The times are a´changing

Hola familia!

Well lot´s of things are changing here in México Monterrey Este. It´s President Walker´s last week here in the mission so everyone´s sad to see him go, but we´ll be getting Larry Byrd the end of the week so that´s exciting! This is also week 11 of my training so in about two weeks from the day I could be: training, staying here with a new District Leader, transferred to a new area, or be sent to the offices. So many possibilities! Make sure to pray that I get what I wan... I mean what the Lord wants!

Also, the announcement wasn´t all that gigantic yesterday, but it was still pretty exciting for us here! We´re probably not going to enjoy the Facebook missionary work that´s going to roll forth seeing as Mexico still isn´t quite in the digital age. It´s on the brink, but not quite there. Most homes don´t have internet and the majority of the time spent on the computer is in cyber cafes (like this one!) So I don´t know what´ll happen with that.

More exciting is the emphasis on the ward taking control of missionary work, and it looks like Craig was right about the ¨big¨ announcement.. Elder Diaz and I are pumped to hand over our planners to Hermano Zavala (our Ward Mission Leader) so he can fill them up! ;) But really, it should be great. We´ve already talked with the Bishop and he told us that it was going to be the top priority in the ward. We had about 80 from our ward attend the broadcast so hopefully there´s an increase in members working with us. 

The broadcast was definitely an answer to our prayers seeing as we only had one new investigator and about two lessons this week. The work is really drying up and we need the help of this gigantic ward to find new people! Also, the videos and music were filled to the brim with the Spirit. Really powerful stuff.

Also, on to a new subject, Mexicans are convinced that caffeine is against the Word of Wisdom. I´ve been fighting these Elders in my District (including Elder Diaz) over the topic for weeks. They´re convinced that the reason we can´t drink café (coffee) is because it has cafeína (caffeine). I say it´s a problem with the language that they don´t understand the problem with their line of thinking. They say that because coffee has caffeine, we can´t drink caffeine. My rebuttal was coffee also has water, does that mean we can´t drink water? Also my chocolate defense didn´t hold up. I ended up comparing their beliefs to the Pharisees while they called me an apostate. Even the Church News report talking about how caffeine isn´t mentioned in the Word of Wisdom didn´t change their belief.

By the way, this all started with me drinking a Monster (which they have here, Colby, by the way). They also have Chinese food which is fantastic when the members give us money or don´t feed us.

I´m working hard on not letting the opinions and attitudes of other missionaries get in the way of how I work. Being a trainee is a bit tough because everybody treats you like less than a missionary. I have real respect for people, like the Zone Leaders and President Walker, who talk to me like an equal. It´s hard going from having every adult talking to you as an equal (at home) to having people who are the same age (or younger) talking down to you like you´re a moron. 

One of the blessings of the mission is I´m more at peace and tolerant than I think I´ve ever been in my life. I really feel the peace of the Lord in my life now more than ever even with all of the troubles I´ve had with the work, my companion, other missionaries, the heat, and exhaustion. I´ve gone from getting angry when Elder Diaz chews me out for falling asleep in church (I´m becoming more like Dad every day) to just brushing it off.

Also, getting the May and June Liahonas was like Christmas. And they´re in English too! I had no idea the Liahona was in English before coming here. Here are two articles and one talk from general conference that I particularly love:

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/06/worship-the-true-and-living-god?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/06/dear-are-the-sheep-that-have-wandered?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/05/the-savior-wants-to-forgive?lang=eng

Well that´s about it. I love ya´ll and are keeping you in my prayers every night.

Love, Elder Brayden Decker