Mad and Moody Eyes

Dear Everyone Who Cares,

A word on mission stress: Actually, two words, taken from some of my favorite literature: "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Yes, I have one eye rolling around in the back of my head and the other twitching creepily, Mad-Eye Moody style--together with my mosquitooo bite scars and possible reprecussions of the latest news (LICE!) (don't worry, we all did the chemical wash thing and so far everyone else is fine and quickly getting better).

I may come home looking a lot like Mad Eye :D. I already carry a hip flask... (all the missionaries do, since you have to have clean water).

There are so many things about missions that are hard. Food, companions, weather, food, all the different challenges that the Lord sees fit to put before you.

Mine biggest challenge is being too busy. I do not like having three wards, I'm just realizing. We can't sit with investigators all the way through church--sometimes we don't even SEE them in church, like this past Sunday!-- we don't know the wards well, we don't get to correlate with the auxillaries, we don't hear announcements, we can't ever give undivided attention.

I think that's the huge stress of it all--in a period when all I want to do is say, "Bishop, we're YOUR ward's servants! I have no school, no job, no kids, NO other concerns and all I want to do is build the kingdom in ---- your ward,"

Yet, as it is, I have to give a disclaimer "but Bishop, certain conditions apply". It's like being married to three men... wait. (haaaa).

Hopefully I can begin to understand and use Dad's favorite prophet--Brigham Young--'s counsel that I just found today:

"Stop, do not be in a hurry. I do not know that I could find a man in our community but wishes success... they will say, "fortune seems to be against me." I will tell you the reason of this--you are in too much of a hurry; you do not pray enouth, you do not meditate enough, you are all the time on the wind and in such a hurry you do not know what to do first. This is not the way to get rich (receive success)...Let me reduce this to a simple saying--one of the most simple and homely that can be used--'Keep your dish right side up,' so that when the shower of porridge does come, you can catch your dish full."

I forget too often that it is God's work, not mine, that all I can do is all he requires--or rather, he requires all I can do and will purify and sanctify and enlarge that too-often measely, lazy, whiny Sister Darcey's contribution into something magnificent and, in Sister C's words, "MICRACULOUS!"

Last Sunday truly was micRAculous. Sister H and F., her 14 year old addicted-to-gaming, came to church (an hour late! That's ok!), and F. LOVED it and begged to stay to the next hour. An amazing member convinced H. to stay (even found her FOOD since H. wanted to go home to eat before they went to their next activity! Members are AMAZING).

Oh, and SOMEONE FOUND OUR KEYS. ...ready for this? ON THE STREET! Of course they did... wow. Yup, a Tai Wai member just walked up to me and asked, "found your keys, yet, sister?" and I, in depths of humili (ation) started explaining for the 800th time how sorry I was and that I'll be more careful in the future... and he held up OUR keys. OUR (now) filthy, rusty, water stained, KEYS. Amazing.

We have a new investigator named J. in ST--a young mom from mainland who originally speaks some other dialect. We spent a whole lesson introducing her to prayer and God because she has ZERO religious background. First prayers are always such a beautiful experience, especially truly humble ones (like hers!).

We are so blessed to be here, experiencing the spirit first-hand. I love you so much, be safe and happy and I love you, my family forever!!!

Sister Darcey (DIAAAAA)

Another very-like-Dad Brigham Young saying: "If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money, but it takes a wise man [accountant] to save and dispose of it to his own advantage." :D

Apartment Guard Crush Update: We're Fighting.

I rejected his moon cake gift, so now he isn't talking to me.

Hello Family,

It's getting cooler in Hong Kong!

Of course it is, since i JUST broke down and bought a purse (=no more sweaty backpack) and because Mom's package came with a cooler shirt.

On the same day last week, I pulled off three brand-new-never-done-before-in-HK.

These things were made possible only because it was cool enough...

1) I wore my hair down,

2) I wore a LAYERED SHIRT?!

3) I actually tried to figure out how to turn on the hot tap in the shower! (Up to now, my biggest question in the shower is "HOW DO I GET THIS WATER COLDER?!"... I'd never even TOUCHED the hot tap before...) The attempt actually failed because I couldn't figure out the water heater, so I took an ice shower, anyway but I did TRY!.

Will someone send me Matt's address, please? And when does he get to Taiwan? And when does Ian go into the MTC? Sank you. (Thank you with a HK accent... it's really hard to make a "th" sound with a Chinese tongue).

Did I tell you for moon festival they set up temporary moon-cake-selling booths EVERYWHERE--exactly like the temporary fireworks-selling places that crop up right before the fourth of July in America?

So I actually haven't received my latest package (STILL) because my zone leader stole it--along with my mail. Ok, yes, he only took it because he thought he'd see me before I'd make it to the mission home, but STILL. At least I know it's in China. I had half a thought to call him last night and force him to read all my mail out loud over the phone, but that could be awkward. It WOULD teach him not to steal sisters' mail... ;D

Sister Cheung cracks me up. She really does not like babies (she thinks they're annoying... but she has 5 little brothers and sisters! and 2 older! This is a HUGE family! ...for China, especially!) BUT she really likes baby COCKROACHES. She thinks they're CUTE. She DOES NOT LET ME KILL THEM.

We had a hilarious "fight" a couple nights ago that our roomie sister missionaries walked right in on--I was standing on my desk with a shoe, she was valiantly defending her cockroach's life, claiming amnesty and crying "SANCTUARY!".... wait, have I already told you this story?

Anyway, the best part is the baby missionary in our apartment right now is TERRIFIED of bugs, so Sister C. told her what happened (in Chinese, of course) and baby didn't understand, looked to me for an explanation and I may or may not have taken some artistic license in the translation so that she could sleep that night ("Um, there was a... stain on the wall that we THOUGHT was a bug, but it wasn't. No worries! Ha! Ha!").

It was Sister C's birthday on Tuesday and I was WAY more excited than she was. I had a great time telling everyone who would listen, she had a great time smacking me and telling me to stop telling people... it was great. I love her so much. She is such a hard worker!!! Yesterday I "yauh di geui" = literally, "have some tired"= my feet and back and shoulders and head hurt and we still had an hour of finding to do---but she just kept right on trucking. She's amazing.

We went finding for a couple hours yesterday (and the day before that, and the day before that...)----if anyone has extra prayer time, our investigators need WORKING PHONES and EXTRA TIME so that they can meet with us, it's been a rough couple days of non-contacting investigators (contacting new people, instead!).

I have made up a new rule. It's called, "Never talk to big groups of men." *big meaning more than ONE. Nothing bad happened (Derick, you big worrywart), it's just... really hard for them to focus... Ayiyaaa.

It sounds like this: "Leih hou!" --me.

"LEIH HOU LENG LEUIH!" -WAY too excited man.

"Ayiyaaaaaa" -me...

The big debate is always whether I'm from England or America. If there's a group of people staring at us and talking under their breath, in low voices, actually, I'm pretty sure 9 times out of 10 I could walk up and say, "meih gwok"

(= American) and half of them would say, "I TOLD YOU!" to the other half...

If only merely being a peculiar people could translate to gospel teaching success--I'd do great here in Hong Kong.

Send my love to everyone,

Sister Dia Darcey

10,000 BUDDHAS - One Little Old Me.

{A letter that came in between emails}

Dear Family, friends and followers:

WOW DAD AND IAN look fabulous in their pictures! Thanks for the story about your fun bday party!!!

NO memory card yet but it's prob waiting at the mission home!(perfect timing, mine ran out of memory TODAY at 10,000 buddhas).

The weather IS cooling off! Slowly, but surely! The bugs are... ok, I think they're better. Actually, yesterday I got bittten on my hand --saw it happen, the little sucker (haaaa literally sucker)

(ok, my humor has disintegrated a LOT)

(...with my ENglish...)

it bit me right on the vein--and our fellowshipper said, "CHINESESOMETHINGOROTHER" and grabbed my hand, ran to the hose outside the church (we were waiting for the elders bc we still don't have dkeys--'member I lost them?)

and started hosing off my hand. I finally figured out (after about a minute of frantic hosing and shouting in chinese) that she thought that if you wash the poison out immediately, it won't be itchy later.

I shook my head (and wrung out my hair) and laughed, thanked her good naturedly and went in the church for the lesson. Chinese medicine? Haa!

2 hours later, however, I realized IT DIDN'T ITCH! There was no swelling! CHINESE MEDICINE (at least this one) WORKS! I'm seriously going to start doing this. I have high hopes for less-oozing and less-scarred calves and arms.

The language is TERRIFIC! I just finished my English fast AND this Monday is my last pass-off for "Language Giant" language level (the lowest one, but after this I get to start learning CHARACTERS!).

I'm happy to be able to speak English again, that week was rough. Good, FABULOUS, but hard. Sister Cheung is going to start trying to speak only English in the apartment which will basically be a major source of hilarity and stress release, I'm super excited :D she is so awesome.

The work is FANTASTIC! WOW so many miracles this week! One of which is named A. A. is so special--only 12 years old but looks and acts 17, minimum. Oh, I'll tell you more about her later in the real letter.

As for food, I ate the weirdest thing today (P-day morning is always intersting because we're all out of food)... chestnuts, but they were SOFT. And black. So... weird.

But yes! The food is fabulous. I think I only get poisoned (accidentally glutened) about once a week :P (SORRY Maum,) but I'm really being blessed with very few really bad stomach aches... really.

LOOooonnnnggggg Fat, drumroll please.... I BOUGHT A JUMP ROPE! I'm SO excited!!! I dragged Sister C out this morning (she's so good, she just sits on a bench and watches me run 100 feet this way, 100 feet back, 100 feet this way, 100 feet back, it's hilarious) to try it out and I'm pretty sure I finally got my heart rate about normal!

We're getting a Korean baby [newbie, greenie, new missionary] into our apartment (she'll serve Tai Wo/ Tai Po with Sister B.) and I'm hoping she likes running... praying she likes running...

Hugs, Happiness and Prosperity...

Love, Sister Dia

On Tuesday we heard bagpipes... we walked for 15 minutes and finally Bagpipes!

The sound of bagpipes carries on the wind like Ian opera singing and Natasha's voice {a cousin}. That girl can sing! I miss everyone so much! For real though, I'm reminded of Grandma Pat's love of the pipes!

Hello, chan ngoi ge ga tihng tuhng keih ta meih laih ge yahn (beloved family and other beautiful people),

Monday was Jung Chau Ji (=mid autumn festival)! The #2 party--only Chinese New Year is bigger!

Can I just say: China knows how to party! WOW.

We got to spend some time finding at night (because the Mak family's FHE was cancelled) in Sha Tin Park (next to the marriage registry and New Town Plaza, it is a BEAUTIFUL place even on non-moon-festival-days.

But for Moon Festival? I was AWE STRUCK!

The park, first of all, was DECKED OUT. Hanging, lit lanterns of all shapes and sizes seemed to be floating overhead, and HUGE, lit animals, people, peacocks, flowers, even a house-sized VASE covered the grounds. There is a huge fountain in the park that runs into streams, and in it were floating lit lanterns of fish, water lilies and boats with the reflections swirling around---so beautiful!

The best part of Mid Autumn Moon Festival is that it's all about families visiting each other in reunions, so the finding {tracting} and the Spirit was AMAZING.

I smiled at a man on my way up out of the escalator (he was going down) (not out of the ordinary, I smile at EVERYONE). He gave me a weird look and I noticed he was wearing a pretty big cross.

Figured he thought we were che gaau, so I shrugged and kept smiling. We walked outside and found a quiet place to pray to be led to prepared people--then opened our eyes to see this same man. He asked, HEY. What is the difference between your church and other Christian churches? And why are you so happy??

Wow, OK, we would love to answer those questions. We taught him a quick lesson (and gave him the ELDERs' phone number since he did follow us outside). Then we met Isabella, a student waiting for her friends, and got to teach her a really special lesson, hopefully it was to her needs, and we may see her again this Saturday! We were finding in Sha Tin, but she lives in Ma On Shan (so perfect, tee hee).

Then, when we were about done for the night and thinking about where we would eat dinner, when we saw a man with a rice box--and he saw my nametag. Yeh Sou?! He shouted (= Jesus??), Ngoh seung seun! (= I believe!), bei ngoh gaau wui ge sih gaan! (when does your church meet?!). It was pretty hilarious.

Then we got to eat under the lights in the heat and the beauty of mid-autumn festival, so thankful that we're here in Hong Kong on the Lord's errand.

Chinese Lesson for today:

Sahp chyuhn, sahp meih literally means ten all, ten beautiful, but in Cantonese, figuratively those words mean BEST DAY EVER.

Sister Cheung taught it to me that night, after we collapsed in the lift on the way up to our apartment--bug bitten, heat exhausted, foot sore and INCREDIBLY HAPPY.

Love all! Be safe and happy and keep praying for all God's work to move forward!

Sister Dia Darcey Baaaaahk

Mid Autumn Festival in Hong Kong

Mid Autumn Festival also called the Moon Festival is for the Family and one of the two most important holidays in the whole of China. The holiday is a reunion for families. Wherever you are, you travel to be with your family on this holiday. And you eat mooncakes.

The above link has one of the best overviews of this Chinese holiday.

Hong Kong People I Love

These photos are courtesy of Dia's "Friends of Facebook" photo postings. Sister D's current companion is Sister C, the one on the far right in both of these photos.

I FORGOT MOM'S BIRTHDAY--BUT GOD DIDN'T!

And the Lord Will Send Her My Birthday Song That I Sang In My Prayers!

Dear Family, I am so, so, rushed that I have time for a short letter, but I am sending this note too. It is representative

of my life.

This was my letter to the President this week...

Dear President Chan,

WOW, what a week, what a work, what a month, what a move, what an experience! God truly is at the head of His work--and intimately concerned with the details of every single one of his children's lives. God be praised for his wisdom and patience with ME as I slowly learn the lessons he provides.

I am so grateful to have had this move's learning experiences, this area with Sister C., our summer missionaries, our investigators, our ward members, our leaders, our fellow missionaries and especially with the Holy Spirit. What an eternal blessing.

This week Sister C and I did some soul-searching as we evaluated our work with ward members and decided that we really need to develop our relationship with our Sha Tin ward. Several factors have kept us from really getting to know and helping this ward, and many ward members still don't know ME, much less Sister C. We have set goals and plans and fasted for Sha Tin on Sunday--and the blessings are being poured out!

We finally (after months of missing phone calls and going through the wrong people and etc) set an appointment and met with Bishop Lee, who was really helpful and hopeful in helping us resolve concerns and define the sister missionaries' role in his ward better.

We, through pure chance, I mean blessing, were able to serve Sha Tin through an opportunity to help clean the church (our investigator cancelled last minute) with members and attend a senior citizen home presentation the same day.

We really worked hard to find (tracting) at Fo Tan and New Town Plaza/ Lion's bridge--the longest, hottest, hardest finding I've ever done (Sister C. is AMAZING and so resilient! She is such a hard worker!). We're also planning on putting together ward sister-to-sister activities to help the sisters to advance in scripture know-how and testimony and visiting a family every week to help the ward meet the sister missionaries.

I'm so excited for ST's growth and progress.

{Note to home folks: this was a big deal to tell Pres Chan, because Sha Tin is HIS home ward and they really have not welcomed sister missionaries at all. We've been struggling with them for... months before I even came into the area. They don't invite sister missionaries to bear testimony in sacrament, they don't include sister missionaries number with the elders; they don't tell us about activities so of course we don't show UP to activities, they give the elders their female referrals... but it's CHANGING now! We're so excited}.

President Chan, we have also been blessed in our unity as a companionship. It's been a beautiful, really deep experience to become unified with SIster C. Real teaching with power, authority and love comes through the Spirit, and inviting the Spirit starts in a unified companionship--which is formed through real prayer, study and hard work, and obedience!

One of the best experiences this week was when I brought up that we should really try as a companionship to get to bed and get up exactly on time every day. I've been nervous for weeks to talk about it, which is really a manifestation of pride. We decided as a companionship to work on this area of obedience and made plans for how on earth we were going to do it (especially at night, and with showering at the end of the day taking so much time, etc). It gave us a great goal to work on together and negated previous prideful/guilty feelings as we acknowledged our common need to improve.

I am most excited to report that we met a new friend named Alice! I'm so excited for her--she's only 12 but her desire to learn and come to Christ is HUGE. We found her finding at Hin Keng Estate in Tai Wai--this experience is already really building my faith in finding {tracting} because I actually started talking with her (then Sister C. took over because a slightly-crazy man started talking to me...) and then she set up a time to meet with us again.

Almost ALL my investigators so far on my mission have been member referrals, investigator referrals or previous investigators. She's so ready to learn [and yesterday (wed)--our second meeting--set a baptismal date for September 25. Wow!!!].

I feel so happy and excited about this area and finally really open and unified in my companionship. I will be sad to move if I do, but I will leave with peace about Tolo Harbor in my heart.

{YAY--FAMILY! I DON'T HAVE TO MOVE!!! WE'RE GONNA TEAR THIS PLACE APART THIS MOVE I'M SO PSYCHED!!!!}

Thank you for your prayers and service on our behalf!

{This goes doubly for folks at home!}

With Respect, Sister Diondra Darcey

______END OF President's Letter_______________

I love you people so much! Mom, if you could send cranberry and vitamin b pills in the next package it'd just be fabuloous. Love you!!

Dia Awesome Darcey Baaaahk Jan Hei Ji Muih