Dear wonderful family and friends,

I hope that you all have had a fantastic week. Looks like Mom has had some fun with paint in the house this week. It kind of looks like something out of a Dr. Suess book, the colors are so bright! How are you who live there liking it?

Next comes...an awesome experience from this past Monday. After dinner, we went with the family that fed us dinner to go visit one of the ladies that we are teaching in the hospital. She had an outpatient surgery but got an infection and had to be in the hospital for a few days. We visited, sang some hymns to her, and prayed. We were about to leave when her doctor came into the room and announced that she does NOT have cancer! She had been very worried, and we had been praying a lot for her. It was a really special experience to be able to share that moment with her and her family.

Another amazing experience of this week. Last night, Brandon shared his story of learning about the gospel, coming to know it was true, and being baptized at a fireside here in Davis. He talked a lot about how much one of his new friends at church helped him in the process, including how much it meant to him that that friend could be the one to baptize him. Both of them are seniors in high school, and he said that knowing that there are other people trying to do the same things he is trying to do has helped him a lot. I am so happy to know that he has such a great support system in place that will continue even after Hermana Law and I leave the area. 

Next, a report on our mission leadership council. It was yet another wonderful and very spiritual experience. The first afternoon when we got there, we did a service project widening one of the trails and making it more safe for use by the young women who come to camp there in the summers. After that, we spent pretty much the rest of the camp in meetings receiving leadership training and other instruction. My portion of the the training went well. I especially enjoyed sharing the story of when Eric and I were little and squeezed pomegranate juice all over our babysitter's shirt...connecting the way that we view little kids who do naughty things like that with the way that Heavenly Father views us, his precious children, and can see beyond our current weakness and follies to the great potential that we have. (Side note: I need to improve my storytelling abilities still because the story was supposed to be funny, but nobody laughed.) I also shared the poem that Elder Brighton wrote about the Atonement in talking about how each soul is of such great worth.

My main take-away from our leadership council:

We can have high expectations because God has promised us great blessings.

I love doing the work of our Father in Heaven. I love Him and know that he will fulfill His promises to us.

I love you all and wish you a wonderful week.

Love,

Hermana Brighton