July 24. 2016 (Letter to Kennedy)

Kennedy, how's it going? I have been wanting to email something specifically to you for quite some time now, but have not gotten around to it. Missionary work is very demanding of time and energy. listen, I heard that you have a job now... I've also heard that you are keeping up with it very well. That is awesome Kennedy! Think of this, you have a job before your older brother does. You'll have to help me figure out how to fill out an application and prepare for my job interview when I get home. for real though, I have never had a Job interview, nor have I ever filled out one of those applications. Way to go! I have been hearing that you are begining to practice driving. That is so cool, I am likely going to need to learn to drive again after my mission. You'll have to let me know how that is going some time, email me more often please, I want to hear from you. How was school, I have always been stressed out about school, and the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing has always been a scary thing for me, I just always avoided it for the most part. Especially after I liked a girl for over 3 years in Junior High and highschool and then at the end I just found out that she didn't like me at all. That was a hard time for me. But I laugh at it now, as I realize that it was such a trivial thing. The understanding that I had at the time, about life, and about the gospel, was nothing compared to what I would find out here on my mission. My eyes are only beginning to be opened to a Gospel that is as Eternal and Infinite as it is Simple. I don't know how much you are thinking about spiritual things at this point in your life, I mean, you have so many things going on. No doubt the life drama continues, even out of school, social media constantly intervening, and the struggle to understand why mom and dad do the things they do. The boys, the work, rude people, and a myriad of other worldly districtions. No doubt you somtimes wonder why your brother is off doing something for this church which seems to restrict you so much at times. Some of the things in the church maybe sound quite silly, or even dumb. I get it. This world offers so many treasures, they come in many forms, but so many of them are not lasting. I have learned a lot of lessons on my mission, and because of it, I have found so many of the treasures of the gospel that I otherwise would not have found, treasures which will last forever. Think of some of these treasures which you have found. You have a testimony. You truly have felt the spirit touch your life, and you know that you truly are a daughter of God. The world teaches that this is nonsense and that we're not really important, but that we are simply just another person, living in this hell we call life. But that is not true. Only the Devil, only Satan would want you to think that You can't really improve, that, there's no progressing, and that you are not actually of any worth to God. Only The Devil, the Father of Lies would try to convince you that you are not worthy of God's love, and only the devil would try to convince you that God is not what you should seek for to find happiness.¨ Why would he try to convince us of this? Because he knows HE can't improve, HE can't progress! He's a miserable man, bound by Eternal limitations, and he wants you to feel miserable too. Well don't fall for that! With the Gospel of Jesus Christ, We CAN improve, we CAN progress. And the Great thing about the Gospel, is that we get Credit for Trying! Even when we don't always succeed.¨ On my mission I have heard again and again the voice of the spirit, never an audible voice, but a voice to my heart, and often it was sooo quiet that without concentrating on hearing, I would have missed it. I have learned above all other things that our Heavenly Father is a real Being. And that His personallity is one that is very fatherly, for He is our Father. His Love is perfect, His Forgiveness is Perfect, His Mercy is perfect. Do you think that if you came running to God and said, "Dad please forgive me" do you think He would say, "get out of my sight, you terrible child" do you think he would say that? because the answer is that He wouldn't do that, absolutely not. Our Father in Heaven knows us better than we know ourselves, and He only He has the capasity to completely correct the wrong, and repair the broken, and heal the wounds that we recieve for other people, as well as from ourselves and our own mistakes and yes sometimes our own stupidity. We do some pretty dumb things as children of God, and these things make us feel like we don't deserve to receive God's forgiveness because we have brought some of these things upon ourselves. But God only asks that we "come to me that I may heal you". Guess where that was found... Book of Mormon. And the spirit has testified to me that this scripture is true, therefore I know that it is. If anybody ever denies this, then I invite them to find out for themselves, and read it, and pray to know. Kennedy, I hope that this letter to you will answer a few questions that you have had recently or maybe have been praying for. I simply leave you my testimony that I know the Savior Lives. I love you Kennedy! Your Brother, Elder Connor Dean

July 18. 2016

This is an awesome place to be. The Branch here is still very dependant on the missionaries to help keep everything running, but we've got plans to make some changes around here in the next year or so. This branch needs strong people like President Ambrož (the branch president) or Aleš Chrdle (The legend that was baptized in the tabernacle, and lives here with his family of 3 kids and his wonderful wife). This branch is full of wonderful people, but we need to find somebody here who will be one of the strong people that will be loyal to the Lord until the end of their days. We have discussed a little about this as a district as well as with our Branch President. We have decided that we will only search for these type of people this transfer. This means some interesting things. When we contact somebody on the street, if they say that they're not interested, we usually continue to speak to them to try to get them to gain even a little interest. This often leads to people walking away upset, or it can occasionally lead to people who have some slight interest, and then they come study with us. This transfer we are trying something different. We will be trusting the promise in Preach My Gospel which says that the "Elect will hear His voice... (and) will be willing to act on (our) message." When we talk to somebody this transfer, and they say that they are not interested, we will simply say, "okay" and then we'll move on and talk to somebody else. This is acting towards the idea that there are truly people out there who are searching for the truth only because they know not where to find it. If somebody is truly searching, then when we talk to them, they will accept what we say, and be willing to try it. This has been evident as we have been working lately towards this goal. We have found a man yesterday, who is the son of one of our Investigators. His name is R, and we met with him because Elder Marcucci and I needed to go make a down payment on a new house (long story). While on the bus, we talked to him a little bit, and we told him that we would like to share a message with him about Jesus Christ. He then told us to be quiet, and asked us to speak in English so that other people on the bus wouldn't hear. He told us that we live in a world where there is danger all around. He told us that he is just trying to be a good person, but when he sees dangerous people, he stays away from them. He is the sweetest man, and he just seems so lost on the inside. His spirit is seeking the light of the Gospel, but he hasn't tasted it yet. We talked to him on the bus about what we believe about Jesus Christ, and how He helps us to find Peace in this life, and Eternal life in the world to come. R asked us if we could come visit him in his home some time, (before we asked him if we could come). We told him that we would love to. He said that he had received a Book of Mormon in the past, and he said that he has the desire to go dig it out again, and to read it. We told him that was a great idea. Still need to call him, but we'll be meeting with him tonight to give him the receipt for the apartment that we bought... haha... now... I can now explain a little about the apartment we bought. Our investigator is homeless, for the sake of the situation I will not say their name. We have been trying to help them to get back on their feet, I cannot explain too much, but it's enough to say that the best way to do that was to get her into a cheap apartment. Because I'm in the Branch Presidency, my companion and I needed to go and make this happen because President Ambrož was not here in CBud at the time. The funny things you do when you're a Czech/Slovak Missionary... haha. Well, I Love you all, and am grateful for your prayers.

July 11. 2016

So this transfer is special, because it's not very often that two missionaries stay together for another transfer in this mission. Each transfer cycle is 9 weeks, and so Elder Marcucci and I will be serving together for a period of 18 weeks, and that is a long time to have the same companion. But here's the best part, I love it. Elder Marcucci is such a great companion, and he is a great example to me of hard work and tenacity. Every morning, we both wake up to the sound of our 5 cent phone calling it's signature alarm, to which Elder Marcucci always jumps out of bed saying, "Dobrý Dobrý!" and then he immidiately does 75 pushups... After his pushups, he prays. I just go straight into praying after the alarm goes off, which sometimes leads to me fall asleep on the side of my bed. I think I'm praying but then I realize I'm actually thinking about icecream or cheap indian buffet. Then I wake myself up and attempt to pray for real, again. After a 3-4 minute Prayer, we put on running clothes and head out on a 30 minute run. When we get back, I am usually the first one to hop in the shower. After I shower, I usually have about 10 minutes to get dressed for the day, and then be at the kitchen table with breakfast to eat together with my companion at 7:30. At 8:00, Personal Study starts, and that goes for an hour. After which we study together for an hour and plan and confirm lessons for the day. This is normally followed by us studying Czech for an hour from 10:00 until 11:00am. Then we normally have lunch, or we'll sometimes go out early and talk to people for an our or so. After lunch we typically have members that we go and visit, we go with the intention to strengthen them, or to serve them. Or we have lessons with our investigators, we will set up with them to meet at the Church building, and occasionally we will meet with them in their homes when occasion allows. Sometimes we spend entire days talking to people about the restored gospel, and nobody wants to hear. Other days we go out and never make it into the center of town because we find 1, 2, or 3 people who had intrest to hear about the faith. I often allow myself to wonder if we are truly doing our very best, but I realize that the work we are doing, it not an instant gratification work, it isn't even gratification work at all really. I look at who the lord has made me, and I find great tenderness in the fact that my greatest worry is whether or not I have served with all my heart might mind and strength each day. That is such a wonderful thing to be concerned about. I believe this Gospel is true, and It proves itself time and time again as I excercise faith in the principles it teaches. Yesterday in Church, I conducted, because the branch president was gone. E, our friend who was just baptized last saturday, didn't come because we think her husband is not allowing her to come. I found myself wondering, "why is the Adversary sooo powerful, that he can litterally stop E from using her Agency?" I was thinking about this, and at this moment, I began to feel like darkness was overcoming light which was inside me. It almost felt like the light was fleeing from the darkness. I felt terrible. I looked around me and saw only a few people at church. 1, 2, 4 6... 8... 4 of those people were us the missionaries, and the other four were members. These feelings intensified as I looked around and thought to myself, "The Lord is fighting here, but Satan is wining." One of the members who attended, was visiting from Brno, a city about 2 hours away by train. He must be about 70 years old, and he was born here in CBud. When priesthood quarum started, the feeling that I had just would not go away. I felt like our work was being done in vain, or that we were not helping. But then, just as Priesthood Quarum was getting to a close, This member, who visited, Spoke up. This wonderful older man, with just the sincereest of spirits, and humility and testimony which defied their apperance, spoke up and said, "I have a feeling that I need to tell you my story." As he began to speak, I heard a name that I had not heard for over 3 transfers (6 Months). He said the name, "Got Bujkufka". I began to pay attention because I remember hearing about This "Got", and I remember that It was him who had kept the church alive during communism here in the czech republic. As this man spoke, he told us about how he had searched for truth from a young age, and couldn't seem to find it. He told us about how he had searched in all of the different religions that he could investigate, and none of them had what he was searching for. He said that he had met this man, Got, and that his life was changed forever when he attended one of the "yoga" meetings for the first time. He would attend this meeting, which was the Latter-Day Saint way to share the Gospel during Communism. Latter day Saints would meet together with this man, Got, and they would do Yoga together, sometimes in the forests, sometimes at secret locations throughout different cities, and Got had this talk that he would give, and he would talk about the Gospel. And when This man heard Got speak, about the Book of Mormon, and about other beliefs, he felt like it was true. He began reading the book of mormon, and his friends as well as some family told him that The Book of Mormon is from the Devil, and that he shouldn't read it. But he defended it, and said, "no, Joseph smith, and the things he taught, and the book of mormon, are not bad things, and I believe them" and so he continued to study. With time, he was baptized in the Forest, in a lake or river, and then he needed to get changed and hide quickly so that the police wouln't get suspicious. He worshiped at a Latter-Day Saint throughout the reign of communism and to this day has a firm testimony of and love for his Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. His Testimony was just what I needed to hear yesterday, and I know that The Lord prompted him to share that story during Priesthood quarum because I needed to hear it. There really are people like this man, and they are searching for the truth. and that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, He'll never no never, He'll never no never, He'll never no never, no NEVER forsake. And so neither should I... as His servant, I am called to labor with Him in this Glorious work. And as the Lord liveth, and I do so now testify that He does live. I add my testimony to that of this man, that The Gospel is true, and nothing can change this. This man left sacrament meeting before I had the chance to actually tell him just how much I needed to hear his Testimony. He came to visit, followed a prompting, changed my life, and he had no idea. Later last night, he called us, I am not sure how he got our phone number, but we recieved a call from an unknown number last night, and I picked it up, and this fine brother said, "I would like to speak to Elder Dean please." "This is him" I told him. He thanked me for Conducting the Sacrament service. And I just told him, Brother, I am so glad you called, I have been wanting to talk to you.¨ I expressed my appreciation that he Heeded the prompting he recieved, and I told him to know that He was an instrument in the hands of the Lord today. I am so grateful for the faithfulness of members who heed spiritual promptings, and are active in the work of the lord. They are heros, and they deserve so much more than they often get for their work. I am grateful for a Loving Savior, who is willing to speak comfort to my soul, when it seems like the darkness is too deep. When it seems like my faith is not enough. He is there. I love him for it. Until next week. Elder Dean

July 4, 2016

So, Transfers, I am staying here in CBUD, and get this... I'm staying together with Elder Marcucci for another 9 weeks! This is awesome, I actually sort of requested this, but I made it quite clear that I'll do whatever the Lord asks me to do. so I know that this is the right decision. The Baptism was on Saturday, but only E got baptized. quite simply, M is not ready yet. E Baptism was awesome though. As she went down into the water after the prayer, I was just so proud of her, having just met us 7 weeks ago, and now here she was, making a covenant with her Heavenly Father that she would do her best to follow Jesus Christ. We're still going to work with them to try to get M ready, but we'll see what happens. E was confirmed yesterday by Elder Marcucci, and it was special. Sister Manners and Sister Hill visited her yesterday (sunday) afternoon, and as they were leaving, she said to the sisters, "I'm never alone, I have the Holy Ghost." I am so happy that I'll be staying here another Transfer, I'll be able to see E grow, and she'll no doubt receive a calling in this branch very soon.