Homecoming Talk October 11, 2020

Hello, good almost noon. I am sister Jessica Gill. I just completed my 18-month service mission. I have always had a desire to serve. When I first heard it would be service, it was a little hard for me. But with a little prayer and the Holy Spirit's guidance, I went through with it. Our service missionary purpose is to help others come unto Christ by serving them as the Savior would. We serve voluntarily in charitable organizations, church functions, and within the community. To minister in His name to the one, just as He did. Expressing His loving kindness. That is what all the service missionaries in our mission tried to do each day. I found it a great joy in serving others.

Today I am speaking on the Holy Ghost. As a service missionary, I did not get a sister companion because we all served at different locations throughout the week, but I got the Holy Ghost as a stronger influence for me during this special time. For me, I feel like I get the help of the Holy Ghost through thoughts and feelings.

Places I served were at the temple, family history center, food pantry and family place.  When I served at the family history center I liked to index, watching preserved videos from previous brothers and sisters family and transferring picture films to CDs and similar things.

When I was getting trained on the devices, an older brother shared a few preserved videos, one of them was a guy in his 40’s to 50’s. He had pancreatic cancer. It seemed like everything was okay for 15 years. Then found out it spread all throughout him. He was told he only had a few months to live. He passed away in December 2018. You could tell he was a humorous, humble man. The Holy Ghost was very strong while watching that video. I am thankful I got to hear his story.

At the temple, my Grandma Gill came with me every week. I am very thankful she attended 
sessions with me. I also helped in the temple laundry. I got told specific ways to fold each thing and where they put it away. The temple is a house of order. I miss the people I served there with. They were Christlike sisters and taught me how to live the gospel a little better.
Once when I went into the temple laundry, it was very busy. They had a big line for the dirty
baptism clothes and were going as fast as they could. We did not quite have enough clean
clothes for the baptistry yet. When they came down for a second time, we didn’t see any 
clothes, yet somehow there was the exact number they needed to complete their cart to have
enough.

I served in the food pantry by sorting cans and produce. I mainly sorted produce with another
sister, she was an example of hard work and determination. Towards the end of my mission I
helped with the grocery carts. By doing that on each cart there was a labeled color on the cart
handle. Each color had a certain amount of each food that needed to go in the cart, which was
labeled by each food.

During the Christmas season a lady came in and needed some help. She and her daughter were living out of their car. We were able to help them find a few needs and able to find a few things for her daughter for Christmas.

At the family place two sisters and I did crafts. They liked to listen to a lot of Disney oriented
things. I liked to paint a lot. We spray painted a cardboard train they made and later painted
some Disney card board cartoon props. When it was the Christmas season, they had a lot of
gifts they needed help with. It was fun to wrap, count and organize the gifts the families
needed.

When quarantine started, I got the thought to get out some Christmas puzzles that I got and do them. That helped me grow closer to my family as they decided to help me. Eventually we got five or more done. It was a fun little activity to do together. One of them is glued, framed and hangs in my room currently.

I got called as the first sister leader in our district in the end of my mission when our mission
split to north and south Logan. I along with about 5 sisters was in the south. I was able to gain
confidence in that by knowing he is okay with my decisions. It was also good because I was able to learn more how to help others and be guided in thought and feeling as to who needed help in certain situations.

In alma 37:6 it says in small and simple ways are great things come to pass. I like that scripture because there wasn’t very many huge things that happened, but it was the little things that meant the most to me and went a long ways for others.

Through my mission I learned that the Holy Ghost is a real companion. We do have a Heavenly Father who loves us deeply, so much that He sent His son to atone for the world. Because of Jesus Christ’s atonement he can understand me perfectly. I know Jesus Christ lives today. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. He knows our thoughts, feelings, and desires. And He will use the Holy Ghost to guide and direct us through promptings.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.