I Made It!

Hello!

So I found out after I got there that we don't email until p-day, but i'm here safely! It's gorgeous here!! Sorry if I keep this email short because the desk top i'm using is very old and the screen it freaking out my eyes. xD Anyway, My companion is sister Muench (pronounced 'Minch' like pinch. It's German) She has been here a year and has about 5 months until she goes home. Our proselyting area is San Lorenzo and we are in the San Lorenzo ward.

Cool story, I found someone interested in our church when I was on a chat on Mormon.org the day before I left the MTC and he is here in my mission boundaries but he's not in my proselyting area since he's in San Pablo. But I emailed him a few days ago (Santosh if i remember correctly?) and he is going to come to the visitor center with his friend (who he says is a member) on the 29th!!!!!!

Last night we went to the Relief Society President's house to get to know her better and it was so nice! I love the ward here! She said that they signed up to have us over for Thanksgiving and said to let them know if anyone else (ward members etc) didn't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving and that they'd love to invite them over and feed them :) There's also this recent Convert called Michael Angelo (yes, that's really his name) who is so funny!! He's at the temple visitors center basically EVERYDAY. He just got the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday!! Yesterday at the visitors center we met this Nigerian Couple who live in the Bay area. They came into the visitors center to show their niece (who is from Nigeria) around and it was cool to give them a tour and talk about gospel stuff with them. I think the wife was Catholic, the husband and the niece were members of another religion. But what was really cool was the husband took a really big interest in the temple and really wanted to go inside of one. That was one of his goals/dreams. And so I asked one of the senior couples if they knew where any of the new temples were being built because we told them that they can go if there is a temple open house. Apparently there was a long list of temples being built in the US and in other parts of the world. So I gave him the list and hopefully they'll be able to attend :)

Anyway, I only have about 30 min today to email but we'll have longer on a different day this week (we can only have 2 hours for a week), and this week is very weird because we have like 3 sorta p-days. Monday is my usual p-day, but we also have Tuesday and Thursday sometimes. On Thursday we're going to decorate the visitors center for Christmas! It's going to be so fun!!

Oh, btw, I didn't notice until a few days ago but I found a slip of paper saying the TSA had checked my bags at the airport and it was probably because when I opened my bag I saw that one of the containers of powdered mashed potatoes had exploded so there was white powder everywhere.... xD  So that's my fun story from the airport xD and they cracked my purple suitcase!!!!!! >:( it's not too bad but i'm a little mad.

Anyway, I'll write more soon. Love you!!! (If I have time the other days I'll write my weekly email. but I just wanted to send an email to you letting you know i'm safe :)

Love,

Sister Phillips :)


Sister Alyssa Phillips
California Oakland/San Francisco Mission
4945 Lincoln Way
Oakland, CA 94602

alyssa.phillips@myldsmail.net