#Heisthegift

Hey Everybody!

 

What's going on? Another week has come and gone, and here I am writing you on Tuesday. We had pday today. It was super weird having a pday on a Tuesday, but we had a conference with the whole mission yesterday. The church is launching a really big Christmas message for the whole world. It's going to be pretty big. EVERYBODY needs to start posting a few times during December in your facebooks and social network etc. It's called in English #heisthegift. Everybody can get on to christmas.mormon.org and share it with everybody. Cool stuff. Anyway, this week has been pretty good. My first week with Elder Tolentino. He's a good missionary. He's been out about 10 months and feels a little nervous about being a zone leader, but he's cool. We are just working hard, and I'm sure we will have success soon. Other than that, I don't know what's up. I'm kinda having a mind blank, but that's about all that's going on. This week we had a karaoke night, but not too many people showed up, but it was fun anyway. I love you all. This week or last week was Thanksgiving- I'm not really sure. I kinda loose track of these kinds of things down here, but it's all good. Well. I'm grateful for a lot of things. I'm grateful for my family and friends. The gospel. 'Im grateful that salvation is free if we choose it, and that Heavenly Father is willing to wait and be patient with every single one of us, no matter how long our personal changes take. I love you all, and I'm grateful for this Christmas season that will be starting up soon. Hope you all have a good week.

Elder Dean

 

 

Elder Tolentino and I drinking INCA COLA. It's a soda from Peru.

4th Transfer In Colon.

Q HUBO?

Hey gringolandia! How's it going? Hope you all had a good week. I had a pretty normal week. We worked along this last week with Elder Morales. Poor guy. We were together 3 transfers- quite a bit of time- and although after 4 and a half months, and you are ready for a change, it's still hard because you're just used to your comp. I didn't sleep last night very well, but I think it was because my whole neighborhood was partying all night, and this afternoon they were still outside drinking. Party hard. Anyway, I sent him off last night, and they left me alone to do transfers in my zone of 26 haha (so sorry if the email is short). For right now, I'm in a trio with the other 2 Elders of Colon. So my new companion will be Elder Tolentino from Peru. 4th Peruvian companion in my mission. I'm pretty sure I have the record haha. I'll be training him as a zone leader this transfer, and then I think they'll ship me off to my last area. YIKES. I start my "4th quarter" this week. Anyway, I think I'll be with him Wednesday morning. Other than that, every thing's going good. I'm hoping things will get going soon here in my area. This week I'm very grateful for the gospel in our lives, and very grateful that Heavenly Father is so patient with us. He is more patient with us than we are with ourselves sometimes, that's for sure. I was reading the scriptures this week, and I love when Jesus teaches in Matthew that the kingdom of heaven is for those who are not perfect, for those who make mistakes, but repent and do the Father's will (Matthew 21: 28-31) Anyway, my time's up all, but I hope you all have a good week. I'll let you know how my first week with my new companion goes next week. Love you all!

Elder Dean

La Loma de la Cruz

Pues....

Hey. How's it going everyone? Sounds like it was a pretty crazy week back home, but good stuff! Well this week was pretty normal. Nothing too big happening. We have a few people we are teaching, and we are really hoping that some people will be able to start progressing soon! Anyway, this is the last week of the transfer, so Elder Morales is going home. Every time he sees an airplane, I think he stares at it just a tad bit too long haha! Today for pday we went to "La Loma de la Cruz." It's where they make and sell all the hand made art stuff, leather, bags, jewelry, native stuff. We went there a while back, and we went today so Elder Morales could buy some stuff to take home. We also went downtown. It's craziness! You can find stuff super cheap, and he bought some more stuff. It was a nightmare- tons of people. But that's about it. It was his last pday, so I had to go along with him. It's all good. So anyway, other than that, I'm doing pretty good. Just working along. Lots of things to improve as the mission goes on. I finished the Book of Mormon again. I read it in Spanish this time, and I started it again this week, but in English this time... It's the best book there is :) Anyway, I love you all. I hope you all have a good week. Sorry this email is short. I'll let you all know what goes down next week. CHAITO.

Elder Dean

 

Belalcazar look out

Sunday lunch

 

Elder Hansen headed home to Idaho

 

 

Elder Henao going home to Medellin Colombia

 

I'll miss these guys

 

My lizard friend I caught in the house

Halloween Dress Up and Cristo Rey.

Hey thur amigos!

What's happening everybody? Another week has come and gone. 2 more weeks here with my companion, and then he's headed back to Peru. We are working along. I'm trying to keep him from being too trunky. Haha He's a good guy. But seriously. I defiantly don't wanna end trunky. Gotta go out working hard. So this week was pretty normal... Halloween was pretty calm until about 7 or 8, and then there was nothing to do. Everybody was in the streets partying. There weren't even members home, so we walked around and went home at about 9 defeated. Ha. But it's all good. Other than that, I'm doing ok. I think the mission is probably the biggest lesson I've ever had. Heavenly Father defiantly wants me to learn many things here in my mission, I'm sure of that. I love the mission. Even though it's a little hard right now, I know that I have something to learn, something to change, and I know that Heavenly Father knows everything. I think change is the hardest thing for us humans to do.. Especially for me. But I also think that the only losers in this life are those who stop trying to get better, no matter how long the change takes. Today for pday we went to Cristo Rey, the big Christ statue that overlooks Cali. President and Sister Prince and the APs took me to Cristo Rey my first day here in Cali, and it was cool to go back and take some pics. My companion had never been, and he only has 1 pday left next week, so today and next week I'm just following him around, letting him do whatever he wants to do for his last pdays. I'll send some pics. Anyway peeps... I love you all, and I hope you all have a really good week. I'm grateful for your prayers, and I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father and my family. Love you all. We'll talk more next week. My time's up!

 

Elder Dean

 

 Halloween- dressed up as Elder Mejia

 

 "Welcome to Cristo Rey"

 Cristo Rey

 

The View

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