Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 88 XINZHU: Did someone say quarantine???

Wow, What a week. Wow what week. Wacky week. Wacktastick week.

So like this week was crazy. I just didn't even know what was going on other than Covid

So covid has taken a turn for the worse in this little island on the southern side of China. As in, we are basically just in our apartment. Which sucks.

We can still go outside, but people don't want to be outside and so they don't like talking to people while outside. So it just doesn't work out very well. So we have switched on to the good old internet way of teaching the gospel. Stay tuned!

So Monday for Our first P-day in Xinzhu we basically went to Costco and because of trains and stuff we took like 3 hours round trip and so that basically was the whole day. So not much to say there.

Then the power went out country wide (scary) and luckily our area wasn't hit but we texted everyone we knew if they were okay and got soooo many conversations started with people who would never respond to us so it was kind of a miracle.

Honestly, pray for Taiwan, Between random country wide power outs, water shortages and stoppages, country wide power company computer failure, and and increase in the virus forcing everyone inside and to wear masks while in the car on penalty of being fine 15000 kuai we are in a rough place. People are scared. Thankfully we are sharing peace!

Too bad still sooo many people don't want it. That is okay though, we will keep trying!

Tuesday brought our first district council which was semi effective. Being a zone leader at district council is weird because you are like the leader of the district leader who is the leader of you because you are in his district and it is all just very confusing. Much like the song "I'm my own grandpa" If you haven't listened to it and you are not serving a mission right now, I highly recommend searching it up. You will probably have to have subtitles. It is hilarious.

Wednesday brought MLC. Now this is the 5th time I've attended MLC, but the previous 4 times I was always in charge of translating, and for anyone who has done on the spot translating before, it is really hard to ingest what the speaker is saying because you are spitting it out so quickly in a different language. So being released from this duty MLC was a lot more fun and uplifting, and just a better learning experience. Although I miss my translating days, I'm definitely way more happy being outside.

I say outside, but honestly this past week I've spent more time inside than I ever did while in the office, and so that is kind of an odd thing.... Oh well.

Anyways, after NLC we had exchanges with the APs which was fun! Since I've lived with the APs for the past 5 transfers, wasn't that odd. Especially since we spent the whole time in the chapel. So hahaha lol XD got 'em

We then had Thai food for dinner! And guys! I finally found a Thai restraint that kind of resembles Thai food! For some reason none of the Thai food in Taiwan tastes Thai. But this one kind of did! They even had green curry, granted it wasn't spicy which I don't understand, but that is okay.

Then I went with my AP companion Elder Liu and we actually went and visited his parents because I am serving in his home ward so that was kind of cool. Could you imagine knocking your own parents door on a mission? That would be odd.... He loved it though!

Then we had Thursday. I almost got my goal of 100 pushups in 4 minutes. Sadly I didn't. Only 92. But we will get it soon!

I love setting goals. Preach my Gospel talks so much about setting goals and having a vision. I recommend going and read in it in chapter 8. You probably won't. But at least I invited you.

Then I did something I thought I would never do again as a missionary. Drive through the McDonald's drive through. We don't have a car down here cause we aren't the office. But the APs actually had to drive down here, so we just took the car and got McDs for lunch. That was fun!

Then we were teaching a returned missionary and then half way through he told us we had offended him and weren't teaching him right and said he had to leave. Agency folks.

Then we had an awesome lesson with Tom and he is wanting to improve so much and so we talked about weakness which is something I love talking about especially as I keep learning more about Ether 12!

Friday brought a day of stuff. We met with a guy who we thought had given us a referral. So we get on the call with him and are like, How is Rick.

Who's Rick?

The friend you wanted to introduce to us...

You mean Jessica??

Guys we got the name and gender COMPLETELY WRONG!!! It was hilarious!

So that was awkward. Then we ask how she is and when we can meet her and share with her. And He's like... But she's already a member...

And we just died laughing, it was one of the most embarrassing things I had done with a member. So 丟臉 (throw face)

Then we had like 4 more lessons.

I think I've taught more lessons in this week than I did the whole entire time I was at Tianmu. That is not saying much... But still! It has been crazy! We have had so much to do being stuck inside and to be honest I'm going a little crazy! There is soooo much! And we are having like 8 lessons in a day and back to back and trying to keep everything straight and it is all very new and not easy.

But that is okay. It's not supposed to be easy. That's what Elder Eyring's mom said at least. (see his conference talk which I'm too lazy to quote here)

Well lots of lessons on Saturday. Went outside once. That was fun. Called a ton of people. Ripped apart frozen meat. I mean just all the things a normal missionary does in a normal day.

Sunday was today, or is today, or I guess was yesterday by the time you read this. While I guess it will be Sunday when some of you read this eve though it will be Monday for me. Living in the future is hard work!

We had stake conference online. That was interesting. Technical problems. We actually had a lot of those in our lessons today. That is okay. Kinda.

We speak the entire day inside. Didn't leave once. Big rip. Going crazy.

We actually had some great lessons today! We had one kind of great Bible bash. There is nothing that gets by blood going in missionary work as much as Bible bashing. Like people just slandering the church makes me mad but I can push it off. But when it comes to Bible bashing oh boy give me some heart medication cause Ima need it!

Hahaha it wasn't that bad. I just love the Bible and don't love it when people misinterpret it. But that is their prerogative and I know they feel the exact same way about me.

Anyways I'm running out of time and need to get this out so this is the end!

Love you All!

Bye!

Elder Baird

Something About Socks

I literally gave two awesome invites, read PMG 8 about goals and the mysterious quote from conference. They're great!

Pictures!

Being inside all the time doesn't make for a lot of pictures.