WEEK 73 TAIPEI: A beautiful week

Well. 

Welcome to Ninos Hotel. 

I hope you like the service. 

freakin yelp

Woop

Guys this week was awesome! Kinda not sure why. Other than I'm moving the greatest work in the world forward. 

Oh yah. That's pretty cool. That would make your week AWESOME! You should try it. 

Do you realize that? Do you realize that the gathering of Israel is the most important work of this age? Cause if not, that's sad :( you should go listen to the talks of President Nelson. He'll help out. 

So yah peeps. Let's move to the fun part! Dual wielding motorcycles! Errr... We actually can't ride motorcycles as missionaries. We will just go with bikes then! Probably easier tbh. 

So on Monday we kinda just sat around. My companion didn't want to go out so I read scriptures with my family and then once I was bored I took another missionary living with us and we hit the streets. 

I went to a Chinese instrument shop and that was DOPE! But I realized that the pipa is incredibly hard to play and also really expensive so that basically ruined all my dreams.

So then we went to a board game store and I bought some MTG cards in Chinese! So now I can play in Chinese which is pretty cool. 

Then we did other stuff like shopping and inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. 

Good day! 

Tuesday I learned more about eternal law which is like my new favorite thing. 10/10 would recommend to someone who has an extensive knowledge of the gospel and wants to go deeper. 

Then I was reading in ISAIAH and I UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING and I literally started tearing up it was so good. If that's not improvement I don't know what is. 

We took missionaries to the train station. 

Had a lesson with our recent convert. 

District council. 

Invited others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. 

Then I did abs and that sucked. What a great way to ruin a Wednesday morning. Learned more about the Apostasy. 

We helped an old white guy try to learn Chinese and I now know what my MTC teachers felt trying to teach me and Elder Broderick. Big rips. 

Then our lessons didn't show. Big sads. 

But we laughed a lot and guess what! I was way happy! Weird how those things connect.... 

I also spent the day inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel though you're probably not reading this so yah, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. 

Thursday my bike tire popped. It's been like 3 months in the coming and I never did anything about it. Finally happened. And by the grace of God I was on the sidewalk when it happened. 

Not racing down a hill after illegally hoping a fence with out bikes like last week. Thank goodness. 

We also went to a members house for dinner and the husband showed up like 45 minutes late which was kinda awkward. But like it's okay cause he is the President of the American Embassy* in Taiwan. 

I also spent the day inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them I hope you realize that this is an important thing for everyone not just missionaries and that's why I'm saying it and Enduring to the End. 

Friday was a great day and I memorized the 10 commandments in English. Don't know why it took me that long. But I could never get the hand signals down for some reason. But now I do! 

I had a super cool experience with prayer and that's all I'm gonna say about that. 

But for some background we had gotten stood up in a lot of lessons so we just hit the streets and wanted to hit our goal of talking to 15 people which is something we haven't been able to do recently. We don't have a lot of time outside generally so it can be hard to hit a goal like that. 

But we set out to do it. And as we did it we just kinda struggled. Ran into rude Americans. People who didn't want to talk to us. And we had a lil disagreement on how to contact people and make that work as a Companionship. 

But by the end of our finding time we had no setups or success and I was just feeling way down and off. Not how I want to feel as a missionary, especially when I have been doing my job of INVITING people to come unto Christ.... And endure to the end. We're only supposed to invite and I did that and I wasn't happy. 

So we went back to the office to do some other work. And I was sad. Prayed (see above) (you should pray today. Like kneel down and talk to God. Your Father. Maybe like even right now!) and then kept doing our work. 

Then as we were walking out for the night we ran into the Temple President because he lives in the building that we work at. 

And we visited for a while. And he just all the sudden starts thanking us for our work and proceeds to tell us his life story. And he goes on talking about how grateful he is for the missionaries and that they never gave up on him.

Guys he met with 60 missionaries in his conversion process! 60!!!! That is crazy! 

And he's just telling us for 15 minutes about how his life has changed and that the gospel took him from a man addicted to smoking and drinking and coffee and tea and who spent all his nights out partying and leaving his wife and children at home and never coming home, to where he now is as the President of the Temple. 

And I just wanted to cry. This was a miracle sent straight from God. Reminding me of my real purpose of my Mission. Inviting others to come unto Christ and Change! To improve! And to one day be perfected in him! 

It was a miracle from God to just put him right in our way and to just express gratitude for missionaries. 

It was a miracle from God and an answer to my prayers. 

How amazing. 

Well Saturday was also super special. Somehow every single thing I read in personal study, whether in the Bible or Book of Mormon, was all about humility and pride. 

God is a little obvious sometime not gonna lie. 

Then we got to go to the temple with some recent converts to do Baptisms for the Dead and that was amazing! I baptized 30 people that day. And it was just such an amazing feeling. I love the temple and I feel so connected with life while I am there. Just the chain of living and it goes through me. From my ancestors to my future posterity. And it is all in me. Pretty crazy. 

But our recent converts had an amazing time! They were just wanting to cry and it was so cool to see a recent convert progress in this way! Because to be honest, the few people I've helped baptize have never been able to progress as these people are, and I am so grateful for the blessing I have to know these amazing sisters! 

One of the RCs (recent converts) talked about how much peace and joy she had even though she had never done this before, but that she wasn't worried. 

Another one told me after that the last name that she did was a really FAT spirit because she had a hard time getting out of the water! It was funny. 

But yah they had a great time and we had a great time. 

Then we meant with an Indian man who really believes in Yoga. 

It was a lesson for sure. 

Then on Sunday before church we had a family history workshop where I helped another one of our RCs put the names of her mother and her deceased daughter into family tree and explained to her that she now can be baptized for them in the temple. 

She cried. 

I didn't. At least not outwardly. It was a very touching experience though! I love family history and I can't wait to learn how to do it more! Yall should learn now though! 

Then church was good even though we had no one come. That was sad. But a good day!

Then we had a gospel principles class with our new members and all the Filipinos and that was amazing! So great! 

Then dinner with the Omdahls and a lot of meetings and reports and that was it! 

What an amazing week! I just love inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and how atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the End! 

Hopefully you can do it too! 

Love you! 

Elder Baird. 

*It's technically not an embassy because politics, but that is what it functions as. 

Something about socks. 

Today's something about socks comes from this week's Come Follow Me, because what could be better than that! 

Nothing! 

So in Doctrine Covenants section we have what I believe to be THE most tender exchange between the Lord and one of his servants. In verses 20-21 I see the parental role of the Lord expressed more fully than in any scripture. And when I read this I couldn't help but cry. 

Just imagine! In your time of trial, having the voice of the Lord come to you and say "Behold, thou art Oliver" and in the next sentence say "Behold, I am Jesus Christ" 

Just go and read it and try to feel the amazing love in this section! It is beautiful to read and really impacted me! 

God loves us so much :) 

And for that I am grateful

WEEK 72 TAIPEI: Is there anything better than serving the Lord?

I would say not. But I'm pretty biased. Also the proof is in the email! But this week has just been incredible! And you know why? Because the Lord is goooooood! 

Let's start with a quote "The only thing more dangerous that a stick is a bigger stick" 

It's a beautiful quote isn't it. 

So Monday I went to the hospital. Cause my face. But we made it there with like 2 minutes to spare and so it was a huge miracle we made it there in time. I should probably have left earlier. But that is okay! They looked at me and were like, oh yah you've got problems, here's some drugs, bye. 

And I was like, I just waited like 90 minutes and that's all you do? 

But yah so I went home after that and then did some LA tracking (less active members for those of you not all hip with the colloquial vernacular of missionaries, we also say white washed. Not doubled out, Some people) 

:) 

So the Tuesday that came after the Monday that I just talked about was really good. We went on exchanges and so I went up to mother of heaven (天母) with my friend Elder yang. 

We then had a lesson with a man who kinda just wants to practice his English and so we just wanted to share a little bit. But we weren't quite sure what to share because he is just an interesting guy. 

But as we were teaching him I saw on the back wall there were the lyrics to I am a child of God in Chinese. And so after he finished talking and we could share a little bit, I shared the lyrics with him and just testified of the truthfulness of a loving Father in heaven. And the spirit was so strong!!! And I was just so happy to be testifying with the spirit and just knew he was feeling it and being touched!

And he rejected it

And that was hard. 

But that's what we do in life. Our part. We don't control the agency of others, but we do control ours. We had a 14-year-old in our ward give an amazing talk on choices today and agency is just so powerful. People can't make us do anything, and that is so nice! Like someone can't make you mad, you can only choose to be mad from what someone did. And people who don't believe that are just willingly surrendering there ability to choose and just become a victim. It's so myopic and I'm so grateful for the plan of salvation to extend our view :) 

Before that lesson though I was hungry and so I wanted a snack. On our way to the snack place I passed a lady on the street waiting for the bus and was like "that's a Fillipena" and so I was like, cool, and kept walking. 

I bought my snack. 

And as I was walking back she was still there. 

So I walked past her and was on my way into the church when the Holy ghost was like, "I'm literally telling you to talk to her, you going to or what?" 

And I was like, oh yeah I should probably do that. So I was like, "where are you from?" 

She looked at me odd and said the Philippines. 

So I started to talk in my broken Tagalog and she was like no way and then I was like my friend is actually Filipino, let me get him contact with you so we get her contact information and texted her and it was so amazing and it was a great miracle and it made me so happy that I had listened to the spirit and talked to her and I love run-on sentences and wow just so great! 

Then we knocked into an LAs house and I played the piano for her. Pretty fun. 

I also had a mint Oreo for the first time in a year and a half. 

Wednesday we had zone Conference which is always just amazing! Learned a lot. Like always. So great. 

Then we did a chapel tour with this man who brought his girlfriend and that was so good! 

Then we had dinner with a member

Then talked to a taxi man

Thursday I decided to apply everything I learned in zone Conference and really study for my friends (which is really hard BTW) and it was so great and I got good lessons and stuff ready for them. 

And they all don't show up. 

Agency is an amazing thing :))))))))))))))

Then we had a member make us dinner and give it to us, it was way nice. 

Friday was a great day as most Fridays are because they're the day before the weekend! 

Oh wait we don't have those... 

A good day non the less. 

We ate really good noodles in my old area because we went to go finding there because we can do that. #no are boundaries#only office Elder would understand #swag 

Also we went the the dentist and they cleaned my teeth for a buck 50. Socialism ladies and gents. 

But it was terrifying because for the x-ray this woman ripped me away from my companion and led me downstairs. Outside. Into another building down the street. And then downstairs again!!!! 

I have never been more uncomfortable in my life. I mean I've had companions run away and stuff but being taken away from my companion to ANOTHER BUILDING???? It was terrifying. 

The dentist said I had good teeth though! 

I talked to a scary American guy on Saturday. He was scary. And American. Those two things seem to always go together when we talk to people on the street in Taiwan. 

Then we went to an random LAs house and we knocked on the door and a nun-clothed man answered. Thankfully he didn't open the door all the way. We asked if Jervin was home. He was like "oh wait a sec" 

Like 5 minutes later he comes back and opens the door (clothed this time) and we start talking with him. We ask if Jervin is there and he's like "uhhhhhh, that's my brother" 

Liar

That was my first thought 

So we talk to him for a while in Chinese, and we find out that he is from the Philippines, so I like motion for my companion to start speaking Tagalog. But he's dumb and keeps speaking Chinese. He thought he was kidding. 

But he really was from the Philippines. And so then they started speaking. He invited us in. 

And revels himself as JERVIN!!!! HE HAS NO BROTHER. 

He said he was just trying to Char us (joke) but he just was scared. 

So we just talked with him and he's had a rough life lately and has fallen away from the church, but you could tell that he knew that the things he had been doing were wrong. And so now we know he exists and we will try to help him! 

Then on our way home we were on a walkway. And there was a fence on the walkway. And we needed to be on the other side of the fence so that we could get to the bridge to take us home. 

And so we hoped the fence with our bikes all while trying to stay hidden from the cops. It was pretty stupid. But we wanted to go home lol. 

There's a video attached but I'm not sure how the quality is. It's probably me just scream whispering that the cops are going to find us. Oh well. 

Then Sunday!!!! 

Celine got baptized! I don't have anytime to go into her story and so I really won't but it was miracles all around. Praises to God. 

I also went to Choir practice for the first time. They said I have to keep coming back now. Oooooh noooooo. I guess I'll have to keep going I guess.... I'm just sooooooo sad about that you know..... Could there be anything more tragic then the ward saying that I HAVE to be there every Sunday..... 

:)) 

Then we had like 7 friends at church and three of them were new and two less Actives and a confirmation and we were trying to juggle it all and it was super hectic. 

But during the sacrament I was able to just focus into myself and my relationship with God and it was a very revelatory experience for me. I love the sacrament so much! 

Then we had a lesson. Then a lunch. Then a dinner. Then we did reports. And then we went home. And I was just so incredibly happy!!!!! I love being a missionary so much! There's so much happiness and Joy to be found if you do it right! And that is to do it God's way. And guess what, our lives are like that too! So amazing!!!! 

Anyways, I'm going to call it here. Running out of timeeeee

I love you all! 

Elder Baird

Oh also I forgot to stop the water at the baptism, and so it was literally a jacuzzi temperatures baptism. Like it was hot. 

At least it wasn't ice right? 

They should just install jets in the fonts... 

Something About Socks:

So in Come Follow Me we read Doctrine and Covenants 3-5. And chapter 4 is just great. And this is why I think there is nothing better than serving the Lord. 

Verse 4 states "he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul" 

God's work brings salvation to our soul. Could there be anything other than that? 

Nope :) 

Pictures! 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f7DNai29VSeBJgxKA

Me and the painter boi

Zone

Zone

Preaching the word!

Meme

Baptism!

Asian parks

WEEK 71 TAIPEI: A week of looooooove

Hello

It's me

I was wondering if after all these weeks you would like to read.

An email.

Froooom me.

HEeELLOOo fROOMM TAIWAAAANAAAAAAAN

I MUST HaVE WroTE A LOt Of TIIIIIMEMEMEMSSSS

To tell you my liiiiife. And all the things that I'm doing.

BUt wheN I wriTE YoU never, seem to respond.

-_-

That was waaaaaaayy too much fun!

But I hope the message was clear :)))))

So let's move onto my email. Because that is the good times. Let's start on Monday. Because Monday is a special day it's the day that we do P day. And we played bowling! That was fun, I haven't played in a long while so that was way fun! I bowled 138 my first time so that was fun! Then we played 3 more games because it's soooo cheap to go here! Way fun. I eventually just started throwing them with a ton of curve cause it's fun but I hurt my hand. Whoops.

So then Tuesday came around and I had but some bananas and dragon fruit in the freezer so I could use them in my shakes. Learn wisdom. Don't put bananas or dragon fruit with peel on in your freezer. I couldn't peel them.

So after letting them thaw I peeled 40+ bananas Tuesday morning. Frozen bananas. Why does autocorrect correct both of these different bananas into the same thing. So odd.

It froze my fingers. Then I called a tooon of land lords about our apartments cause that is what I deal with. Fun times! Good District Council. We going haaaam.

Then Wednesday was MLC. So I translated and let me tell you folks, my Chinese has gotten a loooooot worse. That is kinda sad. But my translation skills are not what they used to be. But that is life I guess!

After I went to MLC I went on exchanges with Elder Pond and that was fiiiiiiiiire. We found 3 friends and it was sooooo cool! We had a super killer English Conversation Group thanks to Elder Pond and a healthy dose of the Holy Ghost. Pretty legendary.

Then we had a great "civics" discussion. Let me tell you. Pretty good. And that is all that we are going to say about that.

All in all a good day!

Then Thursday. What a great day! Personal study was super good. Learned about the bread of Life. I love bread. Then I had  a lesson with Brother Wang. This was one of the coolest experiences of my mission I have to say. He is an 0old man that doesn't have much in the way of money, health, sight, presence, room, or anything. I've never met someone like this before. But his love for God in the limited way that he is able was amazing to see.

Called a lot more contracts that night and it went so good. Then I tried to call a potential. And he didn't answer. So I said a prayer (cause he said he would meet with us) and I called him!!!!

And he didn't answer.

So much for prayers I guess....

So I prayed again.

And then I prayed again.

And then I Called him and he answered!!!! And I was able to teach him and to say a prayer with him and we got a new friend and it was awesome! I love the power of prayer! That's actually my goal recently. I have an alarm for every hour to say a prayer, and it is really helping me to always remember him which I am loving! Highly recommended. 10/10. 7/5 even.

Then Friday was 6 week follow up. More translation. Then our walls were inspected by a professional city dude.

Then we went street contacting on the way to an LAs house. I learned the importance of letting my words be guided by the spirit in my contacts. I contacted one guy and kinda just plowed through a contact how I wanted to. Shared the scripture I wanted. And didn't ask any inspired questions. And he was like "nah"

So we went on and I just felt so bad. I realized that I hadn't let the Holy Ghost do its job in the contact.

So I was like, well I better repent. So I contacted another guy and did my best to just follow the spirit and share a connecting scripture and ask inspired questions. And he was like "nah"

But I felt so much better! I was happy after being rejected, because I knew that he had made an educated decision, and that the spirit was there. And so that was really cool!

Wow my personal studies have been so good lately! Awesome! how are yours going recently? What had you learned in the past day from the scriptures. Tell me about it! I want to hear the inspiration you're getting and share mine with you in a more personal matter! So reach out!

Then Sunday. We had church. Good times. Got to take the sacrament so that makes everything great! Then we had a family history meeting with our RCs and that was super good! They are all so excited! Then a big Filipino lunch. Then we went to a members house for dinner and that was awesome! Love the Rose Family! Brother Rose is an IT worker for the state department and travels to work at embassy and stuff. Sounds like a life I could get behind!  (It's actually way cool to talk to someone doing what I'm looking into! What a great miracle of being in this ward! God is soooo Goooood!)

Anyways, I'm tired. So I'm going to end this here. I hope yall had a fantastic week and that you are finding peace in Christ. I know things are crazy right now. But your life doesn't need to be. We can be centered on Christ and that is amazing and brings the peace our lives need.

So yah. Focus on him. Not on the (insert catastrophe of choice here)

Love you!

Elder Baird

BREAKING NEWS:
There's a new way to hear all about Elder Baird time in Taiwan! No longer do you have to scroll back through all my emails during your daily "Have to read something that Elder Baird wrote" fix!

Thanks to the hard work and countless hours of a mother who is too nice there is now a new way!

https://elderspencerbaird.blogspot.com/

Click on the link above and you will be taken to an internet blogging platform that will have all my letters and pictures in one place! As well as added pictures and videos never before seen! So there you go! Invite all your friends as well! The more the merrier!

If you'd like to support the blog please send all your love in the form of a package to the address listed on the blog! 

Something about socks

What does it mean to love your enemies? What does it mean to forgive? What does this look life in normal human life? These are questions that have been pouring over my mind. Especially because of everything that is going on. There is so much hate and contention in the world and the states right now. And that scares me. And it terrifies me when I too feel some of these feelings.

I want to share the experience of one of our friends this week.

While we were meeting her we were reading in the scriptures. Somehow something lead her to start talking about her employers and people in the past who have treated her bad. And when I say treated her bad I mean like employers who would beat her when she messed up. She talked about how there were times where she would want to call the cops. But wouldn't. She talked about these hard times and how she just wanted to love them. Have that Christ like love.

And so in her prayer she just starts crying as she asks God to bless these people and to help them. And to forgive them. And she was just crying. And I was crying. I had never heard anyone prayer for their enemies before, and the humility and love from this sweet sister who isn't even a member of our church yet just made me weepy.

And I realized that she had tapped into the love that Christ has for each of us.

In John 8 we read of Jesus' miraculous forgiveness of the woman taken in adultery. He shows us that he loves us all and will pardon us even though we are sinners. And that as Christ shows mercy for us, we need to show that to others.

It reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads "don't judge me because my sins are different than yours" How much better would life be if we could live by this. If we could just not judge people for their beliefs. If we could love them even when they do stupid things.

And Jesus was not condoning the action. Not in the slightest. He told her that he was not passing judgment on her yet, that would be saved for the last days, but that she had time to repent. We cannot condone evil action. But can we at least try to not treat people with animosity?

The interesting thing of this story is that Jesus said that those with out sin could cast the stone. He thereby gave himself permission by this law to cast the stone. He was the only perfect one there, and is the only perfect one ever.

He is the only one who can cast the stone. And he could cast that at her. At you. And at me. At the person on social media. At that person you've never met. At anyone. Because we are all sinners.

But he doesn't. In his infinite grace and mercy he gives us time to repent and to love others. What would life be like if we tapped into that love? It would be amazing. But it starts with you. And it starts with a prayer pleading to our Heavenly Father, the God of this Earth and the universe, to give you some of that love. And to "pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love"

I don't know. But I hope that you can do this. It will change your life. It's changed mine.

Pics 

Bowling proof

This is my best friend in the winter

MLC generation pic

This is Santa

Our nice "winter" day of 75

Starbucks stud

It was pretty hot... 

Cloud 9?

If you get it you're probably Roman.

MLC pic

Zone prayer... 

Selfie

Quality meme