Be Considerate to your Roomies: Do Not Rub Snake Oil Into Your Mosquito Bites Right Before Bed

Dearest Family and Friendlies,

I have very little time, but we're getting used to that, right? :D

This mission is so amazing. This week we found out that we're going to start a... get ready for it... ENGLISH EFY CAMP!! It will be for one hour a day M-F for three weeks, and it's going to be AWESOME. I always wanted to be an EFY counselor--and now I get to do it in CHINA, teaching ENGLISH at the same time.

AND Oh Yeah we make up the entire program. The mission president introduced a very basic outline to us (1/2 hour of activity, 1/2 hour of lesson and discussion based on For the Strength of Youth) and we get to plan the rest of it.

It's basically like trying to plan Girl's Camp in 10 days--and Oh, Yeah, and it's for NONmembers. WOOT! It starts the 11th and we're so excited--we had a district planning session yesterday morning and we're going to have names, and companies, and cheers, and a skit, and nametags, and we're going to play AWESOME games... I'm so excited. EFY for THREE WEEKS! Oh, and we're doing it again in August!!! So great!

Today I am grateful for my E.F.Y and Girls Camp Experiences!!!! Whew!

This week we met (I think it was this week?) Angel. Angel's name, unlike many Chinese people's English names, really fits--she has a son whose heart has been so weak from birth that he needs 24/7 care--so she's been providing it, 24/7, for 26 YEARS. She prayed every single night of that 26 years, asking for strength and help from God. She's been considering joining the church for about 10 years--she knew it was right because of a friend from high school's quiet, good example and happiness in family life after high school--and finally prayed that God would let her know if this was the right time. As she got up from her prayer, her computer beeped. Her friend from high school--to whom she hadn't talked in years--sent her a message.

Yup, it's the right time! So she started meeting with us and set a date to get baptized on the 17th of July. This is one of those instances of sitting in a lesson just awed at God's power and my own nothingness, really feeling like, "Wow, this lesson/her conversion has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with me. I'm just the body sitting here that gets to experience this miracle!!" I am so grateful to be here. We taught her the plan of salvation on Tuesday, actually, "We

taught," Ha! Angel understands the plan of salvation so much better than me!

In (sorta) contrast, another investigator's progress has been much more involved with us and it's SO wonderful to see. This is Chan I think I've told you about her--she has a son who's sorta active and really likes war games and seems like the typical 19 year old jerk kid. I admit, the first couple times I interacted with him, I called him "a-ling, waste of skin" in my head. I am so, so, so wrong.

Sheesh! He needs so much love, and all I gave in those interactions--whether verbally or not!--was disdain. It's been beautiful to see how much she really loves him. Her husband, his dad, died when he was just three. Two times ago when we went over we asked him why he wouldn't pray with his mom--he said brusquely that he just didn't like showing his feelings. Oh, my heart just melts for their poor little family. Last night when we went over, we read Mosiah 18 with her (on her teaching record it said "not able to read"--we found out she just needs simplified characters and lots of patience) and I asked her if she wanted the blessings for her family described in verse 21. "Seung dak dou," she responded quietly (=want to receive=yes).

• 21And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

She then said she was willing to set a date to get baptized July 24th--oh, but then the loud, hilarious, (in a funny way) Chan was back and she started whining (she's so loud when she's whining, it's so hilarious) about how she was going to stop drinking coffee (we haven't even taught that WOW yet) and if she has to wear a skirt to church. She's so funny because she's so dramatic, but KNOWS she is, and laughs at herself the whole time... I just LOVE her. AND I love Aling, which is probably a bigger deal. Please pray for them.

Your Chinese lesson for the day: pedestrians = hahng yahn = (direct translation) walk people= why I love Chinese.

I love you all so much! I can't wait to hear about Ian's mission call (and Josh getting home!). And PS if you write "AIRMAIL" on your envelopes it only takes ONE WEEK for mail to get here! So fast! :)

LOVE,

Sister DIA Darcey bAAHK Jan Hei Ji Muih

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IAN! I TOLD EVERYONE IT WAS YOUR B-DAY YESTERDAY! Isn't it cool that I got to experience your birthday BEFORE you tee hee heee. You are one of my favorite person in the universe today (right after Jesus). Have a great birthday. I will sing you the Chinese birthday song today. To... myself. Hopefully my companion won't hear me. :D