And I spoke many other words in my emails, which are not written in this email.

Dear Family,

So... yeah, sorry, I spent too much time responding to Derick and Cami and Aidan and grandpa Karon and such.

But! I can quickly tell you about this last week because it was AWESOME--

On Friday we pulled off an activity that was pretty cool because we had good attendance and a lot of fun and lots of food and lots of recent converts/investigators there and even had a projector and only planned it like 4 days in advance. We watched the Joseph Smith movie in English (the long one--don't have Chinese yet), made sure to tell everyone but then got there and everyone was like, wait, I don't know what's going on, and it was really scary but then Sister Chan and I (individually! so cool!) said a prayer in our hearts that everyone would get the gift of tongues for the next hour and 15 minutes--and it WORKED! Everyone settled down and felt the Spirit and one of our investigators who attended set a baptismal date for Christmas the day after and I don't know if those are connected but it was stilll really cool.

On Saturday (I didn't realize until Sunday) I actually kept with Darcey fam tradition of decorating the apartment for Christmas on the Friday after Thanksgiving (it was Friday in America, keep with me, people). It consisted of a 25 minute during lunch dash and using a LOT of non-Christmas decoration stuff including two fans and several scarves and was really REALLY fun.

We have several investigators right now who are working toward baptism--with an actual DESIRE to get baptized, which is kinda new to me. And AWESOME.

Tuesday had kinda funny experience--I was reading BOM (2 ne 31 v 1-5 is all I can do so far.. so I just read them over and over and over) out loud for a 5 minute language study while we were waiting for our investigator in the MTR station and the man next to us was like, WOW! YOU CAN READ CHINESE?! WHAT BOOK IS THAT? And we were all too pleased to explain it... so funny. It was an exhausting physically but exciting and not-as-stressful mentally week, which is wonderful.

Elder Dodd is leaving (our district leader) to be a zone leader on the HK island, and (it sounds weird, but don't think so much) I don't know what I'll do without him. He was just a SUPER GOOD leader and missionary, and I'm kinda worried the stresses of Yuen Long will be too much without his help. BUT onward, ever onward and here we goooo!

Love forever, Hurrah for Israel, Vanquish every foe... Sister D

PS I CAN EAT MOCHI AGAIN!

I gave it up b/c Carrie gave up smoking--but (me) only for a month.

PPS taking Sacrament before baptism--dak mh dak? I think OK, but several of our ward members think NO, so you can imagine the problems that come up as Sacrament is passed... Love ya'll bye!

Missed Email time

This is me and C...

[yikes that grammar is ChinEng]

right before her baptismal interview with President Chan yesterday.

It was TWO and a HALF HOURS of happiness that made us miss our email time. Sorry.

Making Chinese vowels in our reading time

[never thought I'd cheer a time that I would forget basic grammar skills.]

This picture is of me and baby (M) and I practicing ping ham--where we read every night to help her (and my) pronunciation and the night we used pens to hold the tongue down so we could practice pronouncing ngaaht or something.

NEW PHOTOS!!

These are from the dawn-hike (last week's pday)

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)

Letter To Elder Ian Darcey

Elder Darling Darcey, BROTHER DARCEY

I NOTICED! YOU'VE BEEN OUT A MONTH!!!

Also, my TEN YEAR baptism anniversary is coming up on December 29th. So if I celebrate your month, I expect at very least a plane fly over and fireworks (think of Queen Uberta's 50th).

In direct contrast with Alaska, here in HK the temperature has still not fallen below "slightly sweating," despite the plentiful "X-mas" decorations and light-cicles everywhere. Oh, yes, Christmas is so Christ-less here that

a) I have literally not seen the word "Christmas" anywhere, only X-mas,

b)people literally do not know it has any relation with Jesus Christ--as in, when we meet people who do not recognize the name Yeh Sou Gei Duk we say, "tuhng sing daan jit yauh gwaan" = "he and Christmas are related" and I'm not sure how that translates into normal English but you get the picture.

Unlike you, Elder Dashing, I have not jaahp gwaan (gotten used to) the crazy temperatures so quickly. I still giggle at my companion who, when the weather changed the other day from "blazing hot" to "mildly warm, sometimes with a light coolish breeze" pulled out her winter coat and literally wore three sweaters. I hear it gets pretty cold later... but I'm still waiting. Meanwhile, all the members at church are blown away when I'm walking around in short sleeves--"AREN'T YOU FREEZING?!" Um. It's 65 degrees out. They've also started frantically rubbing lotion on anything that sits still long enough, despite the 40% humidity, "it's so dry!!" aaahhhh I love it here.

Yes, also in contrast with you, Elder Dangerous, the food experience is entirely unlike steak. The most recent experience was pig front leg and ranks up there with crab dung (you didn't think crabs HAD dung, did you? YOU WERE WRONG) as one of the most... awesome. We were at a home where the mom had just had a baby, so they had us "try" (stuffed us until we begged for deliverance) the traditional Chinese post-birth dish: ginger and pig "hand". They boil it for a MONTH. Not exaggerating. Then they get it out 12 days after baby is born and mom and friends dig in--it apparently has lots of nutrients etc good for women, so the poh poh of the family made me eat about 15x as much as the Elders. It was so hilarious. The best way I can explain it was... picture a swamp. Skim the slime off the top. Then marinate a pig's foot (don't bother skinning or even washing it first) in swamp slime for a month. After that it kinda resembles... well, maybe the best way to explain... to eat it, you have to suck all the skin and slime off, then gnaw off the meat, crack the bone in half and suck the marrow out. Make sure you roll everything around in your mouth thoroughly before you swallow each time in case you missed some cartilage!

I love China. Elder Darcey, be the best you can there. Love forever, sister Sister Darcey

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

Before the Great Blessings--Comes the Great Trial. Right?

Dear Family,

Yesterday was the first day I've ever felt cold in HK! November 9th... the weather was dreary, threatening rain all day, drizzly, freezing...and the foreboding for the day was even worse.

Our new investigators, C. and A. (LA) have been flying through all the discussions all week. My journal entries from Sunday through Tuesday (almost) literally glow with excitement and thanks and faith.

We were shouting with joy on Tuesday--the Spirit was in abundance and we all were edified together. C. had successfully quit smoking and drinking alcohol, A. was ready to go back to church and really wanted to teach her children about Jesus; they both read in the Book of Mormon and prayed together every morning and night. It was as if they couldn't get ENOUGH of the righteous and pure, fervent and joyous LOVE of God that the Spirit was bringing in bucketloads. It was definitely the most Spirit-filled few days of my mission--of my life.

And then...

Yesterday, the minute we walked in we knew something was different. C. sat us down--A. declined to pray--and she told us she was worried. She had come to believe that because we came so often and got her all excited ("frenzied mind" as in Alma 30:16), she didn't want to get baptized so soon (Nov 20 was her date) and she had been online and found weird things about the church. She pulled out about 10 handwritten pages of questions--distorted stories about Joseph Smith, perverted deep doctrine, 40 wives and crystal balls and Masonry and Satan's lies and temptations and changes and confusion and we didn't even know where to start.

Interesting how the Spirit felt so wonderful while we were teaching, but when Satan intrudes, the feelings are all dark and angry.

And They Don't Notice The Difference?

We tried to open the scriptures to answer questions but the Spirit just wasn't there. More and more problems kept coming out--a friend from another church, whom she'd just invited to come see her baptism, had been praying for her to not get baptized (and THEN she started having these doubting feelings).

I don't know how to answer that, I don't even know how that works. I know evil comes from Satan and God allows it to happen--or at least, doesn't stop it when he COULD stop it. Why?--I hope and believe that it is because Satan "knows not the mind of God and thinketh to destroy his work" when he is actually furthering it.

I DO know that this is Truth and it has been restored. Yet I was struggling so hard to think of some rebuttals and scriptures and arguments.

See Richard G. Scott's The Sustaining Power of Faith Ether 12:6 Faith is things that are hoped for and not seen." In this talk he discusses the small things we can do to through trial to build faith.

One investigator was more confused than the other. C. finally came to terms with polygamy when we read D&C 132:34 (actually, SHE wanted to read this scripture because she'd found it as "the mormons teach polygamy in scriptures!" and it turned out great. It helped to have an explanation in context of the biblical practice--Abraham, etc), the Family Proclamation and Jacob 2:27-30 (which, if Joseph Smith had WRITTEN and not translated, would be contradicting himself)...

But A. just couldn't do it. She actually really reminded me of myself, in my darkest, doubting-est night... I still remember getting out of some religion class at BYU and sitting behind my dorm, the Regency, in my car just angry at everything. It seemed so wrong. I don't understand and I don't understand why God would make it so hard and complicated to believe.

Oh Ye of Little Faith...The last thing I wanted to do was pray, but there were some things I still knew. I knew the Book of Mormon was true because of my OWN experiences with it.

And from that experience, I knew that THIS was the only way to help them. They needed to try the experiment on the word and trust God to help them through, to guide them through the darkness as they took a step from the brightly lit way to the twilight of the unknown...

Oh, WOW! It was rough. At one point C. said, "Well, we can have the real lesson now, the one you were planning on about commandments and fasting and stuff" and A. retorted, "Why? If you don't believe it and you aren't gonna get baptized, there's NO POINT in learning more about this. It's wrong, Joseph Smith was an evil man."

She was to the point that she (and C., for a while) was falling into that subtle, subtle way of thinking that I hear so often on the street here--"It doesn't really matter what church you belong to, anyway, all that matters is that you believe in God".

But this line of thinking leads to King Noah's people's apostasy (which we actually got to share,) where Abinadai tells them, "I know if you keep the commandments you'll be saved." Why? Because THIS is faith! Faith isn't thinking about God and angels and harps and going to the church nearest to your house to eat brunch every Sunday.

Faith is feeding the poor and clothing the naked and being true to your spouse and serving your community and finding God in your life by keeping his commandments and sacrificing your doubt for a life of trust and resolution, it's standing up for the truth and LIVING like you know.

Even when there's no proof and no evidence and your ship is tossed, sails are torn, but you're ANCHORED to the Truth that doesn't change with a new presidency or a new fad or a new policy or a new decade.

I believe in Truth, and I believe God leads us along in every situation in life to help us understand this truth. No matter how far behind we are, how proud or halting or broken or stubborn our understanding, He works with us to help us grow.

Ahhh, rough. Rough as in I don't think I've ever experienced pain like that ever, ever, ever in my whole life. Finally, though, light dawned. I seriously feel like I'd been wrestling with Satan--and mainly just me, because Sister Chan is the kind of sweet and holy who has never had questions like this.

So, anyway, I'd been wrestling (wresting? no good!) with the scriptures and trying to find answers and not understanding and losing faith and not wanting to pray, and then Sister Chan came to the rescue.

Actually, Sister Chan finally just slid off the couch, plopped down on the ground and opened her water bottle, sucked it down and frankly said, "Hey, don't worry about it! There's no rush to get baptized and the most important thing is that we don't want you to BELIEVE US. We want you to actually have your own testimony.

We know that if you're seeking it, God will give it to you. No worries!"

C. brightened up a lot---actually, it felt like something dark and heavy was lifted from everyone in the room. Oh, yeah! There's no rush and the truth will set us free! Phew!!

THEN we shared about the ten commandments, families and chastity, fasting, obedience and service. Every time we read we made sure to note, "This is true, clean, honest, decent, correct, righteous, right? YES! Well _______ (Joseph Smith, living prophet, whoever) translated it--but it's GOD's word!" and the Spirit just testified to everyone all over the place.

this picture is back when I was in Tolo Harbor--taking C to the temple with Sister Black

She's also willing and OFFERED to keep meeting with us, keep coming to church and activities, keep reading the Book of Mormon and FAST tomorrow (today now) for this faith. We offered to fast with her and I've never fasted like this.

We're going to the temple today and we're going to see President Chan afterward (and take her pages of questions) to have him help us help her. I know every question has an answer--but this is not the issue. The issue is believing, having the strength of resolve and hope in God to believe without seeing YET. Satan is so powerful. It really is scary--but I know God is more powerful. God is Bigger Than The Boogie Man!

I know, and I really am finding here in Yuen Long, that we are sent as missionaries to fight him, face to face, for these souls' salvation. Despite how unworthy and unbelieving and prideful his servants are, he fights with and for us.

Thank God for fasting, prayer, the Book of Mormon in Chinese and the Spirit.

The standard has been erected, and no unhallowed hand can stop this work!! I love you all and I plead with you to pray for me.

Love forever,

Sister Darcey