Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 92 XINZHU: You get a miracle, and you get a miracle, and you get one and then all hell broke loose. Kinda.

Guys! The gospel is real! The church is true! And I am freaking legend*

*only under the influence^

^of the spirit obviously

So let's start out with the fact that my companion is leaving

still not sure where to yet (we find out tomorrow) but man these past 6 weeks have probably been the best of my whole mission. Easily. So many miracles and all while stuck in my apartment! Thanks elder Gardner for being a straight up G

So Monday. A member drove us and the sisters up to a mountain and it was pretty dope. Saw some freaking big spiders. Like hand sized. Not face sized thankfully. But it was fun to get out and into the wild. Well the "wild" of Taiwan.

It was fun. Then Costco. Which was also really fun. I love America. And Costco is just America. Even if it's in Taiwan. Sells weird meat. And a lots of tofu. It's still America! Hahaha.

Then we met with two kids who are prepping for their missions which I just love! I love helping other people get out on missions cause missions are just that great!

Then it was Tuesday. As we were doing our personal study we got a text saying that a member needed service. And when she said service she meant service! Haha. Moving 45 lb plates up 4 steps of stairs for a half an hour is definitely service hahaha. Oh well. It was a lot of fun!

We had district council and then had exchanges with the district leader which was fun! We had a good time. Had some good lessons and some fun biking time. There was a beautiful sunset and it made me happy cause I was a little sad. But God always be there with the natural beauty of this world. Love it so much!

The sun woke me up the next morning at 530 and so it was fun. Sunrise plus east facing windows just does that. We had some good studies and some good food (we eat like kings here at 7-11)

Got home and ate some dinner. Planned. And then we had our English group.

And that's when all Hell broke out...

Or rather broke in..

As in Lucifer joined our English group which is something we were definitely not expecting. And he didn't talk. Till the very end. And he was just a normal dude. I was pretty scared, but nope! All fine. Then he left. But we got his phone number.

They said the devil went down to Georgia, but actually he came to Taiwan to learn English. And we got his number, So that's pretty great!

(not as great as a golden fiddle but still)

Then came Thursday. The day of miracles. So my journal is pretty big. Each page has 36 lines and it's big. And basically every day I write one page or less. But not Thursday. I wrote 3 whole pages! That is how crazy it was! So let's just jump straight in right after the break!

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Do you feel tired? Are you lost in life? Do you have happiness? Is each day just the same thing one after another?

Well if you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Gospel is perfect or you!

Email me and find out more!

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Commercial breaks. Advertisers are trying to get into everything now. Videos, movies, music, and now even emails! What has capitalism done to us! HAhahah

So it all started with a mission devotional. Gave me lots of feelings. These feelings led me to pray. Which led me to feel God's love. Which led me to leak. Which led me to re-realize why I was out here and for what purpose. Which led me to just go crazy with the spirit!

Not gonna go into the details because that is for me, but the great thing i, each of you can have your own experiences with prayer! Try it today! Cause it is the best. Make sure to go and do it okay?

Anyways, then we started exchanges. The last exchange of the transfer. Kinda crazy that this was number 7. But time does that thing where it goes.

So I grab my new comp for the day Elder Miller and we start biking back home. We stop at the local plant store to buy a basil plant cause your Boi needs his fresh herbs. Tried to baptize the worker guy. He wasn't down. But he did take an English Group invite so that is a step in the right direction I'm sure!

Got home super sweaty (oh yah it's summer in Taiwan in case you forgot. We dying out here) and sat down for our first lesson. It ended in a technical difficulty catastrophe. But hopefully she felt the spirit right? haha.....

Then we had probably one of the sweetest experiences of my life. We were having a lesson with an LA of 9 years and his daughter came too. And we were talking about prayer and she asked "what is prayer?" and this lead to us watching this dad, an LA of 9 years, teach his daughter how to pray. It was one of the most tender experiences I have ever seen. I was trying so hard not to cry (succeeded! kinda...) but just to see this father start to come back and lead by example in his family. So we invited them to pray as a family! And it was just incredible! We're gonna get him back and sealed in the temple you better believe it!!!!

Then we had a lesson with Charlie (the referral from our bishop) and we taught him lesson 2 (plan of salvation aka the reason we are on this ball of dirt hurtling through space at millions of miles an hour) and just for future reference. If you're teaching someone who is smart, bring someone smarter (bishop) or else you are toast because their Chinese is way to advanced for you.

But we were fine! Woot! The lesson went swimmingly and was full of the spirit!

Then I made Thai yellow curry for my companion and I. Honestly speaking. I added too much water. But that was okay.

Then we had a lesson with a member and we asked for referrals. He gave us one which was a miracle! Then I did what preach my gospel teaches which is to ask for another one (now I had never done this in my life. But I felt the spirit. And I was on exchanges) and he gave us another one!?!?!?! What??? Miracles! (For those of you serving in places other than Taiwan, this doesn't happen. Like ever. So yah)

Then a lesson with an LA who asked elder Miller 20 minutes worth of questions about Hawaii (Elder Miller is Hawaiian)

Then we had a lesson with another LA that was incredibly spiritual and I felt the spirit literally guide what I was saying and I know I was speaking God's words to this his child. And that was incredible. And that is where I will leave that hahah.

And that was the night and it was just soooo awesome and I love the spirit so much. It's just great. Check it out sometime for sure!

Friday

We may be the first missionaries to stream on twitch.

That's right. You heard it. Elder Baird was streaming on twitch (a platform like YouTube, but instead of for recorded videos, it's for live videos)

So we have an LA who is a professional video game streamer. Like really professional. Plays in world competitions and stuff. And we called him Friday night and turns out he was streaming at that time.

So we basically just got to talk to his entire fan base and share the gospel with them. The chat would ask us questions and we would respond and it was sooo much fun. So basically we are super famous and we just talked to soooo many people. More than anyone else that day I'm sure. I felt like a real OG.

What a Meme.

Saturday was pretty fun. Started with a run. As great personal study. People skipped our lessons which was just swell. Then we met with a guy who Elder Gardner had taught at the beginning of his time in Xinzhu. And he set up with us again and it was an amazing lesson. He basically just came out and was like, I'm ready to start learning the gospel again which was just a huge miracle! He had said that he had asked some of his American co-workers about our church.

We braced ourselves.

And turns out his friends said that he loves this church, and even though he isn't a member he told our friend that he should meet with the missionaries. And so all of these things just started to click in his life and now we are meeting with him again! What a cool miracle that is!

Then 2 more people didn't show up to their lessons. I mean how hard is it to click the answer button on your cellphone? Pretty hard I bet! Haha, I'm sure they have great reasons and just happened to forget about their eternal salvation that day XD

That night a member family drove to our house and gave us mangos! This is something that all you guys are missing out on! Mango season in Taiwan is like heaven in heaven! Nothing could be better I'm sure and so that was awesome!

After that we did a digital temple tour with a different LA and it went so good (minus the technical problems at the beginning.) But it was such a spirt filled time and it gave him direction! To the point that he came to church, and he set a time to get a temple recommend with the bishop! This hasn't happened in soooo long and so we were hyped about that!

Then we met with another other less active ward missionary who Elder Gardner has never been able to get ahold of. And it was super great. Basically just became bros with him because that's what he needs.

And if Paul can be a jew for he jews and a gentile for the gentiles (see 1st Corinthians) then I can be a bro for the bros and a missionary for the members! Thanks Paul! You da best!

Then we had our last zone prayer of the transfer which was sad. But it really has been a great transfer and everyone has worked so hard especially in the face of opposition rearing it's ugly head suddenly. But it's been good!

Then we cleanse dour kitchen till we went to bed because we wanted it to be clean for the sabbath because cleanliness is next to godliness and the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath so repent Today and clean your kitchen is how the scriptures say it I believe. Quote me on that one sure.

Then Sunday. We went to church (shock) I fixed a bunch of coding problems for the office (shock) We had lessons (shock) and I called a bunch of people (shock)

My hardboiled eggs exploded. That was very sad making. Not sure how I feel about that.

Then that day we went to drop some cards off at a members house when suddenly the wind blew them away. So we played scavenger hunt in the middle of the streets of Taiwan on our bikes. Totally safe and totally would recommend for anyone over the age of 10*

*(18 and below should have adult supervision)

But we found them and were slightly annoyed because we lost one and now we were gonna be late for a lesson but we got it dropped off and all was well.

But on the way we met a guy from California who talked with us and said he wanted to go to church and meet with us! And so that was a huge miracle and so let's pray that he actually does have this desire!!!!

Then some lessons. Then some dinner. Then some lessons. Then a meeting. And then I wrote this!

And I finished Preach my Gospel. Our mission president challenged us to restart it 3 weeks ago and finish it by the end of the transfer. Finished it is, learned I am.

And that was the week! Hope yours was as spirit filled as mine! And if it wasn't? Then do the things that will give you access to the spirt! You already know what they are so just do them! And if you don't then ask someone who does (me)!

Love you all!

Elder Baird

Something About Socks

What is a miracle? The guy you met on the street wants to be baptized? You find 10 dollars on the ground? Your best friends buys you your favorite food on a day you're sad and you didn't even tell them? Jesus heals a bunch of sick people? 3 days of darkness? A day and night and a day that were just one day? Daniel doesn't get eaten by the lions? Shad, Mes and Bennie don't get burned by the fire and SEE JESUS??? You throw some swords over the wall and they don't make any noise?

Wait..

What???

Hold on... You throw some swords... Wait I'm confused...

Well let's open the scriptures! Alma 55:16-17 "And now this was according to the design of Moroni. And Moroni had prepared his men with weapons of war; and he went to the city Gid... And cast in weapons of war unto the prisoners... and all those things were done in a profound silence"

Okay... This may be the most underrated miracle in all of the book of Mormon, but to me I think it is super cool. Just think about it. How are you gonna throw weapons of war into a city? Over the wall right? Well they aren't on top of the wall, they're on the bottom. So they are gonna have to climb up and throw them over the edge.

Now I don't know if you've ever bundled a bunch of weapons together, but they ain't quiet when you move them. But somehow, Moroni throws enough weapons over the edge to arm everyone inside the city, even the women and children.

And so we see here that God has the power of controlling noise. How cool of a miracle is this??? Even though it's different than some of the other ones in the Book of Mormon does not make it any less miraculous.

It is the same in our life. Your miracles and my miracles are different. But if we look with a humble eye we will still see the hand of God in it all and we will now it is a miracle. I love this principle. Just that as long as we look with a humble and grateful eye we will see these miracles. And they might be little. But they are significant and they are from God. And just because they aren't as "cool" as someone else's story does not mean anything. Never discount God for what he has done for you. Never! Because he knows best, and since he loves us he will always help!

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