The best day of my Mission

This weekend Adonis was baptized, as you know. What you don't know though, is that at 10 years old he is already an incredible missionary. He has been sharing his Book of Mormon with friends at school ever since we began teaching him. Last week he asked us if it would be okay to give each of his friends their own copy. We gave him 4 Books of Mormon, all of which he has already gifted to his friends. He introduced us to them at his baptism, and they told us all of their favorite Book of Mormon stories, and how cool it was that Adonis was teaching them about it.

More precious than this, however, was hearing the blessing he recieved after his baptism- promising him that he would serve a full time mission in his youth, and that he would bring the light of the gospel to his family, who will one day be sealed in the temple.

The decision of one little boy to follow the spirit is going to change his family forever, and have a domino effect on everybody who knows him. It already has.

I am so grateful to be here, and grateful to have had the chance to know and learn from Adonis as he has prepared for this day. He has changed my view of the importance of each of us as individuals. Every person has something to offer, and we all have the capacity to make a world of difference for the people around us throughout our lives.

We all have knowledge and experience that is unique to us as individuals. I truly believe that whatever that knowledge may be, it is our obligation to share it with others. We weren't sent here to prove ourselves by being the smartest, or the most experienced...the most educated- we are given these things as gifts, that we might be better able to help others along their way. There is a reason we have families, and we have friends here- we are all meant to support and lift eachother up- to give the best parts of ourselves, the most valuable knowledge we posses for the betterment of another.

I am happy right now. Happier than I have ever been in my life, and I know it's because I have been working my hardest to fulfill that purpose. But I also know that I don't have to be on a mission to do it. It is a lifelong opportunity that we have, a lifelong obligation, really.

More than anything I hope that I can come home with the same love that I have now for the people around me, and with the same understanding that they need more than anything else to know and have what we as members of the church have; because when I understand that, I know that no situation is too scary, nobody is ever too busy, no weakness on my part is ever too great to show someone simply and plainly that I love them, and that I care about their well-being, and that I am willing to do whatever I can to help them on their way.


I love you and I think about you and pray for you every day

Mariesa