Monday, July 15, 2013

Dearest family and friends,

After an incredible 11 months in Zapopan, last Monday I received my reassignment to a new area in Ixtapa. It is in Vallarta, touching the southern border of the state of Nayarit.

There are very few times in life that we have the opportunity to begin anew, completely fresh. No expectations from anyone, the chance to be exactly who you always wanted to be. A few of those times might be when we leave the house for the first time for college. Another if we travel for a summer. And perhaps when we begin a new life as a married person. These opportunities are special and rare. 

This last week I was given this chance. All that I have learned in this first year, all the mistakes that I have made, all the experiences that I have had are safely stored in my memory banks (and in part in the pages of a journal). So with two suitcases and a mix of emotions I arrived Monday night near the coast of the Pacific. 

It has been a busy week. But what a beautiful experience thus far. The climate is very similar to Houston, humid and hot, sweating while in the shade. It is an area very tropic with trees and vegetation that look like they belong to a movie set from Jurassic Park or Avatar. Lizards and other creatures abound. 

Time is always so short, but I am happy where I am and looking forward to getting to know and gain the trust and love of the people here, and working hard alongside them. 

A simple miracle that we had this week was in looking for a place to live. We are going to be working in a small town a little father away, and so we had to go and find a place to stay there. The first 4 nights we stayed with a couple other Elders sleeping on the floor. The picture included is the first night we had in our new home. After looking all over the place and not having success finding a place with adequate privacy and price, the young boy that was showing us around said, ´I think I saw a place for rent´. After a couple hours of looking around ourselves, the first place this young boy took us turned out to be the place. A cozy house with lots of windows to combat the heat. And a price that really surprised us, cheaper than all the rest we had found. With our new headquarters of sorts, a place to feel comfortable and call home we are excited to get after it this week.

We were given this assignment with the instructions that it would be a difficult and testing experience, but with a great unity that we are already developing as a companionship we look forward with a perfect brightness of hope.

Please keep up the prayers for all of us out here. Protection, positivity, and the ability to know where to go and what to do. We need it.
With great love,
Elder Brighton

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