Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 97 XINZHU: A week of tempests and whirlwinds and earthquakes in diverse places........ Kinda

So there were earthquakes this week!

Well...

Super small ones

So there was a typhoon this week!!!!

Kinda...

I was so hoping that this was the day! I would finally be able to experience a typhoon. Since I've gotten on island there has not been one that hit Taiwan.

Sister Peterson is of course to blame for this, her prayers moved all of the typhoons. Some got close last year, but her prayers always pushed them away.

So I was hoping that after she left () this one would hit us, but at the very last moment it swerved out of the way and we just got a little rain.

I guess her prayers are still with us! What a great blessing (if not a disappointment to all of my dreams of experiencing a typhoon)

Anyways, pretty gravy week if I do say so myself.

So P-day went down with me winning a chess game and going on a hike. We also tried to order McDonald's online. It didn't work. So Elder Tan's mom came in clutch and ordered it for us. I'd already eaten so it was whatever, but also, McDonald's tastes worse here than it does in America if that is even possible. So wow.

Tried to get super spiritual with a less active member, he didn't go for it. Next time tho, I'm sure!

Tuesday brought with it a load of surprises, and a big old new elder.

Enter, Elder Blackhurst! So we got thrown into a trio this week which was pretty unexpected. We now have got a new elder, and I feel like I'm finally a father! Kind of! He's technically on his second transfer here in Taiwan, so by that logic I am in fact, his trainer.

However, I am just a culture trainer, Elder Blackhurst served in Utah for 11 months before finally making it to Taiwan.

But, in the little way that it can count, I was able to train on my mission! How cool is that?

Well, after we got our new companion, we started trio life, this is my third trio, so I'm pretty used to it by now, but it is rather hard. It's okay though! We went and gave black beans to a family (don't ask why) And then we had district council.

Ate some good Thai food and finished off the night with a couple of lessons, and that was about it!

Wednesday brought with it a lot of pull-ups. I don't even know why.... It just did. Then I got some dope revelations in personal study reading in Ether 12. I might even share it in my something about socks today, I'm still thinking about it... Hopefully I will have figured it out by the time I get there.

We then met with a catholic guy who was totally chill with our message and all about learning more! The truth is the truth ladies and gents, and that's the truth!

No one came to our English group that night which was pretty sad. But we did a puppet show which was pretty fun, so it is okay.

Thursday was exchange day! And interviews! It was great to see President Yang again, and I'm so grateful for his service there, sad that I will only know him for such a short period of time, but that is how it goes!

After our interviews I went with Elder Miller and Elder Blackhurst to Elder Miller's area. We had a good time, and it was 3 Americans all in a trio together. It was the most English that I have spoken in a loooong time.

We didn't have bikes so we had to take a taxi and he totally cheated us money, but it is okay because I have Christlike love, even for the sinner. (which is good, cause Christ has love for me, a sinner)

That night we talked a looooot. It was pretty fun.

But honestly... It was soooo much English. I wonder what going home is gonna be like QQ

Well, I slept on the floor and then it was Friday.

This was the day that years of voice acting for work, and countless hours spent reading Harry Potter paid off. I never knew that my work would help my mission, but it did.

That morning, we were called upon to help a woman's children with their homework. Their homework was to read the Harry porter script. So, we spent about 20 minutes playing the Harry Potter script and it was soooo much fun! It was two little 7-year-olds with great English and one of them did a KILLER Aunt Petunia. Like dang girl.

So that was probably one of the highlights of my mission. Voice acting the Harry Potter script. Pretttttty nice!

Then did the planning of the week. Good times.

Then we found of that next week we would leave level 3 of quarantine! Which means next week I might be able to meet some members before they ship me out!!! I was pretty hyped about that not gonna lie.

I had made some steamed vegetables that night, and so we just sat around our table and contacted people as the three of us ate vegetables out of a pot and commented on how good they were.

I felt like an adult. Only old people comment on how good steamed vegetables are as they eat them with their friends... It was odd.

Then I taught my culture baby, Elder Blackhurst how to play Chinese chess. It was pretty fun. I won. Obviously ;)

Saturday we were doing a mini MTC thing where we had lessons with some youth. And I got to role play as one of our friends which was pretty fun. Good memories right there.

One of the members we have been working with for months finally was able to meet with the bishop which was a huge miracle. I love it when people progress. It makes me soooooo happy!

I guess it probably makes God soooooo happy when I progress too then.

And when you progress too.

I guess we should all keep progressing then! Yay!

Also, I made Elder Blackhurst talk to a guy on his motorcycle, and it was his first time! I felt like such a great person. I remember when my trainer pushed me to talk to someone for the first time. So scary. But he crushed it.

Honestly that was about it. But I did buy a super cool food panda jacket. I'm so 帥

Sunday we woke up and had a meeting at 7:00 AM

I don't know who's idea it is to have a meeting at 7:00 AM, but they should be fired. Like dang. Early bird gets the worm I guess.... To be honest though, I feel like I'm more of the worm in this situation than I am the bird. Oh well.

After that we had church. I've been here almost two years, and I still don't understand all of church. Oh well. A lot more than the beginning, ha.

Then we had some studies and some more meetings. Some food. I made some super yummy Kung Pao Chicken 東西. Pretty much a pro.

After wards we had a couple other lessons, and some other meetings. I love teaching soooo much! It is definitely my favorite part of being a missionary. Well, mostly just bearing testimony. Because I love feeling the spirit and helping others feel it as well!

Anyways, that is pretty much all for this week. Your opportunities to email Elder Baird are running pretty low. The end is near. So make sure to repent and send me an email!!!! Hahaha, love you all! I will be seeing you all before you know it!

Love,

Elder Baird

Something about Socks

Okay, luckily I decided on what I wanted to share about. It took me a while cause I've got three really cool things that I wanted to share, but... Due to the fact that hardly anyone reads this anyway, and the fact that if I put 3 no one would.

So I have chosen to share my thoughts on Ether,..,....

12.....

Twenty............six.

Hahaha, you thought it would be 27, nope!

26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

AWESOME, the verse that everyone seems to skip over as they rush to get to verse 27. Here is my note from it.

No advantage of your weakness. What does this mean? I'm thinking about this and at first I was like, well no duh, Moroni is gonna be dead by the time the gentiles read this. So... No problem right?

Then I started thinking a little more about this and the thing that Moroni is scared of here is people not being converted. So taking advantage of his weakness could mean Moroni is worried that because of his weakness people won't believe.

But God says that if they are humble they will learn, and that if Moroni is humble then this won't happen. All because of his grace. Okay we've got that.

Now how does this apply to us. Fools mock. Sometimes we get mocked because of our beliefs. But if we are humble, God's grace is sufficient that their mocking won't take advantage over us. As in if we stay with Christ their mocking will not inhibit us from Eternal Glory. This is our end goal. We are weak, and we may be mocked. But this cannot give them power over us IF we are meek. If we stay with God.

The mocking hand can have incredible sway over people. Look at the tree of life. Fools mocked, some fell away. But the truly meek and humble could not be taken advantage of. The Holy Ghost just helped me make this connection. I've never thought about it like this before! Yah!!!! Anyway, yah I think that is what this means. We cannot lose eternity because of someone's mocking unless we turn to it and away from the Lord.

So when we are getting mocked we can remember this scripture. And know that if we keep an eternal perspective, these things cannot take advantage over us. Doesn't mean it's gonna be easy, in fact it may even be harder. But our eternal destiny will remain secure!

Oh, and the fools will mourn when their building comes a tumblin' down.

So the next time you're being mocked just remember this. Be humble, and don't let them take advantage of you, because through the grace of Christ, and faith on his name, you can prevail over them all!

Oh by the way, for those of you who don't want to come see me in person for my homecoming, there will be a Zoom link. So don't you worry, you can still see my beautiful face :)))))))

Pictures!!!!