Chapter 107 - Finale, In Which Elder Baer Writes a Colossal Title All for the Purpose of Dramatic Effect so as to Build Up Unnecessary Suspence for a Quotation from Ludwig Van Beethoven as Follows: "Applaud Friends, for the Comedy is Over."

[Title may reference chapter titles from Winnie the Pooh, as well as quoting Beethoven's last words.] 

 August 18, 2025

大家好！Hello friends!

This was a great week!

We picked up new missionaries this week! Wednesday was wild. Elder Andrus and I woke up early to drive an hour and a half down to Claresholm to pick up Elder Scoresby. He came back to the Mandarin Ward a week early to train new missionaries. We then went to the mission office to meet the FIVE new elders who will be starting in the Mandarin ward. I got to spend my last week in a trio with Elder Strongin from California. He’s gonna be a solid missionary.

One of the biggest highlights this week was eating dinner with some recent converts of the ward. They are some of the greatest disciples I’ve met. I can’t wait to hear more of what happens in the next chapter.

I also had my last interview with my mission president! It actually wasn’t what I expected…until the end when he gave me a paper that was exactly what I expected in the interview.

We were blessed to see many friends at church on Sunday. I’m so grateful that I could meet such great people that have the faith to ask questions to missionaries and learn about Jesus Christ, even for just one visit. 

I’ve thought a lot about the departures discussed by the prophets, and I would invite you to think about some of these words too:

"And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite.... to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen." [Moroni 10:34]

In the words of God’s current representative, “The Best Is Yet to Come”

一会儿见！

Elder Baer 熊长老

(I will be speaking about my experiences sharing the gospel at 12:00 noon this Sunday, August 24th, at 309 S Main St, Providence, Utah. All are welcome to come!)

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

Calgary Tower pics

Roda & Michael, the coolest!
Pun family
Bao family

[Mom's note: Please forgive if we've put these friends in the wrong order...] 

 

The back up

 

The District

Baby Cuttlefish (True Story)

Massive wreck

 

 

 

There ARE No Accidents

[Title references many scenes in Kung Fu Panda.] 

August 11, 2025 

大家好！Hello friends!

This week kicked off with a Banff trip that was super fun! The rest of the week was even more awesome though! If you thought last week was miraculous, boy you ain't seen nuthin’ yet!

• I saw an Elder who used to serve here! He is from Japan and he flew to Calgary with his mom, who hasn't been to church in a long time. We met him at the grocery store.
• Elder Wong had the brilliant idea of a board games activity before he left. We held the actual activity on Friday and invited some church members and friends to come. Jeff was a friend who came after seeing a Bible ad on Facebook 3 weeks earlier. Jeff brought his friend Liam, who saw me and said “I've texted you before!” I didn't realize it, but I started a conversation with him on Facebook a few days before I was transferred to Lethbridge!! Then they sat down and started asking questions and before I knew it I was witnessing Elder Andrus teach truths of the Restoration to 5 different people. One person originally came to contend with ideas from her church, but left saying, “Why didn't my friends say this when they told me about your Church!”
• My Friend Came up to see me! It's been a          [This space unintentionally left blank.  Feel free to insert the rest of the story here.]
• President Hill of the Stake came and spoke to our ward and said exactly what we needed to hear. It was very powerful.
• Many people have been feeding us dinner here (teehee!). One dinner we had on Sunday was at a nonmember’s house with her friends. As she was preparing food this boy walked up to us and said “Hello again!” It turns out we met him and his mom downtown a week ago!!! She told us she wasn't ready for Christianity then, but she seemed a little more attentive to a scripture we shared this time.

The paths that God leads us down are incredible, and he truly prepares us for great things to come!

Here's a little Chinese lesson for this week:

礼拜 means to attend a worship service
礼 (Lǐ) means both a ceremony/rite and a gift. (Ex. 洗礼 xǐlǐ is the word for baptism - the ceremony of washing before the gift).
拜 (Bài) is a word used for both worship (崇拜) and a visit (拜访).
So how do you describe church worship each week with the  sacrament ordinance? 礼拜
This is also a word for “week.” Each day of the week is identified by how long it's been since worship service (礼拜一，礼拜二，礼拜三，etc.) Since Sunday is the day of worship (礼拜天)

As I thought about this concept, I thought about our preparation for the sacrament. I am trying to improve the way I prepare each day to renew my promises to God in sacrament meeting. You are welcome to think about that this week as well! As we are intentional about our worship we will feel the blessings of “joyful reverence” and feel God's presence more abundantly.

Stay cool everyone! Love you all!

Elder Baer 熊长老

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6
lots of pictures, Highlights include:

Baunch of Banff photos:

[Entering Banff National Park] 

 

 

 

[Chateau Lake Louise]

 

 

[Lake Louise] 

[Mt. Rundle]

[Bow River]

[Banff Springs Hotel]

[The Three Sisters - one is veiled by the cloud]

Dinner with May and Michael

 RM Tanagutchi!

Dinner with the Marks

 Dinner with the Stehmeiers

Dinner with a Ting and friends

Surprise visit at Timmy’s

??

 

 

 

"It's a sign from above!" -Captain Haddock

[Title refers to this clip from Tintin.] 

August 4, 2025 

大家好！Hello friends!

Holy Miracles Batman! I think my eyes were opened to see a lot more of the tender Mercies that God had given us. Here's a day by day one for you.

• On Tuesday we had several English evaluations, and then we met with someone online who lives in China! He said he was willing to read the Book of Mormon!
• On Wednesday we got chastised for teaching people outside our mission boundaries, but we had a great lesson with a new friend William at the church! He later came on Sunday! 
• On Thursday we met Kenneth from HK [Hong Kong] and helped him move. Blessings for the English Elders who told us about him. We also had a great lesson with Yuke about baptism with the sister missionaries. Blessings on them for finally letting us come teach their Chinese friend. 
• Elder Wong handed out (for maybe the first time ever??) an English class flier to a Cantonese speaker in Chinatown! He has a better way with them than we do.
• Saturday was the day that a friend named John was baptized into the Mandarin Ward! And Yuke and Peter came! We had a lesson with Peter afterward where a long-time member named Maggie was there. She was one of the first Mandarin-speaking members in Calgary, and she did most of the sharing/talking. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in a lesson before!
• On Sunday we had Peking Duck at a member's house, and that food is a miracle by itself. We hadn't prepared a message, so I flipped through some files in my brain and found a video about the priesthood to share. It was actually perfect because I later found out that the Dad had just barely been ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

There were other instances where God's arm was made bare, and where he smacked us a little bit. For example, we witnessed the Following conversation at Zone Conference.

President: “How are you doing Elder Wong?”
Elder Wong: “Good, how are you?”
President: “Oh good so you're moving on Saturday.”
Elder Wong: “.......什么??”
President: “Great I knew I could count on you!”

….So now we are down to just me and Elder Andrus. R.I.P. Elder Wong, you were a real one, God has good things in store for you!

I listened to something this week that made me realize how I might be passing a lot of opportunities to help God in his work by heeding his promptings. I learned that the first thoughts we have to do something good are often immediately followed by doubts and “logical” excuses. This week, try to follow one prompting, or one random good thought you have each day. I promise you will be more satisfied with yourself and see more miracles.

Stay cool everyone! Love you all!

Elder Baer 熊长老

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

 

Elder Wong 

 

Elder Walker and Elder And Sister Vermunt at Zone Conference

 

 

 

 

But that was a priceless Steinway!

[Title references this clip from The Pink Panther Strikes Again.] 

 28 July 2025

大家好！Hello friends!

Another funny week gone by, here's the gist:

• The Relief Society had an activity at someone’s house, and we heard Jem was there! Jem is someone that was baptized over a year ago, but she quickly stopped coming to church. The Lord has a great plan!
• Had a wild lesson involving 5 missionaries, 2 YSA ward members and 1 interested friend.
• Peter Pan has now told at least 20 people about our English class. The real miracle is we got to read the scriptures with him and he started praying!
• Hehe is moving to Toronto for a few months before he returns to China. He has struggled with giving up tea and so we had a kind of hard lesson about keeping the Word of Wisdom. We’re praying that he still feels loved.
• Tons of rain up here which is still awesome! Best summer ever.
• Last P-day we got to look at the Steinway piano store, and also a bunch of fancy car dealerships! (Lamborghini & RR, Ferrari & Alpha Romeo, etc.) Oddly enough, the Steinway store was the most fun by far. The staff was very nice there.

While sitting in the mega lesson with the YSA missionaries I heard our friend Leo ask about how we know what the truth is. In hearing Elder Wong explain the events of Joseph Smith’s first vision, I slowly started realizing (or re-realizing) the profound truth, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” If we want to learn more about someone, we ask them questions. If I need help with something, I ask. This made me realize how little I actually ask questions when I offer prayers to Heavenly Father. This week I’d invite you to join me in asking questions in your personal prayers. God will answer in some way at some time, for he “giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.”

I was reading in the book of Alma this week when I realized how much God’s plan of redemption looks after all of his children. Even Alma’s persecutions of others couldn’t prevent God’s plan for his salvation to be accomplished. I know God’s plan works! Because of Jesus Christ, all of us will be given the capability and the choice to come back to our heavenly home.

Stay cool everyone! Love you all!

Elder Baer 熊长老

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

Dosirak Korean Food

Steinway

Cars

Rain

The Dissy

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, but You DON'T Go!

[Title refers to "When the Foeman Bares His Steel," from Pirates of Penzance.]

21 July 2025 

大家好！Hello friends!

It's me again. I know, been a long time eh? Not too much to report on in the last few days, here's a quick one for ya:

• Whoever has been praying for rain deserves a Pulitzer prize. The rain here has been AWESOME! We got an epic thunderstorm on camera.
• Our friend Peter Pan (his real name, I kid you not) recruited 5 people to join our English class. He's so funny.
• We had dinner with the Huang family!! Brother Huang is the kind of guy I want to be when I grow up.
• Testifying works! Elder Wong's family called him in the car on our Thursday P-day. I was a little zoned out when suddenly the feeling in the car changed. I caught two phrases “miracles” and “If its meant to happen, it'll happen.” He later explained that they were actually talking about something very casual and trivial, but it still taught me that God's Spirit is present in any instance where His truth is shared.

Share something you know to be true this week! There's a lot of half truths and relative truths and not truths out there. Real truth is powerful, no matter how large or small. It is especially powerful when not done in confrontation, so don't fight! Just share.

Stay cool everyone! Love you all!

Elder Baer 熊长老

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

From last week: A foto I forgot of the Hele family in the English Ward + big hail storm.

 

From this week: Sonic boom storm + RAD LIGHTNING 

[Sonic boom: look at the clouds, not the sculpture]

Tai Lung Has Returned

[Title references Kung Fu Panda.]

17 July 2025 

大家好！Hello friends!

Super crazy week (and a half)! I don't know how we're going to fit all of it in here so here we go.

• TODAY was our temple P-day, so we got to go to the temple. Our companionship did initiatory work. It was epic.
• We had dinner with our Chilean member friend Franny twice this week. Elder Neff was going home, and they were pretty close.
• I got to drive a ton of missionaries around! We chauffeured departing missionaries to the airport and also drove around the incoming missionaries on their first day.
• I am serving my last transfer in the MANDARIN WARD!!! President really had me sweating on this round of transfers. I'm in a trio with Elder Andrus and the brand new Elder Wong from Hong Kong.
• Hehe met with us online! He is the incredible Chinese man I met in Lethbridge before I got transferred, and he's ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!!
• A lady named Seavan was baptized in the ward on Saturday!! We're excited for her.
• We have seen a bunch of rain, and the forecast for this week only looks like more. Thus we had an epic time street contacting in the rain downtown.
• Fun fact, I can no longer send friend requests to white people on Facebook. I can only friend Asians now, and Facebook probably thinks I am Asian at this point. New high score!
• Also fun fact, Elder Wong's family is mentioned in Elder Benjamin Tai’s April 2020 conference talk.

I had a weird epiphany this week when I was reading the classic verses in Alma about “No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven.” But after looking at some footnotes and cross references and Bible Dictionary, it suddenly made sense that the Kingdom of Heaven IS the Church of Jesus Christ. This Church is the group of people preparing themselves to return to God’s presence by making their mortal lives heavenly. When the Lord says the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he means that the church of His power is on Earth now. So the invitation is not “repent or you won’t make it to heaven,” but the invitation is to change in order to join God’s team. This week, think about the change you might need to make to join God’s team or represent Him better. Coming closer to Christ truly brings joy closer to you!

Stay cool everyone! Love you all!

Elder Baer 熊长老

照片：

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

Dinner with Franny!

Elder Pace and I

Elder Roberts and I

 

Calgary

Elder Andrus

Huge crash that happened right by the church but we think everyone is okay 😬🙏

Temple in the rain