reflecting on the beginning of my mission. I had the opportunity to
switch companions for a few hours with the sister missionaries that
are serving in The a Rolling Valley Ward (my first area in the
mission). During that time I was able to visit all of the people who
had converted to the gospel during my time there. As I left rolling
valley I could really feel my mission coming to a close.
All of my converts from my first area have been baptized for over a
year. One just went through the temple for herself for the first time.
She is engaged to be married to a member of the true church in
October. Another convert is working through temple classes so that
they can go to the temple and be married for time and all eternity. My
third convert from that area will be attending the temple in about one
month so that she can make more promises with God. I was so happy to
have seen these wonderful, valiant souls. God has continued to bless
them and take care of them even though I was far away from them. I
have so much hope and love for them and I'm excited to see when
continue on their path of discipleship.
As I've been reflecting about my mission I've come to know that God
feels that I've served a valiant mission, I haven't been perfect, far
from it in fact, but I have always strived to stop thinking of myself
and focus on others. Because of this, I've felt the spirit so
strongly, always guiding me to choose the right and to become the best
version of me. I have changed. I am not the same person that left
home. I've learned a lot through the spirit, through trials and
through experiences I've had.
As I had been preparing myself to come on my mission I had been
terrified that I would change dramatically, that I would lose the
person I had become, but I've come to see that change really is not a
bad thing because when it is God that is changing me, I can become
something more than I ever thought I could be, and it's all good
things that have changed. I've gained so much trust in God and He
truly has helped me to make decisions, and has helped me to know what
it is about my life that I need to change.
I've spent nights and days pondering and praying about what it is that
God would have me change about my post mission life. God has evaluated
my life and helped me to see that I need to strive to have higher
standard for myself. I feel strongly that in particular I need to
raise my standard of what music I listen to and which movies I watch.
Our minds are like a stage, there's always something playing in our
minds and depending on what I fill my time with, will be what plays in
my mind. If I'm watching movies or listening to music that is not
conducive to the spirit, then my life will not be filled with the
spirit. But if I fill my life with good, wholesome things, my mind and
my actions, thoughts and words will all be filled with the spirit.
The other day I heard a story from one of my companions. They talked
about how they walked into someone's home and they immediately felt
the spirit so strongly. She asked this family why it was that the
spirit was so strong in their home. They said that as a couple, they
had made the decision to change what type of movies they watched and
the music they listened to and as such, their home had been more
spiritual. My companion said that when she had weed into their home,
it had felt like the temple. I want that in my future home, and as
such I need to start now. There have been many goals I've made and
standards I've tweaked a little, in order to be more in line with
God's will. I'm not going to be perfect, but I'm going to strive to
become better than I was before. I do not want to go back to the old
me. Now I just want to be a better version of me. :)
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
~Sister Kaliana Quinton
7-11 Free Slurpies
Deaunte's baptism
found a pitch fork took that funny folks photo
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