Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 65 TAIPEI: The week I went into quarantine. Again. Oh joy.

Well we back again. For another week. "Every time I check my Email I hope it's from a....[friend]...."

Oh, not a friend. Whatever.

So Yah. The subject lines don't lie. I went back into quarantine this week. But before we start with that we should probably start with some background.

P-day. Was amazing. Like wow. We went to Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs. But it was way lit. It was like a zoo but better in every way possible because I don't like zoos tbh. But this was amazing. 10/10, would recommend.

But after an amazing P-day we came home and were doing our office works like good little bois, and as we were doing that we happened to run into President, cause we like live in the same place, and he was like "Elders! What are your plans for tomorrow?" To which we responded, 'A busy day full of inviting others to come unto Christ sir!' to which he side-eyed us. And then was like, well you guys are going into quarantine tomorrow. So that was a little bit of a shock. But basically we just got a new missionary. Yes one. We had 20 go home and one come. The numbers are few ladies and gents.

But this one missionary just got here and he needed someone to quarantine with so basically we are playing duck duck goose with all the companionships here to spend time quarantining with him. And before some of my relatives get all huffed up and stuff about legal matters in switching out with quarantine things, we are doing legal things. We are literally just there to cook for him and we don't have contact with him. So everything's okay in whoville.

So then Tuesday happened.

We were quarantined.

This one day was somehow harder than my whole two weeks of self isolation the first time around. Don't know how that happened, but I was not a fan so we are just going to skip that day.

Then we had a day of training. We got up at 7, switched comps at 7:30. And gave a training at 8:00. We then had another training at 9. And then another one (MLC) at 11.

And I translated the MLC meeting. Which was terrifying. This was my first time actually translating. Like I'd done little things before, but this time I had a mic in my hands and people had their ear buds in and President was talking about as fast as he could and wow that was rough.

But the gift of tongues is real! There is no way that someone at my level of Chinese should be able to do anything remotely close to direct translation. But somehow it happened. And sometimes it just be that way.The Holy Ghost rocks.

Then the best thing happened.

We got to go to the temple!!!!! Guys it's been over a year since the last time I got to go to the temple and this was just so amazing! There was a Filipino couple getting married and so my companion went to translate which means I got to go and it was amazing! The peace in the temple is just amazing and I learned a lot. It was a spiritual high that I hadn't been on for a while.

And as the endowment started (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's basically a session of learning about promises that God makes to us and where we can receive spiritual power to be cleansed from the evil of these days) I just started to cry. Just to hear the blessings that God is willing to give to us if we are faithful brought me to tears.

So yah it was an amazing experience.

Then Moses happened.

And by that I mean my Moses experience happened. So in the Book of Moses chapter 1, the very beginning cause chapter one is generally at the beginning, Moses talks with God and has an amazing experience and then when it's over he is like wow that was so cool and this sentence is definitely a run on one and then after the cool vision Satan comes along twiddling his thumbs and is like oh Mooosoesss, worship me! And Moses is like no bock bock bi and then Satan is like noooooo

But yah so after the temple the anxiety and depression kind of hit me like a truck which was no fun.

But it was like a complete 180 from what I had just been experiencing. It was kind of just building up through the whole week of doing nothing cause of quarantine and meetings and stuff and yah no fun.

So I went to bed. Cause that's what I wanted to do.

And then thankfully the next day was interviews with President cause that was like planned by God or something. But I learned a lot from him and I got some great revelation of some scriptures that I wanted to memorize. And so that was awesome!

Then Friday happened where the day I've been waiting for for 1 year 2 months and 25 days happened.

I got to go on an exchange with Elder Pond!!!!!! What an amazing miracle! He is my zone leader now so that is just so awesome.

Our exchange happened after another meeting that we had that day and so we went to his place where he fixed us up some pancakes and we made some homemade syrup cause why not.

Then we had a lesson which went great. And then we had a lesson at the church which also went great.

But here's the thing. The church is very very very far away from their house. Like 30 minutes biking on a normal bike.

We had like 20 minutes to get there

And we were on U-bikes (public bicycles of Taiwan)

That was pain on a whole new level. I've had a lot of Pain throughout my biking days. But this was something completely new.

But we made it to the lesson not too late and it went just great!

Then we talked and I taught him how to meditate better because folks meditating is a blessing for the soul and if you're not doing it then you should be so yah. Get the Calm app (also @Calm you should pay me to advertise for you)

Then Saturday we finished our exchange. We had a BOMB comp study and I learned that Jesus can turn invisible. (don't understand? Send me an email and I'll explain ;) (wow I am desperate, but it is true))

Then after an amazing discussion and some great service I headed for home and when we got home we ate some amazing Filipino food from our members who are literally the best.

Then I got to mess with the sound board and microphones because I am doing tech for our big yearly Christmas concert which I am super hyped for because I LOVE this stuff!

Then Sunday! We had a great time at church. I love Church. But the Filipino Sunday school teacher didn't show up which meant that we taught the lesson. Which meant I just sat there and watched my companion teach the lesson XD

It was good though.

Then we received an unholy amount of food from them. (thanks Brianne for that word)

And then we fixed some mission stuff. Went out finding. Found someone to teach! And then we got a call from a Filipino member who was like "Elder, my friend is here right now, come teach her" so we did. That went amazing. She low key wants to be baptized and I think we can help with that.

Oh wait. We can.

LOL that's my job

And then We had the fireside and I played the piano and I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes. So that was rough. But it went pretty good! You can find it on Facebook if you care enough to go searching for it.!

And that was our week.

I feel like I've said 'and then' way too many times this email. My English is so bad, I've forgotten all of my conjunctions and I'm sure my participles are dangling all over the place. But you know what? You signed up for this email and if you've read it to here then that' s your own fault. God gave you agency too!

And that is going to be it for this week peeps. Glad yall could tune in. I love the gospel and this church and Jesus! He is literally my rock and my cornerstone in every sense of the word. And I am so grateful that I have his restored gospel and completel truth in my life! What an amazing blessing!

Love you all!

Elder Baird

Something about socks,

God qualifies those who he calls.

So one of the things that got me down this week was just not feeling good enough. Not good enough to be in the office or do the work that was required of me. Not able to handle all the stress that was being put on me or any of those things. And those thoughts were really hard for me to deal with.

But in my comp study with Elder Pond he helped me realize something that I hadn't been seeing.

The big picture.

Guys, I'm a 1-year-old boy.

Living in a country in the middle of the sea.

Seperated from my family and everything I know and love.

Speaking a language that I can barely get my way around.

Trying to talk to people randomly on the streets.

To get them to stop and listen to me so I can share something that I know will help them.

And guys, those people listen to us from time to time.

And sometimes they feel the spirit. And then they accept the gospel.

And once I started to realize this I was just like, Wow. God is with me. And he is. So even though there are times that I feel lost, God never has left me and as long as I trust him I'll be good.

That brought me a lot of comfort at the time and just helped me a ton.

So yah peeps. That's that. Gods with you!