It was a long week for Josh. He and Elder Phillips took the bus 5 hours to Canberra for Zone Training Meeting for two days. They traveled back to Merimbula for church on Sunday, then it was transfer day. I had asked Josh if he thought he would stay with Elder Phillips. He said yes he was quite certain he would because usually you spend at least two transfer periods with the companion who trains you. (Elder Phillips is a trainer but has only been out 5 months.) Much to their surprise, Elder Phillips was transferred to another area. So they packed up Elder Phillips and drove 3 1/2 hours to Canberra where they stayed the night, then headed to Sydney (another 3 hours) to the Mission Home. I think it was hard for him to leave his first companion. About Elder Phillips he said,
“He was in so many was an answer to my prayers, and it’s really different now that he’s gone. He made such an impact on me, and has been the best trainer I could ask for. My new companion is Elder Searle. He’s an Aussie, and he’s only been out as long as I have, so we’re training each other for the next six weeks. He’s a good guy, and has a strong testimony of the Gospel, but it’s definitely different without Elder Phillips around. I’ve had to take the lead in showing him the ropes, and it’s been quite a strange step. I’m glad to be back in the area where we can finally do some actual work. I’ll have to introduce Elder Searle to the branch and our investigators, so we’ll have a little ground to cover before we’re totally back up to speed, but I can’t wait to get into the work.”
