Sister Chan Loves the Word Lavatory

...but she doesn't know how to use it, which has led to some pretty amusing quotes this past week. For example:

"Sister Darcey--"
"Yes?"
"I want to bathroom."
"Sister Chan, we don't say it like that in English--"
"OH, haih wo! I want to LAVATORY."

or how about this one,

"Baahk Ji Muih, I need to lavatory."
"Chan Ji Muih, no, it's 'I need to GO to the bathroom--'"
"LAVATORY, la!!"
"OK, fine, I need to go to the lav--"
"I NEED TO GO LAVATORY, shi bu shi?"

OH, Betsy! I basically laugh all day, every day, non-stop, it's so awesome.

On Monday in zone meeting each person shared "the REAL reason you came on a mission" and it was pretty amazing. We did it to grow in unity as a "zone family" and to exercise our memory muscle--it's important to remember the WHY of the gospel (and your mission, and life, with Christmas, and everything) because it provides "free motivation for the work." By that I mean:

You either can force yourself to work in the gospel, or you can merely remember your testimony and how you got here in the first place and then the incentive returns naturally.

Everyone laughed really hard (including me) when I told of my cyclic reasoning.

The story of how Song Hing Daaih (Brian)'s encouragement for me to go on a mission ended my circular justification from:

1. If I "just don't ever date an RM, for sure then I'll get to go." Then I 'accidentally' happened on Song Hing Daaih.
2. "Well, I guess family IS more important. Fine, I've been humbled and I'll get married" to
3. "Whaaat? You don't NEED me?!" "Well then, I Should go on a MISSION?!" to finally realizing the "Why" of a mission,
4. Brian's counsel to put myself aside and imagine the faces and names that the Lord would have me reach--to know and love in China, Hong Kong. It has made every sacrifice more than worth it.

Every person here has an amazing story about WHY they're here--and I'm sure some of their stories go back farther than they are aware.

Carrie got baptized Sunday!--- and Sister Chan's MOTHER showed up. She just didn't know she wasn't allowed to come visit! Sister Chan was BESIDE herself, and I had no idea it was her mom.

It happened during the crazy rushing to find towels, practice with the young man (Priest) who
was going to baptize her (remember LAST time that I had a priest baptize my investigator and she almost drowned SEVEN TIMES. In an effort to prevent my investigators suffering an premature end, was NOT going to repeat that so I made him practice on the Elders this time) and finding something for NaNa to eat on fast Sunday, then Carrie was WALKING INTO THE FONT and this woman showed up and Sister Chan started crying and I was like Sister Chan, we gotta GO, Carrie's getting baptized RIGHT NOW, who even IS this person, we are mhdakhaaahn!].

So, that was crazy. Carrie is amazing, though--her testimony afterward just blew everyone away. It was about how her husband didn't come--though in the beginning he told her he'd support her even though he thought this religion thing was all bunk, Satan just kept working
on him and eventually he was yelling at her about joining an evil church and little NaNa, Carrie's 6 year old SPUNKY daughter, ran downstairs and planted her feet, squared her shoulders, pointed her finger and stated, "Dad, why do you say there's no God?! I KNOW there
is!" It was pretty amazing. Yesterday we had a little time to find and I was given a miracle
lesson. That's just what it was, too--I felt like I was just a ...instrument (touch of the master's hand and something totally ordinary and even worn out, footsore and tired instruments make
miraculous music).

I met Ng Wing Yi, a student on her way home who stopped to talk but didn't "believe very much in this stuff." I just started talking--I don't even know. I really felt like words and ideas and scriptures and inspiration was just pouring out of my mouth, all in almost flawless Chinese (Sister Chan said!) and I was just standing in awe.

The most amazing part was that God really doesn't take away our agency in these moments of heaven-touching-earth---I was saying Chinese words I KNEW and had STUDIED but that sometimes didn't come out right, sharing scriptures I'd READ and LOVED but that sometimes didn't come to mind in the moment I needed them, using teaching skills that I'd SEARCHED and PRACTICED but that sometimes I forgot to really use in a lesson, inviting her to pray with LOVE that I'd DEVELOPED through prayer and service but that sometimes didn't flow in my heart like it did then.

I invited her to pray to find out if God's really there or not. After she prayed, her whole aspect changed. I asked how she felt--and there, on Fung Lin Louh at 5:30 on December 7th 2011,

she told me in a hushed voice, "Peaceful." (Actually, she said "hou jihng" as in "very silent"). I asked if she recognized this as her prayer's answer, and she looked at me just awed, like she'd just walked into St. Paul's cathedral--- "Yes."

She gave me her email (pretty much useless to us right now to contact her) because she knew
her mom wouldn't allow her to contact us--but I felt totally fine even though I knew that she probably wouldn't set up another time to meet us etc because she was just blown away. I don't know how to describe it. She knew God was there and it changed her whole world.

I know God is there and loves us!

Be Happy in this wonderful season,

SIster Darcey