Lost in the Bronx (February 15, 2021)

 Howdy...

Right so anyway this past week we had a surprise meeting issued by President literally one day before it happened. The meeting was to discuss a change that was going to happen in the mission but we of course didn't know what it was until we were there. 

We were meeting at a chapel in Harlem so obviously we had to go through Harlem to get there. The subway station that you pop out of on your way there is "125th street". 

To give a little bit of perspective on the phenomenal citizens that walk the streets of 125th on Harlem.......... Drugs. 

I've always heard about a hypothetical "zombie apocalypse" that might happen to end the world, but I'm here with some good news. They are mostly all contained on that street for some reason. 

We haven't had any major problems yet and you probably won't as long as you stare at your knees and walk quickly. 

Anyways we got to the meeting and started it out (I played the hymn on the piano yuh) and the meeting was on goals. I'll simplify the meeting for you all; we set some pretty high baptism goals for the mission, for the next few months. 

A lot of the meeting was the focus of goals. How goals allow us to go outside of our comfort zones and realize that what was only ever thought to be impossible, can be a reality. Needless to say, we all left that meeting super hype to work our hardest and see the miracles that the Lord has prepared for us. 

Guess which Street we had to walk through to get back to the Subway... 

After arriving and waiting for the 6 train for about 20 minutes, we finally realized something was wrong when in the background of the buzz of the crowd, I heard "Train six will be discontinuing its route from blah blah blah to blah blah blah. Someone has been hit by a train".

...

Fast forward about an hour, and we have finally gotten to the Bronx through a few train stops and busses, we are now waiting for a bus that will take us to a bus station that will get us home. It is my companion and I, another pair of Elders, and the Sisters in our District. 

We wait for about another 20 minutes just to watch the bus we were supposed to get on, speed right past us. 

Unfortunate. 

One of the Sisters looks on her phone and decides that walking to "Hunts Point" and getting on that train will get us home. 

Uh oh. 

If 125th is a street of violent drug ridden zombies, then Hunts Point is the bullpen. 

But forward we went, for we didn't want to be outside in the cold any longer than necessary. 

Have you ever had anyone stare at you from across the street, then make the sign of the cross and walk away? 

Welcome to Hunts Point. 

Ever had someone look into your eyes while passing you on the street and say "You ready for slavery?" 

Welcome to Hunts Point. 

Street preacher yell at you? 

Cars try to hit you? 

... 

When we got to the subway station, we were stopped at the steps by a conductor. Guess where the person had been hit? 

Hunts Point. 

The past 3 hours or so had been, "Well maybe if we get off here we can catch a bus... Or maybe this train will be running... It's probably going to be about the same time if we..."

So now at this point I was kind of sick of walking in the cold and the anxiety from the people looking at us, so I decided to take charge, put the address in my phone, and follow the directions to a T. 

Long story short, we eventually made it back home. 

Looking back at this experience, I find it kind of funny how after getting out of a fantastic meeting about making a plan for a goal and sticking to it, we had walked around somewhat aimlessly for about 3 hours. Who knows where we would be if we kept going off our own innate sense of direction. 

Hey hey hey lookie here, an opportunity for a metaphor. 

I spend around 16 hours a day, every day, telling people about what we need to do in this life, in order to reach our eternal goal of living with our Heavenly Father again. 

Sometimes, it is very difficult to see some people wander aimlessly around, hoping by their own efforts to somehow achieve happiness. 

"Straight is the gate, and narrow the way" 

At times, I'm sure it is almost infuriating to see how, even with the clear path that God has given us, we can spend a lifetime struggling to find peace, and purpose. He offers them freely and clearly and yet we are so sure of ourselves, that we think we know what we are doing, that we miss the whole point. 

I guess the point of this metaphor, this parable if you will, "Lost in the Bronx", is to say that we don't have to be. There are directions. It is not necessary to plow your own path through the snowy streets of life to reach your goal. 

Are we willing to listen? 

I sure hope I am. 

I hope you all are doing well in the midst of this pandemic. I pray for you all and I hope you know that you have a plan prepared for you as well. Ojalá que todo esté bien aquí pronto! 

El Nuevo Misionero, 

Elder Baird