WEEK 15 HUALIAN: It's Christmas. At least I think it is? But like... Is it?

Well hello everyone! I'm so sorry that I probably terrified you all to death because you weren't able to read an email from me the moment you woke up Monday morning.

This is my apology for that, but don't worry! Next week you can read it first thing in the morning! Don't worry! It's okay! But now you're going to get the best Christmas gift this year! Second to Jesus. But other than that you getting to read this email is definitely the best gift then! What could be better? Nothing. Probably. Pride again? Nah.

So yah, basiclly I'm done with my first Transfer and onto my second! And this one is going to be the best! My new comp is literally a shark. Never stops. Goes for what he wants and gets it. We've seen so many miracles and we are working so freaking hard and it is paying off! We're finding new people to teach, talking to people, teaching, and just having a good time!

Yah, things are going good! I love how hard he works and I am just struggling to try to keep up. I think he forgets I've only been here for 6 weeks... And that I'm not in the air force. 

Oh yah he's in the airforce. And he's a machine. I've been going running with him in the mornings, or I guess it's more appropriate to say that I've been going chasing with him. I can't keep up. Did not realize how much I'd lost my legs. But hey! No time like the present to get going!

Yah but things are going great. 

So the other day taught a guy who said that he was the Buddhist version of Jesus. Apparently they have a story that's basically a Jesus rip off, and this guy legit thinks that he is this guy, and that this is his second coming. He tried to convince us that he was him. 

Needless to say we aren't teaching him anymore. 

Yah there are a lot of crazy people here. Like it's insane. They're just straight up off their rocker and there are a ton of them. It's kinda weird. But sometimes you don't know they are until you get in a lesson with them and they just start going insane. It's odd. Real odd.

Well, the days went by and they were packed. I'm honestly so tired. We just work so freaking hard now and it's crazy. I love it though. 

But that brings us to Christmas eve. 

Now, Christmas really isn't a thing here. At all. And that's been real sad for me. Cause I freaking love Christmas. And Tuesday I just kept forgetting that it was Christmas eve. Cause there's nothing to remind me at all. And we are just so busy. And it's just a normal day here. We had a giant chicken nugget for Christmas eve dinner. It was good. But it's just not the same. 

Luckily on Sunday we had a mission Christmas singing concert and it was fun to sing.

But yah, Tuesday night I was just like, dang, I'm not doing any of my traditions with my family this year. I'm not really even having a Christmas. And it was a little saddening. 

Then that night as we biked home my comp and I just started shouting merry Christmas to everyone that we passed! It was so funny to see their confused expressions. They really don't get it sadly. But it made me happy to just be shouting at them!

After that and talking with my companion I was feeling better about the whole Christmas thing. And then I realized that I am more or less giving up my Christmas, so I can help others have Christmas. I thought that was pretty cool to think about. 

But yah, I had Christmas before all ya'll. Ya'll will just be getting out of bed and I'll be long done with the... Festivities...? But yah. Must suck being in America. Having Christmas late. Oooooof. Big oof. 

Yah life is pretty chill! I hope that you all have an amazing time tomorrow! Merry Christmas!

Love you all! 

Elder Baird 

Yes today was shorter. Don't want to take up too much of your Christmas. I know I'm the most important thing, but I also want you to have other fun today, so since I'm super nice and basically the best, I'll let ya'll get to other things like opening presents and doing the other things that come after reading my email.

Something about socks! 

For Christmas I got a pair of Mickey socks! And they're black and so I can wear them! I'm happy! 

As well, while I was in the MTC I realized that I didn't have a super strong testimony on tithing. I knew it was good and had always followed it, but that's all it had been. Teaching about it was hard cause I didn't have anywhere to come from. 

So I prayed a lot and asked my parents how tithing had helped them. Eventually I forgot about it cause I felt better about it and kinda moved on.

But the other day we were teaching one of our friends tithing for the first time and he had some questions and I just felt like I should bear my testimony. The testimony that I didn't feel like I had. 

But I followed the spirit and tried my best to bear my testimony. My Chinese on the subject was a little rusty, but I tried. And as I tried I just felt the spirit so strong. It was such a neat experience and now I can honestly say I have a testimony of tithing. Because the spirit bore record of it to me. 

Personal revelation is critical in all that we do. When we don't understand something we need to take the time to receive revelation on it. That's our responsibility. 

So yah, it was pretty nifty! 

MERRY Christmas! Love ya'll!

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Christmas 2019 Missionary Concert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZvpKWLj1dk&feature=youtu.be