I can't believe how fast time is going!!!!!!! Friday we were at Kowloon Tong for a mission conference and Sister C., (the mission secretary) handed me a big white envelope with my flight plans and schedule for the last week. It did not really hit until then, and it still has not hit quite yet, I just have more to do now!
The thing I love about this area is that I get to see people from my old areas all the time!! Sha Tin, Tai Wai and Ma On Shan are the 3 wards in the south part of the stake. For some reason, these three wards also have a large part of the stake leaders in them including, all of the stake presidency, the area 70, former mission president, Young Women's Stake president, a sister in the stake primary presidency and several high counselors. Since traveling from one end of our stake to the other by public transportation takes less than an hour, people are always visiting our ward for one thing or another.
There was an Asia Area Mission Presidents conference in Hong Kong this week. Elder Evans the head of the missionary department came. We had a mission conference on Friday and he spoke. It was so neat. He talked a lot about the temple, the Book of Mormon and the Atonement. Something really interesting that he pointed out is that the Book of Mormon is to be read from the beginning. Often we will have investigators jump around to different chapters, but by doing that they miss the full effect that it can have. If they are going to find out that it's true, they need to learn the same way we did, from the beginning. Isn't it interesting that the first things recorded in the Book of Mormon are about a family. And an imperfect family at that. They had their challenges as well, but the gospel helped them know how to face those challenges. He pointed out that the Book of Mormon is a pattern of people's experiences and sections on the atonement. He talked a lot about the atonement and how we need to make it a part of our lives. I realized that I need to be applying the atonement in my life more deeply and sincerely. I've been trying harder to pray and repent more sincerely, and it's working! I realized after the conference that being a repent person is the only way to really have satisfaction with my mission or even my life. I think a lot of the time I expect myself to be perfect and sometimes I'm even afraid to repent each night because that means I need to think about all the ways I was not perfect that day and then admit they are wrong. That's uncomfortable!!! However, I'm realizing that as I do that, I'm becoming more confident and satisfied with myself and my mission. It's not fake, not just being satisfied with everything except the things I don't want to think about. I can be satisfied with everything. I'm just amazed at how much I've learned about the Atonement and Jesus Christ on my mission, but I'm still learning more!
We met a girl the other day. She was sitting on a bench reading when I went up to her. She said she did not have any interest, but Sister Clements did a wonderful job of talking about our purpose in life and how we can have true happiness. At the end, she allowed us to pray with her. When we opened are eyes, I saw that there was water on her glasses, I seriously looked up at the sky trying to figure out how it could have rained that hard that fast and me not have gotten wet!!!! Then I realized she was crying! There are so many people who just need love, they come across mean and cold, not because they are, but because they really don't feel like they are cared about. And I get to tell people everyday that they are cared about by AT LEAST 4 people, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and Sister Nelson and Sister Clements!
I called Y., a young woman that I met earlier in my mission yesterday and she doesn't have to go to school next Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Between normal p-day stuff, my exit interview and packing (yuck!!!), we get to spend the day with her!! I'm so excited!!!! I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week!!!!!
Love,
Kasey
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