Hey Everybody!!

Well... I got transfer news last night! President has decided to try giving transfer news out a little differently. On Saturday night (or Sunday for our zone!) you find out if you are getting transferred or not, but you don't find out where or with who until Tuesday night. (Transfers are on Wednesday morning!) He has decided to do that because he wants to cut down on gossip and other people giving you preconceived notions about your new companion or your new area. He just doesn't want people talking bad about other people. Which I totally understand. But I don't have to worry about any of that this transfer because Sister Falcon and I are going to be staying together in Mesa Grade. I'm really excited to be staying with Sister Falcon for another transfer. I was getting worried that we would be split up and was like oh no! I have so much left to learn from her!! We have a lot of investigators that are progressing and are almost ready, so I'm glad that we are both able to stay in Mesa Grande to help get these people to baptism! We really have so many that are so close. We had eight people at church yesterday and our members are so good at sitting with them and making them feel welcome. The branch is so tiny that practically every member was with an investigator! haha.
 
This transfer we have two new sisters coming into the Visitors' Center. One is from Mexico and one from Utah! Tomorrow we are going to pick up Hermana Aquino (the one from Mexico) and she will get to spend the first night in the mission with us! It gives us a little variety in all that goes on so we are excited! haha.
 
Something that we have really been lacking the past transfer is referrals! We had only gotten one our entire first 5 weeks together. In my last area we got referrals almost daily whether from members, or from the English Elders in our area. I don't know what it is with this area... but we never get referrals. So we have been focusing a lot on what we need to do and need to change to get more referrals. We decided that we need to start including it in all of our prayers. How can we expect particular blessing from God if we are not specifically asking for them. That's something that I am learning here on the mission--you need to be specific with God. If you ask a specific question, you will get a specific answer. But if you just ask God to bless you... I think that is a little less effective :] It's something we have had to stress a lot with investigators... pray specifically to know that the Book of Mormon is true. Because they always just say oh yeah... I pray all the time! That's good... but you have to pray specifically to have an answer. And I think that is the same thing with us in our lives. We need to pray for specific blessings. And if we are praying in each of our prayers for this thing, that means it is on our minds more often and God knows where our desires are.
 
On Saturday night we went to a members house, The Hernanadez, to watch the Testaments with some of our investigators, The Baez Family. It was a really fun night. Sister Falcon and I brought popcorn and drinks and The entire Baez Family came (there are six of them so it can be really difficult to have lessons with all of them!) But they all came and I could see how their dispositions and attitudes changed from the beginning of the movie to the end. They are progressing... but very slowly. But we are working with them and their testimonies. The Father has been having a hard with gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith, but as he has taken the initiative to read on his own in the Book of Mormon his doubts are disappearing. It's been wonderful to see!
 
I love you all and miss you! I loved seeing all of Mom's pictures of Neil and Meredith's kids! They are adorable! And I'm excited to see some of Chad and Amy's kids next week :]
 
Love,  Holly