Accomplishment!

September 4, 2012

Today was the best day of my mission!!! I actually completed a task.  This morning when we got to the office I opened my email and had an email from Bridgette.  After I responded, Maddy from ERC called to tell us that President John Balledos the director of ERC from Cebu was in the office and had time to see us.  We went down the hall to meet him and proceeded to ask him all the questions we had about reasons PEF applications may be returned from his office to the applicants. It was exciting to hear what the pitfalls are and to hear the things they specifically check for in each application.  We visited about an hour and asked him many questions.  He is a very nice man and has such high hopes for PEF.  He also said he was excited seeing the increase in PEF applications from our mission.  The amazing thing about this visit was the timing.  One of our new applicants had found her application returned from Cebu and asked me to help her with the problems.  I was so excited to practice what I we had just learned.  We opened her application and checked each of the questions from Cebu.  Then we also typed her Age Exemption Letter because she is over thirty years old and needs to explain why she is making an application at her age.  When we were done with the letter we went to check if the letter was expectable with Charry, I saw that President Balledos was still in our office.  So the applicant, Ruby Santillan Ariaz and I went to give him the letter, thinking it went to him.  He informed us the letter went to Franco through Charry BUT that he would be glad to check Ruby's application to be sure everything was correct.  We were so excited.  After checking her application he approved it while we were sitting right there together and forwarded the application to Franco.  We were so happy.  We went back to our office and added more information to her ldsjobs.org account and emailed Franco that her application was sent to him and her letter was in Charry's office if he needed it prior to her approval and Salt Lake submittal.  I was so excited to not only help an applicant but also to have the application approved at Cebu.  I am so used to beginning and completing a task from my career as a teacher.  Here in the mission field I teach a class and then the applicants file their application and I do not see the progress of their application and approval until they are in our system as a student.  That may take up to six months.  I have felt like nothing is really happening because I cannot actually see the progression of applications but today I actually not only helped but saw the progression.  It was so wonderful.  I feel so accomplished and excited.  Ruby wants to be an elementary school teacher.  She will be a great teacher and I am so thankful for the opportunity to help her build for her future.  This was a great day!!!!!!