Chinese Thank-a-mony

In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thess 5:13

Dear family, Happy Thanksgiving,

I'm thankful for a microwave (even though ours doesn't stop until you push the "stop" button) and a dryer (even though... same deal, it doesn't stop on its own--I'm thankful we haven't had any fires!!)

I'm thankful for hot water (no hot water for the past 3 weeks! Finally got it fixed on Friday and then we had NO water--but only for a couple hours, yaaaay),

I'm thankful for the Chinese language. I have more confirmation that Chinese has become my first language. On Wednesday morning we had (I mean, were given the opportunity) to take a recent convert to Seminary. We woke at the alarm at 5, and by woke up I mean slept through the alarm at 5 am. I woke up to Sister Marcado poking me in the back, I flipped over and began shaking her hand vigorously saying, "mgoi leih, mgoi leih" over and over until I realized that I was speaking Chinese.

I fell out of the bunk bed laughing and woke everyone else up...)

OHHHH one PHOTO is me with the turkey the cousins clegg sent me in their Thanksgiving letter which I got PERFECTLY! on Thanksgiving! And all the native sisters at our table thought it was adorable and took
pictures with it. SO funny.

And Hong Kong. I love being here in Hong Kong--smoggy though it is this time of year.

I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon, especially in Chinese, and for miracles that have traveled here from the mainland. (This week's miracle is S Tj and was one of those precious ones. I was walking down the street and there she was, sitting on a bench and I just beelined over and sat next to her and she said, "I've always wanted to learn about Jesus."

So I said, "Do you want to get baptized?"

And she's like, "How soon can I get baptized?"

And you're like, "Did that just happen? ...she's beautiful and humble and 7 mo pregnant and speaks and even READS wonderful Cantonese but we'll still hand her over to the Mandarin missionaries).

Most of all, I'm thankful for my wonderful family whose love and care helped me learn to trust. I'm thankful for

my companions and leaders who have really helped me change the way I teach this past week, especially--really PRAYING for an investigator instead of just saying words at the beginning of a lesson on Tuesday.

I struggled through because I still can't REALLY express my heart-inside ge feelings in Chinese, opening my eyes and finding the investigator and both her friends bawling and saying, "why this feeling? what IS this??"

Woooww. If Only I Can Have Just a little more sincerity. A little more love and a LOT less stress. I vow to let go of the knuckle white fight to force and constrain and ACCOMPLISH GOALS and do my best, to have fun, work hard and love deep, BUT MOST OF ALL Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord.

All My Love, Sister Darcey

P.S.

Don't send too much for Christmas! I have all I need and want, really. Pictures and letters are always the best. Keep on keeping on, Aidan. Keep reading your scriptures and your awesome literature, too, I promise God loves you and wants you to be happy. You can rely on Him just like you can rely on OUR dad. He will always be there for you. I love you all so much,

SIster Dia

(Dad slept with his camera on camping trips?! if I had known that I would have made fun of him WAY MORE)