Living without money...

Date: July 29, 2013 at 1:00:15 PM PDT

Hey familia!

Thanks for all of the emails and prayers that`ve been sent my way. It helps a lot to see that you`re all doing great at home.

So our monthly pay didn`t arrive today... It was supposed to come last Thursday but it didn`t. So we checked today y tampoco. What I had to do was take out more of my personal dough (again) and loan Elder Baez some money so we could have food this week. I don`t know what`s going on at basecamp, but we`re less than happy with the secretaries here in the mission.

As to the work, things are a bit rocky at the moment. We found six new investigators this week none of whom attended church. One is a Jehovah`s Witness boyfriend of a sixteen-year-old less active who`s pregnant with his baby, the other is a Catholic who refused to accept a baptismal date and who doesn`t have time to see us for two weeks, and another is a taxista (taxi driver) who`s wife doesn`t particularly like us.

But despite all those less-than-promising we also found one who`s really special. His name is Chewie (Chewbacca!) and he`s a 71 year old man who has a job repairing bicycles. He`s extremely humble, loves his wife, and wants what`s best for his kids. The Spirit is always ridiculously strong when we`re with him. The only problem is he`s a bit slow, and we need to spend an entire lesson explaining a single point to him. He doesn`t really know who Jesus Christ is and has difficulty praying. We need your prayers to be able to figure out how to teach him so he understands.

Other investigators that could use help are Eliza Quintanilla, Erika and Itatti, and Judith. All had or have baptismal dates but have various problems (jobs) where they can`t go to church. In Erika`s case we can`t teach her as she leaves to work before we leave the house and gets back past our curfew. Problems problems...

Other than that all is well. Elder Baez and I are really getting along well. We have plans to use my American money to buy up a bunch of land in Argentina and get filthy rich. It`s probably a better job-proposal than any I`ve thought of yet so who knows?

And Dad, it`s great to hear that you`re reference worked out. There really is a difference when the members help out with investigators and when they don`t. It`s not really effective to talk to folk in the street and pass by their often-false addresses. One of the blessings of being a missionary is finding out the best ways to help the missionaries back at home.

Thanks for all of the prayers, support, and love you`ve sent my way. I`m trying to send all I can back yours.

Love ya`ll!

-Elder Brayden Decker