Sister Alyssa Phillips: BIRTHDAY FULL OF MIRACLES!!! BEST WEEK EVER!!!

Hello Everyone,

8/1 Tuesday: We had a lesson with some recent converts and we found out that their step brothers and a cousin want to start learning about the Gospel!! We stayed late to help their mom set up play pens and a crib for some triplets they are watching unexpectedly. We were able to really gain the nonmember mom's trust SO much!! Also our investigators Andrew and Ashley agreed to be baptized!! At the Visitors Center we had a guy named Melvin come in and we gave him and his son a very short tour and he wanted to bring his girlfriend back to the Visitors Center. He filled out a referral card and then he actually came back later that same day with his girlfriend (she wasn't interested but thankfully we had him fill one out the referral card before he left the first time).

Recent converts, Step Siblings, Cousin and Triplets at the Oakland Visitors Center with us.

Trying to wrangle triplets is CRAZY! But they're SO cute!

8/2 Wednesday: We got a referral from Church Headquarters and set up a time to meet with him (Clifton Jr) today. When we met him, he said he was waiting for his 15 year old son Clifton III to come (he came from Richmond) and we taught them both together. The father (Clifton Jr.) agreed to be baptized on 8/27 and the son (Clifton III) said he'd think about it :) We also took an old guy around the Visitors Center who's been a member his whole life and living in San Francisco but has never gone to the temple here in Oakland. So we showed him some of the exhibits about the temple and apparently he's a descendant of Brigham Young. Then we talked to a member who was an Uber driver who took a break to stop in and feel the spirit. We played the Christus program for him and he told us about how a few years ago he was a less active member but that he was wanting to come back to church and he came to the Visitors Center and the sister missionaries helped him and he felt the spirit so strongly.

8/3 Thursday: We gave an event calendar to a lady living in an apartment complex of a recent convert we were going to teach. She told us she's gone to church before a few times with her co-worker who is a member (who happens to be the Ward mission leader in Hayward!!) We got her info and she said she might be interested in learning more!! We went and had a lesson with a recent convert and when we were going to turn the corner while walking back from our appointment; I said we should talk to this lady who was smoking on the steps (I wanted to talk to her on our way over). She is a nanny from France and she was really interested in learning more; so we set up a time to meet with her.

Birthday Presents are here!

8/5 Saturday: Aidan got baptized!!! We contacted a former investigator who wants us to come over!! I also saw one of my high school math teachers at the Visitors Center! (Mr. Jones). My mom sent me pizza and a cake for my birthday! And my Grandma sent me some really awesome cute and comfy p-day clothes!! My Dad and Susie sent me an “Ice cream Sunday in a box” (all of the stuff needed to make ice cream Sundays – I just need to add ice cream) and a gift card!! And Brother Aliling bought me peanut butter ice cream!!

I got an "Ice Cream Sundae in a box" along with a gift card and birthday cards from my Dad, Susie and Hadley

So cute!

Sister Fiu and I enjoying our Ice Cream Sundaes!

8/6 Sunday: Mahamoud got baptized today!! And the recent convert who’s step brothers were interested in learning more about the Gospel all came to church today with their mom and the triplets! Our investigator Tom came to church today too! So we had 7 people at church today!! Poor Tom was only going to Sacrament meeting today since it was last because he worked the night shift but he drank coffee with the good intentions of staying awake and going to church for all three hours. So now we have to push his baptism back to August 27th. And then MIRACLES(!!!!) We picked a few less active members to visit after our member dinner tonight and when we got to the first house the guy couldn't believe that we were there because he had been praying and meaning to call the missionaries for the past few days to give him a blessing because he saw some stuff he shouldn't have seen and it had been causing him to suffer over the past few days. Then we went to the musical performance at the Visitors Center with the recent converts, their step brothers, the mom and the triplets! The missionaries played the piano and sang and the ward members played the piano and the violin! It was amazing!! Best Birthday Ever!!