​"The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T.S. Eliot

Bonjour ma famille,

Cette semaine a été magnifique. On l'a passée en faisant des conférences de zone, et en disant au revoir a mes convertis. Mon converti, Bertrand, m'a donné une benediction. Aujourd'hui, pour couronner les deux ans, nous avons baptisé Nathalie et Florence. C'est bon de finir en voyant une famille vient au Christ. (:

Ces deux dernières années ont été les plus difficiles, extravagantes, et merveilleuses années de ma vie. Surtout, c’était une plaisir de servir le Seigneur. J'ai prêché l’Évangile dans les villes encombrés, dans les marais mouillés, du haut des montagnes de la jungle, dans la brosse du nord, sur les sables du sud, et dans les villages prêt pour l’Évangile. J'ai vu un grand nombre des personnes recevoir un témoignage, et le mien a été fortifié aussi. Avant ma mission, je connaissais que Jésus-Christ est mon Sauveur, mais maintenant je Le connais. Il est ma lumière, ma joie, et mon chant. Je vois Sa main dans ma vie.

Je peux dire, tout comme Ammon, "[qu'il] n’y a jamais eu [d’homme] qui [ais] eu autant lieu de se réjouir que [moi] depuis le commencement du monde... oui, et je suis transporté de joie, au point de me vanter de mon Dieu ; car il a tout pouvoir, toute sagesse et toute intelligence ; il comprend tout, et il est un Être miséricordieux pour le salut, pour ceux qui se repentent et croient en son nom," (Alma 26:35).

C’était une honneur de servir le Seigneur dans cette partie spéciale du monde.

Je vous aime tous, et je vous remercie pour tout. Mawu na donawe!

​Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

​Bonjour, ma famille,

Time is going way too fast.

Well, it's finally spring out here, which is the nice way of saying rainy season. It rains and rains and rains. Toto certainly did bless those rains. (; It's beautiful to see the rain wash away the dust of winter, and there's this feeling you can feel in the air, like the earth has been rejuvenated. The whole atmosphere feels clean, like the world is taking a new start. (:

This Monday, we got to play football with the Finagnon zone, which was fun, and then do some souvenir shopping. Normally, I hate going to the Tokpa Market, but this time around, I felt happy to be there, and I even felt like I would miss that place.

My birthday was great! Thanks for your birthday letters, cards, and wishes. It was great to celebrate, and it's hard to believe that I'm twenty. I'm glad I celebrated in Africa. (:

Narcisse is doing okay. We visited one or two times this week, and we realized that he wasn't keeping up a steady habit of prayer. We tried to help him out with that. I testify that all of the pieces of the Armor of God are obtained from the base of prayer.

Natalie and Florence are doing well. We're preparing them for baptism, and it looks like their baptism will hold for next Sunday. Pray for us, and wish us luck!
We taught an eternal investigator, Franco. Franco is a self-professed Muslim, and he asked the question "if I were to be baptized in your church, would that mean having to give up going to the mosque and praying there?" and I felt prompted to talk about ordinances, so I did. I don't think he's getting baptized soon, but I believe that that really helped him get a new understanding.

We taught a Nigerian couple, Daniel and his wife, who were investigators back in 2008, but they lost contact with the church once they moved to Nigeria, but now they're back in Cocotomey. We had a great lesson, and they want to be baptized, and we asked if they were legally married, and they said yes! They have papers and everything! It was a miracle, I was so happy! Normally couples have to save and work for at least a month or so to be married, but they're ready to go! We fixed their baptismal date for July 10th. I'm looking forward to getting those baptismal photos. (:

We taught an investigator, Honore, whose neighbor joined in on the lesson. The neighbor claimed that he was the Kokogbesso, or the King of Cocotomey. Technically, if Cocotomey was still under tribal rule, he'd be the king. At least, that's what he claimed. Lots of people claim that. Anywho, I guess I can check "Preaching the Gospel to an African king" off of my bucket list. (:

Odile had a bad case of appendicitis, so she can't go to church for three months, but we keep visiting her and making sure that she's okay.

I'm really grateful for my companion, Elder N'Guessan. He's super patient, and I really respect him. I prayed for a long time that my last companion would help me finish my mission well, and he's been an answer to my prayers. For some random reason, we decided to walk out to our area yesterday morning, in the rain. It was great to get one last "in the sector" experience. I haven't gone to bed that tired in a long, long time. (: I'm also grateful for Elders Linderman and Motshikana, and all the other missionaries I've gotten to know. I've come to truly love those around me, and I'm proud to be serving in the Benin Cotonou Mission.

This week was my last full week of proselyting. Next week is just zone conferences, other Assistant tasks, saying goodbye to converts, and our last baptism. I can't describe how I feel, the only word that comes to mind is love. I sure do love these people. I realized this week that every important relationship has a temporary goodbye, whether that be geographical, time-based, or mortal separation, but the Lord has promised us that we will all see each other again in the Resurrection. "Saying goodbyes" is just the Lord's way of showing us how much we loved those around us, and how important that relationship was. Well, I'm learning how much I love these people, and how important they are to me.

I testify that Jesus Christ is the true King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and that because He was resurrected on a spring morning, we all can be together forever, through His plan of Happiness. I know that, through His Atonement, we can receive a forgiveness of our sins, and be made clean again.

Je vous aime, et je vous souhaite une semaine merveilleuse.

Avec tout mon amour,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

Chère famille,

Time is going by way too quickly. I've learned to not be sad and mopey about these last few weeks, but to love them and live them up while they're here.

An Average Assistant's Adventures

• President calls: “I’m in Togo, and I need you to get in contact with Elder such-and-such, he's got a problem.”
• Assistants try to call Elder such-and-such, whose phone is not online. Unsure if this is an emergency or not, Assistants decide to commute to the other side of Benin to visit such-and-such district.
• Assistants arrive at such-and-such apartment, Elders open the door, super surprised to see Assistants: “What are y'all doing here?”
• Assistants call for private interview with such-and-such Elder: “What's the problem?”
• Elder such-and-such: “Oh, I just had a question.” Proceeds to explain innocent problem that was resolved in two minutes, and could have been resolved over the phone.

Haha, just another day in the life. I really enjoy little adventures like this, and I'm really glad that it wasn't a major problem. (:

Over the course of the past two weeks, at least three missionaries have slipped up and called me "Brother Phillips," not "Elder Phillips".

This week, we did a split with Elders Kola and Ballie, from Zogbo. We had some fun with them, and got some good lessons in. Elder Ballie's a very direct guy, so in the car I explained to him a little bit about Natalie's situation, and then once we got in the lesson he just said whatever came to mind. At first I was super scared, but Natalie actually opened up a lot and shared what was on her mind.

Today, the others had a baptismal service for their ami, Florens. He's got an amazing story, and an incredible journey. I had the privilege to do his baptismal interview, and he was very much ready for baptism. He gave the closing prayer, and it was probably the most sincere, intimate prayer I've ever heard anyone offer. Florens talked with God like He was right next to him, like he was talking to his literal Father. It was a very sweet experience.

We had branch conference today. Our branch president bore a sweet testimony about how the Gospel has changed his life. In our Gospel Principles class, the stake president took the time to share a lesson with our amis, and that was wonderful!

This past month, our mission has been working on a project. We proposed the idea to President, and he modified it a bit. We wanted to give positive reinforcement to missionaries working hard, and help missionaries feel closer to President, so we challenged each zone in the mission to baptise fifteen people during the month of May. If they met the goal, then President would take the time to do a P-day activity with them. If the entire mission achieved ninety baptisms (fifteen for the six zones), then President added that he would give personal au revoir gifts to each missionary. Well, the missionaries dug in and worked super hard, and as of today, the mission has accomplished 102 baptisms in one month! Everyone worked super hard, and the mission drew closer together as we worked towards this goal. I know that Heavenly Father's plan is entirely based on positive reinforcement, and blessing His children as much as He can! In the end, we all will receive glorious blessings, but it is only by faith and obedience that we can achieve the highest blessings in store.

My last week is going to be consecrated to visiting members and friends in Akpakpa and Cocotomey, teaching at zone conferences, and planning the next transfer, so my last real week in full proselyting mode is this upcoming week. That's crazy to consider, and my biggest desire is just to give it all I've got. We might get to go up to Bohicon one last time. Pray that I'll make the most of this week!

Reflecting on what I've learned over the past two years, I thought a lot, and I realized that my testimony has been strengthened and my conversion deepened. I've learned so much, and I keep learning so much! Today, during the Stake President's lesson, I felt the Spirit, and I felt completely comfortable in my own skin. I felt like the Lord is pleased with what we are doing, and I know with certitude that He loves us, each and every one.

I love y'all! Have a great week!

Avec tout mon amour,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

P.S. How could I forget? Edmond and his family were also confirmed today, and Edmond received the Aaronic Priesthood. I'm so happy that this family's on the right path.
P.S.S. We passed by Narcisse's house. He told us that his little daughter passed away a few days ago. It was very sad, but we shared our love for Narcisse and his family, and we bore our testimonies of the Plan of Salvation. Narcisse is such a sweet, sincere young man, and I know that he'll see his daughter, and all his family, again one day. Keep him and his wife in your prayers!

​Chère famille,

This week felt slow, but a lot of great things and miracles happened in our sector.

On Sunday, I got to Skype with y'all, and that was fantastic.

During Wednesday and Thursday, we did a split in our sector with Elders Wride and Dorsey, one of my absolute favorite équipes here in Benin. They're such optimistic, hard workers, and I always look forward to our splits with them. During the split, I tried to focus on Teach People, Not Lessons, which is an important principle that I love. Basically, my formula is as follows:

• In street contacting, just have a plain old conversation with people about their lives, find something in their lives (ie their job, food, customs), and make a Gospel analogy out of it, tied in to a scripture from the Book of Mormon ("that reminds me of something an ancient prophet said...").
  
• Whatever lesson you had planned on sharing, find something in their lives or homes, and make an analogy out of it to teach the principles.

It's a pretty great formula, and it helps the people learn the Gospel from a hands-on approach. I learned a lot from these elders, and I really enjoyed the split.

On Friday, we took Edmond and Véronique to the mission office to have their baptismal interviews, and we had a great experience with them. Long story short, I was very stressed about a million things on my mind during the whole drive to the bureau, but then once we got to the bureau, and they passed their interviews, I felt all the stress just melt away, and I felt joy. The Spirit just taught me that the things we often think of as important or urgent, are oftentimes just hindrances to our eternal progression and happiness.

Saturday, out in the sector, we saw revenants! They're voodoo people who dress in colourful costumes and go around asking people for money and beating them with a stick. And then down the street, we saw some Christian women doing some preaching. Haha, Benin sure is a religious, spiritual, and diverse place.

Today, we had arguably one of the best sacrament meetings I've had on my mission. Marlene was confirmed, and between the two companionships, we had at least 25 investigators come to church. It was incredible! It was a completely unexpected miracle, and everyone (even the branch leaders) was shocked! How cool is that? We had so many friends come, that we had to kick the members out of the chapel for the second hour so we could have enough room to teach them. Multiple members gave us contacts! Everything was great!

Afterwards, we held the baptismal service for Edmond, Véronique, and Sarah, and because it was after church, everyone stayed to watch. I had the special privilege to baptise them, and Elder Linderman baptised one of his amis. It was so great to finally see this wonderful family enter into the waters of baptism. They're such a special family, and I'm so happy to see them progress!

We should have one more family being baptised on June 10th, my last weekend in the field. I hope and pray that it works out! (:

Like I said in my Skype call, I feel like I'm running out of gas, but this week, I felt like the handcart was starting to push me. Heavenly Father just took over everything. He gave me the strength to get up on time and get my studies done every day this week. Our amis are understanding the doctrine, accepting commitments, and changing their lives. People contact us on the streets to learn more about our message. The members bring contacts to church. Amis we weren't expecting showed up for sacrament meeting, often despite difficult circumstances. People are walking into the waters of baptism. All in all, it's the Lord's work, and not man's. I've come to know my Savior so well over the past two years, and now I feel His familiar hand guiding everything for the blessing of His brothers and sisters.

I love my mission, and I'm so lucky to serve here.

Have a great week, y'all!

Love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

​Chère famille,

A story I forgot from last week: Because of the bulldozer fiasco, we've decided that whenever we visit Frere Edmond, we'll park the car as soon as we see some rough sand patches and walk the rest of the way. As we were walking home one night, Edmond accompanied us (Béninois culture, to walk with visitors until they are safely on the way home, ie to their car or to a well-known road that anyone can recognise), we passed by a large marsh. It was dark and eerily quiet, and I had the dumb idea to ask Edmond if there were crocodiles in that lake, and he said "Oh yes, loads of them!" and that kept me quietly panicking until we got in our car.

Anywho, this week was (trumpet call) transfers week! This is the week when our Toyota becomes the Magic School Bus, and we ride across Benin, putting people here and there and hoping that everything will work out. There weren't too many companionship changes, but the changes happened mostly in the sectors on polar opposite sides of Benin, so we drove to Calavi and Porto Novo multiple times, but hey, we got to have a road trip! While it is very tiring and stressful, transfers week is a week when we get to get close to the missionaries, see Benin up close and personal, and have fun with a change of pace. And discover milkshakes for the first time in two years (Speculos milkshakes are the best).

We had some new missionaries stay in our apartment Tuesday night. I love new missionaries! Their zeal and spirit remind me why I'm here and how awesome this work is. Our visitors were Elder Park, a nice American, and my mission posterity! Elder Angbo is training again, a Congolais elder named Elder Nkoy, and Elder Turner (my great-grandson) will be training my great-great grandson, Elder Boileau, a super nice elder from France! I was so stoked, and it made me reflect on how much the work we do in our families perpetuates to the future generations.

Well, with transfer week, we only truly got to return to proselyting on Friday, and it was an afternoon of ratez-vous, so that was a wee-bit discouraging, but yesterday was awesome!

First off, we went to Hillacondji again yesterday morning. We did baptismal interviews for eight children. Two of them were children of a member couple, and they knew their doctrine! The couple also has a seven-year old son named Gabriel, who has some cerebral-reflex-coordination problems that have kept him from walking, but after a recent surgery, he's hoping to walk in the coming months and years. I promised him that one day we'd race, and that he'd beat me. (:

The six other children were living with their grandparents who have not yet received the lessons. Baptizing children is always a delicate situation, because we want to ensure that these children have an adequate understanding of the Gospel so that they'll stay active in the Gospel throughout the rest of their lives. All of the children I interviewed passed the interview just fine. There was one little boy, named Pascal, who was rather quiet, and didn't seem to understand what we were trying to teach him, but I figured that I might as well do his interview and see. I quickly found that there would be a language barrier, and so I asked Frere David (the member accompanying us) to come give us a hand. With his help, the interview passed very well. I took a few seconds to pause and listen to the Spirit, wondering if I could OK Pascal's baptism, and then I felt prompted to ask Pascal a question, which I did: "Would you prefer to be baptized today, or watch your brothers and sisters be baptized so you know how it happens, and be baptized next week?" Pascal preferred to wait and learn how baptism happens, and I felt very grateful that the Spirit helped, and I felt like Pascal will become a great member of the Church. Frere David said afterwards that he felt the Spirit too. (:

That afternoon, Frere David took us out to lunch, and then we went straight back to Cocotomey to proselyte. We visited with Odile and her friends, Marlene and her family, and Edmond's Family. Marlene, Edmond, Veronique, and Sarah all accepted an invitation to be baptized next Sunday, and I think this time that we'll make it. Keep us in your prayers!

Today, during the sacrament, I thought of a general conference talk, "Stand Up Inside and Be All In," and about the promise found in Ezekiel 18:21-22, that if we turn away from all our sins, and keep all of the Lord's statutes, then all our sins will be forgiven. Turning away from our sins means fully repenting, and to show our willingness to be completely obedient, we are baptized and renew our baptismal covenant by partaking of the sacrament. In repenting, being baptized, and continuing our lives in daily repentance and weekly partaking of the sacrament, we are able to obtain the promise that all (100 percent!) of our sins will be forgiven.

I love you all, and I wish you a wonderful week, and Happy Mother's Day!

Love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

Bonjour, ma famille!

Average Transfer Calls:

​Us to Sister Missionaries: You're transferred to Togo.
Sisters: BEST! DAY! EVER!

Us to Elders: You're transferred to Togo
Elders: wellforgivemefornotleapingforjoybadbackyouknow

Haha, yes, we had transfer planning and calls yesterday. There's always weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, but there's also a lot of happy missionaries, and that makes me happy. Normally, President plans out the transfer, and he invites us into his office Saturday afternoon to look at it, and maybe make a few changes. I'm always amazed at how inspired President Morin is when it comes to transfers, he's very creative, and often I find myself thinking "Wow, I never would've thought of that, that's such a good idea!" The Lord definitely inspires his servants with the revelation necessary to fulfill their callings.

This upcoming week will be transfer week, which is honestly very tiring. But, the transfer in Togo is super huge, so President said that if we get the Benin side done quickly, we maybe will get the chance to go to Togo and help out for a couple of days, which would be awesome! In all cases, keep us in your prayers, that we'll be safe and protected, and that we'll get everything accomplished effectively, and that we'll have the strength and stamina to keep going.

During Tuesday and Wednesday, we had a split with the Cadjehoun zone leader and his companion, Elders Kola and Ballie. Elder Kola's an old friend of mine from Akpakpa, so it was good to be with him again. During the split, we had to go pick up Brother Isaac, a member from Ghana, who was visiting Benin to look at possible sites for a distribution center here in Benin, which would really help the members out. We got to drive him around a bit, and show him a few buildings in Benin. He's a super nice guy, and it was great to learn a little bit about the Church's temporal affairs.

Yesterday, we had a very unique opportunity.

The Church here in Benin has a group in Hillacondji, near the Togo/Benin border. Because it's so far out and we don't have enough missionaries in this mission, the members are responsible for teaching amis. These amis can't be baptized unless they have been taught by the missionaries and received a baptismal interview, so President Morin asked us to go with President Briga, the first counselor in the mission presidency, to review the teachings with these amis, and have President Briga do the interviews. We ended up working with two couples and the husband of a member (Felix & Marcelline, Bryce & Gloria, and Patrice). These people were super humble, warm, and welcoming, and were very open to the Gospel. They all passed their baptismal interviews, and we spend six hours teaching and interviewing them all. We had to leave a little bit early to plan the transfer with President, and so we asked the member organizing the group how many more people were left, and he said at least six youth. It really seems like Hillacondji is an area bursting and ready for the Gospel. It was such a cool experience to work with these wonderful people in this unique part of the world.

We rushed back to Cotonou to plan with President. While waiting for him, a random yovo walked into the bureau, without a badge. I thought for a second that he was a missionary, but I had never seen him before, so I was confused for a second, but then he introduced himself as ex-Elder Jenkins! He was visiting converts in Togo and Benin, and he decided to stay for stake conference this weekend. I felt so stoked and privileged to meet one of my mission heroes, and I took a second to thank him for his blog, his work in the Akpakpa area book, and his great example. I'm super lucky I got to meet one of the mission legends. (:

Today, we went to stake conference, and it was very inspiring. Two Area Seventies came, Elders Dekaye and Guei, from Cote d'Ivoire. The messages were inspired and well-presented. This was the last stake conference for President and Soeur Morin, and I suppose it was mine as well. That's a weird thought that hasn't quite registered in my head yet, but is still disconcerting, in a happy, au revoir type of way. It was great to see most of my friends and converts from Benin there, and I felt like the Lord is pleased with the work I've done.

I'm going to be staying in Cocotomey as Assistant for my last transfer (six weeks). I don't quite know what to think about this idea, but I feel happy, and ready to give it my all in the time that is left. Towards the end of the week, I felt the Lord give me a push of energy, and I feel a little bit more rigour in my work. I want to finish strong. I'm super happy to be working with Elder N'Guessan, my companion. He was the dark horse candidate for being my last companion, but we get along super well, he's taught me a lot, and we're both happy together. I'm glad I get to work with him.

I feel like these last six weeks are going to be the best, and that I'm going to have a happy ending. I love you all. I'll try to find more time to write y'all during the week. Have a wonderful week! (:

Love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

Bonjour ma famille!

This week, we saw a lot of miracles and tender mercies.

Tuesday afternoon, we were driving, exploring the limits of our sector, and we started to hear a thudding sound coming from our tires. We got out, and lo and behold, our tire had been stabbed. In the less developed parts of Benin, people leave their trash in the streets, and some lady left her high-heeled shoe in the middle of the road. And then the shoe ended up sticking out of our tire. Haha, we just had to laugh and change the tire. You know what they say, a woman is as dangerous as her shoe. (;

On Wednesday, we did a split with the Cocotomey zone leaders. It was super convenient, because we're in the same apartment. I got to work with Elder Linderman, who's a young American in his first transfer as a zone leader, and he's a stud. We had a great time, and got a lot of work done. Marlene loved church, and she had a lot of intelligent questions, and she came back today! How cool is that?

Edmond and Veronique are doing okay. They want to be baptized, they're just going through a few "problemes conjugales," so everyone feels it best to push the baptism back a little bit. On top of that, Veronique doesn't know how to speak French, so we need to find someone that can help us translate into Fon. Yovo si fon be bedek bedek. (;

You know, at the beginning of my mission, I was always disappointed whenever investigators push back their baptismal date, but now, I'm actually pretty content. It just means that the person needs a little bit more time to prepare, they understand the importance of baptism, and that they will be strong in the Gospel after they're baptized. Keep them in their prayers, and pray that we'll be able to help them.

I received the best phone call ever last night. My convert, Frere Bertrand, called me, and he informed me that his whole family has just returned from Ghana, recently sealed at the temple. I was jumping around for a good minute! I was so, so, so very happy. I can't begin to describe how happy I am. For us missionaries, our converts going to the temple is the ultimate "it-was-all-worth-it" you can get. Today, we passed by the Akpakpa branch building, and I got to say hi to a lot more old friends, like Nathan, Urvon, and Mariano. Mariano, his wife, Yvette, and their children, were sealed in the temple as well! That just added to my happiness! I know that the temple is a holy place, and that families can be together forever.

Thursday morning, I got to go to immigration to get my visa renewed. It's been a while since I've been to immigration, and I got to drive the mission's "bus," a Toyota Hiace, manual drive. I was scared to drive it, because it's a longer vehicle, but it was actually really fun, and a very smooth ride.

That evening, we tried to go out to see Edmond. There's been a lot of rain in Benin recently, and there's a lot of sand around Edmond's house (it's the village), ergo, the driving conditions were not too favourable. Edmond was not home, so we started to leave, and I got the truck stuck in some clay. Well, we tried 4x4, people joining us to push, shoveling out some sand, jacking up the wheel and putting bricks underneath, but the tire just got deeper and deeper with every try.

A truck passed by. We tried to flag it down, but it kept going.

As we got ready to give it another try, I had the idea to invite everyone to join me for a quick prayer. I know that prayer is powerful, and I figured maybe we could try to teach the people helping us about the power of prayer. In my prayer, I asked that Heavenly Father would send His angels to help us get the truck out.

And....

We were still stuck.

Well, we kept trying and trying, and then the same truck that passed us by came back from the other direction. The lady driving rolled down her window and said that she had sent for a machine to come get us out. We said thank you, and she kept going.

Night had fallen, and everyone was tired, and I was ready to give up.

Then, in the distance, I saw bright lights, slowly marching towards us. It felt like something out of a movie. As the lights got closer to us, and we realized what was coming towards us, three successive thoughts entered my mind:

"Oh wow, that's a bulldozer!" [our prayers were answered! This is so cool! I'm gonna put this in my email home!]
"Oh wow, that's a bulldozer!" [well, that was the last thing I expected to come to our rescue]
"Oh wow, that's a bulldozer!" [these people are going to ask for sooooo much money that we don't have!]

Two men hopped off of the bulldozer, shook our hands, pulled out a large chain, hooked us to the bulldozer, and pulled us out like one of those AFV videos of people yanking out teeth.

It was super cool! As we got out to thank them, we asked if they'd like to be paid. They called their boss (who was actually the woman that passed us by), and asked about the money. She told them to refuse the money. We expressed our sheer gratitude as best as we could. She simply stated that she had seen us in trouble, had assumed that we were missionaries because of how we were dressed and my nationality, and had sent some of her workers with their bulldozer to get us out, because she's a Christian. We thanked her so much, and she said "No, thank the Lord."

I don't quite know how to express how awe-struck and amazed I am. Does Heavenly Father love us so much, to the point that He responds very literally to prayers, even in sending a bulldozer? Yes, Heavenly Father sure does answer prayers. Very, very, very much so. In magnificent and mighty ways. So, if you find your prayers seem to be unanswered, don't worry, they will be; just let the angels take their time to put on some shoes and hop in their bulldozer. (:

Well, that's all I've got for this week. I love y'all! I hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

​​Joyeux Paques, ma famille!

Hey everyone, happy Easter. This week was a rollercoaster, and I love rollercoasters! (:

On Monday, we helped the Calavi zone with their activity at Ouidah. It was super fun.

During the week, we had zone conferences here in Benin. Zone conferences are to missionaries what ice cream tubs are to the belly: wonderful! (; Spiritually speaking, I had three tubs of ice cream, as opposed to one. As can be expected to eating three tubs of ice cream, it was tiring, but oh so delicious! (:  I taught a lesson on fixing baptismal dates. It's an oft-repeated subject in zone conferences, so I tried to be creative. The key to any good lesson is the Spirit and creativity! (: My companion talked about inviting friends to church, the zone leaders talked about teaching the plan of salvation, Soeur Morin talked about mango fly worms (hahaha, guess who inspired that health informational?), and faith. President talked about the new schedule, as well as Doctrine and Covenants 93, talking about the Savior, His glory, and our missions. I really, really enjoyed it, and I learned something new at each zone conference.

As I said earlier, we were ridiculously tired out from zone conferences. We went out every afternoon after the conferences (when not taken by mission business), but the work progressed pretty slow nonetheless. One particular occasional difficulty for missionary work here in West Africa is that people see nicely dressed young missionaries, and they think that our message is equivalent with money, therefore they follow the lessons because they think there is some temporal perk or gain. Thankfully, these investigators don't end up being baptised without a change in mentality, but unfortunately, because we're in a truck, we're finding a lot more of these investigators. We're seeking more earnestly for those who are prepared by the Lord for His Gospel.

In an otherwise slow week, we got super duper good news yesterday: Edmond and Veronique got married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Missionaries aren't allowed to go to weddings, so we got a phone call from the Branch President, who worked very hard to get this couple married. Me and Elder N'Guessan went crazy! I can't describe how happy we were, I haven't been that ecstatic and energetic in a long, long time. For unmarried couples here in Benin, a civil marriage symbolises all of the work they've put into repentance. We bought them a meter of pagne (pagne in West Africa is a typical gift to newlywed couples).

Today, Easter Sunday, was golden. Sacrament meeting was great. Edmond's family, as well as Marlene and a new ami, came to church. While driving, I saw very many people dressed in boombas and pagne, and I knew that they were all going to Church, and it reminded me that I'm living among and serving a people who love God very much. I found out that Damien, Soeur Christine's son, received his mission call, and he's assigned to labor in the Cape Coast Ghana Mission, so that pumped me up. We had a great meeting with President about an idea we had that could possibly change the mission. President, among other things, said this little gem: "I know that when we say 'he's dead' that people on the other side are pretty irked, because they're quite, in fact, living," and that we can ask our Heavenly Father in prayer for news about our loved ones. I now look at the Plan of Salvation slightly differently. (:

Over the course of my mission, Jesus Christ has become a very real person for me. I believe that every person has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I've come to know my Savior so very personally over these past few years. Easter and the sacrament mean a lot more to me, and I understand the Lord's Plan for each one of us better than I did a year ago. Because of Him, we will all overcome the grave, and we can all receive a remission of our sins. As we apply His Gospel in our lives, we will draw closer and closer to Him, and, little by little, we shall find that His character was inside us all along.  I know and believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Redeemer, Best Friend, and Eldest Brother. I know and believe that He was risen from the tomb on the third day, and that He lives! I know and believe that His Plan for our happiness is real, and that His Gospel brings us joy. I know and believe that families can be together forever, that the miracle of physical and spiritual healing is possible, and that we shall all be amazed by His "merits, mercy, and grace" at the Judgement bar. I love my Savior. He is a Powerful Master. I leave you all my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a wonderful week, y'all! Happy Easter! love y'all so much! (:

Love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

"Travailler comme c'est votre premier jour, témoigner comme c'est votre dernier."

Bonjour ma famille, et bonne Dimanche des Rameaux!

Hi everyone! I hope that your week has been wonderful, and your Sunday has been splendid. Today is Palm Sunday, and we've seen multiple people walking around with palm leaves to celebrate, which I find very cool. The Beninois and Togolais are very God-loving people, and I love serving them. (:

Quotes of the week:

• *in a casual, joking conversation about my driving* Elder Phillips: Don't worry President, we're protected by angels when we drive. President Morin: Yes, but we shouldn't abuse angels!
• *President calling a missionary from Madagascar* President Morin: Hello Elder Ranaivo...arisoa? I still have a tough time mastering the Malagasy names. But to be fair, President Morin is a lot easier to say than Elder Ranaivoarisoa.
• *Elder Linderman giving a talk in church about prayer* Elder Linderman: It's true that you could pray for a new moto, but God might say "Nah, he doesn't need that, I'll just give him a child or something".

Well, apparently walking large distances after living in a truck for multiple weeks does a number on your immune system, and that's what happened. On Monday, we went to the market to get food, and I felt pretty under-the-weather, and then my body hit its wall, and we had to take Tuesday and Wednesday off because of my cold. It's important to listen to your body, and rest when you need to rest. Had I tried to work through that, I would have gotten even more sick, and that's no good for the greater good. While resting, I did a lot of studying, pondering, meditating, and reflection.

And oh, how good it felt to hit the ground running once again! I love missionary work, it's become perhaps my biggest passion, and I'm loving every minute of it out here.

We received a contact from a member, and he said he knew where the church was, so we decided to make that the meeting point for our first rendez-vous. Well, as it turns out, he was talking about the stake center in Menontin, not the local chapel in Cocotomey, so once we had that confusion cleared up, the poor guy had to u-turn all the way to Cocotomey again. Nevertheless, Dieudonne (the contact) was super happy to meet with us, and he posed a lot of solid questions. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, and at one point, we explained that our Heavenly Father has a body of flesh and bones, and that we, His spirit children, came to this earth to receive a physical body, gain experiences, and to become like Him, and Dieudonne asked "Well, if we came here to become like Heavenly Father, then at one point was Heavenly Father like us?" Haha, I've never had an ami ask that question before, so that was a cool experience.

Today, an investigator that we haven't even taught yet, who's only gotten a brochure, came to church.
Edmond and his family, as well as Narcisse and his family, are planning on joining the group marriage this Saturday. Civil marriage is really expensive for many people here in Benin, and a prerequisite for baptism is that couples who live together must be married civilly or find an alternative living situation. The stake here occasionally organizes group marriages, which permits lower prices for the marriage, less confusion in paperwork, group support, and multiple families ready for baptism. We're really blessed to help out these families. Keep them in your prayers! (:

Normally, President Morin doesn't want us to run too many errands, he wants us to develop a model sector, but we had to go help him with a few errands yesterday. I learned quite a bit, and I had some great spiritual experiences. At one point, President said something that I love. I don't have the exact wording, but it went something along the lines of this:
"The adversary, the destroyer, wishes to destroy things. If there is a relationship in trouble, he tries to destroy it and convince us that it is past saving; The Savior encourages us to never give up, to always try our best to make the most of a difficult situation."

I testify that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the Messiah. He can heal us physically, mentally, and spiritually. He, with His divine perspective, never has and never will see us as a lost cause. In His infinite wisdom and mercy, He invested His whole life, death, resurrection, work, and glory in each of us. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has said, "However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines," (General Conference, April 2012). As Lehi testified, "Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth," (2 Nephi 2:6). He truly is Wonderful, a Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6). I know it to be true!

I love you all, and I wish you a very wonderful Holy Week!

All my love,
Elder Brian H. Phillips

P.S. Also, forgot to mention, Elders Motshikana and Linderman found a natural reserve in their sector. Apparently, it's infested with crocodiles, snakes, and even hippopotamuses. They stayed clear away from it, but apparently there are people that live in the reserve! Wow, that's insane!  Well, you know what they say, "People would do most anything for lower mortgage rates these days." Ba-dum-psh! (;  Sorry, that was a terrible joke.