January 16, 2017

This week has been something new, of course this is the way it is at the begining of every transfer, getting used to a new companion, new tallents and new abilities, new challenges, new strengths, new hopes, new plans, new expectations, and new miracles. I think that change is kind of hard for me, I was really sad when Elder Geier left. He's been a really influential person for me my entire mission. Also, the sister missionaries from my MTC Group are officially gone and at home. That means that only the Elders from my group are still here, and that means, according to the mission culture, that I am officially "old". I cannot believe how fast time flies, I saw missionaries not to long ago giving their departing testimonies, and before I know it I'll be standing up there at some zone training giving my departing testimony to these wonderful Elders and Sisters, undoubtedly the most intensely powerful group of missionaries I could ever serve around. This week I talked to President Pohořelický about how I was feeling as a missionary, I told him about my concerns about how I was uncertain about the future and about how I was not sure what the Lord wants me to do for the rest of my mission. I expressed the feelings that I had always had goals in my life that lead me to be good, and to more forward in the strength of the Lord, but as I progressively accomplished these goals, I had less and less of them to do. I had a goal to become a teacher when I was a decon, I had a goal to become a priest, to become an Elder, to obtain the Melchizedek Priesthood, to go to the Temple, to Go on a Missoin... of course there is still to be sealed in the Temple, and to have a family. But these were goals that lead to my greatest goal, to return to Heavenly Father with my Family forever. Now that I am on my mission, most of those goals are complete, but I found myself beginning to worry because I was not sure where my life was going to lead me after all of these essential things are done. Presidente brought to my attention an important detail... I will be sealed in the temple before I'm 25 probably... then what... I thought about that... I would have no goals like that to work towards after 25... I would have to live from 25 to, I dunno, 95 years old without a vision of what I would do or be working towards other than the goal to die clean and worthy... I have since thought about my life after the mission, not to get distracted from my missionary work, but instead to confirm to myself, why I am serving as a missionary. I would encourage everyone to think about their life as well. Have you achieved your life goals? Have your goals changed with time? Are you working towards something now? I love you all, and I will have more info on things that are happening here with Investigators and stuff next week. Love you all, S láskou, Starší Dean

January 9, 2017

The previous transfer is over, and Elder Geier is going home. He has been a very important figure for me my entire mission, being there from the very beginning. This last transfer with him has been a complete honor. I must say that I was hoping that I would be able to train a new missionary this transfer, but when my beloved follow-up-trainer, Elder Page called (he's assistant to the president now) he told me that I would be staying here in Uherské Hradiště and that I would be serving with Elder Vickers, who is one transfer younger than me. I have met him before, and he's sitting next to me now talking to the sisters at another table. Elder Vickers is awesome, He knows czech really well, and I've heard that he knows how to cook really well. He is an experienced missionary, and I will be using his powerful testimony this transfer as a support. My companions have always been such rocks, powerful, strong priesthood holders. Firm in the faith, and doubtless in their persuit to keep the commandments and follow the Savior. I already admire Elder Vickers a lot, I know that I will learn a lot from him. Sister Demann will also be coming to serve in UH this transfer. She served in my district when I was in CBud for my first transfer there. She is so funny and always makes us laugh. She'll bring a lot of light into this transfer. I miss you all, and I apoligize that I am not sending any pictures this week. I will send more pictures next week along with some descriptions of what our plans are for this transfer. I only have 3 transfers left... that is hard for me to realize. I love my mission even though it is kicking my butt. seriously it is the hardest thing I've ever loved to do. I do know however when the rubber meets the road, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Savior of the World. I know that His Atonement is Complete, and is an Infinite Atonement. I love you all, S Láskou, Starší Dean

January 2 2017

This week was nuts, I think that we didn't do hardly any missionary work this week. So the entire mission came together on Wednesday to meet at the Hotel in the middle of the czech countryside called Štamberk Hotel, which is owned by a memeber of the church, and we, as an entire mission, stayed there until Friday Afternoon! We went because President Pohořelický had planned several changes to the mission, and he wanted us all to be together so that we could learn about and accept the changes. These changes are not anything that most of you at home would understand, but for the sake of explianing, President changed the way that we measure "other lessons" and "new investigators" as well as he changed the "Standards" which are the numbers that we strive to achieve each week to measure our effectiveness as a mission. Each of the mornings we were there, we played floorball (hokey) for our morning workout, I can still hear the sound of us all walking out fo the gym at 7:00 after playing and then a random elder comes runing back all excited yelling, "we've got an extra 15 minutes!" and then a stampeed of Elders cramming back into the gym to play some more floorball. It was really fun! I remember it felt like we were all back in the Mtc for 3 days, not allowed to leave, strictly told to be in our living quarters at a certain time every night. We even had cafeteria food again... czech cafeteria food, but regardless... We had a Talent Show, and Each of the 4 zones were alotted 30 minutes to perform. In our zone we had Elder Johnson from my District get up and play some Jazz on the piano. My Companion turned to me and said, "we're singing Důvěra" (so Důvěra translates to Trust, and it is a song that is only found in the really really old czech hymn books from the time of communism. Here in UH we luckily have a large archive of old czech church material here so we found it. The reason it is so cool, is because the song Důvěra, is actually the song "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy" in English, which is not found in the new czech hymnals. It's a treasure that we found here, and no other missionary has this song in czech but us.) so we sang Důvěra, and everyone loved it. On the way home, the sisters in our district lost their phone in Brno. So now we're wiating for them to get a new phone. But on our way home, we stopped in Brno again and Elder Geier and I went to the mall and Bought new suits. I have pictures, I'll send them. Dad you'll probably laugh. Still no news about Ipads, maybe we won't get them while I'm on my mission, bummer. M's Baptism was awesome, He was baptized by our Ward Mission Leader, the same man who let us skype at his house. Elder Geier Confirmed him, and I was able to help. We were told to be inside by 6:00pm on the 31st, and to be inside by 8:00pm on the 1st. There were a lot of fireworks and not to mention a lot of drunk people out and about on new year's eve. But we got to see some from our appartment window. (man, we're so wierd in the world's eyes) Something funny that happened at Štamberk, A sister missinary was playing pool, and President was playing with her. She Bet President that she could beat him, and she said, "if I win, you tell me where I'm going next transfer." (we're not supposed to know until this next Saturday). . . She WON, and president took her into another room and she came out smiling. . . she had received her Transfer Call early because she won the bet... Good grief. The rest of us have to wait. I love you all and I can't wait to see what this new year holds for all of us... I got out of the shower this morning just laughing at the fact that Trump is president... LOL.