Letters From Kristina-California Santa Rosa Mission: I Heart Northern California

Hello everyone! :)

So this week was great! Bitter sweet because it was Sister Majors last week but it was still a good week! We are actually going to Santa Rosa today to drop her off at the mission office! Which means I get to see my old area! I'm excited for that but I'm super sad to be saying goodbye to Sister Majors and Sister Whimpey today. Man, that's going to be rough. I don't like goodbyes!

So to start off, I will tell you what's happening with transfers! Sister Majors is going home, I'm staying here, and I have been called as a trainer!! I'm going to be follow up training Sister Jordan! So that means I'm going to be a dad and have a son! Haha I'm really excited for this opportunity to train but I'm also kind of nervous! I still feel like I'm brand new to the mission and that I should be the one being trained! But I guess the Lord thinks I'm ready! So here goes! Pray for me!

We went to the beach last PDay! It was SO fun! We went to Limantour Beach which is close to Point Reyes. It's about a 45 minute drive from where we live! We went as the San Rafael North Zone and we met up with the San Rafael South Zone there! It was so fun! We put our feet in the water, made sand castles, played frisbee, football, spike ball, laid out in the sun, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather! It reminded me a lot of Southern California actually! The water and weather has been a lot warmer than normal lately, so it was a great day at the beach! I'll send pictures!

Also this week, I got to help shear sheep and goats! Haha funniest thing ever! I learned that Im not very skilled at wrangling sheep and goats! And that they make really funny noises haha it was so fun though! We went to Sister Flemmings house(she lives in Rohnert Park) and we helped her for the morning. The goats were hilarious to herd and watch. We didn't actually do the shearing, they hired a professional for that, but we were in charge of getting them and herding them. The elders had a fun time tackling the goats that were escaping. I didn't feel like I was in California that morning! Haha you don't really think of goats and sheep farms when you think of California!

We also helped out at Bear and Terri's again! We go and pull weeds for about two hours every Thursday morning! I love it! Service is one of my favorite things as a missionary! Terri's mom was there, we call her Nanna, and she is just the funniest older lady you will ever meet! Haha she's not a member of the church, but she loves the missionaries! She gives each of us a nickname, I'm Tommy :) haha she took us all out to eat after weeding to AppleBees. It was great! I love Bear, Terri, and Nanna so much! They are too great!

We spent a lot of time going around saying bye to people this week since sister majors is going home, but our lessons that we did have this week were awesome! So let's talk about Steve!!! Oh my goodness gracious, the church is true! Haha we met with Steve as a recent convert this week and let me tell you, you can tell a difference. The spirit literally emanates from him! He sounds like he has been a member his whole life! He told us a couple stories of how he has been hearing a little voice in his head that has helped guide him and protect him ever since he was baptized and confirmed! It's incredible listening to someone describe hearing and feeling the Holy Ghost for the first time! I was in tears by the end of the lesson because the spirit was so strong and my heart was full of joy for Steve! He ended up bearing his testimony during the closing prayer where he said that he knows the church is true and that Joseph smith is a prophet of God. Ahhhhh! I'm just so happy for Steve and for this gospel and just everything! I love life!!

We'll know that I am doing great and I'm excited for this next transfer! I love this Ward I am serving in right now so I'm really happy that I am staying! I am also really excited for this opportunity I have to train and serve sister Jordan! I just love this gospel and the happiness and joy it brings! Hope you all have a great week! :)

Love always, Sister Thompson 🌻