Transfers!!!!

Picking up supplies at the Mission Home

Hi everyone!! 

So as you can tell from the subject of my email, transfers are tomorrow. Thankfully I'm staying in Alameda but my companion Sister Mikkelson is leaving :( But I'm super excited for my new companion; Sister Bosco! She's from Louisville, Kentucky and she's just what our ward/area needs! 

Monday: I was able to talk about the gospel while checking out at the grocery store :) We also went to help the Ravello's pack and ended up "helping" her make dinner (more so, we just talked while Sister Revello did the work) and then we taught her and her kids (they're members) the Plan of Salvation. At the end, I felt the spirit when Sister Ravello testified of the simple truths of the Plan of Salvation to her children. It reminded me just how simple and amazing the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation is and how happy I am that I have the knowledge of it. We also had a great lesson with our investigator Kam and she said she might come to church this Sunday!

Tuesday: LUNCH WAS SOOO GOOD!!!! We went to lunch at a place called "India Palace" and their Indian food was SO GOOD!!!!! And then we had an amazing District meeting with tons of miracles for our area!! The San Lorenzo Sisters were finally able to contact a potential investigator named Vincent that we met a few months ago but couldn't ever get in contact with him after our initial contact. The Samoan Sisters told us that a RM (Returned Missionary) helped them finally talk to his family. They've tried for a few months to get in to talk to his family. They taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel and the father said he wanted the Sisters to teach all of his kids and family all they knew about Jesus Christ!! They have like 8 kids and last time I heard it'll be about 15 people or more that they'll be teaching and potentially baptizing!!!! AND… when the Sisters tried committing the family to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it; the mom and daughter said they didn't have to because they have already read the whole thing and they know it's true!! We also had an amazing and busy night at the Oakland Visitors Center!! We took SO many tours!! And got 2 non-members to fill out referral cards!! One was Tameka; she had always wanted to learn more. The other was a guy named Kao who had always wanted to come to the Visitors Center and wanted to learn more about Christianity and was VERY interested!! We taught him about the Plan of Salvation while he was there. We were able to put his mind at ease about his father who had passed away and let him know that his father can learn about and accept the gospel and repent if he wants to in the spirit world :) And, here's one of the greatest miracles of all!! We had a lady from Provo, Utah come into the Visitor Center asking for a copy of the Book of Mormon that she could give to her non-member nephew who was walking the grounds with them. They came in later and toured around the Visitors Center and the nephew was given a copy of the Book of Mormon and said he'd read it but he didn't want to give us his contact information. So we gave him the church info for the Sunday meeting schedule. (REMEMBER HIM HIS NAME IS AIDEN). Then we also talked to this awesome older lady who was on her way to the family history center. We caught her interest and showed her “Days of Harmony.” Afterwards we found out that she's a less-active member who is trying to return to church and rebuild her testimony. She was married to a member passed away. After his passing, she fell away and got remarried a non-member who recently passed away. Before he was about to pass, he randomly said they needed to go to church (he's Catholic). That kind of confused her, so she said "Ok, Well what church?" and he said "The Mormon church of course!" Her daughter who fell away is also coming back as well :) Also the Tongan Elders came in to the Visitors Center for a tour with their investigator, Moana. We took her around while they were waiting for their ward member to show up and we talked about the Book of Mormon and showed her Elder Christofferson's special witness of Christ and how he came to know the church was true by praying and reading the Book of Mormon. She said people keep telling her she's not ready, but she knows it's true and is prepared to get baptized! The elders were surprised by her countenance after we were done and asked what we showed her and talked about. 

I’m almost out of time but a few other neat things: We have a member who looks like Ryan Gosling ;) 

Friday: we had a family from Nepal who lives in El Cerrito come in. The son is the only one who spoke English but he was so open, knowledgeable and interested and filled out a referral card to have us send him a Book of Mormon and have the local missionaries visit. He said he wants to come back to learn more so he can go home and teach his family!! 

Sunday: OK, remember Aiden? HE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!! 

Gotta go, but I love you all!!!!

BYE!!! 

Sister Alyssa Phillips