I`m in CHINA!

Date: August 26, 2013 at 8:57:38 AM PDT

Hey familia!

I`m writing a bit early today for reasons that I`ll explain presently, so sorry to Mom who hasn`t sent me a message yet (ahem). Guess what? I`m fulfilling my lifelong dream to open up China to missionary work! China, Nuevo Leon that is. Which I`ve also said my whole mission that I want to open and train a new missionary.

It`s been a bit crazy this week. I up and left my home in Juarez and headed to the offices. We had our little get together that we have now for transfers, I played the piano, and all was going dandy. The Assistant Elder Larson started reading the list of transfers and what-not until he got to the point where he said ¨We`re also opening up a new area in China, which hasn`t had Elders for a while. You Elders serving there are lucky to have such a great branch to help you out. Elder Decker, you`ll be serving as Senior Companion and Trainer.¨ And I was all Very exciting stuff.

So I`m training an Elder Arzate here in China right now. Opening an area that hasn`t had Elders for about a year and a month. The field is white. We had about ten new investigators, six baptismal dates, and a whole lot of confusion this week. The Branch President Roman de la Cruz has been the leader here for about 35 years and most of the city knows the Church as ¨Roman`s Church¨ which is a bit of a problem. There are about two active Priesthood holders and three active families. We`ve been told that it was a bit of a crisis when they pulled out the missionaries. Many members stopped attending, others stopped attending because they`re friends stopped going, and it all sort of fell apart. We`re trying to work on that. It`s also a bit of trouble with the food because we eat with the same three families every week.

As to the members themselves, President Roman is a bit... interesting. He seems to be the mob-boss here in the town as he is known by everyone, owns a bunch of stores and houses, and seems to be loaded with money. His primary business is a pharmacy here that we visit daily to pass in back to his home. The active First Counselor Wido (yup) is also a great guy. His family has just come out of an economic crisis and so I feel a bit guilty to eat all the food they give us. He`s also the nephew of the Branch President. The Second Counselor (less active) is also having economic difficulties and so is working 24 hours (they say) overseeing some bridge being built here. Again, guilt when we eat at their house.

The town itself is a bit tiny. We`ve walked the breadth of it about three times in the past few days and feel like we`ve done everything humanly possible. The people are loving and kind, but have an interesting small-town culture. For instance, they have this weird commitment complex. There have been about five people who`ve rejected us because they are ¨committed¨ to a certain pastor and they can`t talk to people from other religions. President Roman told us that the pastors have a strong hold over the minds of the people here. But in the same way, they`re really accepting and loving. They always invite us in to sit down, give us something to drink, have gigantic (creepy) smiles, and say yes to about everything.

It`s really quiet here as we`ve been told by the President that half the town up and left for the United States a year back. Almost all of the stores are closed by the time we head back to the house, there`s only one car that goes around singing, and there are hardly any people in the street. Ever. 

So that`s the situation now. And I haven`t gotten the package yet. I`ve been told it takes a couple of months. And since we`re about two hours from Monterrey, who knows when I`ll know. Also, no cell phone here yet. Hmm.

Love ya`ll and it`s good to hear that everthing`s going well. Good luck in school, work, taking care of the kids, preaching the Gospel, and living life. I`m still praying for you guys every day.

Love you!

-Elder Brayden Decker