Tres Cruzes.

What's cracka lackin'?

 

Haha! Hey everybody. What's cracka lackin'? (That's the phrase of the day I taught my companion in English haha).  This week was good, and busy, and also slow at the same time haha. Kinda weird but it's all good. This week we had leadership conference with all the zone leaders. It was good. We learned a lot, and I had to say goodbye to Elder Wilcox. He's headed home. All the homies are dying off haha. Gotta make some new ones. This Saturday we had a baptismal service. Natalia and Paula were baptized. It was a nice baptismal service. President and Sister Pricoli made a surprise drop in and attended the service, which was cool. I confirmed Paula on Sunday. Today for pday we did a pretty long hike. We went to Tres Cruzes, three crosses that are up on the mountain overlooking Cali. On the way up we took a wrong path and ended up rock climbing up. Haha It was sketchy. But it was all worth it up on the top. I'm super tired from the hike ha. I'll make sure and send some pictures. Anyway, that's about all that went down this week. I finished the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Super cool. Just more evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet. When it comes down to it, I think every one of us has to ask the question if he was a prophet or no. I know that if we do our part and ask with faith, we can always feel that he was. When doubts and questions come after we have gained a testimony, you can say to those doubting thoughts, like I heard once, "Sorry doubting and strange thoughts, I am going to stick with my hope and faith and you can just hit the road." Haha Something like that. I have a weird way of thinking sometimes. Anyway, I hope you all have a happy week by doing the things that make one happy. Real happiness. Love you all. Have a good week. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

Elder Dean

 

 

 Way to go Elder Wilcox! Headed home to look for a wife :) Ha. JK

 

NACIONAL COLOMBIAN DAY YALL

 



Happy baptismal service

 

Tres Cruzes

Tres Cruzes

On the way up

 

Nice View

Cali Zoo.

Hey everybody!

Hey all. What's happening? Well another week has come and gone, and ready to start another one. Bang! I'm doing good here in Cali - trucking along just fine. This past week was good. This week we had a cool appointment with Natalia and Paula and their dad. Natalia and Paula have been going to church for about 4 years now with their aunt and uncle. They aren't members because their dad has never let them get baptized. Wednesday Elder Morales and I went to the appointment and taught the dad and them. In the leccion we explained, taught, and asked for permission for them to get baptized. Hey just looked at us and said "Yep. I don't see any problems with it now. When's it going to be?" WHEW. Haha. Super cool. The baptismal service is planned for this Saturday. Vamos bien. Other than that, it's been a pretty normal week. Today for p-day we went to the Cali zoo with some of the missionaries from the zone. It was super cool. There were tons of animals. Unfortunately my camera battery went out about halfway through the zoo, but I still got quite a few pics. I'll send 1 or 2. The zoo is a little bigger than the Salt Lake zoo and has more exotic animals. Tons of different birds, tons of different monkeys, tigers, bears, lions OH MY. Haha. I gotta cut it short this week, but I just wanna share my testimony about the patience the Lord has for us. I love the Lord, and I know that he definitely loves me more than I love myself. He has everlasting attributes; one of them divine patience. He has more patience with us than we have for ourselves. He loves us. We are preparing to live with him. To be like him. Sometimes we get focused on little things. Sometimes we forget the big picture. Anyway. Love you all. Have patience. Especially with yourselves. "Continue forward with patience until you are perfected. " Have a good week!

Elder Dean

 

 White Tiger

 

 Tell Rico I found his long lost cousin

 

 

 PLEASE! Call Derek Zoolander and tell him I perfected Blue Steel.

 

 

 I found a light saber in the apartment. No biggie.

 

 

Colon Ward. Best Missionaries.

Baptisms in Cali

HEYYYY.

Hey everybody. What's up? Hope your week was "chevere". My week was pretty good. I'm getting used to my area. I feel like I know it pretty well now. Getting used to Cali again, too! I think I'm getting my Cali accent back haha! Anyway, this week was good. We had our first interviews with President and Sister Pricoli this week. All went well. This week I had an interesting experience. I was in a baptismal interview with a investigator that the office elders are teaching (miracles- the office elders are baptizing somebody haha jk..) But anyway, I was interviewing him and I could tell something wasn't right. I felt impressed to ask him about his family, and he informed me that his family didn't want him to get baptized, and that's what was holding him back. We talked for quite a while, maybe too long, (ha) and in the end I invited him to pray and ask Heavenly Father if he should get baptized. We knelt down and he started to pray and asked. There was a long silence for a few minutes, and just before my knees couldn't take it any longer, he seemed super weired out. I asked him what he was thinking, and I think the spirit spoke to him so strong, it actually kind of scared him. Took him by surprise. Long story short, he got baptized this weekend. We also had a baptismal service. Leonardo got baptized. It was super cool because another young man in the ward who is a recent convert baptized him. The service was good, and he got confirmed Sunday. Way to go Leo! Anyway, I gotta log off, but thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I'll send off a few pics because I finally have a camera again. Anyway hope you all have a good week. Love you all.

Elder Dean

 

 Leonardo's Baptism

 

 Esteban baptized Leonardo (Leonardo doesnt have a tie on)

 

 

 

First Week Back In Cali.

Que hubo parseros??

Estoy de nuevo en... CALI. My first week back in Cali and... Wow! I'm getting used to the heat and noise and gun shots again haha! It makes me remember so much from when I first started my mission. I'm about 15 minutes away from my first area. Ha! For example, the chapel that I'm in here now, in Colon, I played soccer in. on my first pday in the mission, and today for pday we went to burger king Ha I also went there in my first few weeks in the mission. I ate a burger with fries and a milkshake. It's been like 10 months since I've eaten that haha! So last Monday night I had to say goodbye to everybody in Pasto, which was super hard. Had to fight back the tears, that's for sure. Tuesday, I made the long bus ride from Pasto to Cali, for probably the last time, and this past week I've been getting to know my area. My companion is Elder Morales; a really calm guy from Peru... too calm haha! But he's good. The ward here seems good. There are a few cool members, a few returned missionaries, and stuff... We'll see what goes down! We have plans to have a baptismal service this weekend, so I'll let you all know how that goes for sure. So anyway, I'm here again in Cali, getting used to it, but I'm doing fine! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. I ran out of time again today, but next week I'll try to send a few pics if I can and write a bit better. I hope you all have a good week and I'll write you all for sure next Monday. Gotta get the new week started! Chaooo

Elder Dean

Transfer Back to Cali.

Hey thur.

Hey everybody. Hope you all had a good week... I'm super short for time this week because I'm getting transferred. I got the news this morning that they are transferring me back to Cali. They are transferring me to lead zone San Fernando, the biggest zone in the mission. I'm leaving Pasto, a zone of 20 missionaries, and they send me to a zone of 26 missionaries. Fun stuff! I have to travel tomorrow all day, and with this bus trip back to Cali I will have spent more than 1 week in total in a bus with all of my trips from Cali to Pasto and back. Last one tomorrow. This weekend I also had the opportunity to baptize Sebastian. Sunday morning before sacrament meeting I baptized him. He's 8 years old, and his aunt and uncle that he lives with are members. Sorry I didn't have the chance to snap a pic, but it's all good. Anyway, it will be super hard to leave all the converts and members behind, but I know that the transfers are for a reason. My new companion's name is Elder Morales. I think he's from Peru, but I'm not sure. I don't know him too well... Tomorrow morning I'll hop on the bus and make the long trip to Cali. Back to the hot hot busy crazy city Cali. Sorry I didn't have time to write much, but I hope you all have a great week. I love my mission. My heart hurts leaving everybody behind here in Pasto, but I trust that there are more people I need to help by going back to Cali. I love the church. I know it's true. I hope you all feel it too... Talk to you more next week!

Elder Dean

Visa's Visa.

Hey fam, friends,

Waddup. Hope you all had a great week this week. My week was good. We got to Cali late Monday night, woke up and did the errands to renew Elder Viza's Visa (haha viza visa) and were traveling all day right away Tuesday afternoon! We got home Wednesday at like 1 in the morning, and worked hard all day Wednesday. Thursday we got shut up in the house, order of President Pricoli for the Colombia vs. Brazil game. Colombia lost, but for some reason they kept celebrating and drinking all night long.  They win they party... They lose they party. Party hard. We were shut up all day Thursday. I almost went crazy. Friday night the assistant's came into town with President Pricoli and stayed at our house. Elder Eliason and I had a sweet batting practice session until he drilled me. Line drive shot. Haha It was fun stuff. Crazy that he's going home next week. I'll miss him for sure. We got to know President Pricoli Saturday morning. He seems super nice. I had to direct the meeting. Sketchy in front of zone Ipaiales and zone Pasto, but I didn't say anything embarrassing, so we're good. Ha! We'll see how President wants to drive the mission this week in zone leader council in Cali on Thursday... You know what that means.... BUS RIDE AGAIN. haha Gotta travel to Cali again this week. Fun stuff. Anyway fam, better cut it short for this week. Transfers are coming in this Sunday. I'll complete 3 transfers here in Pasto, but I think I'm going for 1 more! I'll let you know what goes down next Monday. Hope you all have a great week. Homework this week is: read the scriptures everyday and attend all 3 hours of church this next Sunday. Let's always keep the basics in mind :) Love you all!

Elder Dean

Traveling Back to Cali.

Hey errrrrrrone!

Hey all. How's it going? Hope you all had a good week. My week wasn't too eventful, although a few interesting things have happened I suppose... President and Sister Prince headed out, and we had the changing of the guard Friday. President Pricoli is now the new president, and I don't know him yet, but I think I will get to know him this week... Colombia is crazy. President Pricoli didn't let us do any prosiliting Saturday from 3-5 in the afternoon, because Colombia was playing in the world cup. It was nuts. They won their game, and the whole country went nuts! haha. Crazy Colombians. Does anyone even know the world cup is going on in the States? Who knows... Anyway, I am writing way early today. Last night the office called us, and they made a mistake with my companion's visa. He is going to be illegal Wednesday, so we have to travel to Cali all day today to renew his visa tomorrow. Sweet p-day huh? Cooped up in a bus traveling 10 hours... Bummer! haha But it's all good. I guess it's better than having my companion deported. Anyway, that's about it for this week... Hope you all have a great week and remember to do the small things (prayers, scripture study everyday etc.) I've noticed that in my life lately as a missionary, I think I stopped praying for humility and with real intent little by little, and have felt a wake up call spiritually. Sometimes I think God is good at that... He loves us so when we start straying, he usually helps us get back on the right track, even if its a little rough. Anyway, I love you all. I hope you have a good week. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I always need them! Love you all.

Elder Dean