Boyd K. Packer has a Chinese Name????

NOW it's halfway, Mr. Derick-skimping-my-mission-time-saying-I'm-halfway-like-3-weeks-ago!

Yup! Yesterday I celebrated by yelling, "WAIH, HAIH NGOH GE SAANG YAHT, WOH!" and forcing Sister Lam (roomie) to sing the Chinese birthday song to me at 6 am when we woke up to prep to go to zone conference in KlnTng. It was an AMAZING conference--among my new resolutions and revelations are ...

1. -carry a BOM in my hand every day for the next 266 (cause HEY, when ELSE in life can I literally carry around that amazing book and preach the gospel with a sound of rejoicing to HK people in Chinese with that lovely black nametag?! My time is SHORT!).
2. -Really find out what is really important to people (read PMG's section in chapter ten on "listen" and apply it in my own relationships) (should be about pg 179) before applying the gospel. If we're really sent to heal the sick in heart and spirit, we'd be pretty shoddy doctors if we didn't try to find out the symptoms before writing a prescription, and shoddier still if we didn't follow up on their results. We carry the healing balm of the atonement and we need to remember that though it is a cure all, it is not a one size fits all. It is infinitely personal, even intimate. We have to know both the disease and the cure so well that we can help anyone back to health and happiness.... And this goes for member missionaries, too!
3. (Mark 2:17)

• -be a good example of health (would you believe a sick doctor?)
• know as much about the cure as possible
• observe those around you and
• really learn to love them (wouldn't the BEST doctor also be your MOM? I mean moms already do tons to heal their children WITHOUT the expertise of medical school through the pure lihkleuhng (power) of gwaan sam (concern, care)

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT: #4 Really pray for a vision and direction of how to use the BOM here in HK, in this work with these people.

Yesterday at the conference they had a new, amazing format--zone leaders gave a sharing (3 zones together=about 40 missionaries) on one of the 8 foundational principles, Pres Chan randomly(revelationally)picked a companionship to sih faahn (demonstrate) the principle and then everyone talked about how it went. During the BOM sharing, SIster

CHan and I both suddenly realized that we were going to be the companionship that would do the demonstration... so funny, her reaction (she told me later) was no, no, Tin Fuh, not good, and conversely, mine was "I should volunteer?" I didn't volunteer (because I could taih dak cheut = tell Sis. Chan did NOT want to go up) but then he picked us anyway. It was pretty cool-- and I got to use English! In introducing the BOM, I shared a little dumb experience that just came to my mind as I was sitting there--Mom sharing grandma's fudge with me.

I remember being little and wanting to eat it FAST--just like candy!-but mom teaching through her enthusiasm for this delicacy that this was different, special, and I needed to really savor it. We explained to this investigator (Sister Yiu played Irene, a sweet 60 year old we just met who's really cute, lonely, husband died, loves to dance and loves to read magazines) that the BOM is the same way--special, different, and should be cherished and even reverenced. Scripture truly is powerful and I know it's God's word and the restoration is evidence. Wow.

This last Sunday I met a Nigerian branch president. He was here in HK for a business trip and saw the chapel, thought he'd attend services. He borrowed my Bible (the only English one in the church) which had been stored in the missionary cupboard overnight (no sense in taking it home when I'd just have to bring it right back 11 hours later) so they could learn NT in Gospel Doctrine. Made me a little terrified for about an hour and half 'cause my scriptures were gone, but totally made up for the ngaat lihk when he ohsopolitely and in an awesome accent explained :)

THis morning we went to hike Castle Peak to "see the sunrise" ha ha ha. If I've learned one thing about sunrise hikes in HK it's "Never trust a Zone Leader, especially if they use the words, 'quick,' 'simple,' 'I'm sure it will be fine' or 'super close."

Um, like Dad in this respect.

Also, in HK we don't really have a sunrise. We have what I just barely coined a smog-rise. It's beautiful in its own non-sunrise-more-like-opening-your-eyes-underwater-in-an-Oklahoma-lake kind of way. So yup, 4 am Sister Lam's lovely voice interrupted my dream (in which I was worried I'd be late for ballet practice because I had to go to the hospital after an MTR accident...) no, really, I'm not kidding.

In truth, Sis Chan and I were less than absolutely enthusiastic about going and by that I mean the elders had to keep us from sneaking back to our apartment at LEAST twice while we were waiting for them to "grab a bite" at mcdonalds... it'll be funny later... in the resurrection, maybe... Tell Brian sorry I just barely put his last week's letter in the mail... outta stamps :D hopefully he will be home for Thanksgiving around the time it should've come and won't notice.

Hey, thanksgiving's coming up, weird. HK LOVES Christmas but celebrates it in WEIRD ways (one of which is it just weirds me out to see holly and wreaths when it's still 70 degrees out). Always been in Kamas for Christmas--freezing. More info later, promise.

Oh, if you haven't sent my xmas package yet, could you find a white slip (my comp needs one really bad... ) and a little makeup pack for her for Christmas? A little eye what is that stuff called... eye... you know, it's like powder, but in a pack... eye... English is evil...eye... oh man. Whatever. It's colored. Do NOT send blue or pink or anything strangely colored ("sandcastle" is the one I have and she covets it all the time, so funny) because she's a little crazy and just might wear the crazy color!

SHE'S WONDERFUL AND I LOVE HER FACE OFF. SHe's so fun. Do you know how Jeffrey Rudolph is? Can I get an address?

One of the members here knows the "Harpers" in Indian Springs (70's?). Find them and say hello from me and send love from the members here. Tell them I love this place.

Everyone calls me Baahk Syut Syut= Snow White in my sorta-new wards.

It's hilarious. LOVE FOREVER Sister D

Ooooooh, oh, oh, oh, PS: C (last week's letter) is way WAY better and will probably get baptized the 27th! PRAYER IS AMAZING. Also fasting. And correct doctrine, also... Tee hee. Love ya