Elder Evan Baer: Canada Calgary Mission: Mahjong Mayhem

October 2, 2023

Y ‘ A L L ! ! !

Have you taken a look outside these days! The Earth is absolutely STUNNING right now!

Also, General Conference though? What an incredible weekend! I hope y’all got even more of a kick out of this Conference than I did! They’ve posted the videos online now if you missed any of it – always worth a re-watch.

There were a lot of interesting topics that kept coming up this time around. A few I noticed include stronger family love, tithing, covenants (Anyone else think this came up a ton? I thought it was mentioned quite a lot, but I also might be the only one at the MTC who thinks so), happiness and eternal perspective. I also heard a lot of NNNICE one-liners this conference like such as (and I may be paraphrasing a little):

“Where there’s a design, there’s a designer” - Alan T. Phillips

“When nothing is expected and everything is appreciated, life becomes magical” - Gary B. Sabin

“When I choose not to be humble, I choose to be humiliated” - Joni L. Koch

“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal” - Quentin L. Cook

And of course, the classic message from the Prophet himself, “Think Celestial” - Russel M. Nelson

I’m looking forward to reading back over these talks over the next few months and I invite all of you to do the same.

Anywho, this week was in fact another week!

Guys. I cannot tell you how much I miss jazz right now. All morning I’ve been looking out at the crimson red leaves among intermittent rain, and it reminds me of all of my favorite jazz standards recorded by Django Reinhardt, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, & Gus Viseur (who honestly plays some of the best autumn tunes I know). It’s alright though, I’m “jazzed” to be here, so it evens out.

Elder Sheffield’s mini mahjong set is a smashing hit. Our teacher Sister Hutchingson taught us how to play one time, and now the district pulls it out during any free time. The Cantonese Elders have even been coming in every now and then to play a few games.

Yet another good line from this week: When referring to our friend on floor three, a 280 pound New Zealand rugby-champ, Elder Groscost noted something about how "the Devil checks under his bed for Elder Tooley."

Follow up on the MTC “Cleanse” from last week: Our guy Chris, one of the staff members here, told us during our service assignment (taking down chairs in the gym on Sunday nights) that the MTC had a different spirit about it last Monday that he hadn’t felt in about 3 years. He said the MTC really didn't need all the missionaries to clean it since the staff does that exact job every day, but he said that as we're involved in service we bring the Lord's spirit into our life in a way like no other. Especially as we clean, we make it easier for the spirit to dwell with us. That's really stuck with me in the last couple hours.

Just a week and a half left until I go take my journey into "The Great White North!" I can already start to hear the call of Canadia beckoning me to come. (It sounds oddly like Bob and Doug McKenzie.)

Have a blessed week everyone!

Love you all!

–Elder Baer

Photos:

Yet another Timp pic