Elder Glenn Johnson: Livin' the Dream in Berlin, Germany: „Und ich bin der Teufel"

Welcome, my Täuflings,

I hope this collection of letters on a pixelated screen finds you well. It is a pleasure to be here.

This week was quite a crazy, busy, and stressful one over here in Brandenburg. We had a baptism!!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Someone, taught by Elder Glenn Johnson himself, allowed himself to be baptized. The service was Sunday, and it was great. We had a great amount of members there, and it was great to experience Andreas receiving this great ordinance. Getting up to that point, not the easiest might I say.

Baptism of Andreas 7.5.2017

We also had three eating appointments this week, which is amazing. The branch here loves us, not too sure why, but I'll roll with it. At one of them, I was asked to give a blessing to a sick Sister in our branch, both sick as in ill and sick as in cool. But it was my first German blessing, so naturally I had some fear, but all went well fortunately.

Saturday was quite insane, we started off in a city called Tüplitz, where we ran 6.2 kilometers in a race that the missionaries always participate in. It was quite the run, I'm quite surprised I am still alive to tell the story. Elder Mehr would've loved it. But then we had three more meetings that day until 9pm, so it was pretty packed.

We also had interviews this week which, as usual, were great. Andreas was also interviewed by President that day, so that was also pretty good. We got lost in Berlin after though, and ended up being there for a little while longer than we were planning on.....

Interviews with the President and Andreas

The baptism was great!! I played the piano and gave a talk on the Holy Ghost, and Elder Noland was the baptizer. It was a really great experience and wonderful to see the impact this ordinance makes on the lives of others. This actually brings me to explaining the subject line. When we were at our apartment planning the baptism, Elder Noland wanted to say, "and I'll be the baptizer," but since he is speaking only German right now, he meant to say, „und ich bin der Täufer." BUT if you'd like a good laugh at what he actually said to me, go ahead and google translate the subject line. It's worth it, trust me.

When we were riding home with Andreas from the baptism, I asked him how he likes our branch. After explaining to him what a branch is, he said something I really liked. He said, "it feels like I've found my family." I really liked that, and how our church really is a big family. As we try to love one another like ourselves, we will really find eachother to actually be our family.

Here are some pictures from P-day sightseeing earlier today.