Miracles in the Driest Place on Earth: Living on the Streets of Chile--Just Kidding

August 15, 2016

Hola y hello!

Our top priority this week (after baptizing people of course) was finding a house to live in because we were going to be homeless as of today. The real mission experience! haha But we found a nice apartment behind another house where their recently deceased grandma lived. It has its charm. And there are trees—with birds—unusual for my part of Chile.

This week we were able to get to know more people. They all said they would go to church. But they all forgot about the time change this week where it moved one hour back. I was getting ready for my unexpected talk with 5 minutes to spare when I looked up and saw a bunch of empty chairs and the other two missionaries, no one else. Slowly people trickled in 30 minutes to an hour later with dazed looks in their eyes.

We teach a religion class called seminary to the teenagers on Saturdays—this year it is the Old Testament. Wish I would have paid more attention my sophomore year of high school when I had it haha (sorry mom—she was my teacher). I love the book of Job--especially the part where his 3 friends began to tempt him to forsake God and die. How many times in life, (and for me even more in the mission) have I been tempted to throw in the towel, curse God, and walk away from everything. I think to myself, " Do I really have to do all this stuff to be saved? All I hear all day is that if I have God in my heart, I’m a good person, I'll be saved. Maybe they are right." But then another familiar voice comes: "Elder Phillips, you’ve had too many experiences confirming the importance of living the commandments. Keep your course."

It’s tempting to deny the promptings, say it’s all in your head and that some scientific theory must have the explanation so why bother. But no. That would be just blasphemy for me now. Give God the chance he deserves.

Well, have a good week! See you in a month!

Everything is awesome,
Elder Phillips