Honestly this was a pretty chill week!
Other than allll the not chill stuff that happened! Well, I mean it was chill, but just super hot chill you know? Like hot chilly peppers. I think that's a thing??
Let's take a start with Monday!!! We got transfer news! I'm staying here in Xinzhu for my last transfer (as expected) and my new companion is........ Drumroll......... More drums.....
More drums.......
Elder Tan!!!!
Hahaha none of you know who that is. And to be honest I didn't really either! The only thing I knew about him when I opened my call was that he is in the Taiwanese military so that's pretty cool cause I'm like military and all that. So pretty swag.
Then the sisters were like, let's go to the beach. We will pay for the taxi! So we were like, we've got nothing better to do so let's go for it! So we hopped in a taxi and drove to the beach. The taxi driver was like, what are you crazy white kids doing. Can't you see it's raining outside? That's when we realized it was raining. Then the beach was closed. Then we went to another place. Then we walked out for like 10 minutes around the dark stormy beach, then one of the sisters was sick. Then we went home.
And that was our P-day trip to the beach! Enthralling! (It was actually pretty lit for those 10 minutes so not complaining, and we literally had nothing better to do soooooo)
Tuesday morning we did another 5k and Elder Gardner taught me how to change my breathing and it literally changed my life! I ran so much better and by the end I was like yo is it over?
Let me just tell you folks. Oxygen is important for the normal function of the human body. Make sure you're getting your recommended dose of daily oxygen, which for the average adult eating 2000 calorie diet based on the daily values is... A lot. Your recommended dosage may be above or under the daily values.
Then we had district council. Outside again. Until it started to rain. Has anyone ever done sacrament in the rain before? How'd it go? We moved inside so we didn't actually get to do it. Oh well.
I called a guy that we had met earlier that week. He didn't answer the phone. So I finished reading 2 Corinthians. Good stuff. And then I decided to call him again. As I was calling him I told Elder Gardner "I really don't have faith that he would answer" and as I finished that sentence he picked up the phone.
That was a spiritual slap to the face. Needless to say after the phone call I said a very earnest prayer for forgiveness. Good learning experience for sure! Have faith kiddos. It's better than being slapped by the spirit!
Then we met with our favorite LA (the one who taught his daughter to pray on last week's episode of the elder Baird letter) and we shared about the plan of salvation and about temples and how awesome eternal marriage is and we were like, do you want that? And he as like yah! So now we're working on that and it is super exciting!
And we had a bunch of other lessons but no time to report on those. They were good!
Then we woke up. For Elder Gardners last day in Xinzhu. Kinda sad. But we started it ou with a mission leaders conference which was pretty great. President said that we were doing good and that is about all I can ask for! We met with a young man and he set a date to go on his mission which was great! I love helping people go on missions! It's my favorite! Then we had English Group. A member gave us dinner. And we just called it a day! The last day :(((
Waking up was sad. Elder Gardner finished his packing. And off to the train station we went. I dropped him off and waited for my companion! Who came!
And that was the beginning of my adventures with Elder Tan. We started it off right by eating lunch. Yum. Then we had a couple of lessons. Did some language study. And had dinner!
Now, Elder Tan had brought with him the new water filters. In Taiwan you use a water filter, because if you don't... Well... You'll die I guess. And the church gave us some new ones so we went to work setting it up.
For those of you who don't know I'm a professional plumber. And being a professional plumber means you get water.
Everywhere.
Which I did rather effectively.
Turns out that the pipe was too big. So we couldn't install it. Sad.
So the next day we call a guy to switch the pipe (if we had had the part I coulda done it I promise!) And boom we had water.
Friday was a pretty good. Honestly just a tooooon of planning. We had weekly planning and zone vision planning and daily planning and all of our studies and it was a lot. We got soaked going to the store cause Taiwan love randomly raining and I had a big bowl of oatmeal gloop for dinner. Pretty good day!
Saturday was just more lessons as usual. Didn't leave the house once. I guess this is probably what prison is like? We just are filled with joy because of the spirit and we're doing God's work. The days actually go by remarkably fast for being inside the whole time. That is a miracle if I ever knew a miracle for sure! We had a bunch of lessons, and I would tell you about each one if you cared and if I had time. Neither of those are true. Two negatives make a positive. So heeeerrre we go!
Just kidding. It was a good day. we will leave it at that.
Then we went to bed.
Then we woke up.
And what we woke up to was surprising.
Water... On the floor. Again. Turns out or fake professional guy didn't do it right.
After further investigation we found out that the water filter was leaking. That is not what a water filter is supposed to do mind you, so we were slightly confused. A wonderful way to begin your Sunday morning. So I finished reading Ephesians which was awesome. Such a great book of scripture. And then we had church. Then studies. Then lessons. Then more lessons. Then more studies. Then dinner. Then lessons and calling people.
And then it happened.
Our final time with President. We did a Zoom video call. And that was the last time I'll see him in Taiwan. I am so grateful for him and his wife. They have been amazing! And it is hard to send them home. Really hard. But it is there time. While we were in the meeting the spirit testified tome incredibly strongly that the new mission president was called of God. It was an incredible experience.
It reminded me of when I got to see President Nelson speak for the first time in priesthood session and the spirt bore a powerful and undeniable witness that he was called of God.
Like when just a couple weeks ago the spirit bore a powerful and convincing witness that Joseph Smith was called of God.
Like when, every day, the spirit gives me peace and assurance that I am called of God.
How grateful for that I am. This time here is incredible. I'm so glad for my fellow servants in the work. Especially for Elder Hughes! He's gonna do wonders out there! We all do in this work!
And you can to at home! So go and do the work! That's all the time I got! Please send me an email if you love me and if you don't well then I know where your heart is!
Love you all
Elder Baird
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