Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Hey everybody how's it going? Hope your Christmas was awesome, and I hope that you all have a fun new year tomorrow! New Years here is fun. Tons of drunks, and I've only seen one stabbing so far - doing good... So my Christmas was... Normal. Haha! So Christmas Eve we visited some people, and had Christmas messages, and we got invited to eat with the branch president at about 6. We ate dinner and had typical Christmas food  - Popayan style with the president. After that we headed to Parque de Caldas to take a few quick pics on our way to our last appointment. It was all lit up like a wanna be temple square haha. We ate dinner with Familia Oime (Hernando my convert and his family). We ate dinner with them and then shared a Christmas message with a baptismal invitation for Omaira. She said she didn't want to do it, and after a long conversation we found out some fears that she has... She decided to think about it, and maybe have a date in January. When we looked at our watched it was 10:10 Aahhhh! We had permission to be out until 10, but our area is super far away from the house. When we headed out about 10:10, it started to POUR rain. Never seen it rain so hard. So we waited for a taxi in the pouring rain until about 10:20, and nothing showed up. We ended up walking/running to the house in the pouring rain, and got home at like 10:40 soaking wet. We changed clothes, and then Elder Menendez found a scrabble board in the closet. So I taught elder Menendez and Mosqueira how to play. I won :) Christmas day was normal I suppose... We went around and shared Christmas messages with some inactives, and then talked with the zone leaders and their converts for a while, and then went home at 9. We got home, planned for a bit, and the I crashed super tired... Merry Christmas! haha. The 26th - the Skype call at night was SUPER awesome. Great to see everybody and talk for what seemed like 5 min. Can't wait to talk for Mothers Day! Anyway, Happy New Year to all - hope it's a good one. I'm entering my "dead year" 2014. I'll be in Colombia the whole year... Love you all! I'll send some pics here... Hope you guys are safe and happy to finish up these holiday seasons. Gotta go. Talk to you more next week!!!

Elder Dean

 Familia Oime

 Parque de Caldas

 Christmas Dinner - Popayan Style 

 Christmas Eve

Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad Parseros!!!!!

Merry Christmas everybody! Today is Monday the 23rd. Christmas is in 2 days... Crazy! So this week was good... It has been a little hard to stay busy, but it's all good! Just gotta keep doing your best. So this week we had the branch Christmas party, and when we showed up, only a few investigators and members were there... CRAP! Nobody had really organized anything. So Elder Menendez and I saved the day when all the people showed up with a few games for everybody. We kept it fun. While we were trying to keep everybody entertained, Elder Mosqueira made calls and got music and speakers to the church, and so when we left the party at 9 (when we had to go) there was music, and miraculously food showed up, too! Party saved. WHEW. Super stressful, buts it's all good. Sunday night there was a movie in the church, too. We brought some investigators, and the movie was Ephraim's Rescue again. So I watched it again, and it was just as good and the first time haha! Other than that the week was pretty normal... I hope you all enjoy the snow and the Christmas time with everybody. This Christmas I have homework for you... Christmas Eve or Christmas day, dust off your bible ;) and open up to Luke 2 and read the chapter. After you're done with that, pick up the Book of Mormon and read Alma 7:10-12. That's your homework! I'm grateful for my Savior and this opportunity I have to be serving a mission here in Colombia. I'm grateful for Christmas and the opportunity it gives us to remember our blessings, and remember the birth of our Savior... Also, because I get to call home :) Thanks for all of your prayers and support, especially during this Christmas season. Merry Christmas. I love you all!!

Elder Dean

Conference in Cali and a Baptism.

Hola!

Hey there everybody. How's it going!? Hope you all had a good week. I had a great one... So this Thursday we had a conference in Cali, so we had to wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning and get on a bus for the 3 hour bus ride to Cali. Is was cool being back in Cali for the day. Tons of people, hot, Salsa music blasting, smelling a little funny... good old Cali :) Memories from my first 3 transfers. The conference was good. It was from about 9-5. We listened to President and Sister Prince talk, and the APs too. We ate an awesome lunch and had a little talent show. Every zone had a little play. My part in our play was to sing "White Christmas" with the other gringos in Popayan. It was fun. We also watched a movie called "Ephraim's Rescue." It's about pioneers, and it's made by the same people who did 17 Miracles. It was excellent. You should defiantly watch it. So then we hoped on the bus back to Popayan, and got back in the nighttime. 

 

This Saturday we had a baptism service with Hernando. He's 80 years old and was part of another church for more than 30 years. After a long process, he decided that he wanted to be baptized. The baptismal service was excellent. Presidente Lalo Baptized him. We invited Elder Lameraux and Elder Mancilla to the service because Elder Mancilla plays a few hymns on the piano haha. Elder Lameraux and I also did a special number. We sung a hymn- the first two verses in Spanish and the last one in English. The spirit was super strong. Sunday, Hernando gave me a heart attack. He got to sacrament meeting at 9:15- just in time to be confirmed. Elder Mosqueira confirmed him. It was a good blessing, too. So transfers came in last night and Elder Mosqueira and I will be together another transfer, so we'll be together 3 months. That probably means I'll be here in Popayan 4 and a half months, but who knows! This morning during personal study, I finished the Book of Mormon. I have been reading it one chapter in English, and then right after the same chapter in Spanish. After I finished it today, I just want to bear my testimony that I know it's true. I am without doubts in my mind that the Book of Mormon is true, and that this church is also true. I'm very grateful for the gospel in my life, and all of you. I'm very blessed. I have to log off and start the week, but I love you all and I hope you all have a safe and good week. Talk to you more next week.

Elder Dean

 The street where I live here in Popayan

Baptism for Hernando

 Getting back with an old pal in Cali, Elder Wilcox and I

Kid's activity last week. Don't worry, I'm not mad- camera caught me before I smiled and I have a sucker in my mouth

Another area of Popayan

Reason For The Season.

Que mas Parseros?

Hey everybody. How's it going? Hope you all had an excellent week! So this week was pretty good... This week we were in the hospitals and clinics Tuesday and Wednesday, like 6 hours, trying to figure out if we could help Elder Mosqueira feel a little better. He hasn't been feeling too hot... The medical system isn't quite the same here as it is in the United States. Not too organized- that's for sure... But it's all good. Eventually we found out that he's got some parasites. Poor guy. He took a few pills a few days ago, and he seems to be feeling a little bit better, so that's good. Saturday we had a pretty cool activity with a few members of the church and all the missionaries here in Popayan for about 100 little kids. They are are super poor, but Saturday morning from about 8-11 we had an activity. We played a bunch of games with them and gave them candy. Some sisters combed hair and painted faces, and then they feed them all some rice and chicken. Happy kids- that's for sure! I took some pictures, but I forgot my camera, so I'll have to send some pictures next week. So Sunday was good and a little rough at the same time... The branch here I'm in is pretty weak. We had about 40 people in church Sunday. Not too hot. It can get a little frustrating at times, not having much help from the branch and members, but we gotta help everybody we can. That's why we are here as missionaries. So I watched the Christmas devotional last night in English with some other gringos here in Popayan. I liked it a lot. Listing to Christmas hymns in English was fantastic. I liked that they really focused the talks on the Savior, too. We should all be thinking about Jesus this Christmas season, and the remarkable things he did for us. Through him we can be happy and find peace, I can testify of that. Thank you for the prayers and thoughts. I love you all. Even though I miss you all a lot, I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to be here in Colombia serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This gospel is remarkable. I'm grateful for it in my life. I love you all and I hope you all have a good week and enjoy the snow :) Talk to you all next week. 

Love

Elder Dean

First Baptism In Popayan.

Hey Everybody,

What's up? So I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! Was just a normal day here in Popayan for me... But its all good. I'm grateful for a lot of things, and that's what Thanksgiving's all about. So this past week we had a baptismal service. We baptized Mauricio, and the other elders in the apartment baptized a girl named Mabel. It was a good service for sure. Presidente Lalo baptized my investigator, and Elder Eliason baptized his investigator. Sunday morning I confirmed Mauricio in sacrament meeting... Always sketchy giving a blessing like that in front of about 60 people... My first time was worse though! In Cali there were more people because I'm in a branch here in Popayan. Other than that the week was pretty normal! Haha Miracle nothing too crazy happened during the week. Only a few drunks tried bothering me this week, but I think my Spanish might be getting better because when the drunks ask me where I'm from I tell them, "Medallin Colombia," and they leave me alone... Haha! I'll send a picture of us with Mauricio too :) Hey, I hope you all have a good week... And hope everybody can enjoy the holiday season without getting too stressed out or anything... Remember what Christmas is all about, and I promise that your Christmas will be awesome!! I'm in a division right now with Elder Eliason. We are having a good time... Haha Always quoting Dumb and Dumber and taking about sports... Well I gotta go cut my hair, so I gotta cut it short... Love you all. Thanks for all the prayers and support. Have a good week!!!

 

Elder Dean