Dearest Family and Friends,

It is going to be a brief one this week. We are going today to help someone paint their house and then afterwards one of our investigators invited us to go downtown to a parade of clowns. A little different, but he is someone that has been incredibly prepared and receptive. His name is Samuel and he is 19. He works on the weekends as a clown and will be getting baptized the 22 of December. 

I love you all and hope that you are doing well. The weather is starting to change more here. The mornings and evenings are pretty brisk. When we go running in the morning I now wear a sweater (Alicia, the old green one that we both have). 

We are working hard and every night I go to bed worn out physically and emotionally. But we are seeing the results. We will be having a baptism this weekend of a mother whose daughters are already members. Then next weekend Samuel. Then if all continues to go well the 5th of January we will be baptizing a family of 4. They are super great. 

In reading Acts this last week I learned that what we do as missionaries is not something new, or something that we do as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In truth, anyone who believes in Christ should know that the preaching of the gospel is something he commanded us to do. Acts describes how so many people (primarily focuses on Paul) went, preached, and baptized. It really makes me happy to read how each time they describe the conversion of a person it mentions also how they they are baptized and even often mentions their receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. That is what it means to believe in Christ, to have faith in Him. It means to do what he said to do. To show our faith, to make the covenant of baptism and enter in the door to eternal life. 

Something simple, but forgotten I think by many people. The importance to act on the faith we have. 

I love you all and hope to hear from you this next week. Monday will be transfers. I do not anticipate any changes in our companionship, but you can never be sure!

Love,

Elder Brighton