Entry Sixty Eight: Robbed

May 04, 2026

Entry Sixty Eight: Robbed

Gooooooood morning everyone! I am coming at you from not so sunny or shiny Tennessee, but the matter of fact is it is going to be a phenomenal day! I hope this was a good week for you. Like genuinely; if it wasn't a good week and you wanna talk about it, I am all ears :)

So for some reason this week just had some crazy somber undertones, like the week's motif was “feeling.” It started when I had to say goodbye to my dear Elder Painter. Very sad to lose him but he's off in Brevard now probably killing squirrels 😆

Transfer calls threw me for a serious loop! I got assigned to train a new missionary (finally)! But I’ve been robbed. I am no longer the district leader, it just got moved to my good pal Elder Newman (and might I add he is actually phenomenal and I’m very happy to see his leadership first-hand again).

However I still couldn't feel but just a little empty inside after this assignment change was announced. Like me personally, I felt I was cooking. District council earlier that day was by far my best work, and everyone was even glazing me up like crazy prior to the transfer.

I mention all this not to just BCD all over the place and whine about it, but to share that sometimes our emotions can be very real. Doesn't mean they're justified in taking control of our actions, but a part of being in this mortal frame is that we are to experience it all! The good and the bad!

And this would be a constant focus of the rest of the week.

On Thursday morning we shipped out to Knoxville, and after helping set up transfers I got to sit in the back row of the Farragut chapel and anxiously await for President to live assign me my greenie (something about this mission in particular always maxing out anxiety lol).

There was a quick funny moment where Elder Green (who I was sitting right next to and also I served with in Lebanon) called dibs on one of the greenies. As President was telling that Elder what his area would be like, Elder Green just stood up, arms stretched out, head aiming right towards the heavens. And HE WAS RIGHT! 🤣

That Elder was to be his new companion!

As for me, I was part of the last two to be picked (reminds me of grade school 😔). So, President Barlow gave our greenies the tough choice to guess, and they were wrong. But, I ended up with the BEST new missionary I personally have ever seen!

Introducing…. ELDER MCQUISTON!!! 🥳

My mans is absolutely a spiritual giant. When he bears testimony it is the equivalent of lighting a cannonball on fire and blasting it onto an enemy ship. The spirit is always so strong around him, and I absolutely love him!

We worked so hard this week and didn't get a lot of success though :/

However, the few good moments throughout the week made it all the more worthwhile. We got our new friend, Jennifer, to church and put her on date for the 24th of May! Absolutely stellar!

To go along with this motif, we have run into an unusual amount of situations where it seems all hope is lost. It has been magical to empathize with these friends; to mourn with them that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.

It's been weighing on my mind a lot this week about how things such as these can happen to innocent or even good people who are trying. A lot of times we as missionaries are posed the question of “why does God allow bad things to happen?”

Now I personally am convinced that God will not authorize specific bad things to happen for the sake of teaching someone a lesson. I'm sure it pains Heavenly Father to watch us struggle through trials even more so than we are pained going through them.

However, He knew we needed to fall. The ONLY way to salvation was to fall; to be maimed, broken, and beaten. That is why we are in a fallen world: where consequences of actions affect others, where the weather will chew up a house at a moment's notice, where we can and will mess up and rack ourselves with mistakes.

This life is hard because it has to be! There is no other way for us to shout the sweet song of redeeming love if we aren't put through times that help us appreciate it! The specifics of where our trials come from do not matter one whit, because every single mistake, every single misfortune, every single disaster, no matter how horrific the sight; are chances for us to apply the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and rise above the circumstances of our life.

We knew it wouldn't be easy when we heard of this plan eons ago in our Heavenly home, we just knew that it would be worth it. Because Jesus Christ was willing to die.

I so testify that he died in our behalf. He rose from the grave and became the risen Lord of Heaven and earth! He is the ultimate source of succor, support, and salvation! “For as in Adam all men die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King! Triumphant over death, life thou didst bring.

Leaving thy Father's throne on earth to live

Thy work to do alone, thy life to give.

I love you all so much :)

My heart is full,

-Elder Clayton

I actually have pictures this week woo!