The Mission--A Month--The MTC

Dearest family and loved ones,

This week I stole some enchiladas, crawled under a bathroom stall, forgot what season it is )we fall back, right=, planned two meetings of music and three musical numbers, ate every meal with chopsticks, taught a Sunday school lesson on unity, contacted 30 people in Cantonese (seems like EVERYONE here speaks better espagnol than Chinese... I don't get it...), scared some new missionaries from Hong Kong, laughed until I cried, burned a hole through some carpet, committed Brother Lau to get baptized, taught six lessons, kickboxed and yoga'd and pilates'd and step aerobics'd, helped an aetheist pray for the first time, had my first sleepover where everyone was asleep by 10:45, rocked a Cantonese commitment follow up, sang in the choir, figured out I was counting laps on the track wrong and ran a mile in 7:45, ate GF pizza and about 1000 calories of straight ice cream, learned a lot about humility and fell back in love with Romans 8:15-18 and 2 Nephi 31. Oh, mission. I love it here.

Now let's see how much I can relate about the preceding paragraph in my limited time (16:07 left... 16:01 left...).

Now, To Add Interest, Go To My Play List (On the Blog, left hand corner and turn on Come Thou Fount while you continue to read:

OK, first-- I loved the song we sang this week for devotional. We have choir practice for one hour on Sunday afternoons with the funniest choir director who ever sang a note (except Sister Applonie, of course) (and maybe Sister Hall...). He is great at helping us see the meaning in the words--for example, did you know in the song, "Come, Thou Fount," the line, "here I raise my Eben-ezer" refers to the stone--a reminder of repentance--raised in the wilderness to remind the Israelites of their turning toward God? Makes sense how thousands of years later, Charles Dickens decided to name a recalcitrant scrooge who would repent and turn to God and love, "Ebenezer." I am completely embarrassed to think about how many times I've sung that line without a CLUE about what it means.

This week, the lyrics went like this:

"Behold the wounds in Jesus' hands, the marks upon his side, then ponder who he came to save when on the cross he died. We cannot see the love of God which wsaves us from the fall, yet know that Christ from wood and nails built mansions for us all. Behold the outstretched hands of Christ, Our God, who came to save, whose love and grace redeems our souls and lifts us from teh grave. Though bruised and battered as we stray, His guiding hands caress--He washes and anoints with oil and in His arms we rest. Oh, empty is the heart of man when it is filled with sin! Come, open wide your broken heart, and let your Savior in. Behold the wounds in Jesus' hands--Look to your Lord and live!--He yearns to bless you with his love and all your sins forgive. Behold his wounded hands and feet, come touch and see and feel the wounds and marks that you may know His love for you is real. Then as you fall to worship HIm and wash His feet with tears your Savior takes you in His arms and quiets all your fears.

I love it. It reminds me of Romans 8:15-18 and D&C 45:3-5 and 2 Nephi 9:10-12,18 + 2:6-10.

"He offereth himself a sacrifice for sin...How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of

the Earth!"

I have experienced both the healing and comforting + call to repentance aid from the Spirit this week. The gospel blesses our lives now with an eternal perspective on pain and trials and sorrow--Jesus Christ suffered for us that we may be comforted through Him, and He made a way to repent so that we can progress and move past the crippling power of guilt.

I wish I could tell you more. I am so thankful for each of you--Mom, Dad, Aidan, Ian, family and friends--who I know love me and support that I'm here. It's so sad to sit at this email table and hear the other Elders in our zone worry about what to write their families--Dads who they haven't even seen in years, Moms who write them every week expressing their disappointment and disgust that they would come waste their time and money here--learning and growing in service, hope and humility.

Thank you so much for your sweet support and love! I find so much joy in my prayers for you and my thoughts and memories of your kindness, humor and love.

Lots of ngoi,

Sister Dia Darcey (Baahk Ji muih)