The First P-Day Email!!!

Oh how amazing it was to hear from our sweet Hermana Brightman!! There was a LOT of Spanish in the email (so much that this gringo momma had a hard time wading through it!). Missionary Daddy is awesome and added some translations for some of the more linguistically challenged of us :-)

She is doing so great!! It was amazing to hear all the changes in just a week!

Only two pictures, because the photos were not uploading. She only has an hour a week to email and could not wait for them. Hopefully they will cooperate more next Tuesday!! 

On Tuesday, February 10, 2015 1:32 PM, Lauren Brightman <lauren.brightman@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hey everyone!

I'm going to apologize in advance because I already know this email is going to be pretty hard core Spanglish.

Yo no pienso solo en ingles. Mucho Spanglish, si, pero no solo en ingles.( I don´t even think just in English any more)

==> I don't think only in English. Much Spanglish, but not just in English

It's so incredible here! I love my companion and my district so much! And just this whole experience!

Este muy interesante how much una persona puede change en solo una semana.

==> It's interesting how much a person can change in just one week

It's also interesting to think about life before the CCM y la persona que (==> MTC and the person that) I was before this.

Si, it´s only been one week, pero yo no soy el mismo de antes. 

==> Yes it's only been one week but I am not the same as before

Somethings that really stood out me to from this week, spiritually, have helped me to become

una mejor persona y hija de Dios.

==> a better person and daughter of God

 La primera cosa es este:

==> The first thing is this:

It's so essential to take everything about this gospel personally.

Jesucristo no es solo el Salvador del mudo, pero es MI Salvador y SUS Salvador tambien.

Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of the world, but is MY Savior and YOUR Savior also.

He went through la Expiacion (Atonement) willingly for each one of us. And given the opportunity, He would willingly do it again. Not just for TODAS( ==> all), pero (==> but) just for one of us. If any one person needed it, He would willingly and lovingly CHOOSE to go through todas las cosa un otro ves. (==> everything one more time) So we had better take it personally.

El segundo es este: (==>The second is this) Si su sabes el poder de Jesucristo y si su really ama Dios (If you know the power of Jesus Christ and you really love God), there is nothing that can stop you from sharing that love with others. 

Yo aprendara muchas cosas este semana, y yo se que es porque este un poder enabling por medio de la Expiacion de Jesucristo.

==> I learned many things this week, and I know that it is because there is a power enabling through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

We got our first investigator on Friday (after solo UN leccion de español!) (==> after only one Spanish lesson) y we have been able to teach and communicate much with Ana.

Ella no hable ingles (==> She doesn't speak any English)..... at all! So yo se que es solo del poder de Cristo que puedemos (==>so I know it is only by the power of Christ that we can) talk and share so much with her and understand what she says. 

People always say this is the hardest thing you will ever do. They're not wrong. I haven't done anything even close to this hard before in my life! The only time we spend in our rooms during the week is to get ready for the day and get ready for gym time and for bed. The only other times we have that we aren't teaching or studying between 645am when we go to class and 930pm when we get home is used for meals and gym time.

PERO, los desafios no estan nada in comparison to the gozo y paz tenemos aqui.

(== >BUT, the challenges are nothing in comparison to the joy and peace we have here)

The hard times pale in comparison to all the good experiences and fun memories we are creating. 

Our district (Elder Herron, Elder Wasden, Elder 'Otuafi, Elder Richins, Hermana Fish, Hermana Schriener, y yo y mi compañera (==> and I and my companion) Hermana Cloward) gets along so well and have the best maestros (Hermano Silva y Hermano Martinez) that there's never a dull moment. Las hermanas y Elder Richins are all going to Dallas, y Elder 'Otuafi is going to Fort Worth! Elderes Wasden y Herron are going to Philidelphia. 

I think one of the funniest things to happen all week probably happened yesterday during gym time. Yo y las otras hermana (==> I and the other sisters) were playing basketball- y Hma Schriener went to pass the ball to Hma Fish. Pero, Hma Schriener thought there was a lot more space between them than there was because el sol esta en sus ojos (==> the sun was in her eyes). Pero (==> but), she went to pass the ball and Hma Fish was right in front of her and she accidentally hit her in the forehead. It wasn't hard and didn't hurt her, pero todas (==> but everyone) stood there for  a second and were all just like "uhh.... what just happened?" Tambien, (==> also) we played volleyball as a district en viernes....o sabado.... no recuerdo.... pero esta divertido! (==> on Friday, or Saturday, I don't remember, but it was fun)

There are so many other things that I want to write, but I´ve got several emails left to read y I couldn't fit all the stories into an hour anyways! 

Pero yo se que el evangelio de Jesucristo es verdadero y yo se que somos todos los hijos de Dios. Yo se que Jesucristo es mi salvador y el salvador del mudo. Yo se que todas las cosas seran possibles para Cristo y Su expiacion. Yo se que Dios nos ama. 

==> But I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and I know that we are all the children of God. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and the savior of the world. I know that all things are possible with Christ and His atonement. I know that God lives.

Y yo se que todas las cosas buenas en mi vida estan porque Jesucristo es mi salvador. 

==> And I know that all good things in my life are because Jesus Christ is my savior.

It's only been a week but I'm already more than twice the person I was when I left and less than half the person I know I can become. I started out this journey last Miercoles (==> Wednesday), honestly, as a little girl. And I already know I'm going to come back a lady and a woman of God. And I can't wait to see what other surprises and experiences the journey brings along the way!

Con amor, (==> With Love)

Hermana Brightman

Just off the bus from the airport :-) no captions with pictures

At the CCM (Mexico MTC)