Soccer, Baptisms, and Random Horses: Life in Colombia.

Howdy ya'll...

Hey everybody. Happy Valentines Day!!!! Well, to tell you the truth, I forgot it was Valentine's day until I read the email today... haha Lame. But it's all good! So my week was good! Stressful, but good ha. I'll just start off by saying, I'm pooped out today! For pday we got the zone together today and played real soccer in a big soccer field. Annnnd I'm outta shape. As are all of the other missionaries. Haha I'm dead! But anyway, this weekend we had 2 baptisms! Jonny and Sofia! It was great. Sofia also turned 15 the same day, so the young women had a birthday cake for her after the baptismal service. They both wanted me to baptize them, so of course I didn't tell them no.. Water was freezing! Sofia was confirmed Sunday, but unfortunately Jonny had a run in with police Sunday on his motorcycle and didn't make it to sacrament meeting, and wasn't confirmed Sunday... Devil's workin' with the boy, that's for sure... Prayers please that we can get him confirmed this Sunday. Other than that,all's normal! Just working away. Trying my best. Love you all tons. Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts and love. Church is true! Go share it with somebody this week! CHAOOOOOOOO

 

Elder Dean

 

 

 Sofia's baptism service.

Just chillin' with my homie, the horse. 

Haha In Colombia, random horses just walk around the streets sometimes.

Working Hard Everyday.

Hola.

Hey errrrrbody. How's it going? Everything's good here in Popayan. Just trying to fill all these Cathlolics in on what they're missin' here in Popayan... Haha! Hope everybody is doing good. Pretty good week this week... Working hard everyday! We are working hard to have a baptism this coming Saturday, so thanks for your prayers and thoughts for that. Elder Silverio is still plugging along with the Spanish... I think I've just gotta give him the reins a bit, and let him have the chance to take the lead and talk talk talk talk. That's what helped me learn Spanish, even though I hated my trainer for doing it, it definitely helped me in the long run... 

 

So Sunday night we teamed up as a district and went to help Elder Eliason and Elder Joglar out. All 6 of us went to teach two of their investigators. We watched the first vision movie and had an excellent lesson. We tagged teamed it, and put a baptismal date with both of them - the mom and the daughter. Cool experience for sure. Today for P-day was kinda cool. We went and bought ping pong stuff and all got together as a zone in the chapel and had fun. Played soccer, ping pong, and we have 2 missionaries, an elder and a sister from Mexico, so they cooked up tacos and horchatas for everybody. Yum! We were there all day long. Fun stuff. Just pluggin' away here, working away. I've been listening to a conference talk every morning this week, and I love it... I invite you all to do it, too! Read or listen to a conference talk every day. Trust me, it makes a difference! Love you all for realzzzzz. Thanks for being awesome. I'm gonna send some picture for real this time this week. Don't worry haha. Love you all... Have an awesome week!!!

Elder Dean

 Elder Silverio trying out pop-rocks

 

The new house. Hard to beat the original house with Elder Menendez and Mosquiera, but these guys are ok too... Elder Silverio, Elder Eliason, Elder Dean, Elder Jogler

 

Tag team district baptismal dates with Sara and her mom

 

 P-day with the zone

My homie, Elder Sacco and I. He's from Riverton, and played ball and golfed too!

Be Just A Little More Obedient.

Hola.

How's it going errrrbody? Just here in Popayan, truckin' along. We are working away! So we went to Cali earlier this week for new missionary training for Elder Silverio. We woke up really early (at 4 o'clock) for the trip, and traveled and received training.  Good old Cali. haha Funny moment when all the new missionaries had to close their eyes to meet their new companions... Suprise! haha Elder Silverio had a good laugh. At the end of the day, and all of the training, we said goodbye to everybody in Cali and hopped back on the bus with Elder Gallardo and his trainee, Elder Munoz, for the 3 hour bus ride back to Popayan, and got home about 9 oclock. What a day! We worked hard this week, and it was a pretty normal week. Elder Silverio is still learning, and we are getting a little, just a little bit, better at communicating. Long way to go! So today for pday, we woke up and studied like normal until 10, and then went and played soccer for an hour or 2... After soccer Elder Gallardo and his district were headed to "El Morro," a big hill here in popayan with a outlook of the city. Elder Silverio wanted to go, so we went with them. I'll send a pic or two. Today finishing up pday, while walking back to the house with our groceries, me and Elder Silverio almost got hit by lighting! Sketchhhhhh. We were just walking calm on a back dirt rode, when I saw a flash in the corner of my eye and then BOOOOMM! The telephone wires ahead of us got hit by a lighting bolt! AHHHHH teeee naaasssss we went running back to the apartment. Well, we are obedient missionaries, but God wants us to be a little more obiendent hahaha Just kidding. Anyway, fam, love you all. I'm grateful for every single one of you in my life. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. Love you! Talk to you more next week!

Elder Dean

Learning Portugese.

Hola famila como voce estaon? Estou aqui aprendendo Portugues!

Haha I just said, "Hey fam how are you all? I'm here learning Portuguese!" In Portugese! Haha. So this week was interesting... I've now been with Elder Silvero a week and a half, and we still don't understand each other! It's funny sometimes, and as well, you have to have A LOT of patience. Double whammy! A new missionary who doesn't know much, and we can't communicate! Adventure for sure. But it's all good. We are just truckin' along. So Sunday after church we had to say goodbye to Elder Menendez. He went off back to Uruguay- finished the mission. Love the guy. He was an awesome missionary. I even gave him my favorite tie because he kept asking for it haha. So tomorrow Elder Silverio and I have to travel to Cali for Elder Silverio to receive his new missionary training. A big group of new Elders are coming in tomorrow, and normally your first day when you arrive in the mission, you receive training and meet your trainer. Elder Silverio got here alone, so they just sent him straight to me, but he's still gotta receive his new missionary training, even though he got a head start haha. It'll be funny when all of the trainers walk in to meet their comps, and Elder Silverio and I... Surprise! Oh wait. haha. So yesterday for p-day, my whole writing time was taken up trying to get Elder Silverio logged into his email without success. There was a problem with his email account, but I called the offices and worked the problem out, and now it's fixed. Because he didn't get time to write, and me neither, Elder Eliason gave him permission to write his family for an hour today (Tuesday). Elder Eliason also gave me permission to write for 15 min, because I only had 20 min to write yesterday trying to help Elder S the whole time. Good guy that Elder Eliason. Welp! Everybody gotta cut it short. Love you all. Thanks for all your prayers for me and especially for my comp. I love you all. I'll talk to you all next week. Chaooooo.

 Elder Silverio and I

 

Saying goodbye to Elder Menendez and Elder Zambrano. 

Headed back to Uruguay and Ecuador - the trunkies!

Elder Silverio and Elder Dean "meet for the first time" 

at the new missionary training in Cali

Big Surprise.

Family. Friends. Hello.

Hey everybody! How's it going? So this week was pretty normal... Until Wednesday night arrived. At about 10 'o'clock Elder Mosquiera and I were finishing up planning when Elder Eliason walked in and handed the phone to Elder Mosquiera, saying that President Prince was on the phone. Uh oh. Elder Mosquiera started talking to him, and then he looked at me with an "oh crap" look in his eyes. Then he said, "OK President," and handed me the phone. President Prince told me hello, and informed me that there was an elder from Brazil that had arrived alone the day before. He then told me that Elder Mosquiera would be leaving the next morning, and that I would be training the new elder starting Friday. Bang. Well alrighty then! So Elder Mosquira stayed up late packing his bags, and I sent him off the next morning. I went in a division with a young man in the branch all day Thursday. Friday, my new companion arrived at the bus station fresh and new from Brazil. Haha I have found out in the past 3 days that he doesn't speak Spanish! He speaks Portuguese. It's been quite the experience these past 3 days... His name is Elder Silverio. He from the coast in Brazil. He is an awesome kid, and has a big smile. Big language barrier, but with work and faith he will learn. Anyway. Thanks for all your prayers. Especially during this time. I wish I had more time to write. Really gotta cut it short this week. I have been super busy these past 3 days with him. Haven't even had time to take a picture with him. Next week for sure! Love you all. Have an awesome week!

Elder Dean

District Conference

Hello All!

Hey everybody. How's it going? This week was pretty normal. Last week after writing everybody, Elder Eliason and I left and were attacked during the crazy festivals on our way back to the house. I'll send a few pics haha. So this week we had interviews with President Prince, and this week was also the district conference. All of the branches in Popayan all got together this Sunday for the conference I liked the talks. Sitting 2 hours on a hard chair is never the funnest, but it's all good! The best part about interviews was some banana bread from Sister Prince haha. Today for p-day Elder Mosquiera and Elder Menendez wanted to go play soccer, but Elder Eliason and I weren't really feeling it. So they went to play soccer, and Elder Eliason and I went to a mall close by for Elder E to buy something with the money his parents sent him for Christmas. Lucky me- you guys just send me packages ( so much better :) ) After an hour or two he bought the only thing that us missionaries can use... He bought a few ties. Haha. Anyway, gotta cut it short this week. Transfers are coming up in 2 weeks. Elder Menendez will be headed home :( Crazy! Love you all tons. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. Hope you all have a good week!

Elder Dean

Elder Eliason and I attacked last Monday

Happy 2014 To All.

Hey everybody- I'm alive...

 

Don't worry. I made it through New Years alive here in Colombia! Haha Hope you all had a fun and safe New Years. I don't even really remember much about what happened for New Years. Just a bunch of drunks and craziness haha. New Years Eve we went and ate dinner again with the Oime family. The mission work was pretty slow, but we did our best to work hard. We had baptismal interviews during the week for a baptism service Saturday. Saturday night we had the baptismal service of Omaira and Natalia, and also an investigator of Elder Eliason and Menéndez. It was a nice baptismal service. I baptized Omaira and Elder Eliason baptized Natalia. Sunday they arrived for their confirmations without problem, and I confirmed them both members of the church. Super special that we had the opportunity to baptize Hernando, Omaira and Natalia- all 3. So today and yesterday is a HUGE festival here in Popayán. The 5th and 6th of January here is one big party. It's absolutely nuts. Yesterday (Sunday) I was attacked 5 or 6 times. They sprayed foam and chucked powder. The whole city has lost their minds. I bought a poncho to keep my shirt clean, but it was hopeless. It's crazy. They chuck water, throw powder, spray foam, and paint people. I've never seen anything like it. I managed to snap a quick picture, but I couldn't get a picture of the real craziness for fear of losing my camera haha. I'll attach a few pics. Elder Mosqueira's birthday was on the 3rd too, he turned 21. We didn't do anything. We ordered a pizza and ate that, and then hit the sack. We were pooped out. Anyway, it was super cool to see Omaira and Natalia baptized. The mission is incredible. It's one big lesson- the mission. I feel like I'm always learning. Sometimes it's super hard, but I've never done anything more important in my life. I hope you all have an excellent 2014. The only year of my life that I will have to devote all my days to the Lord. So, happy 2014 to all. Let's all get better this year. Go to the temple more, read the scriptures more, pray more often, and try to be better people every day. I love you all. Talk to you more next week.

 Baptismal Service: Omaira and Natalia

 Ponchos Colombian Style (Eliason y Yo)

 

 Somewhat view of Popayan madness