Week 44, June 6, 2016

Hello Everybody! Yes, hi Steve! Ok, ok, settle down!
 
I am going to share an experience from this week that was very
difficult for me; I don't share it to complain but to help share
important lessons.
 
As some of you may have heard, we had a sister from my mission run
away from home around 8:45/9pm Monday evening. She has been found
since and she's receiving the care she needs, so the story ends well,
just so no one worries too much.
My companion and I had just returned home and we were about to start
daily planning when we got a phone call from the Jefferson 2nd
sisters, the other sisters in our district. They were in a trio, the
Hnas. Woodhouse, Figueroa, and Kang, for the last few days of the
transfer because one sister had completed her mission the previous
week and had gone home. As we answered the call, the first thing they
said was "Hna. Kang is gone! We can't find her; we need your help." I
thought they were pulling a very mean prank (many missionaries enjoy
planking me because I take them serious, making their prank funnier)
so I told them to cut it out. They almost started crying and assured
me that she was really gone so Hna. WiRepa and I ran to our car and
drove to their house to start searching for Hna. Kang.
There were already quite a few missionaries out looking for her so we
coordinated with those who were already out and started looking for
her. We went up towards the mountains to search a trailhead where we
had gone hiking before and we called for her for a few minutes, but it
was really dark so we didn't feel like she had gone there. We then
went and spoke with all the shops along Harrison, a major road with
bus stops. No one we spoke to had seen her but offered to keep an eye
out for her. By the time we had gone 10 blocks (from 30th street to
40th street), it was 11 at night and we had seen no sign of her. We
checked the local college, Weber State, to see if maybe she had gone
running there, but there was nobody there. We called in to see if
there was any progress with another group but no one had seen anything
yet. We went back to the J2 (Jefferson 2nd) sisters' home to regroup
and we were told to stay there instead of going back out to search
again.
We stayed with 4 other sisters, Hnas. Woodhouse, Figueroa and Sisters
Pecjak and Law, until 12:30ish, praying and waiting. We had sent out a
search party composed of Elders to check the surrounding neighborhood
with flashlights (it was too dangerous for the sisters.....many of us
protested) and we're still waiting for them when we were told to go
home and go to bed. President had to be careful with the way he
phrased that sentence because we all wanted to stay together and wait
for news. I jokingly protested, but he asked us to go home and sleep
so we did.
The next morning, Tuesday, we received a text asking for our zone to
meet at a local church building so we could organize another search.
We met and divided portions of the city to go and check; Hna. WiRepa
and I covered a portion of North Ogden to see if maybe she went north.
We spoke with store after store, placing Missing Person signs
everywhere we were allowed (it kinda destroyed my self control a few
times when we're told that we couldn't post our signs and even in one
case when someone tore off our sign because it was against the rules,
which we hadn't known. It was difficult for me, but I understand that
there are rules for a reason and we must sustain them), and walked
everywhere looking for her. We had planned to meet back at the church
to make more plans, have a lunch break, and start again when we
received word at noon that she had been seen at a restaurant around 10
that morning.
We continued our search, feeling like she was close by and that we
could find her soon. My companion and I walked the streets of Ogden,
speaking with every food and clothing store to see if maybe she'd gone
in; we also checked the train station fairly regularly. At 1:15pm, we
all received a text saying that she had been seen getting on the train
down in Clearfield (we think she took a bus there) heading to Salt
Lake. Our search was called off because she was then outside of the
mission for sure so we all started to go about our days. We all wanted
to go and eat lunch (because it was close to 2 by then), but the
sisters were called up to the mission office to speak with someone. We
had a group session where the wife of one of the mission presidency
members spoke with us to see how we were doing. After that, which was
around 3, she took us out for lunch, which was really nice!, and we
regrouped again around 4:15pm back at the office. There were some of
the Elders who had gone searching, including my Elders (as in the
Elders serving in the same area as me =) ), who were there waiting for
further instruction.
We greeted the new missionaries (because all of this happened during
transfer week so old missionaries had gone home on Monday and new
missionaries came in on Tuesday) and welcomed them to our mission.
They seemed a bit confused to see so many of us there, and they could
tell that we were all stressed, but we tried our best to make them
feel welcomed. My companion and I, along with our Elders, went to
dinner which we had a restaurant that night (the generosity of one of
our ward members). Part way through the dinner, one of the Elders had
done something super funny -dropped his phone into a cup of horchata!
- and I had started out laughing but then started crying. I wasn't
doing super hot and neither was the other Elder, so we all called it a
night; we didn't have the capacity to proselyte that evening.
The next morning, Wednesday, we were called by our Elders, one of
which is our district leader, asking us to go to the train station to
look for Hna. Kang because we had received reports that she had been
seen so we were on the lookout again. All that morning we waited for
trains and rode on trains trying to find her. By 2pm ish, we had
received word that she was found!!! She was with her family and that
she was okay! Both Hna. WiRepa and I yelled out loud with joy we were
so happy that she was okay and that the worst hadn't happened.
 
We still don't really know what happened to her on her trip or where
exactly she is right now, but we do know that she is okay and getting
help. She is safe and that's all we prayed and fasted for. Thank you
to all who knew about the situation and prayed for her. Your prayers
were heard and she's being taken care of. Thank you for your love and
support during this....stressful time.
I am still shaken up over this - I'm writing this letter in a
counselor's waiting room =) - but life keeps moving forward. We team
together, keeping our spirits high by being united. We utilize the
tools and talents that our Heavenly Father has given us to cope; we
have faith. Now, I better understand what sisterly love means; now, I
know my limits; now, more so than ever, I realize the importance of
saying "I love you" everyday. I love Hna. Kang and I miss her dearly;
she has played such an important role in my life and I will forever be
grateful for her. I love my mission and all of those here serving with
me. They are part of my family and I love them so much. Heavenly
Father has blessed each of us with such amazing people that we should
and must cherish.
I love you all. Please remember who you are and that there is always
someone who loves you. Be good and have a great week. I love you!