Well, it doesn't look like there's going to be too much change for me this transfer... We just got the transfer calls last night and guess what the exciting news is!! I'm staying in Yuma again... They really are never going to get rid of me. It's actually funny, because some people have been coming up and telling me that I might as well buy a place and start moving my stuff down because Yuma's just my home! So I guess I was kind of expecting not to move - they're making a lot of big changes down here and I don't think they want to change up the leadership on top of all that. So they are doing what we talked about last week and we're dividing up all of the english wards here amongst 4 sets of missionaries and we're also going to be doing all spanish work within those boundaries. It's been tough keeping all of this to ourselves down here, because everyone kept asking us what was going to happen and it's difficult for me to keep secrets! But we finally were able to tell everyone, and things are definitely going to be changing a lot. So the only difference for us is going to be that we take on 9th ward as well, and we have to give up some solid spanish investigators.
So what was really cool is that the entire Barraza family came to church yesterday!! I was on exchanges with an elder from the Foothills on Saturday and we decided to go stop by their house, since the dad Cesar said he's been having some struggles waking his kids up to come to church with him. It's actually a funny situation, since he's not even a member yet he's the one that's pulling for everyone to come to church. So we stopped by and had the first whole family lesson with them that I've had in a long long time. We talked about how the son Cesar and Nathalie had gone to the San Diego temple - talked about how they felt there and what they need to do to be able to go back. I finally got them to be serious and it was just a super good lesson, and they ALL came to church yesterday. Wow, it felt so good to see them there.
Other news is that our 4th ward is doing awesome!! Annette, who we've been teaching for a couple weeks, is getting baptized this Saturday, and she and her mom could not be happier. It's been amazing to see the change in them over such a short period of time. Annette was super timid and wouldn't really talk to us the first time, but now everything about her is just so much brighter, happier, and friendlier. She loves going to church, she's going to seminary, and she's super happy because her grandpa is coming up to baptize her. So that's sweet. We also picked up a bunch of solid new people that should be getting baptized within the next few weeks - some part-member families and some friends that people have invited to church/activities. We went and visited this Native American lady named Maureen, who came with her cousin to church last Sunday and said we could come by. She's way legit and said she would get baptized, but we're going to have to overcome some word of wisdom issues first... So during the lesson this guy named Rod, who was another cousin, came out and said that his mom was baptized and a member of our church. He basically said, "I don't know really how you go about it or anything...but I want to be baptized". It was pretty random but way cool so we're going to see what happens there. I love just fun experiences like that. And it's actually pretty sweet - last night we taught this 16-year old guy named Bernie Montoya and it turns out he's like the fastest high school kid in Arizona and like the 3rd fastest in the nation for his age! He's a really well-known kid down here and apparently at a state meet last year he ran a 4:12 mile and did most of it with only one track shoe! Somebody stepped on it and it came off, but he finished even though he was bleeding and stuff. It was a pretty cool story... So yeah, his parents are members but way inactive and he went to church a couple times when he was younger. He's way sincere though, and definitely sees the need to be closer to God. So we're definitely excited for this ward - they hadn't had like any investigators hardly all year long. So things are for sure picking up there!
So yep, lots of changes down here. They're taking out all of the english missionaries (the sisters and one of the elders) and we're making this a pure spanish zone. So there are only going to be 10 of us again (like when I first came down here) and we're ready to rip it up. I'm excited! Some day I might move out of Yuma, but it just doesn't look like it's going to be any time soon. It's interesting because a lot of missionaries call it Zion's Camp (because it's not the easiest place to do missionary work) and that's just all I know! I'm definitely a Yuma missionary...
So life is good, the work goes forth, and I will talk to y'all later! Love you!
~ Elder Carlson
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