Elder Baird's Something About Socks: April 2020

Hello everyone. It's another email. From ELDER BAIRD!

wait is it?

no foreshadow btw.

Let's start with Monday. Monday was the best day of my life. It was sooooo good. I already told yall about our hike that was actually just completely breathtaking. Like it was so amazing. But on that hike I just had this strange realization that I was in Taiwan. Like it was completely amazing! I just felt so blessed that I was still in Taiwan. The scenery was just superb and I was just so happy.

So after the hike we walked around this old street. Now, generally this place is just crowded wall to wall with tourists. But it was basically just us 7 walking around. They had a lot of cool things to buy and I bought this glow in the dark dolphin. It was way cool.

I generally don't like spending money on souvenirs. But I am very thankful that I did this time. Not foreshadowing btw *smiles to the side meniaclly*

Anyways, we spent some time working on our song for the funeral. It is coming together pretty well. I'm way excited, it just feels nice to be on the keys! Even though it's for a funeral I'm still happy. I mean it's not my funeral. Not foreshadowing bte *single tear*

Then that night as I was writing in my journal I was just filled with such a JOY! I was so happy to be a missionary. I was drinking mint hot chocolate with REAL mint leaves (thanks @elderbrady... I mean Ryan...) Not foreshadowing btw *second single tear*

But I was just sitting there and I was just so happy that I was here in Taiwan living such a great life. Nothing could get better than this I thought. How right I was... Still not foreshadowing *laugh cries*

So then Tuesday happened. No one talked to us cause we are white... At least I think so... Maybe there's a virus or something... Anyways it was still a good day! I was walking in my newly shined shoes and so I was content. Also my shoes be lookin fiiiiiinnne. So all the other missionaries be jealous cause of my shoes. I'll probably have to shine them again soon. I mean it does rain a lot in Taiwan and since that is where I live it is probably a good idea...

I promise you, there is no foreshadowing here. Stop getting ideas.

*water starts profusely falling from eyes*

Then Wednesday happened. I think it was the day of the dead... Or maybe it was April Fools' Day and so we all died? Wait... I'm not dead... Well not at this point in the narrative yet. Writing things in hindsight is weird cause I can just throw in real time stuff during the middle of a narrative. Time scramble doesn't travel my brain. Has anyone seen my paradox?

Okay, the time travel reference might just be foreshadowing. I'm basically Ekko. Kinda.

So a member took us to TGI Fridays for lunch which was amazing! I got a slightly undercooked steak which was still good, BUT!!!!! THEY HAD MOJITOS!!!!! For those of you who don't know me and aren't true followers of my blog (oh yah I have a blog where are my emails are in one place, plz like n subscribe n read all my super funny emails cuz they all there) I LOVE SPECIALTY DRINKS! And the Mojito is my favorite. So I definitely ordered two of them which was like 600 dollars, but I wasn't paying so it is okay!

I was so happy! Like just sitting there drinking that made me a real happy boy. I knew that nothing could change that and so it was just such a great day.

okay

that was foreshadowing.

Then I was crying on a train.

Wait... I think I skipped something...

OOOOOOHHHH that's right, I will try again.

So after my amazing lunch we got on a train to head back home. And my companion says we have a new message from the President. Intrigued, I started to listen to it.

That is when I heard the words "all foriegn missionaries will be returning home on friday"

And that is when I started crying on this train.

I was pretty inconsolable. I was a mess. Just sitting on this local train crying my eyes out. Listening to President telling me that my life was over. I didn't understand. We were in the only mission in the world that was still fine and nothing ws happening. And all the sudden I was going home.

I didn't know what to do. I can't go home! I'm a missionary.

My thoughts were relentless. I started to realize that I didn't know how to NOT be a missionary. It was all I had done for 7 months straight. No breaks or holidays. Just preaching the restored gospel of Christ. I was finally starting to be happy as a missionary. Finally getting to a point where I thought I could do this for the next two years of my life. I was excited! My Chinese was improving and I was starting to understand just how much Joy I had actually found in my mission.

And it was all taken away from me.

So I just sat and cried.

and cried.

Eventually I had to go to the bathroom because remember...undercooked steak... yah. Also all of my friend girls have told me it is a good place to cry. Idk why. But I thought I would try it out.

And so I'm in the bathroom crying to myself and singing "I'll go where you want me to go"

Then I had the thought that in a week I could listen to real music again.

And then I started crying harder. I couldn't take that thought. I was supposed to be a missionary. Not an 18 year old in my house. I was going to be able to do whatever and I was terrified and in distress.

Eventually we made it home and my companion and I were like... Welp... We should probably pack, but we didn't want to do that so we decided to go get something to drink and walk along the river.

Anyways.

I didn't sleep well that night. I had dreams of getting repeatedly disintegrated. So yah. Not a good night.

Worst April Fool's Day ever. Pretty sure it was the day of the dead.

Whatever.

So we woke up the next day and the four of us were like... Well... lets just go get breakfast at McDs, so we did. But none of us could eat anything because we all felt awful so we just sat there.

Then we went up to HQ to pick our passports up because we need those because we are leaving the country or something like that. That was rough. We signed the flag that all of the returning missionaries sign. I was still just waiting for someone to tell me it was a lie. But now my name is on that flag...

Then I just sat in my room.

Tired to pack.

But just sat.

Eventually we went to Kelly's house w\here we ate dinner and played mahjong for like 3 hours cause we had nothing better to do.

Then we time travelled.

We woke up on friday and took a taxi to HQ. We took some pictures, did a roll call and the President talked to us. Gave us a little pep talk. And then we all sung called to serve together. President couldn't make it through the song. And so all us returning missionaries kinda just sang and cried.

Then we got on a bus.

I'm pretty sure we were just driving to an amusement park or something. But when we got there it only had one ride. The ride was a lot like an airplane. I was still not sure how long the ride was but somebody said it was going to take like 11 hours.

Ugh.

So yah, we got on the plane at 7PM friday night and it was empty. Just us missionaries and like two other people. So I got a whole row to myself. Popped some pills. And then was out for almost the whole flight.

Then we landed at 4PM friday night.

Time travelled bb.

We had a 16 hour layover in LAX, but THANKFULLY the Church bought us a hotel. So we spent forever trying to figure out how to get to the hotel cause it was just the 20 of us missionaries on this flight trying to find each other and then take a shuttle to our hotel.

Eventually we made it and that is when we realized that the Church had bought us a party hotel! It was waaaaay dope. Like it was like a dope club, but a hotel, and only missionaries. So it was kind of chill.

AND THEN!

We went and got INnOUT Burger!!!!!! It tasted sooooo good. But since us missionaries had just come from a place that didn't do the whole corona thing we didn't really know about social distancing. So we were just walking down the road and people were recording us.... Then we remembered and so that made the day interesting. Also ordering in and out without a phone or a car is really difficult. It involved knocking on the door and like ordering through a piece of paper...

BUT

WE GOT AMERICAN BURGERS!!!!!

yum

But yah, it was pretty good. I decided to go to bed cause we had to get up at 4 for our next flight to Utah.

I still don't know why I was going there. Pretty sure I'm a missionary in Taiwan...

Still waiting for President to tell us it was an April Fools joke....

So then I woke up to chaos cause a flight had been moved earlier and it was crazy and hectic BUT I made it on the plane and then I realized that Utah really is a dessert. Gone was the beauty of the lush and green hills of Taiwan.

So we landed and I grabbed my bags and went to the parking garage. Of course I didn't know where my parents were so I went to the second floor. I kinda just walked around trying to find them.

They weren't there.

Get yourself good parents folks.

I went down to the first floor and they were there!

Got in the car and started to drive home. And... It wasn't right... I was sitting in this van that was my family car in Utah. But that's not where I live...

I tried to eat a doughnut and it was just sweet and I didn't like that...

Then we were driving down a road that I've driven down so much and I just know it. But it was wrong. I wasn't supposed to be here. I shouldn't be here. And I was talking to the family? It wasn't P-day... Why was I doing that? I couldn't grasp it. It wasn't right. I wasn't okay.

I got home and there was a bunch of fun yellow decorations and stuff and I am thankful they were there, but.... I didn't care.... They weren't for me were they? I didn't think my family knew any missionaries coming home so I didn't quite understand the yellow decorations... They weren't for me... were they?

I walked into the house... My house? It was the house I lived in as a kid. But it wasn't my house. My hose is a small apartment with four beds crammed into the living room. Two tiny study rooms. And a small Taiwanese kitchen place.

I took my shoes off and but them where I've but shoes for years. But they were my mission shoes. Just sitting there. And I didn't have any sandals to put on. You can't walk around a house without your sandals... can you?

Then I just broke down and cried.

Then I got a call from President Jackson. He small talked for a little... But then he told me to take my tag off.

I couldn't.

I'd only had 7 months... I was a missionary. That meant I wore that tag. But he told me that I wasn't a missionary anymore... But I still was... Wasn't I?

After a couple minutes I finally did it. I just held it in my hand.

And then after the call I stood up to get a drink (also, I can drink water from the faucet and not die??? Whats up with that?)

And since my tag was in my hand I put it the only place where it goes. And I put it back on *facepalm* My mom just looked at me and laughed. Then I realized what I had done and I was like flip. Im bad.

But so yah.

I'm home now.

It is weird.

But it was sooooo good to watch conference with my family. We had a good time. And it brought me a lot of peace. I recommend that you all watch it because it is amazing. The restoration is so important. And we wall need to realize that more.

But now I'm home.

Typing an email saying I'm home from my computer at home.

I'm gonna be honest, I don't want to be here, but it is where God wants me to be. So I will just sit here in isolation. Because that is what I'm supposed to do.

Now that I'm home I can talk to people so if any of y'all want to reach out to me, friend my on Facebook and just message me over meagerness. Since I still have a missionary phone I only can use messenger. So if you would like to reach out to me please do!

Also, this email is way dramatic, I'm doing a lot better today, but as my emails are I was just trying to give some perspective into my life.

Also, why do missionaries write emails? Like... That doesn't make sense... Like why is it that when we leave people want to talk to us, but before then or after its just like nah. Like no one would want this before or after my mission... Idk. Just my random thought for the day. Maybe I should just stop sending emails...

That's not going to happen. I like pretending that people read them and it makes me happy. So yah you will still get them. You should probably just block me lol.

Anyways, just add me here --> https://www.facebook.com/spencer.baird.35/

I look forward to hearing from yall! I might email during the INTERMISSION. But we will see. If you want to hear from me just text me plz and ty.

Anyways, guess I get to first hand experience what the rest of the world has been dealing with!

Stay safe yall.

Love you all!

Eld....Errr....

Spencer Baird

Something about socks

I can wear whatever socks I want now so that is a plus I guess?

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