THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS KENYA NAIROBI MISSION Opposite African Wildlife Foundation, Ngong Road P.O. Box 46162 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya +254 737 400 893 2012995@ldschurch.org 27 October 2016 Dear Family of Christian David Merz, We have welcomed Elder Merz, who has arrived safely in the Kenya Nairobi Mission. He is a choice young man and eager to be an excellent missionary. I was pleased to note the preparation, worthiness and commitment of your son to be obedient and to serve the Lord honourably. This is the first generation of church membership for the people in this mission in the huge and diverse continent of Africa, and I know that as he serves the people, he will learn to love them and they will love him. His testimony is strong, and I am honoured to have him serve in our mission. Elder Merz is laboring in Sosiani in the District of Eldoret, Kenya, with an excellent companion, Elder Mwanziu. Sister Msane and I will see him at least every four to six weeks at Zone and other Conferences, and I will have regular interviews with him. Excellent doctors and medical care are available here if health problems occur. We pledge to take good care of your son. This is a great mission and we know he will be successful. Mail to your missionary should be addressed to: (Your Missionary’s Name) Kenya Nairobi Mission, P. O. Box 46162-00100, Nairobi, Kenya I will encourage him to write home every week on Preparation Day, which is Monday, but mail is slow, so be patient. The Missionary Department has authorized e-mail to the family once a week if it is available to you. We are grateful for this added blessing. Telephone contacts and personal visits to missionaries by friends and relatives are inappropriate and contrary to long-standing Church policy. Full-time missionaries have made commitments to devote their full time and attention to proclaiming the Gospel, and any such contacts detract from their effectiveness. However, we do urge you to write to him weekly, either by e-mail or by postal mail. Thank you for teaching, nurturing and sending forth this fine young man, anxious to serve the Lord and to honor his family and other loved ones. May the Lord bless you with peace and assurance that all is in His hands. Sincerely, President Ephraim Msane Kenya Nairobi Mission