New companion, new experiences!

Last district pictures before transfers.

I will start off by saying that I am really enjoying my new companion. He goes home in two weeks which stinks because I am really enjoying him and the way he works. He is such a humble and simple guy. The way he teaches is so powerful. When he is speaking you can feel the spirit very strongly. He loves this work and wants to help people come to Christ. He is teaching me so much.

 Last meal at Bishops house. I ate three balls of banku. Let's just say, It didn't feel so good when I finished, ha ha!

I have a really funny experience you this week, ha ha. SO there is a girl we are teaching, her name is Vanessa. She is our best investigator right now. We will baptize her on October seventh. We were teaching her on Friday night and a taxi pulled up. I asked Vanessa who it was and she said it was her grandma. Her grandma isn't interested to join the church but she loves having us around so it's usually pretty fun to see her. But as she was getting out of the car Vanessa whispered to me and said, "You won't be able to talk to her tonight..." I said, "Why?" She said, "She went out with her friends all day and when they do that they usually drink a lot of alcohol.." Now, this lady is like 70 years old, ha ha! To see her drunk was quite the sight! She could barely even talk or walk. The taxi driver was waiting for her to give him the money she owed him, and she couldn't understand what he was asking, ha ha ha. 

This girl just makes me laugh, ha ha. She was wearing these big fake glasses and was pretending to read, ha ha.

When she saw us she just started to smile and wouldn't stop, ha ha. She started walking towards me with open arms to give me a big hug, when Vanessa stopped her and told he that we can't do that since we are missionaries. She said sorry to me and then turned around, looked at my companion, and started walking to him to give him a hug, ha ha ha. She started singing and was just going on and on, ha ha. Finally we were able to get her to go inside her house by pretending to leave so she thought we were gone. Don't drink alcohol people!

Our investigator Vanessa was taking pictures of us and sent them to me last week, ha ha.

Here is a cool teaching experience. Last night we were teaching Ritalord, Quinstar and Blessilia. We have been teaching these girls for a really long time but they are being a little stubborn. Ritalord comes to church almost every week, Quinstar comes every other week because she alternates from our church and her old church, and Blessilia just comes when she feels like it. They are really smart girls but they aren't taking the necessary steps to being converted to the truth. Quinstar won't take the leap of faith to leave her old church, Ritalord just likes the church but hasn't gotten a testimony yet and Blessilia will do whatever her sisters want to do. 

Elder Baird and Elder Alumande

SO I was honestly getting a little frustrated from teaching them for so long and they aren't doing what they need to to find the answers. After they had just been asking a bunch of questions that really weren't that important, I just stood up and very boldly bore my testimony to them. I told them that they have to leave what they have known from the past and give the future a chance. Honestly it was such a powerful moment. I don't know why I stood up, ha ha. I just felt like I needed to be bold and just show them how true I know this church to be. The spirit was really there. I could tell by their faces that something inside of them was changing.

Pictures that Sister Keyes posted on Facebook. Looks like an awesome barbeque. 

You can teach and teach people and they may never accept the truth. But, a heartfelt and powerful testimony can convert anyone. I have learned how powerful a testimony is by sharing it every day and in every lesson I teach. This church is so true! If you don't know it for yourself, get that testimony, and be able to boldly say that you know that this is the true church.

Sincerely,

Elder Baird

Our last family home evening with the Ubakeze family.

Mom's notes:

1. Elder Baird's new companion only has three weeks left on his mission but he is still very willing to work hard. His name is Elder Kallay and he is from Sierra Leone.

2. They got three new investigators this week. One is named Elorm and she is really open to learning the gospel.

3. He is hoping to have a baptism on October seventh and a few more at the end of October. The baptism will be of a girl named Vanessa. He said, "She has known the missionaries for years but no one ever taught her because they thought she wouldn't be a serious investigator. Well it turns out she is the most serious of any of them! I have wanted to teach her for a long time but was hesitant because of what the past missionaries said about her." We agreed that it was better to go with the spirit on these decisions. :)

4. He said that Vanessa is fourteen . She is a very interesting girl. She doesn't seem like a person who would sit down and listen quietly and want to learn the scriptures. But she loves learning.

5. He said that he is feeling very motivated to work.

6. About this coming week he said, "We are going to my companions old area for a baptism. Oh! I did my first baptismal interview yesterday! That was pretty dang cool!"