Hopefully I don't run into copyright issues with this one either.
Yes you heard me right! The trees are up! The lights are on! And once again it is Christmas!
Well... At least I'm counting it as Christmas. Yes yes it may be Chinese New Year, but this is the only thing this country celebrates so yes I am celebrating Christmas.
Do I turn my Christmas lights on? Yes. Am I listening to Christmas music? Yes. Do I deserve this? Yes. Does my companion hate me for it? Yes.
But that's okay.
Anyways that's right, it's Chinese New Year down here and that means everyone goes ballistic. As a missionary it honestly kind of sucks. We're not really able to celebrate, nobody wants to talk with us like at all. And all we do is eat food at members houses! And man has there been a looooot of food. Like a looooot. And we have to finish it. And the members just say, eat more eat more. And then our mission president says, you have to eat all of it and man I don't know if I can take it.
I am keeping daily track of my weight so tune in for that reveal next week!
Always got to find ways to keep the viewers coming back to the emails. Maybe this will work.
Anyway, other than that people kind of just launch of fireworks randomly. It's kind of like the 4th of July, but really haphazardous. Like we saw someone launching them at the electric wires and stuff and that was kinda sketch.
As well the air is just filled with smoke. Everyone is lighting fires and burning fake money that they've bought with real money. I don't understand it but I guess it makes them happy?
It's been kinda a crazy time. I'm excited for it to be over so I can get back to normal missionary work, but sadly it will be somewhere else.
Oh yes.
Elder Baird is moving!
I'm moving up to Taipei to a city called 汐止 (xizhi (pronounced she zhi)
It's a way big city and I'm not a big city fan, but I guess I am now! And the bestest news of all though!!! They have a Costco!!! And that means Costco pizza and hotdogs and churros and milk and real food and good life and a happy Elder!
Anyway, we will see how this move goes! This is my first real transfer and I am now no longer in training. That's kind of scary. I've almost been out here for 3 months and I've almost been on my mission for 5. It's been fast if I'm being honest but 2 years still feels really far away. And I know it's not, but my brain just doesn't like it and it will probably feel far away till like my last transfer. And you know what? That's okay!
Now a shout-out to Tayda! She's leaving to the MTC in Wednesday! It will be fun and she doesn't know what she's getting into! Hahahabahahahahhahahahahabhaha
Yah this week has been pretty eh though. No one meets with us because of Chinese New Year and those who said they would don't show up. But in still really sad to be leaving. I've loved it here and I love our members and the people I'm working with, they are in good hands with Elder Hughes though. So that is good!
Honestly that's pretty much it. I'm leaving, I'll miss it, but God has called me somewhere else.
I'll also miss the bois here. We had a 烤肉 on our roof as like a going away thing. It was way fun! I'll send pictures.
Kinda cool miracle though, the other day we had an LA we are working with tell us she has a friend who wants to learn more about the gospel. So he came to the chapel for a tour.
Turns out this guy is in charge of HR for the army down here. He loved it and said he's going to tell all his men to come here for help! So who knows where that's going to lead, but I'm excited to find out!
Yah that's it, this one's a little shorter but still worth the time to read I hope!
Hope that everyone is having a good week! I love you all!
Elder Baird
Something about socks:
So the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob is always a long one to read through. But as I was studying it earlier this week I loved something that I found.
"21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard.
22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit."
I was blown away.
Sometimes in life we feel like we are the ones who have been planted in an awful spot. Our situation is no good, we don't like our circumstances, and we feel like we have been planted in the poorest spot.
And it may be true.
But no matter where we are planted, no matter where! We still all have the choice on if we will accept the Lord's help or not. Because through the Lord's help we can flourish into a beautiful tree and bring forth much fruit. Even in the poorest spot of land.
That's kind of the testimony I want to leave behind today. Through Jesus and his gospel we can flourish. When we make and honor our covenants we will bring forth fruit. We have to be the ones who decide to do it though. We decided if we flourish or not. Not our ground. Not our personality. Not our social economic situations. It's our desire. Through simple things like Come Follow Me (yah I'm getting back on this soap box, it's that good) we can start to bring forth fruit in any circumstances we find ourselves in.
It's all our choice. So I invite everyone to stop worrying about the ground that they're in, and start worrying about growing. Cause that's all we've been asked to do.
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