I've Forgotten Myself and Gone to Work!!

Hey!!

First I’ll talk about Merlan, we found him last Saturday the 16th of July. I think I told you about him but it was such a miracle about how we found him. My comp’s bike was broken and it took us an hour to fix it then we had planned to do some casa in Centro area but on the way there his bike broke again. We went back home just to drop it off and then decided to go to a park that was way closer to home and we knew that Heavenly Father was doing this to my comp’s bike because there was someone in this park. Well we were right there was Merlan. So we met him the 16th he came to church the 17^th. We taught him all last week and he came to church this past Sunday. He is so elect! I asked him to bear his testimony about the Book of Mormon and he was like well I have to start from the beginning and he explained the church of Christ, the apostasy, the restoration and everything perfectly. We have been teaching him in his second language. We had a baptismal date for him for the 6th of August, but we felt prompted to move his date up a week, the thing is he needs to come to church 3 times if not we have to call President and ask for a special request. So I did that and told President how elect this guy is and that there is no reason for him to wait. So I did that yesterday and so we moved his baptismal date to July 30th... and we are baptizing him at 11 am; the time I was born! Haha it’s going to be such an amazing day!! We are baptizing him exactly 2 weeks after we first met him, he is just sooooo elect. :) And he’s 20 so he’s going to go on a mission one day. :) 

I don’t have a lot of time to email this week, I'm sorry and it wont be a pattern I promise, but I'm going to talk about some things that are important...

EXTENSION...president has given me a one year extension.... he said because of my residency card I need to re-new it and I have to use up all the time on the card (does that make sense?) so I guess I’ll be a missionary for a total of 3 years. I prayed about it and felt really good; I hope that’s not a problem. I really see the blessings this will bring our family and also my future family but there is just one thing...I’m joking!!! Hahaha no I'm not getting extended for one year but President was totally positive about it, and told me he wants me to be here another transfer (that’s how long it would be) I would come home the 15thish of November. But he said it’s not so much of a spiritual thing as it is more of a logical thing. So it all depends at the end of my mission, if I were to stay and make the number of missionaries odd (which means one companionship would be in a threesome) he wouldn’t do it, the first presidency wouldn’t agree to that. If the mission is going to be odd and if I stay that would make it even; I would be able to extend no problem. President said that it’s good that he knows who wants to extend and that he would love to have me here longer. He said just to bring it up again at the end of my mission like when I have like 3 months left. I asked about my residency card because it expires and he said that wouldn’t be a problem and that he would work it out for me. :) So that made me happy! If it’s really what the Lord wants, then the mission will be odd at the end and I will stay and make it even. Did I scare you with the whole “I’ll be here another year?” Hahaha that was pretty funny eh?

There isn’t really much else to say, I got my package and I didn’t open it. I got a shoe box from Courtney and I didn’t think it was for my Birthday and I don’t know if it still is or not but I opened it and I got some SWEET ties. I'm actually wearing one of them right now...THANKS BABE I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I will open the bigger package on Saturday. I am so excited to be baptizing on my birthday!

  

So when you think of me on my birthday and think of me at the time I was born remember that I’ll be helping someone else be re-born. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I love this work so much and I know I was born and sent here at the time that was right for me to help push this work forward. I love this work so much and I'm so humbled that I have the opportunity to do this work and to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I know this Church is true and that Christ lives, that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ face to face and that we have the true Church of Christ again on the earth. How great of a blessing we all have to live together forever! I KNOW these things are true. Thank you for accepting me into our family and for raising me right so that I was able to find and baptize Merlan. Thank you, thank you, thank you; I am forever in your debt. I love you my family and I hope you continue to have a great week, just know that I am happier then ever and it's because I've forgotten myself and gone to work! I love you all!!

Love Anziano 20 year old Glowa :)