June 13 2016

This week has been amazing, we've seen some incredible things, and our Investigators, the H are progressing so well! They just had their Baptismal Interviews last Thurdsay, and they have been doing great! The only concern is that they didn't come to church This last Sunday, because M (the father) had a fever and was "nemocný". They have already come twice, and they have had two reasonable excuses for the two times they have not come, so it's hard to tell what direction to take. We've pretty much decided that we're going to talk to them about the Importance of church, and how Church is a place for us to come, BECAUSE we are sick (spiritually), and that if we ever feel like we're just "too tired" or "we just don't feel like going" that is from satan. We're going to help them to see the blessings of Coming to church, and we believe this will just be good for them. My companion and I were talking the other day about lessons, and I was just feeling like some things needed to be talked about between the two of us, and so I asked Elder Marcucci if we could have a Comp Inventory, and so we had one. I just felt like I wanted to talk about some things that were on my mind, and after I stopped talking, Elder Marcucci shared some things that were on his mind and after it all, we both just felt significantly better about missionary work, and communication, and about our ability to work together as a companionship. It was awesome. This area is doing better now than it was last transfer, and we'll be seeing the H get baptized this Saturday, we're working with the C (the other incredible Member Family in this Branch) to decided the location of the Baptism. We've already decided it's going to be in the river here in České Budějovice. Tomorrow we're going to go look at it, and we'll see what happens. Yesterday, M and E both saw, and tried on their baptismal clothes for the first time. We brought the clothes over to their house, and handed their clothes to them and then after changing, they came out wearing them, and they both looked amazing! I am so happy for them, and I cannot believe just how powerful the Gospel it, that it can completely change people in 5 weeks! Never ceases to amaze me. Elder Marcucci and I had a wonderful time in Ostrava over the weekend, Elder Marcucci baptized P , and Elder Bourn baptized A, her son. We were able to go to Ostrava because P was one of Elder Marcucci's investigators while he was serving there, and she didn't get baptized while he was there, and so they asked if he could come to their city for a day and baptize her. It was awesome, but we still had to get permission from President McConkie. I was chosen to stand as a witness at the Baptism, and that was an incredible honor for me. I realized just how Incredible the B(p family) are, they will no doubt be one of the strongest families in the Ostrava Ward. (It's incredible to say that word now, ward.). Thanks for all the prayers and everything that you do at home. These people are prepared to recieve the restored gospel, and they are already converted to it. I remember just last week, we were teaching a lesson to the H (our investigators who will be baptized on Saturday), and E's father came to visit. So they reluctantly let him inside, and he stormed in, and sat down, started smoking, and then he began telling us, "you have your church, I have my church, and my Daughter has her church, you can't do anything about that, I will not listen to you! Nobody has ever seen God Anyway, so..." and then E cut off her dad by saying, "No, Joseph Smith has seen God!" Elder Marcucci and I just looked at each other with our Jaws dropped. thinking - "did she really just say that?" there we were, sitting there, watching our Investigators Testify to their angry Father that the Prophet Joseph Smith saw God, and that it was true, and that they believed it. It nearly Brought tears to my eyes that they had such strong faith, faith that even if God did not ever reveal himself to them, they would believe... Absolutely incredible Family. and they were found only 5 weeks ago. Your prayers for M and E are being answered, and they are doing great. It is absolutely incredible to me that they are progressing as fast as they are. If this Gospel WASN'T true, Elder Marcucci and I would have messed this up a long time ago. THINK ABOUT IT THOUGH... we're litterally going into people's homes and saying this... "Hello, we are God's servants sent to deliver to you a message that God exists. You can believe this if you will try it. God has asked that you live according to his standards for you own happiness. We, total strangers, ask you to completely change you life. we, total strangers, ask you to start praying, stop drinking coffee, alchohol, stop using Tabacco, and pay the church money. also, Observe the law of chastity. and these people are actually doing that! If the Gospel wasn't true, this would not work. I know that the Gospel it true. In the first half of my mission, I had the fear that I would never be able to help anybody come to the Covenant of Baptism. one year gone... and now, Michal has asked me to baptize him on Saturday. Sincerely, Elder Dean