Shining Shoes and Teaching English.

 

Hey there.

Howdayyy Everybody! Just wanna tell you all I would probably do some crazy things right now for a nice cold root beer! haha. Anyway... I'm doing pretty good. This past week was rough in some ways but there were good moments too, obviously. This week was stake conference for all 4 stakes here in Cali. The stake conference was a bit different. They did a live session from Salt Lake specifically for Cali Colombia. To my surprise, two 70s talked, as well as Jeffery R Holland. He spoke to the stakes here. It was a good message. He talked and told us that we are in the promised land. That Colombia will flourish like the Book of Mormon prophesies, and he issued a call to repentance. It was good! It's rained a few times this week, so things have been a little cooler, but it's been super muggy when the sun comes out. Sunday night we went with a few elders in the district to a park really close to our house and the chapel, and we set up a table. We put up signs "FREE CHOCOLATE" and "FREE SHOE SHINE" as well as English classes. As people passed we talked to them about families, and about the church, inviting them to English class in the chapel, and I shined quite a few shoes haha. It was good to do something a bit different, and many people signed up for English class... We'll see what turns out. Today was a pretty normal pday. Played some soccer this morning, and I must say I made like 2 goals :) haha. Sun burnt... But it's all good. Other than that, I ate lunch and cut my hair. Normal stuff! Anyway, I gotta go now. It's almost 6 o'clock. Time to start the new week. .Hope you all have a good week and keep (or start) studying the scriptures. Especially the life of Christ. I'm trying to do the same. Learn more about him. About his nature, about his role in our lives. I love you all. Talk more next week!

Elder Dean

Enjoy The Seasons.

Hey!

What's happening peeps? Hope you all had a good week. So what's new here in good old Cali Colombia... Not much! Just working along haha. Elder Morales and I are working along, but unfortunately we aren't seeing the results quite yet... We defiantly need to step it up a notch. He's going home in about 3 weeks, and we will complete 4 and a half months together. We need to get on our horse and send him out on a good note. Anyway, although some of our investigators aren't progressing like we would want, I am sure that we will have some success soon. A few inactives we have been visiting came to church yesterday. What joy! Well sometimes I forget that it's October and that the leave are falling now, and everything back home. I miss that! Hope you all can enjoy the changing of the seasons. It's the same all year round pretty much here! Anyway, things will continue to march on here. Today for pday we played volleyball and then we had a barbecue! I cooked all the meat on a charcoal grill... hope everybody stays healthy! Haha! Well everybody- love you tons. Please continue to pray for the work here in my area. We have seen some problems and difficulties here in the ward. Seems to be a pattern in general here, in every ward that I've been in. But the work will march on. I love you all, and I am so very thankful for the gospel in my life. Hope you all have a good week. Talk to you more next Monday!

Elder Dean

Cruising Along.

Hey everybody. What's new?

Things are just cruising along here nothing too new! We are working along and have a few investigators... Trying to help have a baptism soon. Prayers please! Anyway, this week we had zone leader council. It was so weird- all of the zone leaders are new now. I am the 2nd oldest zone leader in council now. Only good old Elder Joglar is older than me. It's so weird to see the mission changing, but that's how it is! But anyway... doing good. So yesterday, Sunday, I had the opportunity to bless the sacrament last minute since the 2 priests didn't show up. I haven't blessed the sacrament in a few months. While breaking the bread and during the sacrament, I felt the spirit super strong. It was refreshing to bless the sacrament and to really pay attention to the words in the prayer. I hope you can all have a good week, and next Sunday when taking the sacrament really pay attention to the words in the hymn, and especially the prayer. I love you all so much. Sorry the letter is short, but I hope you all have a good week. Thanks for you prayers and thoughts on my behalf and for the work here.

Elder Dean

Three Months in Colon.

Hey what's happening all?

Hey everybody! Hope you all had a good general conference weekend. This week was good- working along, and I especially enjoyed the conference. I know that some things stood out to me, and I learned. I learned about having love for God and worrying more about him than others and what they think of us. I learned about the importance of caring for the poor, needy, and afflicted in body and spirit, especially by obeying the law of the fast and paying fast offerings. I learned about sustaining the prophet, and I learned that life is better with the gospel. Talks that I really liked: Elder Uchdorf and President Monson in the priesthood session, Elder Chistopherson, Elder Bendar Sunday afternoon session, and others. Anyway, transfers came in and I'm not going anywhere. Neither is my companion. He will end his mission here with me in 6 weeks- completing 4 and a half months together here in this area. 6 more weeks- here we go! Anyway, today for pday we didn't have much to do... We went and printed off pictures as a back up if my memory card ever gets damaged or something, ate lunch, and then we didn't have much to do so we went to the chapel and watched half of The Other Side of Heaven in the air conditioned bishopric's office. Haha. Busy pday... Anyway, looks like my pdays up. Time to start the new week and transfer. 3 months down here in Colon, and looks like I'm not going anywhere. Haha! Love you all. Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Dean

 

 

Gringos listening to conference.

We tried to make root beer for the conference...

Didn't work out too well but it was worth the try!

Three generations.

Hey everybody.

 

Hi everyone. How's it going? Hope everything's good. I'm doing just fine here... Sorry this week I'm short for time. Internet seemed all funky today, so hopefully my messages got to everybody.... Who knows. Anyway, I'm doing good. This week went fine. We are working along. I'm super excited for general conference this weekend. I hope you can all make an effort to listen, too! This is the last week of this transfer. Transfers come in this weekend. 3 months down here in Cali, here in Colon. Times flying by... This week I went and did a division in Jamundi. Jamundi is a town about 30 minutes south of Cali. My old companion that I trained is there in Jamundi... Good old Silverio! He's training too right now, so now I have a grandson.  That's how we call it in the mission. Silverio is my son because I trained him, and now he's training another Elder, so he's my grandson. Haha! Anyway, sorry this letter is super short today, but I hope you all have a good week. I'll let you know about the tranfers next week, and hope you all enjoy conference! Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. Love you all!

Elder Dean

 

Three generations

La Obra de Salvation.

Howdy!

 

What's up everybody. Hope every thing's going good back home. Things here are cruising along. So this week we had a visit from Elder Scott Grow of the 70. Thursday we had a meeting with him- all the zone leaders in the mission- all afternoon, and then Friday almost all day we had a meeting with him- all the missionaries in Valle. We were about 140. The meeting was held in my chapel here in Colon, so it was my job to make sure everything was in order. Fun stuff. You'd never think so many little things would have to be done for a visit of a seventy. It was crazy. But anyway, all day Friday too, after I was just ready to get back to normal. But the visit was good Elder Grow is awesome. We talked a ton about getting the ward involved in the work. They are changing the name now. It's not "La Obra Misional." It's now "La Obra de Salvation" Cool. They are changing stuff. Investigators have to attend 3 Sundays now, and not just sacrament meeting. To be baptized they have to attend 3 times, but all 3 church meetings. More focus on the converts and less actives. Stuff like that. I like it though. The attitude has changed drastically since when I first got to the mission field to now. I like it better in some ways, and in some ways I miss some aspects, but it's all good! In the end, whatever I do, I just want to be successful in helping people and being a blessing to others. To be a good servant. Things are going along, and I will keep at it. I hope you are all doing well. I love you and miss you all. I think when it comes down to it.... Life's just better with the gospel. Being at peace with God and fellow men should be our ultimate desire. I think I'm developing that desire.. To do whatever it takes to be at peace with God first, and after, everyone else. Let's all keep it up. Love you all. Hope you have a good week. If you need a booster, go this next Sunday to the temple and have a walk around and think about what's really important in this life. The leaves should be changing color now, right? It's the same climate here year round... I miss the temple. I miss you all. Talk to you more next week!

Elder Dean

Elder Grow, Victor's Baptism, San Antonio.

Hey everybody!

What's new? Every thing's just cruising along here doing fine. This week was pretty normal. We worked hard keeping at it. So this week Elder Grow is coming in to visit. He's a seventy, so we will have a leadership council with him Thursday, and then Friday we will have a meeting with him and all the missionaries s here in Valle (everybody in Cali, Tulua, Buenaventura, etc). Pretty much everybody except for those who are in Pasto or Popayan. That should be cool. Hey, sorry I didn't send any pictures last week of Victor's baptism or anything. I've been having trouble with my memory and camera. Virus, I'm pretty sure... That's what we get when we use sketchy public computers haha! No- but anyway, we are doing good here. Trying really hard to get some new investigators... The work is so much better when members help. Gotta keep trying to get the members to help us out and work as a team! This week my testimony of fasting was strengthened. I know that if we are passing through difficult times, or we need help with something, fasting truly helps. Anyway, sorry this letter is going to be super short this week, but I love you all. I'll send off some pictures this week of our last pday. We went around Cali visiting some cool sites. Today for pday we just did the normal play soccer, and then we went to Burger King haha. Anyway, I love you all. I hope you all have a great week. Talk to you more next Monday!

 

Elder Dean

 

 

Victor's Baptism

 



 

Catholic church: San Antonio

 

Overlooking Cali from San Antonio

 



 

I Love Cali!