I Love Life!

Hello everyone!

So much happened this week and I LOVED every second of it! How

grateful I am to be serving a full time mission! I've learned SO much

so far on my mission. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world!

So last week on Monday, we played volleyball with the other

missionaries here in Petaluma! So fun! I love all the missionaries I'm

currently serving around! I feel like I've made life long friends!

Later in the evening we had a lesson with our investigator Paul. So

Paul is the excommunicated 28 year old that we are helping prepare for

baptism. Paul is very knowledgeable when it comes to gospel topics so

it's a little different teaching him. Last week, I prayed that we

would be inspired on what to teach him that would best help him. And

let me tell you, my testimony of receiving personal revelation

specifically for the people in your area grew so much! I received a

prompting that we should talk to Paul about the repentance process,

something that he is going through right now. As Sister Jordan and I

prepared for the lesson, we felt really good about what we had

planned. The lesson with Paul that night was powerful. Paul opened up

so much and the spirit was so strong that night. You could tell that

the spirit was touching Paul and that's something I'll never forget.

We texted Paul later that night after the lesson and thanked him for

meeting with us and for allowing us to feel the spirit. Paul responded

that he really felt the spirit too and that he hadn't felt it that

strong in a while. Man, I love the spirit.

On Tuesday, we had district meeting! That was really good but our zone

leaders decided to make a zone challenge of really trying to get 20

contacts everyday and adding a specific daily challenge everyday! We

were suppose to text the zone everyday when we accomplished getting

the 20 and the daily challenge. That made this week super fun! Some of

the daily challenges included testifying in 10 of your 20 contacts,

committing someone new to church, both you and your companion had to

invite a stranger to be baptized, having one street lesson with a

stranger, and using certain phrases in contacts! It was fun! On

Wednesday, I went on exchanges with Hermana Navarro in the Spanish

area! I had her teach me how to contact someone in Spanish! It was

great. Haha we had a fun time on exchanges! We contacted a guy who had

a truck full of fruit and vegetables and at the end he gave us a free

melon...haha we laughed so hard because now we had to carry around

this melon with us while we were knocking on doors! And then right

after that happened, a dog peed on me...hahaha by this time, Hermana

Navarro and I had to sit down because we see laughing so hard! I had

reached down to pet someone's dog that was walking past us, and the

dog got excited and peed on my foot. Haha the lady felt so bad but she

said that we could come by and visit her! So that was a plus! Overall,

our exchange was a success haha.

We did a lot of service this week too! We helped Bear and Terri in

their yard, helped a family move, help another family with yard work,

and volunteered at the Petaluma Bounty Garden! I love service!

On Friday morning, we had a lesson with Camilo and Paul asked if he

could come! So we taught Camilo and Paul the word of wisdom. Both of

them are struggling with it and it was good for Camilo to hear about

it from Paul. Paul and Camilo really hit it off and now they are good

friends haha so they are helping each other to overcome their

addictions!

The General Women's Meeting on Saturday night was SO good! Absolutely

loved it! They broadcasted here at the Petaluma chapel for our whole

stake so it was fun seeing lots of people! Camilo's daughter, Anna

Sophia, came and she brought her non member friend Cienna! They both

really liked it, and now Cienna is interested in learning more about

the church! How cool is that? Man, I love missionary work!

Church yesterday was incredible. Probably an experience I will never

forget. It was fast and testimony meeting yesterday for our ward.

Camilo and Anna Sophia came and were sitting next to us. The

testimonies were so powerful yesterday and you could see that Camilo

was really listening to each of them. During one of the testimonies,

the person speaking starting bearing their testimony about the

truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I watched Camilo, next to me, grab

his Book of Mormon. He sat there for a while just staring at the book.

A few minutes later, he leaned over, put his face in his hands, and

just started crying. He stayed there for a while, just crying into his

hands. After the last testimony, he got up and left to get a drink of

water. While he was gone we started sing ing I Know That My Redeemer

Lives for the closing hymn. The spirit had been so strong during the

meeting and I just had the most overwhelming feeling of joy. Tears

start rolling down my cheeks as I listen to the congregation sing the

hymn. Camilo walked back in during the hymn, saw me crying and started

crying more. After the closing prayer, I turned to Camilo and asked

him to describe to me what he felt during sacrament meeting. "Sister

Thompson," he said, "I have never felt anything like this before. I

feel so happy and at peace. Ever since I've been meeting with you

sisters and coming to church, my life has never been better. I have

never been happier." More tears start rolling down my cheeks as he

continues, "Sister, I don't know how I could ever repay you. You have

changed my life and for that I am forever grateful." I responded back

"Camilo, it's not me that has changed your life, it's this gospel.

It's God and Jesus Christ. And those feelings you are having right

now, are the spirit testifying to you that this is all true. Camilo,

don't ever forget this moment and the way you feel." Camilo looked at

me with tear filled eyes and said, "I won't sister Thompson, I won't."

At that moment, I was so grateful that God allows us missionaries to

be instruments in His hands to bring people closer to Him. God is

trusting me, a 19 year old girl, with His children. How incredible it

is to be that instrument for God and how grateful I am for it! It's

moments like these that I will always cherish and hold on to!

I love this gospel with all my heart and I know, without a doubt, that

it is true. I know that God loves each of us and knows us personally.

I know He hears our prayers and He WILL answer them. I love my savior

Jesus Christ. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for his

atoning sacrifice for us. How great it is to be a member of this

church and have the knowledge that we do! I love you all and hope you

have a great week!

Love always, Sister Thompson 🌻

Steve brought his flight helmet from his plane and let us wear it haha

I found a mustang that looks almost like ours back home! Don't worry

we knocked on their door haha

I got to see sister Nwagharau at the women's meeting!

We made pancakes, hash browns and chocolate milk this morning for

breakfast and we made the fire alarms go off for like 15 minutes haha

our bad.

A selfie, cuz why not!

Pictures from Tracting, and exchanges with Hermana Navarro!