The Ups And Downs

Hello friends and family!!

Well it's been raining like crazy here in Petaluma this last week!

It's awesome! But it definitely does not feel like Christmas! I'm used

to it being super cold and snowy, not warm and rainy! But I think the

Christmas lights at night, Christmas decorations in the apartment, and

Christmas songs in the car are helping it feel more like Christmas!

If you haven't already, everyone should go to christmas.mormon.org and

watch the videos the church has for Christmas this year! We have been

showing them to EVERYONE here! They are awesome videos!

This week was full of ups and downs...but I still love my mission

despite the downs :) so last week on pday we got together with the San

Rafael elders and hermanas and the Rohnert park Spanish elders and we

practiced! For what you might ask? Well this Thursday, it's our

mission Christmas devotional! It's where we get together as

missionaries and have our own little Christmas devotional with

president and sister wright! President wright asked me to prepare a

special musical number for it, so I'm singing a duet with Elder

Bertola(an elder from San Rafael)! We are singing "Mary, Did You

Know?" with Hermana Pulley on the piano, and Elder Thom on the cello!

It's going to be really good! Also on pday, we went bowling! My

bowling skills have not changed since I've been on my mission...I'm

still pretty good at it! Haha I came in second out of everyone in my

zone!

Camilo is still doing awesome! His testimony and knowledge of the

gospel is growing everyday! His kids are still doing good! We taught

them a couple times this week and they are still unsure about baptism.

So we just invited them to keep praying, reading, and attending

church! They are such good kids!

We taught the Fifita family a ton this week! The kids are like

sponges...they just absorb everything that we teach! Teaching them is

so much fun! I've become really good friends with all the kids in the

family know. Fusi, the 16 year old daughter, is amazing. I love her so

much! She reminds me a lot of Leah, so it's fun talking with her. She

wants to take me and Leah and Nikki to Samoa someday! She loves her

culture so she really wants Leah and Nikki to be able to learn more

about it! The 13 year old and 12 year old boys, Fa and Dane, weren't

really interested at first and didn't like talking to us, but as soon

as I started talking sports with them, they LOVE us. Haha I knew my

knowledge of sports and my short career at the Blue and Orange Store

and Pro Image Sports would come in handy one day! And then the 10 year

old boy, JJ, is just the cutest boy you'll ever met! He always talks

about his mission and what he will have to do and say when he goes on

his mission! It's adorable! And then the four smaller kids, Mya, Mana,

Lema, and Hope are the greatest. Hope, the 9month old baby, recognizes

us now and smiles and laughs so much when we come over! Lema, the

three year old boy, really likes tackling us when he gives us hugs!

Haha I've fallen a few times, he's a strong boy! And then Mya(6) and

Mana(5) are a lot like Leah and Nikki when they were those ages haha

they love each other so much but they are always causing trouble and

hurting each other haha I just love the whole family so much! But we

have bad news...they weren't able to make it to church yesterday

because the father stepped in...the father doesn't live at home but he

is still married to Ulita. And his is very against the church. Ulita

said that she had talked to him about church and baptism and said that

he didn't care, but now he is starting to care. Which is not good.

Because since they weren't able to make it to church, and the father

won't give permission for his kids to be baptized, the Fifita family

can't be baptized this Saturday :( it's another heartbreaking story,

but the Fifita family is so ready and prepared I know that they will

all be baptized one day! Pray that we will be able to continue to

teach the family and that the fathers heart might be softened!

Well know that I am doing good and that my companion has become my

best friend! Ah I love sister Nelson! She is such a blessing to me and

this area! I love this work and I'm so excited to FaceTime home next

week! I love you all!

Love always, Sister Thompson 🌻