The Best Find So Far

Dear Family and other loved ones,

We went bowling today! Chinese people + bowling are so more hilarious than just me.

And people who have bowled with me will know how much hilarious that must be!

I LOVE sister Chan--she's super-enthusiastic, fiery, dramatic, talkative, hilarious and adorable. The best thing about her is her love language is FOOD--just like me--so we get along great! :D.

She swings between emotions like a ... English metaphors fail me... let's just say I often feel like I'm a boy with a volatile girlfriend---she bursts into tears and I have no idea what just happened... but they're always HAPPY tears!!! Like last night, I asked her to close our AMAZING find with a prayer,and she's skipping along thanking Heavenly Father and suddenly she's bawling and I'm holding my breath so I don't start giggling. It's so wonderful to see the Spirit worn right up front, on the cuff, or sleeve, or as a necklace... whatever. She's so wonderful.

SO last night's find---WOWOWOWOW.

Here in the new area they have something called "Holy Teaching Time" where you PLAN for a finding time during the week. As a team, we pray about where and when, and then consecrate it. As in, we don't schedule anything else, even if investigators call, we just say we're not free for that time.

I was a little dubious--I'm more of a "let's just go to work" instead of "let's pray to know what color shirt they'll be wearing," but we tried it. AND WOW.

We decided together to schedule THREE HOURS of finding time at Hung Seui Q--a place where we don't go often--from 4 to 7 at night. Long story short, at 6:45 we were bushed, out of fliers and pamphlets and had been so successful! We had accomplished our goals and gotten two new investigators and 3 lessons taught and we were thinking about heading home.

BUT I still had ONE Book of Mormon--and we decided to use that last 15 minutes to give it to the person who needed it.

Sister Chan(She's SO CUTE! Did I tell you? I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN!) was so tuckered out she couldn't even walk back and forth anymore and just stood in place at the bottom of the bridge, smiling at people--so I said a quick prayer and walked up the bridge. I saw a group of men (who ignored my hello) and I thought, "Whatever, I don't care. I don't talk to men, anyway" then I thought... "Well, OK, I need to start talking to men, they need the gospel, too!" and I began talking to the very next man I met. He was leaning against a pole, so I asked if he was waiting for someone.

"Yes," he said, "And I keep seeing you missionaries walking back and forth and back and forth. Isn't this hard?"

"Yes," I said, "but worth it,"

"Hey," he IMMEDIATELY interrupted, "I've always wondered, and I was actually standing here just thinking about it, can you explalin why many Christian Churches preach the Bible, but you people seem so different?"

I looked around for the hidden camera. Not kidding, my faith is just not enough. I was seriously wondering if he was messing with me. He said he's seen missionaries for years and years and he used to work at a restaurant where missionaries came to eat all the time, but no one has ever talked to him. He recently had a death in the family and started a new job and is wondering where God is in all this.

I'm STILL not kidding. He was THE most amazingly ridiculously prepared person I've ever talked to---and as I handed him that BOOK OF MORMON, I said, "Wow, I am sent here to answer your questions."

Totally blown away, I went on, "Not just here to HK, but also HERE, this very minute, to Hung Seui Q, at 6:59 tonight, Wednesday, October 26 2011, to answer your questions..."

Then Sister Chan politely answered his questions--The ones I couldn't understand.

Chinese lesson of the week!

dihn means electricity. dihn sih = electric see = TV.

dihn wah = electric word = telephone.

dihn louh (my fave) = electric brain = computer.

I love Chinese and the people and the place and the promise! And I love the Lord, My God, who succors me.

Lots of love and faith and prayers to you,

Sister Darcey

Every Day is the Best Day Ever!!!

Sorry,Mom,helpmecleanthisup!!!

[Dia's computer access this week came without the advantage of a space bar. But, here it is... spaces added.]

Dear Family and Friends,

My new area--YuenLong--is totally different.

It's not too weird "step-training" because Sister Chan has been trained well by Sister Clark--SUPER well.

She's like a watchdog...a cute,fluffy watch dog -- but it is weird being a "senior companion".

I did my first call in report Sunday night, and it was sobering to realize I was going from the area of ShaTin/TaiWai/MaOnShan with about 8-10 members present per week + 5 others + 5 less active or recent converts visiting--to 1-2 members present +2 others + 1 visitors. Wow.

IN the past week I have begun to understand why Yuen Long has such a bad reputation for no baptisms for 2 years! My very first time finding (and pac muhning!) Sister Chan said, "Welcome to Gam Tin. We don't walk down the path to the right, because they are all too rich and will get mad at us and kick us out. We don't go left, because it's too quiet. We walk straight."

I asked her what "too quiet" meant?

Yeah, let's just say this area is not as safe as other areas of HK (still a far cry safer than Peru,I'm sure :D). SO keep the prayers coming and add a plea for safety.

And we won't go finding after dark in Gam Tin.

I feel way more like a "traditional" missionary here--knocking doors, getting chased by dogs, walking A TON, waiting for buses for an hour, etc. From what I've heard, this area looks a lot more like mainland or Taiwan than what I am used to. SO that's fun:D

I'm actually super excited to see this area's transformation (I'm reminded of a story about President Monson's mission in Toronto in an area he called Rocky Kingston.)

Every place we are sent has the potential to be awesome. We focus on member missionary work here because otherwise we don't baptize. It's all about the members. I guess its the same most everywhere.

That's... pretty much the bottom line. SO I'm so excited--we're teaching a"mini mtc" in the ward --a 6 week course in Preach My Gospel, Chapter One, that will teach members to listen to the Spirit and use it to help their friends.

Like Elder Darcey said in his letter, we are given the gift of the Spirit to reach others. It's our duty, it is our right, it is our obligation. And we of the chosen are honored with this responsibility.

Like Grandpa always says, "Be Happy."

Love Sister Darcey

Fun facts about HK:

Dear Faithful Supporters,

Here are some photos from HK sent in the mail. Hope it gets there for Dad's birthday...

In HK, there are:

Blind lanes on the ground--they have basically... cane braille on the ground in paths that go from MTR to mall, from mall to city office,etc etc. EVERYWHERE, actually. It's so crazy. There are straight lines for "go straight" and little bumps when you need to turn, etc.

You can call for McDonalds to be DELIVERED to your home. And KFC, and of course Pizza Hut. So weird.

Free morning paper (complete with prnography :P) that they pass out every morning in the MTR. There is also always a line of poh pohs (grandparents) waiting OUTSIDE the MTR to TAKE your just read newspaper so they can read and recycle it for $.

Cartoon characters dressed as OTHER cartoon characters is extremely popular. No, I don't know why. Example, Pooh dressed in a rabbit costume. Identity crisis???

HK is so unique--the other day I realized it kinda reminds me of the Indiana Jones ride at D.L. Very concrete and man-made--yet it seems like nature is fighting back, growing over the edges of the paths and into what we've very carefully created, covered over and mechanized... so different, so cool.

Surprise visit from President Chan on Friday to our apartment! Good thing we do P-day chores. Yes! For I am the apartment leader and rule with an iron fist... one that is clenching bleach.

I'm gonna send this now in case this kicks me off...

I marvel at your (y'alls) wonderfulness. Sister Dia

To A Kingdom--Far, Far, Away!

Sister Darcey is heading to Yuen Long!

That's the kingdom of Far, FAR Away-- in fact,about the furthest "out" of Hong Kong that you can get and still be in Hong Kong. It's a super yauh chin (literally = "have money" = wealthy) place with HOUSES, country-side like (snakes and squitos, woot.)

It will take a LONG time to get mail, we will rarely get to the mission home. Apparently finding will be pretty hard because no one goes outside, they just drive their cars everywhere (whoah! like the U.S!) and pac muhn ("knock door") is pretty scary. SO I'M EXCITED!

I'll be with Sister C., a 1 month old "baby". So I'll be both "daaih tuhng buhn" (literally, "big companion" = senior companion) and "step-training" (the second companion a missionary has after their "mom" or "dad" first companion).

Wow, I only have 3 minutes left to write because my computer's moving super slow and I responded to lots of other emails :) but basically... what shall I tell you... Sunday and yesterday I thought I was going to DIE I was so sad to leave Tai Wai/Sha Tin/Ma On Shan.

Seriously, so sad. SIster Bingham (a missionary who has shared our apartment these past 2 moves) is going HOME today, and we realized we have the opposite problems: she felt like she was just moving to another area so it was no big deal.

I've NEVER moved so I felt like I was leaving HK forever and was HEARTBROKEN.

It was pretty funny to see us both packing, her all wide eyed and chirpy and me all depressed and sniffly... oh, and I packed pretty much ALL of HER clothes, because she's not taking any home :) yay! It pretty much tripled my wardrobe (from 2 shirts to 6...) (just kidding! from THREE shirts to nine!).

Seriously, though, I've never been so sad to leave anything EVER. Not home, not cats, not little brothers, not boyfriends, not cars, not etc etc etc. I didn't know I could BE this mh seh dak (=so don't want to leave, I think. I STILL don't know what the literally translation of that is).

Now I've done all my mourning, I think, and it's off to Yuen Long this afternoon at 3! With ANOTHER NATIVE I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Love all,

Sister D

Please tell Cam I saw a Michael Jackson shirt the other day and thought of her :D

Family Struggles--Pray, Pray, Pray!

{NEW PHOTOS! YAY!!!}

Dear Family, I am so sorry to hear about the trials there. My heart aches and my prayers are profuse.

I got Auntie's letter and I will pray for her children and their family in NW Africa. The sister's kidnapping is so awful for these families! Hopefully the visa's will come and the children can move to America and be safer. So horrible and sad.

I have taken for granted America's freedom for so much of my life. I only hear bits and pieces of the horrible things that happened in China under the previous governments... Even in Hong Kong, where people are so proud of their "independence," they are unable to vote for the president (I found out yesterday from my native companion).

The Lord's gospel is a message of freedom and peace, and I am so grateful to have a chance to share it--but I really, really cannot comprehend what the Lord's message really MEANS to people who live in such difficult circumstances.

You can probably tell from pictures that I am putting on a little weight... ;) I guess that's what happens in a country where their phrase for "keep going!" is "ga yauh!" = "add oil!"

I love you all of you so much and am praying for you!

Add oil!!! Dia

Little Known Baptism Trivia: Companions & TWINS:

We,Sister Cheung and I, Sister Darcey were baptized on December 28th and December 29th respectively in the years 2003 and 2001. WOW!

And what's even more interesting...

(Please begin here to sing this part of the letter--out loud to "Turning Japanese" [or silently if you are reading this in Biology, Aunt Shara] as that is what most closely resembles the sounds of the Cantonese language.)

"I'm becoming Cantonese, I think I'm turning Cantonese, I really think so (ba da da DA DA DA DA) turning Cantonese, I think I'm turning Cantonese, I really think so...

Why?

• I drink UNSWEETENED soy milk straight from the carton now (and LIKE it),

• I ate siu ngaap (pretty sure the closest translation is GREASY DUCK--skin,
• bones, whole shebang) four times in three days this week (ON PURPOSE),

• I now prefer drinking warm water to cold,

• I used the phrase mouh la la correctly this week without bursting out into giggles in the middle (it means "random," but previously whenever people said it I wanted to bust up. It sounds funny because the "mouh" is low and the "la la" is really high register) and

• I've started cooing, "so cute!" at cartoon characters plastered on stationary. Yup.... oh, and

• my hair is getting darker, face is getting rounder, eyes are getting slanted... kidding on the last one but that's all."

(Oh, you can stop singing now.)

Anyone have any insight on how to stop being addicted to drinking coffee? C J M really wants to stop! But she's going to need a lot of help, and I personally have no idea how to kick a coffee addiction... besides watering it down every day??

I love C J M with my WHOLE SOUL she makes me so happy. She's so dahk biht and hilarious and cute and last time we scheduled her it sounded like this: (except in Chinese)

Sister Darcey: "Can we come see you on Wednesday night?"

C: "NO."

Sister Darcey: "Is 8 o'clock OK?"

C: "NOOOOO!"

Sister Darcey: "Ok, so we'll see you on Wednesday at 8, right?"

C: "I'm not free! No need! My house is very lyuhn (...messy is an OKIE translation)! Do not come! I am very busy! I will call you when I want to come to church!"

Sister Darcey: "See you on Wednesday!"

Then we went over at Wednesday at 8... and she welcomed us in and was SO HAPPPY to see us and was giggling by the time we left... she's so wonderfully funny.

I forgot to tell you (correctly) last week! The first thing I said to Y Y was "Do you know what baptism is?" not "have you ever prayed before?" !!! This is a big deal because it's a change from the usual. Yup. (except now she wants to "liuh gaih do di sin" before she sets a baptismal date, maaaaan.) (="understand more first"). Pray for YY and C and for those people in China who are diligently seeking the Change of the Lord in their lives.

Amen! And Blessings to you all, Sister Darcey

Hong Kong Monkey Business

Dearest Wonderful People,

Today we had a zone activity--went to Monkey Mountain -- Kam Shan Park. OK, I don't know what I was thinking, but I really didn't even think about the disastrous consequences of MONKEY + 12 ELDERS. It was... so hilarious.

And by hilarious, I mean INSANELY FRIGHTENING. Monkeys (monkies...?) are TERRIFYING. Seriously. They could... pretty much tear your face off. We thought it would be trip like... "walk around for three hours and maybe see a monkey's tail or HEAR a monkey or THINK you saw a monkey" kinda thing. Nope, it was more like a "get off the bus and there are 30 monkeys sitting right there waiting for you" kinda trip.

Monkeys are surprisingly HUGE!! and they have HUGE TEETH! Like the killer rabbit of Chaerbannog on Monty Python. Anyway.

SO the elders (and by elders I mean zone leaders... oh, brother...) were teasing this monkey and it was sitting on the road hissing at us and of course the elders skee-daddle and leave me and Sister Cheung and the REST of the Elders who are scared out of our MINDS....

It reminded me of that family video we have of Dad teasing Socks until she gets all riled up and then the toddler (me...? ian? aidan...) toddles in and she tears into the poor child.

Of course Sister C walks past the monkey like it's no big deal... Walking past that monkey was PRETTY MUCH the bravest thing I've ever done in my life, because in order to do it you CAN'T LOOK AT THE MONKEY. Yup. Terrifying.

Wowsa, this movecall is going so fast! Everyone is already speculating about where we may be transferred. The ideas are mostly that I'll step-train someone... which... would... be... terrifying.(I don't partake in that nonesence... nonsence... oops, nonsense!

(There, third time's the ...what is the third time... third try's the charm? Wow...

OK. My English is gone.) Here we go.

Yes, as I was saying, I don't take part in that whatevaitscallediddy, because whenever I think something's gonna happen and get all used to it, Heavenly Father changes things up--keeps me on my toes, I think. So, the new plan is just to...NOT make any plans! Ha HAA!) about where I'm going to be sent. I'm reminded of Grandma Pat's plaque, "If you want to Make God Laugh, tell him your plans."

I still have three solid weeks to tear apart Tolo Harbor, though. WOOT! We taught that wonderful gal YY on Tuesday... wait. We only met her on FRIDAY? I haven't told you about YY yet?!?!!!!

OH MAN! Friday night we were contacting in Sha Tin Park (I love that park; it's magical) for a couple hours before we met Sister J (the new Sha Tin lady from Daailohk who has a 4 year old) and would return to Tai Po (where we live, but NOT in our area) to watch the Stake RS-broadcast-activity.

I was having prettty much zero success; I couldn't even get people to stop (probably because I was half-hearted/minded as I was simultaneously trying to figure out/call/recall/text etc everyone going to the Tai Po thing that night, and Sister J. was having trouble understanding me because both her and my Cantonese stink.

Off to one side Sister Cheung had just sat down with someone and was teaching and that was a liiiiiiitle stressful. SO finally I was just standing by myself at the edge of the park, practically tapping my foot because we were late to go pick up Jang Ji Muih at the train station to go to Tai Po, and was waiting for Cheung to finish her lesson (she's such a powerful missionary!!) when the Lord plopped this girl down in front of me and I just said HI to her.

Actually I said Leih hou ma and she stopped and said hello, and then I looked around kinda like... um.... well... and she stood there, so then I gave her a flier. And then she was still standing there. And I asked her if she'd ever prayed before. And she said she didn't know how. And I was like, "This WOULD happen at the END of the two and a half hours of finding!" and giggled just a little bit maniacally at the Lord's sense of humor.

So I taught her lickety-split-like, and then quickly scheduled her again for Saturday. On Saturday, she CAME, our fellowshipper Tiffany was AMAZING and befriended her and figured out that she actually went to the same school as our barely-baptized-AMELIA in Sha Tin ward, and then she came to church on Sunday with Amelia and it was just basically good all the way around. Oh, and we saw her again on Tuesday. Ye-ah.

Anyway. Then we went and ate Korean BBQ MMMMM and now my email time is... up...

Thank you all so much for your prayers and love and righteousness. You are amazing. I love you so much!

LOVE SISTER DARCEY! (Diaaaaa)

**The pictures are actually from when I was companions with Sister Black. They are at a Buddhist temple called Ho Man Tin**

TYPHOON, woot! Derick, calm down, everyone's ok! Sheeeeesh :D

Dear FAMMMIIIILLYYY: (imagine my voice blowing in the wind...)

There is a Typhoon warning signal today! Level 8 = we aren't allowed to go outside.

• There's typhoon 1, which is basically like that alert at the airport--ALWAYS on that basically means it's just raining,
• Typhoon 3 (no one can tell me WHY it jumps from 1 to 3 and then 3 to 8, I have asked EVERYONE) which means there's a pretty daaih fung (big wind) out so hold onto your skirt and your umbrella, and then there is
• Typhoon 8 which means don't go outside and shut your windows and no train or bus service etc. So, we fixed a 4-sisters meal, and studied; it was so adorable.

Yup, but since the library's closed and they just put down 8 and put up 3, we've moved outside and are now emailing in a video game shop and it's honestly really hard to concentrate.

Picture trying to write an email in a war zone...

I was sick this week from Monday forward so that was a little hard. It's only a cold, though so I'm fine. :D

I organized a WAY FUN scripture class last Saturday night. We played a mix between scripture chase, the tree of life and bobbing for apples---we hung apples (on their own strings) from a loooong string stretching across the room, and everyone tried to bite their own apple (and if you found the scripture fastest, you got a little angelic aid from Sister Darcey who held the apple for you while you bit).

It was basically the most hilarious thing ever... 15 or so people getting bonked in the face with an apple about a hundred times and laughing till they cried... Apple ALL OVER our faces... oh man. It was fun.

I also made the map of the Book of Mormon on the ground in the RS room with masking tape and gave everyone a role and a scripture (exodus king Mosiah 1, Zealous Zeniff, Puppet King Limhi, etc) and we ACTED OUT Omni-Alma 7. It was so awesome.

We had a beautiful lesson with the Ng family (their son's on a mission in NY but they're not members) on Tuesday night. The Mak family came along with us--Bishop Mak (the ex-gangster) and his wife, the ones who invite the world to their FHE party every single Monday night--and they were just amazing. I was re-astonished at the amount of love I feel every time Bishop Mak enters the room.

I think they were especially sensitive to the spirit and the missionaries because that day their son, who's now in California on his mission, was going in for a surgery on his back (we've all--the whole ward--been praying for him to get better for weeks). Bishop Mak bore such amazing and sure witness that even this trial will humble and strengthen and refine his little son, that even though it seems like he is NOT being rewarded for doing the Lord's work he knows the Lord loves their family. SO much assurance and love and Wow.

Sister C. and I shared our favorite BOM scriptures, Ether 12:27

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

and Alma 37:6

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

These scriptures related beautifully to what we had all shared that evening about small, weak missionaries accomplishing mighty things for God. As we left, Brother Ng followed us into the hallway and thanked us again and again.

Out of tim

[the email ended abruptly which means that either Sister Darcey was blown away by the typhoon or as she so eloquently put it in a previous email...

I'm reminded of Strong Bad, when HIS email cut off mid-sentence and he concluded that the person had dropped dead in the middle. Tee hee).

[So For Sister Darcey, I sign off]

Love, Sister Darcey

The Power of Teenagers - Awesome

Dear Family,

Ahhh, we met this cute student from Ma On Shan on Saturday for English class. She's so nice (her English isn't bad, either). She walked in by herself for English help (the M.O.S. chapel is FABULOUS; Since it's right on the street, people walk in all the time). We scheduled to see her again on Wednesday. Oh, she's named Megan. She's amazing; she has a really sweet, believing spirit and wants to get baptized.

[Check out this smart board on the front of the ward building. Actually this is the Wan Chai church building on the island with a touchscreen tele in front.]

Please pray for Megan and YY and Tiffany and Amelia and I have such a testimony of the power of prayer for good!

We had a great lesson with this whiz of an fellowshipper, Tiffany. I am seriously awed multiple times a day by the strength of Hong Kong's Young Women. They're like 14, and they're better missionaries than I'll EVER be. I believe in the power of good example and the strength of our teenagers.

What else?! We taught 5 lessons yesterday (one while we were finding--three adorable students in MOS in the rain, one at a member's (JJ Muih, who knows the scriptures backwards and forwards) one at home with Angel, one at lunch with Viki, one at the church and one at Yuki's house during an FHE).

We got three potentials to come to a ward activity but had to leave before they got there; so busy and crazy. I really feel like we're improving so much (well... Sister C was pretty much already awesome, so I'M improving so much) in faith, teaching skills (especially the first meeting--so important!) and hope.

I'm talking more and more about baptism--really trying to develop my faith in the doctrine of Christ--which is really helping the work EXPLODE.

So many miracles. I'm also forcing my roomies to go outside with me in the morning so I can run around our chyun (it's a 45 second circuit, I timed it today... so... how many times makes a mile? 800?) and that really REALLY helps me be HAPPY :D

And to be even happier, I resolve to live like these teenagers, like there is no tomorrow and love people, be friends with everyone I meet. Then we can have their success in promoting The Word.

Love to everyone, Sister Darcey

The last picture is a famous one at Bishop Mak's (in Taai Wai) FHE. He liked my pose so much he demanded that everyone do it.