WEEK 4 BURNABY: Good Morning USA!!! . . .

Ohh wait, that's akward... Well I guess Good Morning Canada!!! I'm officially here. Lowkey probably had ya'll shivering in your timbers, but it's okay everyone, I'm fine. My P-day is now on Tuesday.  But yeah, I'm in the great bueatiful BC. It's fall, the leaves are changed, it's sweater weather, I'm eating real food and really good food, and I'm on the Lord's mission. So I'd say it's pretty good. Life is pretty awesome. And I'm really happy.

It's crazy to think that a week ago I was back at the MTC packing my bags with a solid 45, 28, and 37 pound bag. Light Work. Whilst everyone around me was having a panic attack cause their mamas never taught them how to pack I guess. Moral of the story, don't over pack or it's gonna cost you a butt ton of money. But last Tuesday was chill, I played the piano and watched another baller devotional. This time I sang as a bass in the choir. I guess you can call me the Jack-of-all-trades. hehe. Then gave my farewells to the blessed district.

Wednesday came way to early, and I mean that literally. Waking up at 4:30 in the morning is not fun and do not recommend. Get your sleep, cause you realize that once you're not getting 10+ hours of sleep a day, life gets hard. (take me back to summer). We got on a plan, and ended up here. We went to the mission home and met the Vincents. W people. Then stuffed 26 people into the house. Let's just say waiting for 10 dudes to shower gets really annoying if they not in and out in 2 minutes.

The next morning we went to the mission church and got our assignments. I got blessed to be in a trio, and am serving with Elder Flake and Elder Tai in the Burnaby area. Now I'm here, and am having a blast. We've been ballin out. Lots of street contacting and finding, going to all sorts of parks and places to do studies and meet people, and having so much fun. My two trainers are also the Zone Leaders, so I've been apart of lots of meetings and different things, so that's been fun. My ward is a half Cantonese and half Chinese ward, so obviously, I understand about 25% of it. The accents here are crazy hard to understand, but we chillin. I'll learn. Also, this place lowkey is as diverse as I've ever seen, there are sooooo many different types of people here and different languages and cultures. It's so cool.

Anyways, back to another episode of your super friendly humble Elder Baird. We had Zone Conference a couple days ago, and I won a push-up contest. Light work. I'm also like Asian-level ping pong player. It took our friend 10 minutes of teaching me to turn me into the newest olympic gold medalest. We taught come follow me. We also got invited to hot pot, which was incredibly super delicious. Also, miss the chocolate milk, but I dare say that I'm feasting over here.

That about sums it up. We had a comp study about the atonment, and let me tell you, it's incredible. If you haven't today or recently, study the atonment. You will learn something new everytime you study it, and you will feel the immense love our Savior has for you. The atonment is the greatest gift and blessing ever. We truly do have a best friend. You have a best friend. His name is Jesus Christ, and hes got so much to give. His arms of mercy are extended towards you, so run into his embrace.

Last flic with blessed district number 1

The trinity

Catch me feasting upon the words of christ (and really really good food)

They call me the church shoe killa

So very Bonita

WEEK 3 MTC: Bonita Elder Fenn

Welcome back to another week of how many classes did Elder Baird fall asleep in?

Surprisingly, none. Now have I remembered anything from said classes and workshops. No. Not really. But I felt the spirit and it kept me awake, so I guess that's good enough.

This was actually week 1. 1 full week of MTC. 1 full week of mediocre food, and very delicious chocolate milk. 1 full week learning chinese. 1 full week of feeling the spirit. and 1 full week of eating chips and queso. (That's the actual thing keeping my body nourished). But this week has been great. I'm tired all day everyday, until I get back to the dorm, and I can't proceed to fall asleep because we are doing way to much talking and some shenanigans. And yes we are doing miracle time, I'm not that disobedient of a missionary. The true reason I don't get any sleep though is because we have a chainsaw in our room... Elder Fenn.... I don't know how bro does it, but he's got like 50 different snores pre-loaded at the sound of a JBL speaker at full volume.

This week we got to do two temple trips which is always amazing. I got to do sealings which was really awesome. It just makes me remember how lucky I am to be sealed to my amazing family. Just remember how lucky of an opportunity it is that we get to live with each other for time and eternity. God is good.

But classes and chinese, learning how to be a missionary. All the good stuff. It's been great and I've had fun. Even though we live in poverty hills, I still love being here, and I'm kinda sad to leave. But next ya'll hear from me, I'll be in the far off state of Canada. It's okay to be jealous. But I love ya'll and love hearing from you guys. Thanks for all the prayers. I know I'm finna have the best two year and hope ya'll have the somewhat best two years. If only I was there with you guys then it might be the best. But I'm blessed, I'll pray for ya'll to be blessed.

Prank of the week. Our roommate may or may not have laced the other roommate's ramen with laxatives. Come to find out, his ramen was stolen by another elder, and a couple hours later we heard someone having some troubles in the restroom. Sooo uhhh.... Rip.

Final thought, be happy. Life can be hard, we all have trials but be happy. Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy. God wants us to have joy. He knows. He knows everything we are going through and what we want. Just trust him. It's what keeps me going everyday. I'm here for a reason, you're where you're at for a reason. He needs us in the places we're at. Also tuesday devotionals are goated. Don't bury your talents. We've all been given them, go use em'.

Bon voyage friends

Me and bonita Elder Fenn lookin cutesie

Hardest pic yall will ever see

The aura is out of this world

Skyridge reunion pt. 2

Skyridge reunion pt. 2

WEEK 2 MTC: Be Homesick

Now I get to truly know who reads my emails. For those who don't will now think I'm sad and depressed and miss my home. But if you actually read this then you'll find out the subject is just the subject. (And yes guys, obviously I miss y'all, but like also, I'm having a party so like...)

The term homesick comes from my interview with my stake president before I got set apart. He asked me if I got homesick. I told him no. And he's like ohh you will, and you are. And im like I doubt that. He then goes on to say that I am homesick and that's why im serving a mission. We are homesick to get back to our father in heaven. My goal as a missionary is to help people know that they're homesick. So it's okay to be homesick. When he told me that it was kinda cool, cus it put it into a different perspective for me. Then a few days later, I was looking up the Chinese word for convert. And it's 归信。In Chinese it stands for having faith in going back. Then 归心 stands for homesickness. To be a convert to the church means to be homesick and having faith in returning to our loving Heavnlu Father. So id invite yall to be homesick.  And no one finna judge you for it. 

Now im are the MTC, and I've been here for a couple months. I think the biggest struggle I have is fighting battles everyday to keep my eyes open in classes, devotionals, and workshops. So I think the only time I'm not it dream world is when I'm eating. And yes I've drinkin way to much chocolate milk. But it's been amazing. We may be slightly living in poverty, but I'm blessed. I got the dopest companion and the greatest district. My companion just graduated with a degree in archeology and so he's been all over the world and has so pretty litty stories. The MTC is great and probably the home of the spirit cus I've felt it a lot while im here. Chinese is soooo fun... yea not really. But the gift of tongues is real, so like I guess I can speak the language pretty decently. Other than that just lots of cool stuff.

My spiritual thought I got from yesterday. I was listening to Kalani Satakis devotional that he gave a little while ago, and id definitely recommend listening to it. GOD KNOWS! That's what learned. God knows. He knows our struggles, he knows our desires, he knows our gratitudes, he knows our questions. He knows who we are. All we need to is just turn to him. Be homesick. Let Jesus pull your yoke. Then all will be chilly.

I'm keeping it short, but I love y'all go do some crazy stuff and listen to music for me!

Temple with the gang

Apparently this is a thing

When the music is so beautiful you gotta get down on one knee

DIY mini fridge

Skyridge Reunion core

Skyridge Reunion core