Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 67 TAIPEI: A Christmas present from me to you! (but you have to read the email to find the present) (duh)

They be dropping like flies

I had two friends get engaged this week. That makes me feel old. And weird inside. But this is life?

But like actually congrats to them! They know who they are

So Merry Christmas?

Also it's really easy to tell who doesn't read your emails when you get emails from people saying "where was your email?? Are you okay? You didn't send a video? Hello?"

You see if they would have read the email they would have read the part that said, and I quote "It will be next Thursday cause we have P-day on Christmas"

Oh well. You know who you are.

I feel like I got a shout out from my shout out on "an unholy amount of food"

You know who you are.

Oh wait!

You're reading this on Christmas aren't you!!! I mean you probably haven't even opened presents from anyone else yet because you wanted to open this present from me to you! Wow! Merry Christmas!

Guys I love Christmas. I'm so happy to be serving the Lord this Christmas season. Yah I miss my family. And I'm excited for Christmas with them again, but for now I get to help people learn the true meaning of Christmas which is of course Christ.

Anyways quick update on the past week and a half. P-day we spent the whole day working on a dress rehearsal for the Christmas concert. It went.... Well it went we can just say that. But that was basically all of Monday.

色3 Tuesday happened and we were in quarantine again. For those who are wondering why I'm in quarantine (you know who you are) we had a new missionary come from America and so he has to quarantine for two weeks. But he needs a companion and someone to make food for him. So we take turns being with him.

But Tuesday was the last day so Elder Miller is now in the real world!

So Wednesday was more just getting stuff ready for Christmas and some new missionaries that we had coming in. We had like 3 new ones coming in so that was fun. All Taiwanese and the one American who had just gotten out of quarantine.

Thursday was more of that.

Friday we got the rest of everything ready for the Christmas concert and felt ready and good. Then at about 2130 we called President to make sure that there wasn't anything else. He said we were good and that he was excited and what not. And then on the phone he came up with this brilliant idea that we should print 1000 programs, make a QR code, and have that link to a website where they would be able to say if they wanted to learn more about Jesus and such.

So you best believe we spent all of Saturday making a program. Printing it. Cutting it. Making the website. Running through multiple drafts revisions and translations and eventually we got it all done.

So we went to the ward Christmas party. And it was kinda weird cause everyone was with their family except us.

So we just ate food and left and finished everything up for the next day.

Then the big day came. Sunday! The day of the Christmas concert. Started off with having like 6 new friends at church which was an amazing miracle and also really stressful! But wow it was so amazing. After church had ended and after a Filipino Christmas party I started setting up which took about two hours and went right up until we started the concert.

And for the all the effort that we put in and the month-long stress fest. It went really well. And it was PAAACKED. So what a huge miracle. We also had it streaming on Facebook and there were people watching there, and it ended up just being an amazing night! The spirit was so strong and people were moved.

In fact, afterwards we get a text from a lady who had watched it online and said she wanted to learn more. So we set her up with the missionaries near where she lived and on their first lesson she set a Baptismal date! How amazing is that! The spirt of Christmas is real! And the Spirit of Christmas is really just the Spirit of Christ, which is the Holy Ghost. And the holy ghost can change people. So amazing. Ended up great.

Then Monday. Psyche not P day. If only I had let everyone know. Oh wait.

Yah it was Zone Conference, for the other zones, but I was doing tech for the talent show and movie so I got to go! And it was a great time. Spent the whole morning setting up and then had an awesome talent show. Then we watched the best two years and the Taiwanese missionaries loved it! They could not stop laughing, because they have seen nothing like this before. So that was hilarious. We had put subtitles on it so they would understand.

Then Tuesday we had a bunch of lessons with these Filipinos who came to church. They are amazing lessons. And even though I just sit there and pretend to know what is going on,. And sometimes it is boring, but I feel the spirit and so do they. One of them set a Baptismal date with us! It was so amazing.

Then one of the families in our ward took us out for a Christmas dinner. And they took us to Texas Roadhouse!!!!!! They have one in Taiwan! So While Tayda's over there thinking she's having a real Texan-like Christmas, I on the other hand, actually am. So Hah.

But it was an amazing night and I love their family so much and am so grateful for them and their generosity towards us!

Then Wednesday we had our zone conference which was just a spiritual overload. Then the Talent show. Me and some of the other elders and the Filipino elders preformed a traditional Filipino stick dance called tinkiniling. It was so fun and although I wrecked my ankle I still enjoyed it! Then I drove us to Keelung cause your Boi has his license now and will be driving all over now! Not actually, we very rarely drive. But still! It is more than before! So great!

Then Thursday was Christmas eve! Wow! The time goes so fast! It feels like it was Christmas only one year ago. And I remember it like it was just one year ago. What a great time!

But anyways, we spent like 3 hours teaching lessons to Filipinos. (I just sat there lol) they were way good! Then we got all of the other office stuffs done. And then we went to dinner with another member and it was just a great day.

And now I am writing this on Christmas and guys I love Christmas so much.

We get to celebrate the birth of the most important person ever to live. He was the babe of Bethlehem. The son of a carpenter. The son of a virgin. The son of God. Raised as a refugee, Raised in poverty. Raised to be a king. was rejected by people, hated by people, and yet he loved the people. He loved them so much that he suffered their pains for them, so that if we were willing to go to him, we would not have to suffer them ourselves.

That is the message of Christmas. The message that there was one who was born in a stable. One who heavenly hosts cried glory glory! For God is with us. Emmanuel. Our Lord and King. The cornerstone rejected by the builders, but the one chosen regardless.

He was hated. He was persecuted. He was tormented. He was betrayed. He bled from every pore as he died for you and me.

And he rose. And he taught that we too could rise. Not just from death and the grave, but from sin. From the natural man. From the filth of the world. He gave us hope!

It indeed was a holy night. For it was the night that the holiest of us all was born.

He is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. Chosen from the beginning to be the one who would die for us. The one who would show us the way. The one to do what no one else could do.

And he brought us hope.

And thus we have Christmas. And thus we give gifts. For the greatest gift ever was given to us.

This is why I am here. To share that hope with people. That there was a baby boy that was born for them. The war was won by a baby boy. Heavens reply to everything wrong in this world was a baby boy! Is there anything more glorious than this?

I hope that you all can have a Christ-centered Christmas. And that as you do all the fun things that are involved with Christmas time, that you don't lose the hope. You don't miss Christ in it all. He will not push himself into our lives.

But when we let him in we will change.

This is my testimony to you during these amazing times. That Christ was born. In a Manger. To no one of importance. That Angles tore through the veil to tell Shepards that a prince had come! That Wiseman came to worship a toddler and fell on the knees and bowed before a king. That the boy king grew into a man. And that he was perfect. And that he was crucified, in ways we can't yet understand, for you and me. To bring to pass the fullness of his father's plan.

The boys name was Jesus. Healer, Prince of Peace. Light. The Lord. He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament, condescended into mortal form. He is the cornerstone for which the whole entire world was built on.

He is the Christ!

The anointed of the Father. And yet he is our father. For he succor us as only a father can.

The only perfect son.

And the only unblemished lamb.

Led to the slaughter.

So that you and I could live. Laugh. Love. Weep. Smile. Frown. Repent. Die. And live again in his presence. With him as exalted beings.

This is Christmas.

This is our life.

Oh how should we praise him. How ever should we praise him.

I love you all and hope that you can feel his love for you at this time in your life. And if you can't, try a little harder :) Because he is there. Waiting for you. To heal. To bless. To help. To comfort. To mend. And to perfect.

This is my testimony to you. And my witness of his love!

I love you. Remember Him. And hear him.

Elder Baird

Pics!