Training has commenced!


Me with my trainer Elder Sebuliba (right) and my trainee Elder Alumande (left).

Training is going pretty well! My new companion's name is Elder Alumande from Kenya. HE is doing super well and is learning how to teach really well and he is honestly teaching me a lot. Something pretty funny is that everyone we meet laughs because here I am this little white guy with a huge African as my companion, ha ha. So it's been pretty fun this last week to take him around. 

My last companion Elder Blanchard.

A cool story that I wanted to share happened on Sunday. I was going through the area book, (for those who don't know what it is, it's a way for missionaries to keep track of all of their investigators and you keep records of who you teach and what you have taught them). so as I was going through them I was prompted to look at a specific one that looked super old. I can't remember her name at the moment, ha ha but I decided to have some courage and to give her a call. She was taught by missionaries a few years ago so I was guessing she didn't even want to listen to me. She answered and I introduced myself and she said that she was very surprised to be called by a missionary again. She said she had stopped learning with the missionaries because she had to travel to her hometown for an extended amount of time and was interested to learn again. The Lord works in mysterious ways everyone. People usually don't go through those old records because they feel that if they had been moved to the former investigator list than it is useless to try again. Well, apparently not! SO we will be meeting her this week and I am super excited to get to meet her and see how interested she is. 


Elder Blanchard's going away meal. We each got a full sparkling cider to ourselves, ha ha ha.

I don't have much to say this week because I have been so focused on training that I didn't even think of experiences that I could share with you guys. Oh except the day we got fed some American ice cream! :) That was super nice! But other than that, I don't really have much else to say.

Our district members last transfer.

Except I want to share a quick thought. On Sunday I had an opportunity to share my testimony and had a very interesting experience. I didn't have anything planned to say, I just felt prompted that I needed to get up and speak, so I did. When I was up there an experience came to my mind that I had completely forgot about. While I was teaching this past week I had a lady ask me, "Don't you miss your family? Your home? Just everything that you left at home?" Almost immediately without hesitation I said, "Nope! I love it here so much that I haven't even been bothered about it recently!" 

Oh the joy of being with a Tongan and a Samoan in the same apartment, ha ha ha! 


Now, I'm not saying I don't miss you guys at home (especially my family, ha ha) I am saying that I love this work too much to want to leave it. The Lord is blessing me with comfort and I know that I was called to do this. I think about home every day, but I never get sad or distracted because I know that this work is just so true. I love it here. A missionary told me recently, "I just want to go home, I miss everything so much." My response was, "Not me! I love it here too much!" I truly do. When will I get the opportunity to serve the Lord with all of my might for two years again? I likely won't because of so many other things that come in this life. I love it here guys. I can't tell you how much I do. At the same time I love you all as well. Hang in there guys, if you put your mind to it and the Lord is helping you, you can do anything.

Sincerely,
Elder Baird

Mom's notes:

1.  His new companion is Elder Alumande, his is from Nairobi, Kenya. They are the same age. His companion is obsessed with soccer. He is really tall and he likes to teach random people which makes training pretty easy. He was raised in the church.

2. He is still teaching Linda and Agnes and two new girls named Hannah and Perpetual. They met them last week and they are super interested. Linda is really wanting her Twi Book of Mormon.

3. He is feeling super healthy and has been working out. He got his shirts tailored and they fit better now.

4. When they have free time they just sit and talk.


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