[MUSIC PLAYING]

I wanted to be able to put my feelings and my thoughts somewhere that wouldn't harm anyone else. And so I just started drawing.

I chose to serve a mission because Christ has brought me a lot of joy and peace and happiness, and I want others to feel that too. And in order for me to actually understand what joy was, I needed to first understand what pain was. I had some very difficult things happen. I went through struggles with addiction, struggles with my self-confidence. There were times I felt suicidal. I had seven friends in high school commit suicide; one of them was one of my best friends. I'd say sometimes it feels like God gives us more than we can handle. I felt alone. I had parents and I had family members that were there, but I just didn't feel, really, like anyone was--like I could connect to anyone. I kind of went away from the Church, and I went away from Christ. And when I did that, I just found nothing. I didn't find any happiness. I didn't find any hope. I didn't find any peace. I'm a teacher at Pima schools, and I love my job so much. But I really struggle with anxiety and chronic pain and fatigue. And it's really taxing for me. In my prayers I was asking Heavenly Father, "Will you please help me have strength and courage to be able to face another year of school?" Elder Lee did not know me at all. He met me the night before, and he felt impressed to give me this sketch of Jesus Christ. And I felt like it was an answer to my prayer. I felt really touched that Heavenly Father would know me, Monica, in little Pima, Arizona, and be able to reach out through an elder that has the faith to serve his Heavenly Father under challenges of his own. I don't think Elder Lee will fully understand how much it meant to me at that time. I know Heavenly Father knows me as an individual. To me, Christ is, He's my friend. He's my Savior. He's someone who I can depend on, who I can know will be there for me no matter what. Of all the friends that everybody ought to want to have as their best friend, it would be the Lord Jesus Christ. And He's extended the invitation that He will be our best friend, but that comes by our willingness to follow Him. As a loyal best friend, He will be with us. He will help us. He will send spiritual strength to us, which He has promised to do, which is His magnificent role as the Savior and the Redeemer of all mankind. No one in this world is ever alone who is connected to heaven and their Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.