Email - 7/7/09

From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 11:27 AM

To the Saints up North,

Things are still going here. It's Tuesday afternoon and our allowance still hasn't showed up. It is supposed to fall every 5th and 20th day of the month. Just that, well, it's quickly going into day 8, and no money yet. We'll try again soon, but I don't bother getting my hopes up.

I'm not actually as bothered as I should be. I have 25 cents to my name. I'm using the net on borrowed money. Incurring a debt thus. There's little food. I'm out of soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent, but I'm not as worried as I ought to be.

My companion, on the other hand, is a bit nervous now. I don't know how to help him outside of pray, but he's getting to be overstressed. I worry that if we don't have money soon, he's going to freak out.

I'm glad you all had a great fourth of july! Mine was more or less lukewarm, but we had some chocolate cake, and on the 5th I had red, white, and blue jello. It would have been nice to go camping, and given the lack of money, I'm more or less doing that any way, haha! I grabbed a match, lit it, and threw it in the road. That was how I and Elder Stapler celebrated the 4th (Elder Stapler is the other American who lives with us.)

Elder Laman is a Brasileiro, but that doesn't have much to do with it. Nine out of ten Brazilians are cool. Just not him. He's annoying, and it vexes me to live with him, but I'll keep on doing like Dad says and pray for him. One of the Saviors best friends betrayed him to death, I think I can pull of living with an annoying missionary for a month or two.

My companion continues to threaten to marry my sisters. It's entertaining. I have to remember to stop telling people that I have two unmarried sisters. It gets crazy some days.

I love the funeral pyre for the peeps. It's done in true mom style. Just hearing about the Blue hole makes me a teeny bit trunky. It's been 8 months now since I left home for the field. Not that I'm counting, but hey, some days the kids back home want to know.

We're teaching a nice bunch of people now. A less active member and her step-son and her 2nd cousin and her husband. Things are moving along fairly well, though here and there a block comes up in the way of the baptism. Things like Dona Rosa, an old woman who lives with them, but is from another church, a vicious other church.

Quick shout out to Jessica. She got a 1 day weekend. My weekend starts 11 o clock Tuesday and ends 6 PM the same day. Some weeks fly by, and others drag on and on.

Somebody whomp Sharelle for me. Now that we know I can get e-mails, I should at LEAST get an e-mail, haha.

I hope you are all doing well. I'm moving along here. In 21 days this transfer comes to an end. I live across the street from the post office, but have no money to send letters.
Well, unless I break into my personal account.

I love you all, and wish you all a good week. Keep me in your prayers and thoughts, and I'll keep you all in mine.

Love,
Bryan.