Hey, What's up, it's soloElderOnly back doing some more Weekly Update action! Here with his PhD to tell you that the mitochondria is the power house of the cell.
I'm so sorry.
I've gotten a few... Thoughts... From the viewers back home saying that my emails are confusing at some parts because I'll say random stuff. Basically that's because they're all inside jokes with Roman Seipert. Or should I say, Elder Seipert!!! But, he is now on his mission and for those of you who got his email he said some weird stuff that you probably didn't get, but I did.
And so I apologize, because for the next 2 years we are probably just going to be saying random stuff back and forth and everyone is going to be confused.
You're welcome.
:)
Anyways wow it has been a whole week! It's like it was 7 days ago that I was emailing all of my loyal fans last. My how quickly time goes by. At least I'm told.
This week has been....... Interesting....
I guess we will start at the beginning. There was God, and there was his word. Then man. Then a fall. Then I was born. Then I went on a mission. Then I got transfered to Xizhi. And then I made a goal.
Our President has told us that we should be getting 20 gospel conversations a day. A quota of sorts. And when I moved here that was not happening. So I made a promise with God that I would get 20 conversations every day, even if I had to do it alone.
And so I did. It was going good. And then Wednesday rolled around and I got sat down. Meamued.
We received a text from our mission president saying that we were no longer allowed to talk to people on the street. Due to the Corona virus.
"but... I promised God" if I'm being honest I wasn't humble enough to accept this. All I wanted to do was to keep talking with people. But it was a great moment of God's will is greater than my will. Even though I wanted to talk to people, I knew that God had told me no.
So needless to say the goal was not kept! And missionary work is sooooo weird right now.
I just bike down the streets and am like, well I can say hi, but I have no obligation to talk to any of you. Sooooo... This is weird.
So we've been visiting members. That's all we can do. And this envolves a lot of sneaky tactics. Since most of our LAs have moved we spend a lot of time going to houses to see if they are there. We are then supposed to, if they aren't there, ask they're neighbors if they live there and then try to baptize them.
So, we are at this house and we knock the door and there's no answer. So we go to the neighbor and ask if people live there. She's an old woman and says she doesn't know. She then went inside. Came back out with some keys. And proceeded to open her neighbors house for us... So... We went inside...?
Luckily they had moved and no one lived there.
Phew...
Anyways we've been also having to sneak into big high rise buildings and that's been fun! Completely legal.
Yep...
It's been pretty crazy. Sooo many people have forgotten that they were baptized. It's kind of impressive. But soooo many have forgotten. We like knock on a door and they're like "who are you?"
"the missionaries" we reply
"huh?" they say in confusion
"yah, you're a member of our church. We saw your name and we want to get to know you!" we say in equal confusion"
"I'm not part of a church" their reply
"you were baptized in our church" we say in some amount of wonder.
"ummmm.... Maybe a long time ago" they say hesitantly.
"yah! You should come ba-"
Door closes.
That's kinda been the week. It's been way fun!
This week also brought food!
Some things I ate this week.
Strawberry shortcake. Or as close as it gets in Taiwan. Sweet isn't a big flavor here, but this thing had like actual cream and it tasted so good and I may or may not have cried.
Frog
Actually not too bad. Lots of bones. But like this a frog the size of a chicken... So like that's kinda weird. But I would eat it again if I had the opportunity. It's very expensive.
Sea snail.
I guess it's a snail that lives in the sea? It was oddly textured cause snails are odd. But it was decent.
Squid mouth.
We were told it was squid eyes, but it turned out to be mouth? I don't think squids have mouths so I am a little confused... But it tasted fishy.
Mala Tofu
For those who went to China with me, you know this beast. Pic is included. Numbingly spicy, odd flavor, has tofu, not good.
Yah it was an odd food week.
Think that's about it. Nothing is really happening with the area other than finding a lot of people who have moved. Not talking is tough. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed talking to people on the streets, teaching about Jesus, and praying they would meet with us. And so thats been hard.
Also, my companion only speaks Chinese??? So I only speak Chinese??? And it's working somehow? That's fun. Still don't know what people are saying half of the time, but I can tell them that I need to borrow their Hotspot (story for another day) and that I know my face has problems and yes I would love to go to their special doctor or try their magic soap.
Not sick of that one.
Improvement!
Trying to think of what else to talk about. Maybe people can send me questions and I can talk about them in my emails.
I like this!
We're going to do a question of the week! Everyone can send in questions and I will choose one each week to talk about. These questions can be about absolutely anything! So please! Everyone! One and all! Send me an email!
...With your question...
Or just an email. I'd enjoy that too.
I'm so needy.
And pictures too.
:)
I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! PEACE!
Elder Baird
Okay I spoke too soon apparently. I had this email finished and then I went to get my haircut. Now I have no hair. I specifically said, cut the sides and not the top. She then proceeded to take like 2 inches off the top.
Ugh.
There's nothing to do now.
Except cry.
Something about Hats™©®
I'm gonna need one
So this week in come follow me (here we go again) I had some realizations. You may even call it... Inspiration *insert magical whooshing sounds here*
But life is hard.
Shocker.
But it is way hard. And so is the mission. Everyone said it was going to be hard, and I did believe them, but I didn't know what they meant at all. And now I'm here and I'm like dang. Life's... Not fun sometimes.
Then you read things and you're like, Nephi, you OK bud?
2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness"
Don't that sound nice.
And then you read things like the intro to PMG, preach my gospel, or perfect marriage guide, depends on your stage of life.
"More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among his children"
'What am I doing wrong?' a question I ask myself all the time. Where is my happiness.
And I think I look at it wrong.
Because just the chapter before Nephi talks about that life is hard. And it is.
2 Nephi 4:17 "Yea my hear sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul greiveth because of mine iniquities"
But even when life is hard, Nephi praises.
2 Nephi 4:30 "Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation."
So that's what I've been trying to do. Even when it's hard, I try to rejoice, even when I'm sad, I try to say thank you.
So that's today's invitation.
Praise. Don't complain. But praise.
It's hard, but I believe that is where the true happiness comes from.
Something about hats is a copyrighted entity of Spencer incorporated. Any usage will be strictly punished.
Here's some pictures. I don't have enough time to write about them. Like I only have 30 seconds right now. Love you all!
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