A cloudy Sunday

The weekend before I go back to Phoenix to spend time with the family is filled more with excitement and anticipation than anything else. This weekend, in an attempt to keep myself occupied, I watched a couple of movies, read, went to church. At church I was asked at the end of sacrament meeting to come up and bare my testimony. I found it strange to think that the week prior my wonderful wife had spoken on Easter Sunday about the atonement of Christ and I was not there to hear her testimony. And here, half way around the world, she was unable to hear my simple testimony of Christ. Though I did not need this experience to be away from my family to gain a testimony of the importance of family, it certainly has etched even deeper into my soul the importance of the family. Nothing can make up for those moments. No money, no prestige. No career is so important. I heard a great quote from Elder Oaks today in priesthood where he said so many people focus on prosperity, prominence, property and prestige - but there is no evidence that any of these things have any importance in the next life.

I watched a movie yesterday that I had never seen before - mostly because it is rated R but I'm sure it has been on TV. It was Good Will Hunting. I know this movie won many awards, but watching it I thought it had such a great theme. It was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, which I find ironic since I don't believe they truly live their lives by the theme of the movie. But maybe they do. The movie came down to the fact that the most important things come from those we love. When we truly open ourselves up and give ourselves to others. When we stop thinking of ourselves. That is when we become happy. And millions of people saw this movie - and I'm sure it won awards because that resonates in people's hearts and minds. But so few truly act upon it.

The other movie I watched was an old chinese movie called Jasmine Women and starred Zhang Zhiyi. One of the characters lived her whole life living and thinking about one moment of her life. Once that moment passed she never was happy again. She always thought about what could have been. Once again, I think so many people fall into this trap. We are always living in the past - or the future - and fail to live now. We must open our eyes and our senses and live today. It seems so easy.

I was invited to lunch by a family in the branch here - the Sanders. What a simple gesture can bring happiness to someone. It was great to have an American meal with homemade chocolate chip cookies and talk about the interesting things they've had to deal with since being here in Hong Kong. I will most likely never really see these people again - though maybe in church a few times when I am back next month. But that didn't stop them from offering me a small place in their home - and a little bit of love. I hope that I can take my experiences in Hong Kong and expand my love to more around me when I return to the USA. I am not a mean person - I don't think anybody would ever say that about me. But am I a kind person?