Monday, April 25, 2016

God is at the Helm

Hi everyone!

First off I would like to thank all those who send their prayers my
way, I can feel the outpouring of love and support that is so helpful
to not only me, but those I serve around. The last few days have been
a bit hectic. There is a member in the ward I serve in named Keith. He
joined the church about three years ago and is probably one of the
most spiritually in-tune people I have ever met. Keith lost his leg
some years ago as a result of a car accident he was in as a child, and
had it amputated just above the knee and now walks with crutches. He
is constantly in severe physical pain due to the operation. He was
under anesthesia the whole time, but for at least a year after leaving
the hospital, he had phantom pain. Even though his leg was gone, he
felt the surgery in every detail. From washing his leg in iodine to
the removal process, this extreme pain plagued Keith.
     Another person I learned had a traumatic experience is Elder
Lewis, one of my zone leaders. While en route to a family reunion on
the thanksgiving of his sophomore year, Elder Lewis and his family
were in a car accident. Pulling out from a stop sign, their minivan
was T-boned by a semi truck at full speed. His father and older sister
were killed on impact. Situated directly behind the drivers seat, the
semi hit right where Elder Lewis was sitting. His list of injuries is
extensive and some would say impossible to live through: Elder Lewis
suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury, broken orbital bone, three hip
fractures, a shattered tibia, two fractured vertebrae in his neck,
four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a severed jugular. The only
permanent injury is permanent blindness in his left eye, not to
mention he was only in the hospital for 4 weeks.
     These two men are wonderful examples of humility. They have
helped me appreciate what I have so much more, and in return I have
two new friends I hope to stay close with throughout my life.
     In other news transfers are this Tuesday, and I am getting
transferred!!! I will be going from Skokie to Morgan Park, pretty much
the most ghetto area in the mission. Like, the national guard was
called into my new area a few years ago. So ya boi finna be preachin
in the cuts #stocktongang
     Also, conference was SOOOOO good! The testimonies of the apostles
and especially of President Thomas S. Monsoon were powerful and true.
We are all on the old ship Zion, and God is at the Helm. I love you
all, and hope your week goes as well as you want it to.
Love,
Elder Fa'afetai Phipps



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