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