Well, there might be some very exciting changes happening this week... We had our interviews with President Howes and he was talking to us about the English and Spanish down here - if we felt like it was a good balance. We had to say our English sisters here have been overwhelmed because they are covering 5 big wards! So we talked about each companionship in our little branch here (there's us and then Sister Donaldson - she was in the MTC with me - and her trainee) taking on an English ward to even the load and help them out. So we met with all of the sisters and talked about it and I'm pretty excited! We're still not 100% sure what's going to happen, but we should know later on today and I just think it would be a cool opportunity and allow us to stretch and grow as missionaries. I've never really covered more than half of a branch and I've definitely never done English work, but it's going to be great in terms of being able to better help our missionaries here, and better work with stake and ward leaders. So we should find out pretty soon what's going on and I don't know why, but I'm just super excited! It makes me think back to what Dad always said - that a change is as good as a break. I've worked for so long in this same area and this same half a branch that a change is going to be very welcome. So that's probably been what's most exciting.
And we had a pretty sweet experience on Tuesday as well. I was remembering visiting this girl a long time ago (like December or January) that had a friend visiting that was way interested. We wrote down her address, but could never find it....We went back again and got the address and went to check it out. There were no cars outside and it didn't look like anyone was home, but we knocked and the girl (her name was Evelyn) answered. She let us in and we went in to teach her entire family! There were 5 of them and they were all super attentive as we taught them. The parents are getting divorced so they're going through a way tough time and need something in their lives. They had a catholic background of course, but the mom seemed to be pretty open, which is super rare. Evelyn was super super excited about the Book of Mormon and was ecstatic when we gave her one (she was asking where she could get one of them and was amazed that we were just giving them to their family). So that was a pretty cool - another new family to teach! With all of these new investigators though, we really have to sift and find those that are prepared and have real intent. So we're kind of in that process now.
One thing that's also cool is that we have the best branch missionary ever! Her name is Sister Leos and she's incredible - when I was here in Yuma before, every person she was a fellowship for got baptized! She is super pro-active and does so much more than any Spanish member I've known. She's been helping with a couple families and arranging all of these activities, visiting them all of the time, and just doing just so much to arrange for getting people to church and such. So she's getting some people excited and hopefully we can see some of the success that we had last time.
Elder Oliver's birthday was last week so we got to celebrate that a little bit - I've been teasing him a lot about how old he's getting and going home in November... but yeah that's most of what's been going on around here, not too terribly much to report this week.
The stake president came to our little branch yesterday and they changed up the branch presidency, switching out the 1st and 2nd counselor. It's interesting because they're bringing in this guy from another ward (he served a Mexico mission and has a Hispanic wife - who plays the organ!) to be the 1st counselor and the 2nd counselor is a very less-active guy, but I think it'll be a way good change for the branch. We just need some help and change. So yep, we are excited for this week and are expecting big changes and just exciting things!
Hasta luego! ~ Elder Carlson
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