Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 74 TAIPEI: 1776

Okay let's get down to business.

To defeat.

Satan.

Did they send me bendi? When I asked for waiguo?

@President

Another week has come and gone in the slammer. Pregotory (kudos if you remember).

Well, chef Prego back with some exilerating news! And that is.....

...

....

So for P-day we went to a super cool hiking place and, you guessed it, took a lot of pictures.

Cause what else would you do at a hiking place.

On Tuesday, President was taking the elevator and I pressed all the buttons on the outside as we took the stairs and we heard him shouting and I almost died laughing. It was sooooo funny.

I then broke my glasses while I was trying to clean them. Karma I guess.

We met a dope guy on a motorbike. He said he will meet with us tonight, so let's hope that he shows up and it goes through! We love finding new people to teach!

Got up at 6 on Wednesday (for those who don't know we are privileged in Taiwan and wake up at 7 and go to bed at 11. Just because the 便利商店s have taken over Taiwan including our sleep schedule) and had a great Pull day. Loved that.

Then I read my new favorite chapter in the Bible which is none other than John 14. Wow it is so amazing! It's all about commandments and guys I can't tell you how much I love keeping the commandments. There is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing I am coming closer to God by keeping His commandments. Eternal law is amazing folks!

Then we drove President's personal car to the hospital at 12:30 because that is when they said to go, and then we got there at 12:30 and they said the doctor doesn't get there till 14:30...

Centralized Health Care woes...

Then we drove a different car back to the hospital. Got a car wash because that's where it's at. Doctor looked at me and was like "You've got what we call serious acne"

To which I replied,

"Wow your English is really good!"

I also appoligized to another missionary that we had sometimes not had a good relationship and that felt good. Apologize to someone today. It feels good. That's the invitation. Along with reading John 14. All part of the invite.

Then on Thursday we went to the eye doctor he was like, "Wow your eyes are bad."

To which I replied.

"Wow your English is really good!"

Then I had an excruciating time of buying my own glasses. Guys I've only ever gone glasses shopping with my mom or someone else to give me advice. And that was hard enough when it was American styles.

Now I'm dealing with Asian-style glasses, no mom in sight, and only a small Filipino boi to keep me company and offer advice. Let's just say, it wasn't good advice......

Then we went on exchanges with none other than my elder Elder Pond! I went up to Danshui (his home) and it was one of the booooougiest exchange of my life.

Guys the weather was perfect. And after we got on the train we got on a bus to take us to the apartment but we got on the wrong bus and instead we got off near a small library which we did Language study at. And they had a balcony and so I just chilled in the sun and (unbeknownst to me) annoyed everyone as I tried to speak Chinese.

I think that was the first time my toes had seen the sun in a hot second.

Then we went near the beach and taught a video call lesson. What a dope time.

Then we went to a beachside Starbucks and listened to a man play guitar as we finished our language study on the beachfront.

Super dope sick nasty other slang terms that make me hip and groovy.

We then taught an RC about temples and he had already gone and gotten his temple recommend and we had no clue! Straight up legend.

Elder Pond made us chicken curry noodles for dinner. They were a solid 8/10 which is pretty good. He's a hodgepodge master.

Then we had a street contact with a guy who was like, "Yah I don't believe in God anymore."

To which I replied

"Wow your English is really good!"

He wasn't speaking English...

Awkward.

But we started talking about experiences that we had feeling God's love fur us and really just bearing testimony that God existed, which he does, and that he loves us, which he does (you included), and that God is waiting for him to come back.

And I was inspired to share the story of Enos with him. Now I had never shared this on the street before so I wasn't sure exactly what to do. But since denying a prompting from a God is generally a stoopid thing to do, and I ain't no fool, I shared it with him and it went super awesome.

And then he said that he didn't want to meet with us.

Heart broken.

So we said a prayer with him and went on our way.

Elder Pond then shared with me that while we prayed with this man he had s strong feeling that God was so happy that we had given his son a chance to hear the gospel. That God was so proud of us for trying.

And isn't that just the truth. God is so proud when we try! To quote our prophet "God loves effort". He loves it when we exert our strength in pushing forward this the greatest work of all time, namely the gathering of Israel.

And he will be so happy when we try :) That's true! (du du dud ud du 1780....)

So we woke up on Friday and went to the office for interviews. I was kinda cranky because of lack of sleep, lack of food, and lack of spirt.

Then we went and did a service project (like the second one on my mission) and basically went and chopped down a forest with hand machetes. It was very rough. Super fun. And I have over 30 mosquito bites on my legs.... Oof.

But afterwards when we went back to do our work I was stressed out by everything and didn't think I could get stuff done. So I said a little prayer. Well many. And started. And as I worked I started to feel better! Getting things done made me happy. And even though I was still tired I wasn't cranky. So good.

Talked to an atheist. That was fun.

Also I wore contacts which I hadn't worn in like two years and I kinda enjoyed them tbh..... Oh no.....

Then Saturday I woke up to a loud of worriement because the future Is unknown sometimes. But that is okay. We went to the hospital for Elder Costales. Sat there for like 90 minutes. Finally got home and did some personal study. Took a lil nap because nap life = swag life.

Then a lil wps I just squished a spider. I thought I should put that in here my mom would be so proud of me.

Had some good lessons. And basically that was our day. It was full with other stuff but that was just stuff...

Then Sunday!!!! Woke up and went to church for the baptism of our friend Marina! Guys I love Marina so much and it was amazing to see her be immersed in the waters of baptism. May I just say how grateful I am that the true order and ordinance of baptism has been restored? That we can be baptized in the same way Jesus was in the Bible. Jesus was baptized by immersion. In the River Jordan. By John who held authority from God to do so. That authority, the priesthood, is on the world today! It was restored! And now we, like Jesus, in order to fufil all righteousness and keep the commandments of the father can be baptized. By immersion. All the way in and all the way out. By someone who has that power from God to do so. And afterwards, like Jesus, we can receive the Holy Ghost.

How happy I am that we have these truths and that Marina was able to experience them for herself.

Then we had a family history workshop before church and that was amaizng! It's so cool to see these new sisters' fire to do this work. All they want is to be baptized for their ancestors (oh yah we do that too, because God loves all his children even the dead ones, and wants them to be baptized too).

So amazing.

Then church. Also amazing. Marina got confirmed and got the Holy Ghost. Super cool hip swag.

Then we had a gospel essentials class with all the Filipinos.

Then we went to dinner with our ward mission leader who is one of the best men on earth. Love him so much.

Then we had our recent convert (RC) fireside! So I ran tech for that and did video and audio and we had over 600 views online and a lot of people there! What a great success!

Then we had a meeting with President where he basically told us that things were changing, but since there's missionaries in my mission on this email I can't say anything yet but they will find out eventually. Hahaha.

And then we went home and called it a rap!

What a great day. So much joy comes in serving God. A lot of it. In fact, according to the first presidency in Preach My Gospel "More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His children."

So find someone to serve.

And get some Joy!

Love you!

Elder Baird

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4ykWtXcyVCs18YFr9