Letters From Kristina-California Santa Rosa Mission: Loving Life!

Hi family, friends, acquaintances, pets...haha hi everyone! :)

What a great week! Full of laughter and hard work! I have never been happier in my life than now as a full time missionary! I'm loving life!

So highlights from this week:

So p day last week was fun! We just met up at a park with other missionaries and played frisbee, soccer, volleyball, and a game called spike ball! Spike ball is really fun! Look it up!

On Tuesday we had zone meeting! Zone meeting is where our zone gets together and our zone leaders and STL teach us. I love zone meetings! We talked about a poem that president wright shared called Our Greatest Fear. It is such an awesome poem! I'll share it with you

Our Greatest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Isn't that such a cool poem? We talked about how each of us is given light and talents and that we shouldn't be afraid to share those with others. It was a really good zone meeting! After zone meeting, we had a zone lunch and we celebrated Hermana Campbell's birthday! Also on Tuesday, sister majors and I found a hidden bridge that goes over the freeway. It was a great find haha we always use it now. We took pictures and videos so I'll send those!

Our lessons with Steve this week went great! We taught him about the Ten Commandments and keeping the sabbath day holy on Tuesday! And then on Thursday we taught him the word of wisdom, law of chastity, and fasting! We were planning on just teaching him the word of wisdom that night, but once we explained it to him, he said that he doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't, drink tea or coffee, and doesn't do drugs. So he said he would live the word of wisdom haha so we taught him a few other things that night! He is understanding everything and preparing to be baptized on August 29th! Pray that he will continue to progress towards baptism on that day! Sadly he didn't come to church yesterday because he is currently restoring an old plane for an air show in the first part of September and he needs to finish it. And Sunday's are his only day off. But hopefully he will make it next week!

We did a lot of service this week! We helped Camilo in his yard this week! Haha Camilo is still crazy, but he came to church yesterday! Just for the sacrament though! But he also fed us missionaries last night! He made us Brazilian bbq :) it was soooo good. We also did service at the Petaluma community garden this week! So every Saturday morning we go there as a zone and help them harvest crops and pull weeds! This week we were in charge of harvesting strawberries and sunflowers! It was so fun! I love it! Also on Saturday, we had a zone blitz! It were we work in someone else's area for two hours and help contact people in their area book! I was with Hermana Gonzalez for the two hours! I love Hermana Gonzalez haha she is hilarious and she is from Argentina! Her parents know the Lucas family!

Some other highlights from the week, I sang in sacrament meeting yesterday! I sang I Stand All Amazed because I love that song. It turned out well! Also, I made my first post on Facebook as a missionary haha it's a big deal. Haha it's weird using Facebook, I don't like it very much.

But overall, this week was great and I'm loving Petaluma! Hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Love always, sister Thompson :)