Undecided

Dear Family,

I really couldn't decide on a title for today's letter: "April Showers bring May Flowers. What do May Flowers Bring? A  June Baptism!" or "O, they say when you're baptized in June, you're a member all your eternal life!" I'd like to recap the story of Ismet.

 May 9th-Elder Linderman and I had our best companionship study of the transfer, strenghtening both our testimonies and increasing our ablitlity and faith in our street contacting

May 10th-While doing Word of Wisdom contacting, we find two men in a row who don't smoke and have interest in our message. One of which, Ismet, has a Book of Mormon in his house that missionaries had given him a year earlier.

May 11th-Our first lesson with Ismet. We taught the restoration and he accepted a return appointment. Participated well and very open.

May 12-24th-We keep calling him. However, he is sick and can't meet. At this point, I was a little worried, thinking that he was just another person that didn't want to meet with us. However, he made the point on the phone that he wanted to continue the lessons. Sometimes it can get easy to "lose" an investigator amidst the throngs of people that we talk with. Thankfully, Heavenly Father didn't let that happen

May 25th-June 14th-We teach Ismet all the lessons. Each lesson he accepts the principle. With little hurdles with the Word of Wisdom and Tithing he qualifies himself for baptism. He also comes to church and hasn't stopped. 

June 13th-We go over to his house and meet his two sons. This was really a highlight this week. I was expecting some rebellious teenagers, but these two were humble kids 17 and 15, the younger one reminded me of Steven! This really has given us a lot of hope for his family.

June 14-15th-Ismet is baptised and confirmed a member of the church. It was really a simple, sweet, and spiritual service. I am so grateful that we could have this baptism in my first transfer on my mission. Elder Linderman keeps saying, "I don't know if you'll find as good of a investigator as him." Elder Linderman and I gave him a tie as a present, and then he showed up to church in a white shirt. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a fly on the wall of the building of the foundation of Ismet's testimony (is that metaphor stretched?) Really, the most amazing part wasn't the baptism, but the change that happened before. Baptism, was naturally the next step in his life. 

  Also this week we restarted English Class and hope to get some more investigators including Ismet's sons. My testimony in teaching has grown a lot this week. In the "Training Program", this week I was heading all planning and teaching situations. At times it was hard and I couldn't understand, but "avash avash" I was able to communicate and we found some potentially good investigators. Transfer calls are next sunday, it looks like I'll most likely be staying in Prishtina, but we'll see next week, because it is in the Lords hands.

  Another cool thing happend this week. I was on an exchange with Elder Harlow from Leeds England. We got on the topic of family history and I pulled out the stories that you gave me about our anscestors. It turns out, they were born and lived within a half hour of his house! He was so excited! It was really cool to see that we really have roots somewhere else in the world. Now I know whom I will visit when ever I go to England

  I know this is like tacking an extra thing on but today we went on a P-day trip to a member, Nazim's, house. We thought it as going to be 20 km...it turned out to be 120! Sometimes the members don't tell us all the information for a reason, but we were excited and happy! We went into his humble hut, had bread and cheese, and then out around his property. I was shocked as I saw a field of beans and potatoes that he planted all by himself, on top of being a school teacher. I thought of the phrase "I am the Gardner Here". The Gardner knows his plants. Nazim and his, and Heavenly father and us. He helps us grow little by little. We may not like the hoeing around us or the scorching heat, but when the next day arises, we see that we are a little bit taller and stronger. It was all worth it even though the strawberries were the size of blueberries (but they were SOO good...I thought of Jake "I'll I see is Red*! *words changed). I love you all and I love all the updates I've gotten. I'm so glad for the west and their conquring of the east and king james (I like the Bible better anyway). Good Job to Kawai, but he is still kawai-in because he lost to jimmer. 

  Happy Fathers day Dad! I thought of you, like I do every day! Also happy birthday Uncle Steven and Joe Apple! (Not to be confused with Uncle Steve and Joe Garlick) Congrats Kalan and Mikey!

Love, Elder Bangerter