This is the hardest and BEST thing I've ever done

Hermanas Cloward and Brightman. Look out Dallas! Here they come!

Serving The Lord

I honestly cannot believe that when I post this Hermana Brightman will only have 3 full days left in the CCM!! The Lord has definitely blessed me in that the time has passed quickly for me so far. I am excited for her to begin this new part of her journey! I’m also very excited to have sent Hermana Brightman’s “greenie”  box!! For those who do not know, greenie is the term used to refer to a new missionary in the field. I also included stuff for Hermana “trainer” all in pink because she is the “brains of the outfit” (reference to the old cartoon pinkie and the brain, not that the girls ever watched it, but hey it made the pink work) J

I have been trying to make sure that my life is focused where it needs to be. To “sort out my priorities” as it were. I read an amazing article on LDS.net on the life of Eliza R. Snow. She used her time wisely, according to the article, “she carried a gold pocket watch to ensure punctuality and wise use of her time.” Our life is a “world filled with distractions, or more accurately dis-actions. The article points out that we all need a reminder to refocus and re-prioritize our lives. As we do so, stress will reduce and capacities will increase.”

I am so thankful for the opportunity, whether by choice or grand design, to periodically re-prioritize my life! I watch all that

Hermana Brightman has accomplished in such a short time and realize that what Eliza said is correct! “[Y]ou will be astonished at what you can accomplish”

The last letter from the CCM!!

Ready to serve The Lord in Dallas!

This is the hardest and best thing I've ever done.

Definitely a refiner´s fire. I am being molded and shaped into a better person each and every day and every trial only brings me that much closer to the goal.

I only have 5 days left in the CCM and all my emails from my friends in the field make me SO excited to get out there and serve! I can´t WAIT to have experiences like the one´s they´ve shared. And I don´t have to wait much longer!!! I got my travel info today!  

I leave Mexico Monday morning and then I'm off to the great state of Texas for only 16 and a half more months! I wish it could last forever. But one thing our teachers always tell us. "La placa no hace al misionero." Which, in English, means "The tag doesn't make the missionary". That is so true. The time I've been here we've had the privilege of listening to several recorded devotionals from Elder Holland. One talked about how this is the work for an eternity. We can't go back to who or where we were before. He spoke of the time Christ said unto Peter "If ye love me, feed my sheep" and something he said really stood out to me. "You can't go back. You can never go back to your nets and your fish because your call was to LEAVE THOSE BEHIND and follow the Savior. YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO FEED HIS SHEEP FOREVER."

Another thing he said in the devotional we watched this Sunday was "This is Real Life. With a capital R and a capital L. What more can there be than this?"

Which really got me thinking. What does "Real Life" mean? I think it means a life or a manner of living that makes our spirits sing and rejoice no matter what the trial or struggle (Like in Mosiah 15:30) becasue we understand that there is more and better waiting for us. I think it means a manner of living that reminds us that the Savior is by our side and makes the veil "thin". In other words, bringing ourselves closer to God every day and serving others every chance we get. So really, he´s right. What more IS there to Real Life than this?

"Everything you have the opportunity to learn will one day be required of God that you act on- whether you actually learned it or not"

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday about personal conversion. I think personal conversion goes hand in hand with living Real Life. It means loving and trusting God and Christ enough to give anything and everything to do all things they ask of us. Like Moses. Like Abraham. Like Joseph Smith. Like Abinadi. Like Ester. Like so many of my heroes from all the works of Holy Scripture.

Why did I choose to do this? Why did I choose to leave everything familiar and comfortable for a year and a half-- put my life on hold for 18 months-- and venture out into the unknown with such limited contact and only the Lord to guide me? Because that´s enough. Because I know why I am here and where I came from and where I am going. I know essential plain and precious truths that have been lost to the world through the rejection of the Apostles and the teachings of Christ. I know who I am and I know WHOSE we all are. I have been given a miracle. And I can´t bear the thought of others not having access to that.

Over 88,000 missionaries and each one was called individually. Missionaries are not assigned to missions. Missions are assigned to missionaries. We may not remember the face of God but He remembers ours. And a living apostle of the Lord looked at the picture, individually, of each of these over 88,000 young men and women ready to embark in the service of their God and KNEW where we were to labor. We knew the people we are going to teach before this world was organized. We knew them and we loved them and we promised to teach them. GOD remembers that promise. We may not remember making it but that does not change the fact that it was made. And we will be held eternally accountable for how well we follow through on this.

"A miracle is the natural result of the proper application of the commandments of God".

Don´t forget that some windows of opportunity will never open again once they have been shut.

Con Amor,

Hermana Brightman

With eyes firmly fixed upon eternal exaltation