Moles with hair growing out of them = prosperity and long life here.

So, Yes, I'm sure you can just imagine the ponytails erupting from cheeks everywhere.... it's pretty ...hilarious.

Well, I used up a lot of time emailing cousins today (Yyaaaay) so I only have a few minutes.

Mid Autumn Festival is coming up! This is A BIG DRAGON DEAL!

I'm pretty sure in Chinese, whenever they want to say that something is Jumbo or Extra or Especially Awesome they put the word luhng in front of it. Luhng= dragon.

For instance, last night, our summer missionary's mom took us to the nicest place to eat I've ever been--probably in my entire life--and they told me they were going to order luhng hah. I couldn't figure out what luhng hah was for the longest time--I knew hah was "shrimp" and luhng was "dragon"... then it came, and the shrimp was as long as my forearm from elbow to wrist, and by that I mean huge! And then I understoood. Ahhh, dragon shrimp.

Anyway, Mid Autumn festival is a HUGE deal here-- the festival focuses on (from what I can sic ting) (I love that sic ting sounds kinda like ascertain and has the same meaning for me) (how do you spell assertain... ascertain...?)

...anyway, the festival focuses on the circle, the moon, and an old legend about a pair of lovers. The legend is that one of them is in the moon now or something and thusly, we eat

MOONCAKES.

...anyway, It's like Christmas here--literally, there are Christmas lights in all the major areas after dark. Mooncakes are basically the most prized food.. it's a little bit ridiculous and by a little bit I mean a LOT. There are entire 30 second commercials on the MTR (bus) of people biting into mooncakes and then having seizures from how delicious they are. It's insane.

I can't eat mooncakes (phew for the waist,) but I can eat ping pei moon cakes--which are ice cream and rice skin and frozen and DELICIOUS. I tried one for the first time a couple days ago! (boo for the waist!)

At 1:30 in the afternoon yesterday, I decided to start a week-long English fast, as we were walking back to the MTR from the mission home from a special missionary meeting with Osgulthorpe and Ochoa from the Sunday School and YM presidencies (It was amazing!!!).

At 1:31 a South American man dragging a suitcase walked up and asked for directions to the temple... in English.

At 1:35 on the MTR a worker from Indonesia asked if she could take my picture so I contacted her ... in English (our discussion went great; I knew it was Ramadan because of Brian/Ali! Yay, thanks Sabeys! Her name is Umi and she was wonderful).

It was a hilarious way to start my "English fast"-- by using more English than I have in weeks! Ha!

We're so excited for September. Move calls are this Tuesday (yikes!!) and I hope our companionship doesn't change. We're finally working as one, and it feels amazing. I finally am really loving Sister C.--not sortof loving her--or haveto loving her. And that blessing is seriously the most amazing feeling, especiallly in a lesson when she's testifying and the Spirit is one of such love. It's... glorious.

Since we've just barely jaahp gwaan (gotten used to) each other and to our area and are super pumped for this next month, it only follows that I'll probably move this Tuesday :(

or get a new companion :(

Because God isn't interested in perfection--he's interested in progression!

So as soon as we get used to something, he changes it (companion, area, idea, calling, children, whatever!). I had this thought this week (as I failed... again...yay!) :(

In PROVING myself, I will always fail.

But IMprovement, I can do!

Lately, I do Luhng Improvement! DRAGON!

Only compare yourself against yourself, and do so with the eternal and loving perspective that God has for you. For this is hope and faith and charity.

LOVe forever and ever and ever,

Sister Darcey (DIA!)

PS in other news, I've started referring to myself as Sister Darcey when I talk of myself. A roomie brought it up and

laughed really hard at me this week....so Ian, you are not alone.