Week #1 in Cali!

Hola Famila,

Como estas? So this week flew by so fast. It was so great to talk to y'all on Mother's day and now we only have a few more months till we talk again.

I am in the Thousands Oaks area and love the weather, although it has been hot a couple of days. I should be thankful because I prayed for hot weather instead of cold weather. So we went to my area and dropped my stuff off. (Thank you for the packages.)  Then, we went and met Pablo who got baptized this past Sunday. It truely was a miracle because he had been putting it off.  He said, he had a dream and in that dream he saw his wife who died 3 months ago, and his father- in- law who had passed away previously,  both baptized.  And so from that dream he knew he needed to be baptized.  On Sunday, during Pedro's baptism, I gave a descurso (talk) in Spanish on the Holy Ghost. I didn't have a clue.   But one thing that is always that same is the Spirit.  And you could definitely feel it in that room. 

We have been visiting a lot of less active, part-member families, investigators, and potential investigators. It has been kinda a hard since we are working with the Spanish branch and an English ward. We are doing what they call white-washing or zebra work because we have to switch languages. Our ward mission leaders in both the branch and the ward are awesome and are always there to help us. I am going to be learning a lot more Spanish.

In this next transfer, whoever is in the Bakersfield mission is there to stay. Which is way exciting!  We will be getting more sisters and elders in our mission. I think the total was 29 all together. 

Yesterday, we got to hear from Elder Robbins from the 1st Quorum of the Seventy.  He really answered some of the questions we went there with.  And he more clearly helped us understand how to help investigators more fully. 

We will definitely be getting to work this week!  We just haven't worked with two units before. We will definitely be blessed!

One of the things I learned from our branch presidency in the MTC before we left and have already applied in the mission field, is this: Work harder than everybody else, love everyone, and laugh a lot!!  I love this advice and live by it everyday!!  

I love y'all and think about you often. Thank you for the prayers in my behalf. 

One of the scriptures that have touched me this week is 1 Samuel 4:9.  

"Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you; quit yourselves like men, and fight." 

It is mostly talking about missionary work and how we need to go out and fight. But I also liked it because it sounded like a football scripture that a coach would say to his players before a game. 

I can't wait to tell y'all about my next adventures at transfers.

Love,

Hermana Fitzpatrick

This is my companion, Hermana Romero, from Mexico City, Mexico.  

We are at a less-active member's home.  She makes jewelry and fake babies (?)

This is the large world map at the MTC.  Here's the Ventura, CA mission.  Here I Come!!