Mission Accomplished

Mission Accomplished! Best two years of my life. Now I`m headed home. Today I left the lovely city of Santiago del Estero at 2 am and arrived in Salta at about 9. Tomorrow I take flight. At about 9 oclock I leave my mission and arrive in Buenos Aires. Then after a few hours by plane I touch down in Georgia and get on my last plane. I`ll be in the good ol AZ on Wednesday at about 9. 

Once again, I have to reiterate how great an adventure the mission is. I know that the Lord knows what He`s doing. I know that this is the Lord`s work.

Now I`m on to the biggest adventure of my life. It`s called Endure to the end... 

For the last time I leave you with my testimony. Jesus is the Christ. He lives. The Book of Mormon is true and changes lives. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church with the authority to lead His church today. It`s the only true church. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Still Alive

Well, I hope everyone´s still alive. I sure am! WHoo. Happy and healthy (but a little sick too). Looks like since I´m finishing up everyone is starting to get lazy and has stopped writing me. It´s alright, I don´t blame you. 

I will now tell you of the struggle that I had before the Lord during this last week... There was in the town of Santiago del Estero a pair of missionaries in a little run down house. They were obedient before the Lord but it would seem that luck was not with them as a rat lived within those walls. It came to a point when those two servants of the Lord could not handle anymore the bad smell and infinite pellets that scattered the floor. They made a trap. But it would seem that luck was not with them because the rat was not fond of the trap. Fervent prayers were said daily. Fervent searching and patience began to lose their vigor. The fight continues to this very day. Tune in next week to find out how it ends...........

On a more spiritual thought, as I finish up the mission I come to realize more and more why things happen. It has even become much easier to accept the trials that the Lord gives me without asking myself why. My persona has changed and my point of view has been reformed. It´s a complete miracle. I can´t explain how much happiness flows through my very being. Ammon felt a very similar feeling and his brothers chewed him out. Haha ¨But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.¨

I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Don´t trade your feathers for worms!!!!!

This week was awefully busy! We went to Salta on Monday and got back on Tuesday (a 15 hour trip in total- 7 hours to get there and 7 hours to get back), we had our Zone Training Meeting on Friday (my last zone training meeting btw :(, and then on Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference with Elder Teixeira, Elder Levrino (my first mission pres. that is now an area 70), and President Chaparro. Wow an overall great experience! I´ve learned a lot this week. But I would have to say that the most impacting part of the week was a story that Elder Teixeira told yesterday. 

¨There was once a traveller that went around scavenging and selling juicy worms. One day while the traveller was walking through the forest a young bird flew up to him and asked him what he was up to. The traveller openned up his box of worms and the bird just about fainted with joy. He said that he had been searching and searching but hadn´t found a worm yet and asked the traveller for just one of those juicy worms. The traveller said that he would be glad to give him a worm on ONE condition: that he trade one of his feathers for the worm. He plucked out a feather, yelped, traded it for the worm and kept on his way happy as can be. The next day he found himself in the same situation and luckily ran into the traveller. He plucked out a feather and traded it for a worm. The next day as well. And the next day. And the next. Until he had ran out of feathers.

We all have spiritual feathers that help us to fly back to our Heavenly Father. Let´s not trade them for momentary pleasures that just about anyone can offer us. Let us stay away from the temptations that so often seem so harmless but can end up leaving us featherless. Our Father loves us. He wants us to be successful... But He´ll never do it against our will. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Primero de Mayo

I´m not sure how it is in the U.S. or in other countries (I don´t remember many of the american holidays) but here in Argentina we just celebrated Labor Day. Yes, my day. Because we do work! Haha this week has been awesome! We had a bunch of investigators come to church yesterday! We found a new family: the family that went to a ward baptism last week went to church this week! It´s Fernanda´s sister (Fernanda Alagastín is a recent convert). Josehp (yeah that´s how it´s spelled) will be baptized this week! His mom is from Peru and they moved here about 16 years ago. His mom is a less active member that the Elders Quorum President found while visiting members and doing street contacts! Wow, miracle. But the best part of this week would have to be last night. While teaching Sergio about temples last night, him (investigator) and his less active wife who just came back to church said that they were going prepare to go to the temple and that they were going to send us the picture after being sealed. It´s hard to express the joy that a missionary feels when he or she is on a mission. But it´s impossible trying to express the joy that a missionary feels when he or she hears that a family will be eternal thanks to our minute efforts and in spite of our weaknesses. All I know is that God is infinitely merciful. He loves us so much. His plan is so perfect. It´s hard for me to explain the love I have gained over the past 2 years for our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ and the great Plan of Salvation. I can´t express it well but I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I believe in miracles

It´s hard to explain all the miracles that are happening here in the mission but I´ll do the best I can with the 5 minutes I have left. Haha

First off, Kendra´s dad who has been fighting against his daugters baptism but authotized his son´s baptism went to church yesterday!

Vicki and Milagros are mother and daughter that were going to be baptized a while ago but then Vicki decided that she didn´t want to get married and so long story short it impeded the baptism of her, her husband, and her daughter. Vicki this week read our pamphlet of temples and temple marriage and decided that she wanted to get married!

Cecilia is girlfriend of a less active guy that got baptized about 4 years ago and she is just begging to be member of the Church :)

Sergio is also boyfriend of a less active woman that just started coming back to church and he is progressing like crazy and reading everything he can get his hands on about the church.

The Branch is finally starting to get a little more motivated :)

I know that for most of you it´s just a bunch of names but man is God bringing forth His work in South America. Our Father never rests. Our Father works, we must work. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

Noche de Talentos

Let´s get right down to meat! This week´s talent show was a success. About 2 weeks ago we decided that the branch needed some fun so we planned a talent show. Unluckily, nobody did their part in prepare the chapel or invite their friends but, the same, many went and enjoyed it a lot! It was a blast. Santiago del Estero is one of the oldest cities in South America so it wasn´t a surprise that there is a wide variety of talent, of which mostly is musical. Since we Elders don´t have too much talent, we decided to do a bunch of stuff all together and make everyone laugh their heads off. Haha it worked :) But it wasn´t so much the music or the dancing or the joke telling that made us more happy but just being together as brothers and sisters fighting the same worldly battles. The secret to making a ward like Zion: bringing people together, inviting others, and visiting those that don´t come. If we could all do our little part in making our ward like Zion, the world would advance at a very rapid pace towards happiness and peace.

I would also like to emphasize the fact that we often put too much emphasis on doing things perfectly or it isn´t of much value. The talent show was evidence that it isn´t like that at all. I don´t have to know how to sing or dance well to participate but I sure can be Me. I don´t have to know the scriptures to value their importance and understand the need to read. I don´t have to see God to express my testimony. I don´t need to be perfect to be a missionary. But I do have to try. If we try, if we do our best, it counts for something. God knows us. He knows our hearts. He loves us. He values our efforts. I know it, I live it, I love it. Don´t feel inadecuate, don´t get down, don´t give up :)

Elder Philpot

Traps

With the nice little voice recorder that Elder Mann has been letting me use it´s starting to get harder and harder to think of things to write down in the weekly email. But I´m sure the Lord will guide me in my efforts to make you all laugh and remember the Saviour. 

First off, my beloved Elder Mann was touched my a ghost this morning. Yes, you heard it, a ghost. To my alarming surprise, while putting laundry in the washing machine this morning a heard a childish yelp come from within. And then a beckoning for my presence. Haha Elder Mann said that something black, wet, and hairy had grabbed the back of his heel and was about to climb up when it was scared by the screams of poor Elder Mann. Yes, a rat. A black, wet, leg-climbing rat. I´m sure it could teach me a few things about rock climbing actually. Anyways, in quick response to the emergency situation, we glued two cups together, put a stick through the ends, put the stick over a big bucket of water, and then covered the cups with honey and crackers... The perfect mouse trap. (Elder Mann´s idea). We hope to see results when we arrive home this very afternoon.

Sometimes we are like that little, I mean, big, black mouse. We start to do great things, but often we get too confident and touch people´s legs. Or as we will soon see, we are too ignorant of our very unsafe surroundings and we fall into the trap, seemingly without escape. In the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are taught to Stand in Holy Places. Are we really striving to choose our friends wisely? Are we too prideful to see the impact that our actions have on others when we make mistakes? Or are we aware of the dangers that surround us? Do we willingfully choose to stear clear of temptations? We must stear clear! I love you all. Your choices affect your destiny. I know it, I live it, I love it! 
Elder Philpot

Whooo yeah, Frias, Whoo yeah

This week was pretty normal but man did I love General Conf! General conference here in the mission is like spring break but better because we are being spiritually uplifted at the same time. Elder Mann and I started doing voice recordings every day so if you want me to send them to you your gonna have to ask :) It´s a lot easier than writing down everything I did during the week in a single day! Haha 

But this week we also travelled 3 hours in bus to a little town called Frias at the edge of the mission world. It´s the furthest area from the mission home so if you take the wrong road you might walk out of mission boundaries. It was fun. I was with Elder Walde again. Elder Walde is a great friend that I lived with in Salta so we did divisions together and had a lot of fun.

What I took out of the Conference has been a great blessing previously in my life and will be a blessing for the rest of my life. It is the principle of remembering. Elder Gerrit Gong of the 70 spoke about how we sometimes seem to forget and how important it is to remember our Saviour in spite of the trials that so often make us forget of His great love for us. I testify that He loves us ESPECIALLY in our trials. It´s true. I know it, I live it, I love it! 

Elder Philpot

Happys Easters

Felices Pascuas! This week was a fun one :) Elder Mann and I are doing fine here in Autonomía. I can´t complain either because the weather is awesome until now, the bikes are in the shop being fixed up from minor damages caused by Argentine designed potholes. Haha we are super excited for General Conference that´s for sure. SInce it´ll be our last one, we´re going to try to make it the best one. We´re planning on printing out little pamphlets for the investis, bringing recliners to the stake center by truck (Jando´s truck), and inviting everyone to receive revelation through the modern day prophets´ words. 

We´ve been wrestling a little bit with the baptism of Paula but if we can just teach her to resolve her own doubts, she´ll be an active member the rest of her life. Outside influences can often times have a negative impact on her view of the Gospel.

The Bulacio boys (Esteban and Franco) (members) have been helping their parents(non members), who actually went to church on Sunday to see their two boys give their testimonies which we had assigned them the day before :)

We found an awesome new investigator named Leopoldo! Elder Mann about two weeks ago said that it would be nice if someone would actually read the pamphlets and then explain us that they understood and that they followed its instructions and prayed. Well, later that night we visited Leopoldo, who had a pamphlet from our contact in the street, and he DID it! Except the part about prayer, which he didn´t do. But he understood everything front to back and he taught us the message of the Restoration when we got there. 

The Moreno family is close to being able to get married but they´re just waiting on the father´s divorce papers. Pray for miracles! After marriage they´ll be baptized.

Last but not least, the girlfriend of a random less active guy started to come to church about two weeks ago so that was a miracle and we´ll start teaching her this week! She even brought dessert to church to share with the members afterwards. WHAT?!?! Even members don´t do that. Haha

Anyways, the mission is fun. But we are all missionaries. Our families should have baptismal goals! They should plan on giving a certain number of references to the missionaries every month. There´s no time to lose. Nothing to lose either. Jesus Christ lives. He´s quickening His work. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

New Stuff!

I got a new area. I got a new companion. I got new bikes. I got a new pension. I got air conditioning. And best of all, I got a new chance to change people´s lives :) I am now in Autonomía which is situated in Santiago del Estero. It´s a little ironic because the weather is just like Arizona so looks like God is preparing me for the scorching heat of Phoenix. My companion is Elder Mann from Murray, Utah. He´s tall. For some reason I´m always with tall companions and the people stare like no other. He´s awesome. I´m super excited for these last few months. We´re gonna work super hard and finish with fire since he will also be finishing a little after me. Everything seems to be set up perfectly for a fun finish. But let´s not talk about the end! I´m still in it. 

Something that I´m really coming to know for sure is that our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for us and if we get all sad because things don´t go our way it´s because we are being too prideful. I´ve come to learn that lesson many times. We Philpots are a little too prideful so it´s been quite the ride. Haha but with more time in the mission and seeing His hand even more in my life, I feel a deep love and confidence that He will always do what´s best for me and my happiness. I know it with all my being. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

PS. Elder Blake, I know that you´re gonna want me to visit a few people. Forget about it ;) Nah, let me know and you can count on me.

PSS. I didn´t write very much. I´m sorry. Next time!

Deja que el Espíritu te enseñe

I don´t have too much great news. Overall things are going really well here in Belgrano, Tucumán. I´m enjoying my time with Elder Romer and we´re seeing quite a few miracles.There are lots of people that are so close to baptism and we are just waiting on the decision of parents and the wanting part so they can be baptized. I´m just realizing that you guys know very little of the people that we´re teaching here in Argentina. Well, here´s a description.

Melani- a young single mother of 17 that is best friends with the daughter of our ward mission leader. Nough said.... Haha she accepted very quickly the Gospel and knows more than many members. She loves the scriptures and has made many friends in church already. She just needs permission from her parents. They aren´t very willing. Pray for her :)

Jose Rios- a member´s dad. He´s about 67 or something like that. He loves joking around with the missionaries. Haha he almost got baptized about two months ago but had a little problem and then got lost from the face of the earth. We found him about two weeks ago and started to teach again. He´s getting warmer! Haha

Nestor- the father in a family of all members. He´s very open. He´s just looking for his own testimony. He told his family that he would get baptized if they asked him to but we all know that it doesn´t work that way. He´s close :)

There are a few others but I´ll tell you about them next week :)

The Spirit is our guide. He is our teacher. He leads us in times of trouble. I know it, I live it, I love it! Search for opportunities to share the Gospel by following His guide :)

Elder Philpot

Summer Sun

It´s heatin up here in Tucumán! Lots of sun, lots of humidity, and lots of warm friendly people. I´m not sure how to take the fact that my sis is all grown up and getting married on Saturday but I´m trying to take one thing at a time. Haha first, finish strong. Second, think about everything else! I´m really glad that you´re so happy Elizabeth :) It makes me a little apprehensive thinking that I´m the next one in the ¨getting hooked¨ line. Haha pero falta mucho :) I´m also glad that mom hasn´t killed anyone yet. Congrats ;) 

Overall, the mission life is great. We´re seeing lots of miracles, having lots of fun, and overcoming lots of challenges. I really enjoy my time with Elder Romer, we´re like a little old couple that helps one another to be better. This week we travelled to Salta and once again missed the bus home thanks to a little old man that we decided to contact who ended up talking for 15 minutes. Haha and yesterday we had an awesome lesson with a few youngins that have been prepared by the hand of God for some time now. Gabriel is 20 and has had a really dark past and recently was released from jail. By luck (or better said, the Spirit), we crossed paths in the street and he asked us for a Bible. Unfortunately we only carry Books of Mormon (luckily). He started reading and we found him in his home last night! He´s staying with a friend and his family is after him legally. He told us that he can´t get rid of the constant depression that he feels. It was such an awesome lesson talking about repentance and baptism with him and his friend Cristian and Cristian´s gf. They all accepted baptismal dates and they`re all excited to go to a Family Home Evening in the church on Tuesday and to Church on sunday! I´m even more excited. Haha Life is great. The Spirit is our guide. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

PS Keep reading the BoM Elijah! Dont skip days :)

Life is like P-Day

Nobody writes me anymore... Haha it´s alright. Usually when a lot of people write me it can be a little stressful. But I wanted to tell a little story about my lovely morning while playing futbol in the stake center with the zone. The stake center has an awesome soccer field and so we like to play on Mondays. There´s only one problem: the walls aren´t high enough for us to kick away and not worry, we have to be careful to not kick the ball over the fence (where a mean old lady loves to steal soccer balls and then let her dogs loose when we ask her for it) and also to not kick the ball into the bushes above the back fence which is full of thorns and ants. I´m not going to tell how I know of the first situation because that´s another story :) This morning I had the luck of kicking the ball high up on top of the thorny bushes which are situated on top of a lovely 12 foot fence. As I climbed up, I was pricked and pinched and bitten during a period of 20 minutes trying to squirm my way to the top to punch the ball. It was a great learning experience.

Application: If we don´t learn to control our actions, peace and happiness will get stuck way up high in the thorny bushes and we´re gonna have to suffer a price to get it back. When we learn to bridle our passions, be patient, and accept God´s will instead of doing what WE want, we will be blessed with physical and spiritual safety. Now, the pain didn´t stop right after I got loose. Often times repentance has negative rebounds even after paying the price. It´s a stinging triumph but man does it hurt when you get in the shower. Haha patience and obedience mean safety. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

I´m training to be like Jesus, I´m following in His ways.

This week was full of training meetings! It was fun learning from General Authorities from the area and from other parts of the world. On Wednesday we learned from the Apostles and many General Authorities via satellite! On Thursday we had a multi-zone conference with Elder Krasnoselsky. I don´t have that much to say, and I don´t have that much time either but I just want you all to know how much I love you. I love the Gospel and I love the Book of Mormon. I love being a missionary and I if I could ask one favor from you all, it would be that you may share the blessings of the Gospel with others. I´ve been thinking a lot about the kind of person that I´m going to be when I get home (I´m not getting lazy and thinking a lot of home! I´m still working hard) and I realized that I´ll be the kind of person that starts up random conversations and then invites them to know more and come to church :) I´m in good practice :P I love talking with people. People need this. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot 

Service!

I´m starting to run out of things to say in my letters home so maybe next week if you all send me about 3 questions that don´t require lots of explaining I can tell you guys everything you want to know :) 

Other fun news: I finally got my bag back from the church offices! What a relief! Also, this week I started tramites (procedures) so they can renew my ID in Argentina. The awesome part is that the ID lasts for two years and I´ll be finishing here in May so if I want to come back or even live here for a while, I am free to do so! Haha but I don´t think they´ll let me stay in the mission much longer so don´t worry Mom, I can´t extend my mission again. 

This week I´ve been able to see the great impact that service has in our everyday lives and in the lives of others. While getting ready in the morning, I often find my companion doing some kind of service for me so I tell him to cut it out. Since he keeps at it, (in anger) I grab his things and start doing little acts of service for him. Pretty soon, I think it´ll come to the point that we´ll be dressing and feeding eachother because it´s a competition of who can do more service. Haha but as King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4, those who do not serve others or give to the poor and needy are not worthy of the remission of their sins. It´s quite strong actually. The chapter helped me realize that service and fast offerings are a little more important than ¨resting¨ on the sabbath day. Christ taught that it is licit? to do good on the sabbath day (I forgot the word in English). I know it´s true because I live it. I tract and teach the same every Sunday! Service is true religion. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Whoooo!!!!

I´m sure you´re wondering why the title says WHOOO... Well, I just found out that one of the investigators from Palermo in Salta got married and baptized this week!!!!! Her name is Milagros, I´m not sure if I talked a lot about her in my letters but she´s the mom of a member from the ward and for a super long time we taught her but her ¨boyfriend¨ didn´t want to get married. Well, after a long wait it finally arrived. It´s hard to explain the joy that one feels after something so simple but so life-changing and huge. It makes the hard things worth it. 

This week has been pretty hectic. We travelled to Salta on Monday and had our Leades Council on Tuesday. On our way back to Tucuman, in the mission car with the APs I realized that I left just about everything in the mission office. So I´ve been carrying around an old Book of Mormon and D&C in my bag and a few Books of Mormon for los Tucumanos. On Saturday we had our Zone Training which was pretty awesome because we did a few activities (?) and then applied them to our lessons. Overall a great week :)

I learned quite a bit this week about the way the Lord had the prophets write the Book of Mormon. About a month ago I started a little project with the BoM so I can develop more of Christ´s attributes. I mark the scriptures that have to do with the attributes of Christ and then I put little color coded flags on the side of the page. It´s helped me to see that during many chapters the Lord repeats an attribute over and over so we don´t forget or even come up with excuses for not being diligent, or humble, or obedient, etc. The Lord is all knowing. He can help us reach our potential if we put in our part. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Goals or resolutions

First off I want Elijah to know how proud I am of his new dedication to reading the Book of Mormon every day :) keep it up big guy! Next, I would like to thank my family for keeping me in your prayers in spite of all the crazy things that are happening at home. I know it can be tough but sometimes it´s better to just take a siesta, mom ;)

Happy New Year! I´m glad to say that I´ve been able to set myself a few goals for the year and I hope to be resolute in accomplishing them (I´m not sure if that´s good english...). If there´s one thing that I´ve been able to learn this week is the importance of setting personal goals every day, week, month, and year. As reads Elder Ballard´s quote in Preach My Gospel,¨"I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life." While thinking about the act of goal setting I came to question the difference between a new years resolution and a goal. When we hear resolution we all think about the chubby neighbor that runs for about 2 weeks in January and then gives up. When I hear goal, sometimes I think about the bishop trying to explain to an 8 year old about goal-setting so he can go to the temple when he turns 12. Sometimes these words can seem so formal and I feel like we can at times also say these words with little emphasis. A goal is a reflection of our desires AND OUR FAITH! If we don´t set personal goals, we aren´t building our faith. Goals can range from doing a simple act of service every day, to ponderizing every week, and to even getting married in February (hm hm, Elizabeth). But I feel like what is still lacking is a resolution. Be resolved to fulfill anything we have put our minds to. I invite you, yes you, to put some goals. Then, be resolute. There lies success. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot