Phillip's death came as a shock to everyone. For those who did not really get to know him, I want to share a bit of his life with us. What I have written is what has stayed with me the most; I will let others share the rest.

Phillip was always so strict and wanted everything to be done correctly; he did not like people fooling around. At times it seemed as if he was too rough, too stern so that one could not really relate to him. At the Christian School, Phillip would always be ready to give the naughty children punishments. Once, he even drilled us by making us run back and forth from our desks to the end of the classroom because we arrived late after lunch. He took his job seriously and never allowed any of us to slack off. I appreciated that he never showed favoritism...often those he was hardest on were his own family.

My most resounding memories are of his humility and honesty.  Phillip was always so quick to forgive and ready ask forgiveness from any one that he thought he had offended. Often he would ask me for forgiveness for such simple things; I would laugh and say that it was nothing. He would then get into an extended conversation of how we needed to constantly put things right, so that if God took us we would be ready to go.  This was his life. Phillip was very strong in his faith, and he was not willing to compromise it.

His other passion was music, and through that ministry he was able to reach many of us. He especially worked with one girl who has great talent in singing and playing instruments... Before the school closing program of 2001, the year he went to the ministry, he gave the students a long lecture on letting our light shine, using our talents even if they are small, and yada yada. Later that same day, one of the ministers asked Phillip if he would be willing to play piano, guitar, or bass for convention. He said, "NO" because he was not good enough to play in front of  "all those people". I was there and asked him how he expected us to use our talents when he was not willing to be used. He quickly repented and told the sister to use him in any part of the music ministry. That year, he played in convention.

Phillip's death was a shock to me. I could not understand how someone so young, how someone who was such an inspiration to his peers could die. I spent that entire night, as other people did, in reflection and in tears. I realized that through his death, so many of us came to life. The youth from here understand what I mean; it was a turning point for us all. No one that knew Phillip can live the same. He is truly my inspiration.