Week 45

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been full of some interesting experiences. I'll just do some bullet points.

• Stood and listened for quite a while as a lady told us why everything we believe is completely wrong. She said many things that hurt and all we did was listen patiently and with love. When she was done we asked if we could leave her with a prayer and once again offered our service cleaning up a tree that had gotten uprooted in a windstorm this past week. She allowed us to say a prayer with her and afterwards we once again expressed our desire to help her if she needed anything and left her with our number. She seemed maybe a little surprised that we didn't try to argue or anything the whole time. I just hope she remembers the experience as something positive.
• We got a window shut in our face as soon as we introduced ourselves.
• A man came bursting out of his house yelling at as, as we were about to walk away after knocking a couple times because he thought we were trying to break in. 
• I had a wonderful Sunday that made up for the rest of the week which was a little rough. The spirit was very strong and I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to go each Sunday to church and have our spirits uplifted and to be spiritually cleansed and renewed.

Well I don't have a whole lot of time left, but I just want to share my testimony again this week of the power of the Book of Mormon. I'm grateful for it and for the opportunity we have to have another Testemant of Jesus Christ to read, ponder, and study.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Brighton

week 44

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I really enjoyed sacrament meeting. Those who spoke really brought the spirit. You could tell they were both super shy and don't like public speaking but I think that's what made it all the better. Their simple testimonies and experiences they've learned from. I'm grateful for the opportunity we all have to go to church and not only renew our covenants (which truly is the most important part) but to learn from others and hear their testimonies. It really does strengthen everyone.

I love Royal City and how there is so much fresh fruit and vegetables. Members and others just give us them all the time. Apple picking will be starting very soon and I am looking forward to eating apples straight from the tree. The people here as well are incredible and I know that they will always have a special place in my heart. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to serve them.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Make sure to take time to just enjoy the little things, the little blessings and miracles, in life.

Love,

Hermana Brighton

Week 43

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I got a new companion and her name is Hermana Hall. She is from St. George, Utah and she is AWESOME. :) We have already had the opportunity to teach a lot of people and it's easy to stay happy with her because of her cheerful attitude. 

We have been able to teach a lot of new people this past week and although not everyone wants to continue to learn, I still am grateful that I have the opportunity to share at least a little bit about how the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and invite them to find out for themselves if its true. This leaves the rest up to them. They have the opportunity to exercise their God given agency to accept or reject the message we bring. I know as well, that sometimes people aren't ready but that maybe sometime later in their lives they will be. With some people we just need to be patient and continue to be examples and share what we can.

So something I found out today is that we only have 57 companionships in our mission. With some more time, I think we will be getting more missionaries though because that is why they split the mission, so that things would be more managable for the mission presidents because before there was probably twice that many missionaries and there still weren't enough.

Here in Royal it has been pretty smokey because of fires going on. We have heard there have been one or two pretty bad fires, but they were mostly able to keep them under control, I think. Otherwise, things are beautiful here in Royal. It's amazing to see all the crops growing and the orchards. I'm looking forward to when they start harvesting the apples in a couple weeks. I hear that the apples are SUPER delicious.

I'm grateful for all the things I'm learning as a missionary. I know God is aware of me. I know I can talk to Him in prayer and that He listens with love and understanding. I know God answers our prayers in His own way and timing.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Brighton

Week 42

Please use the Yakima Mission address located on the current address page when writing to Hermana Brighton.

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been really great. We spent several hours helping rip up linoleum in the casita of one of our recent converts. We did this a couple days in a row and I have to say my arms were pretty sore, but it was good to do some hard work. We also got to pick apricots this week again.

We met several people who we are excited to keep teaching. Unfortunately others we were excited to teach ended up telling us they were not interested. That can be really hard sometimes, but we keep moving forward with the trust in the Lord that He is there and that He will guide us to those who need us and who are willing to accept the gospel.

So we received our transfer calls this week and my companion is leaving to go to Moses Lake and I will  be receiving Hermana Hall. I've only met her once or twice and haven't really talked to her much, but I know everything will be great.

I'm looking forward to more time in Royal City and I'm grateful that I get to serve there.

Love,

Hermana Brighton

Week 41

Please see here current mission address on the other page.

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week it has been incredible to see the progress of a family that Hna Bailey and I have the wonderful opportunity to be teaching. Both the parents have quit smoking and they are just so solid and they basically teach themselves. The husband was baptized when he was a youth but hasn't really been active since then and his wife and kids are not members. They are really progressing though and just to be getting to teach them and hear their experiences and the things they have over come has strengthened my testimony that God is individually aware of each of us and that everything happens for a reason. I don't know how many times I've said that- that everything that happens to us in our lives has a purpose, but I know it's true. I guess what really is more important is how we choose to react to the challenges that come our way, but I know as we choose to turn to God and Christ, that is where we will find the most comfort and the strength to overcome our trials and hard times.

We've also gotten to pick lots of apricots as service this past week and that has been fun. The above mentioned family has several trees just overflowing with apricots and so we've helped them pick them so that they can be canned.

This week we had interviews with our new mission president. I know that he is called of God and I am so grateful to have him as my new mission president. His wife is also equally incredible and I'm excited to get to know them more and learn from them over this next year or so.

I hope everyone is doing well! Thank you for all the Happy Birthday wishes and cards and everthing. I really appreciated it and am grateful for all your support and love.

Love,

Hermana Brighton

Week 40

Dear Family and Friends,

Let me just say that I had one of the best apricots I have ever had in my life. I got to pick it right off the tree and then eat it. We tried to teach the lady's who's tree it was but she was busy and had to return to her cooking inside. She said we could have some apricots though so that was nice of her.

Yesterday my companion and I got to do a musical number in church. I sang and she played the piano. The song was I Stand All Amazed and it was one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had. Truly "Words make you think a thought, Music makes you feel a feeling, and a Song makes you Feel a Thought." I know that Christ is my Savior and I am so grateful for His sacrifice for us, his family. I know that it is because of Him that we can return to live with God if we chose to follow Him and obey His teachings.

On Saturday the town had a Summer Fest and we did service by helping out with a couple things. The whole entire town must have been there so it was nice to be there and get to see everyone.

This past week we had a lesson where we focused on The Restoration and Joseph Smith's role in it. I know that Joseph Smith was called by God and His son Jesus Christ to be a prophet. I know that Joseph Smith was given the authority to reestablish Christ's church on the earth. Through him the Priesthood was restored to the earth and it is with this Priesthood that the saving ordinances of the Gospel can be performed. I know that God chose Joseph Smith to be a prophet not because he was perfect or because he was knowledgable. He chose Joseph because he was humble and willing to act on the answer he recieved. God does not necessarily choose those who seem qualified, but He qualifies those whom He chooses and that's how it was with Joseph Smith. We meet so many who say they don't 'believe in Joseph Smith.' Well we are not asking people to 'believe IN Joseph Smith' we are asking people to believe in God. To believe that He loves us and therefore gave us another prophet. People don't even have to believe us missionaries. They can ask for themselves. I think that's one of the best parts of our message! People don't have to take any person's word for it. They can go to God and ask Him themselves. How wonderful is that!?!

Well I love you all and hope we can all together continue to strengthen our testimonies of the truths that have been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Faith in Jesus Christ is what can give us hope in this life. I know that Repentance is possible. People can change. I know that it is through baptism that we make a covenant or a promise that we will follow Christ and remember Him and keep His commandments. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts of God and as we live worthily and endure to the end faithfully we can always be guided and protected, comforted and strenthened through the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. 

Love,

Hermana Brighton

week 39

Dear Family and Friends,

This week while knocking we talked to someone who was nice but said some things that honestly hurt to hear. She said she had heard of the Book of Mormon so we asked her if she had read it and she said no and that she didn't believe in it. We taught how the Book of Mormon only supports the Bible and is another Testament of Jesus Christ and invited her to read it but she said she didn't believe in Joseph Smith (who we hadn't actually mentioned yet) or the Book of Mormon. She said she knew it wasn't true and said she'd prayed and felt that the Bible is the only word of God, but she hadn't even taken to the time to actually read in the Book of Mormon.I guess that's the thing that hurt the most- that she refused to even read the Book of Mormon, to even find out for herself whether it was true or not. It hurts to see someone deny the divinity of something you know is of God and refuse to hear anymore about it. I know that anyone who takes the time to actually read in and ponder about the Book or Mormon will know that it testifies of Christ and teaches of Him and helps us more fully understand the Atonement and Christ's teachings and God's commandments. You will know that the Book of Mormon only contains good things that are truly of God and are given to us for our benefit, because God loves us, His children.

I know the things I'm experiencing and learning about on my mission are going to help me so much the rest of my life. I know that God is real and that He answers prayers. I know prayer is a wonderful thing and that God listens to us and cares about what we are experiencing and our struggles. He answers in His own way and in His own time and we just have to trust in Him.

On a different note, I am officially a missionary in the Yakima Mission! The mission split on July 1st. My companion and I got to meet President Lewis and his wife with the rest of our zone on Friday and they are incredible people. I know they love us missionaries and are happy to be with us. I'm excited to learn from them.

I also wanted to express the gratitude I have for those who have served to protect our country's freedom and those who still are. Some scriptures I read that I liked are Alma 43:47 and Mosiah 29:32 that talk about the importance of freedom. They help me realize that America is truly a special country and has been watched over by God but that we need to continue to trust in Him and be obedient to His commandments otherwise things will not always be so great.

I love you all! I hope everyone had a wonderful week and that this next week will be great too!

Hermana Brighton