He is the staff in the desert. It´s easy enough just looking at Him with well shaped desires. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Power-outage

What a crazy week it´s been! Since it´s been raining pretty continually, the river Colorado that`s about a mile away from Pichanal flooded super crazy! We actually passed over the river and, man let me tell you, it was mean looking. First of all the river is brown with mud and since the river has a shollow bed, the rapids were humongous, about the size of 10-20 foot waves in the ocean. Soon they shut the bridge down to vehicles and we had to walk over the bridge to get back to our area on Friday in the blazing, humid heat. A few hours after that, we heard that the bridge where the train crosses got carried away so we were afraid that the other ones were destroyed as well. Luckily they were alright but since then, the power and water have been shut off. Which was not okay because we were supposed to fill the baptismal font for our investigator Brenda`s baptism! For about 3 days, the power and water were out so we were suffering from the intense heat, lack of water, and anxiety for the baptism. Luckily, the missionaries in Oran had power and water so they started filling the baptismal font on Saturday morning. But, Oran is on the other side of the bridge so we hopped in a taxi and headed for Oran hoping that the bridge was still there and letting cars pass. Well, God answered our prayers because the baptism went through. I was really, really happy in spite of the diffulties. Brenda had been listening for a very long time and when I got here, we decided to change up the style a little bit. We started to see her progress a ton and the other week she told us that she was gonna get baptized. Sometimes we don´t know exactly why things happen but there´s one thing that I do know. When our Heavenly Father says that it´s time, there´s nothing that can stop His will. I´ve learned a lot on my mission, but I think that the biggest thing that I´ve gained is a way of trusting in the Lord when everything seems to be going wrong, or even when everything is going right. Our efforts can only take us so far. God´s efforts will take us farther that we could have hoped for. I know it, I live it, I love it! 

Elder Philpot

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Este es Mi Hijo Amado

Well, as I made known last week, I´ve been called to be a trainer! Or in other words, the father of a new born missionary, also known as ¨papi¨. My hijo is Elder Starkey and he´s a really cool dude. He reminds me a lot of my cousin Tyler so we get along just fine. This week has actually been one of the most fun weeks that I´ve had and it´s funny to think that when I received the call to be papi, I was a little bit un-excited. But, thanks to the fun times and the energy that the Lord has given me, we´ve been able to have lots of success. We´re starting to see the Lord´s hand in just about everything that we do and I know that it´s because we have a shared desire to work hard and leave the rest to our Heavenly Father. 

But, one of the most amazing experiences on my mission until now took place yesterday in Sacrament meeting. Since yesterday was the first day of March, we were able to have the fast and testimony meeting. As usual, after the bishop and the counselors give their testimonies there´s a little bit of a wait to see who´s gonna be the first one. After a few seconds, Raul Del Zotto who was recently baptized stood up and put himself in front of the 30 members that showed up. He tried to start a few times but was held back by tears. He began to testify of the goodness that the restored gospel brought to his family and the great change that he was able to see. Immediately afterwards, another recent convert, Flavia, stood up and also testified of the true church and the impact that it had in the life of her, being a single mother, and her 4 children. I guess I must´ve had major allergies because my eyes kept leaking water... I decided that I had to get up and share my testimony of the happiness that I´ve seen in families who accepted the restored gospel in their lives. After a few words I was already crying and telling the ward how thankful I was to be with them in this moment. It was one of the most powerful moments on my mission. I´ve come to gain a deep love for Pichanal and I´ve only been here a few months.

My testimony is sure. There is a God. He is our Heavenly Father. He sent us to the earth to have a family. That family can be eternal. This is the restored gospel. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, the only true church on the earth. There are people who are waiting for each one of you to help them see the light. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Cambios en todo lado

Sorry that I haven´t written in so long but I´ve been pretty busy doing work. Haha no, last week was a holiday and all the kids in town headed for the cyber shops and filled them up all day so we couldn´t write. Plus, the computer in the church wasn´t hooking up to the internet. Anyways, these past few weeks have been really crazy. We´ve seen so many big changes in the lives of a few of our investigators. To start it off, we had a baptismal service on friday of an little old man named Santos Diaz! It was awesome and the guy was smiling like a little kid, just like the phrase ¨We come into this world as babies and leave it as babies¨. But the story of this old man is a true testament that God has been preparing people to receive the gospel. Santos Diaz lost his wife about 20 to 30 years ago in an accident near his house, causing him to start drinking. He´d been known by many as ¨el viejito con vino¨ or the little old man with wine. My second night here in Pichanal, we were walking with a member who´s always with us and he said hi to ¨Hermano Diaz¨ when we walked past his house. Elder Sandberg and I were like,¨Miguel, who´s that guy, let´s stop by and teach him.¨ Well, we stopped by my second night and the man told us that he was having serious problems with his stomach that caused him to be in the bathroom for the greater part of the day. Miguel immediately shouted out,¨Elders, you can give him a Priesthood blessing.¨ Well, he accepted. Within a few days, he had improved greatly and to this day has not felt those problems seriously. After a month of teaching, Hermano Diaz was baptized. The week before his baptism, Miguel told us that Hermano Diaz was one of the town ¨borrachos¨ and that he got really sick on new years and was in the hospital for a few days. We stopped by his house two weeks later. 

To this day, Hermano Diaz has not touched alcohol and attends church every week, reads as much as he can with his limited vision, and still struggles with the correct manner of pray but is constantly trying harder and harder. There´s no doubt in my mind that God has been preparing his children for a very long time. The happiness of missionary work is unparalleled and I will never be able to forget the spirit that I´ve felt while bringing salvation to their doorstep. I know that Christ lives and is willing to forgive us of a life-time of mistakes. I know that this is the true gospel of Christ and that it was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. 

Before I sign off, there´s a girl named Brenda that we´ve been teaching and has listened to the missionaries for 2 years, never having taken the decision to be baptized. Last night, after a family home evening, Brenda told us that she was going to be baptized and put the date by herself. The 7th of March at 7 PM we will see the long awaited baptism of Brenda. She´s changed temendously and I know that the Spirit is the catalyst of that change. 

Unluckily, and unfortunately, Elder Sandberg was sent to Jujuy and I´ve been called to train a brand newby. They shall now call me ¨papi¨. I will be having my first son tomorrow at around midday. 

The standard of truth has been erected; No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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A Christ-Centered Life

I think the theme of this week would have to be that of our Lord and Savior. But before anything else... La familia Del Zotto was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday!!! I think that being with this family has been one of the most spiritually uplifting and learning times that I´ve had so far in the mission. They decided that they wanted to be baptized in the morning so we got everything ready on Friday night so that we could all start on time. Well, overnight, the little swimming pool that we use for baptisms drained almost all the way and a few of the sisters from the ward got there before us and were yelling at a few of the men in the ward to start filling it faster. Haha we said a prayer and the pool filled in about half an hour, it was a miracle. Before the service, my companion and I sang a musical number, the theme was Christ and His earthly ministry. The song is called ¨I heard Him come¨ and we translated it into Castellano. The song brings the Spirit very strongly so when we all headed to the baptismal pool, nothing else really mattered. After seeing, the three get baptized I felt as though the angels were celebrating in heaven. And I believe that they were celebrating because they are going to be big factors in the building of Zion in these days. Raul, the dad of the family, is just a boss. Yesterday, his day of confirmation, he decided that he was going to give the Gospel Principle class. I was extremely surprised by the preparation and knowledge that he has of the lesson of the week, the Fall of Adam (which can be quite complex). Next week he has an interview to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I gave him a white shirt and a tie after his baptism because it would take a while for him to have enough to buy them. Yesterday, he wore them both and now is on his way to being the next Branch President for sure. Haha

This week, I think I´ve been surprised by many things in my area and I´ve realized how very important it is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi 14:24-27. Here Christ is speaking of the wise man and the foolish man. We can all remember the Primary song about the two houses and the ¨rains came tumbling down¨. The rain and storms are the hardships of life. Here in Argentina, the people have hardships that are more difficult than most problems of those that live in the United States, trust me. What I´ve noticed is that those who have built their lives upon Christ have had a much easier life and a much happier life. I strongly believe that the easiest way to go through life is, and always will be, the Lord´s way. I know that Christ is our Redeemer and our Mediator unto the Father. There is no highway, there is only the Lord´s way. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Familias Eternas

This week was one of the greatest weeks that I´ve had so far in my mission and I think that it all has to do with my testimony of eternal families. This past week, we were eating with some members in our branch and some of their friends from out of town were also there. As usual, at the end of lunch, we share something with the family and it just so happened that the family´s friends were non-members. I´m actually not sure how but we ended up talking about temples and temple sealing. The man told me that he didn´t believe that the family would not be together after death and that there is evidence in the Bible (which there isn´t any such evidence against eternal families). He then made the bold move to say that his friends, the members with whom we eat, who are sealed in the temple, would not even know eachother in heaven. I was a little mad at first and I knew that I had to firmly reprimand him. I asked him if he thought that God wants us to be happy. He said of course. I replied,¨I will never be happy if I can´t live with my family after this life. I know that I will be with my family again in heaven. I know that families can become eternal.¨

If there´s one thing that I´m more sure of, it´s that families are the biggest part of God´s plan and that he will allow us to be with our families again if we are obedient. 

Just the week, Raul and Mirian Del Zotto (two investigators who will be baptized the next week with their son), were married. We had the opportunity to greet them outside of the tiny civil office where they were married. As we were throwing rice, Raul came up to me and gave me a big hug, and, with tears in his eyes, said,¨Thank you Philpot for all that you are doing for my family.¨ I think that was the happiest moment in my mission because I knew that the family was on it´s way to being eternal. The family is the most important part of God´s eternal plan. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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