Hey.... We have had a really strange week with a lot of ups and downs. One of the ups is that we had the baptism of Xaymara Fajardo which was awesome. I was able to baptize her. In case I haven't said too much about her, she is the daughter of a less active family who was super interested in being baptized. I will send pictures next week of the baptism. She will be my 9th baptism out in the field (in case you are counting). We are being very blessed.
We had a crazy encounter when one of our recent converts broke up with his girlfriend and sent us the epitome of suicide notes. We spent the next day hunting him down. We found him at his job and talked to him there. He has been very stressed recently, but we were able to talk him through it.
Also, transfer calls are this Friday so I will learn if I am staying in Allentown or moving to a new area... exciting! I hope you guys are doing just as well as I am... going on cruises, riding jet skis and such. I will make sure to send pictures next week.
-Elder Dean
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Making Decisions
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| 2015 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Zone Conference |
Hey! It's time for the new weekly email (audience applause). We have had a great week here in Allentown. Elder Fernandes and I have been keeping ourselves busy. We are having a baptism this Saturday for Xaymara Fajardo. She is the daughter of a less active family who we are helping re-activate, so we are super exited and I will try to send pictures next week.
Companion News
Elder Fernandes and I are still working well together. He is a cool companion and we are getting along great. Here are some things you might not know about Elder Fernandes: he has Tourettes; he is Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Japanese; and he wants to be an aerial lineman (google it).
Elders Dean and Fernandes go to White Castle
White Castle, the home of the slider, is part of the true East Coast experience... one of the essential East Coast food chains. It is a disappointment. Those are the only words I have to say. But the tiny cheesesteak place attached to the Home Depot is the best steak in town. I am making a pact to never go to a chain on my mission again. There is just too much good food I would be passing up to do so.
Making Decisions
This week I thought a lot about making decisions. I know if I hadn't
made the decision to put in my papers with you and dad that night when I sat on your laundry basket, I wouldn't be out here now. There is a great talk by Henry B. Eyring in the 2007 April General Conference called "This Day". It is about making decisions now. Another is "Choose to Believe" By Elder L. Whitney in the 2015 April Conference. I love you, I love dad and I love all three of my awesome siblings. I want to be an Eternal family...that is the decision I have made.
-Elder Dean
Friday, August 7, 2015
Let them eat...Cheesesteak
The First Philly Cheesesteak Report
August 3rd, 2014
OK real email while the bread bakes. How are you mom? Are you feeling better after your trip to Park City? That sounds like a lot of fun. Did you do anything fun up there? Also how is the family?
The Cheesesteak was great and nothing too crazy has happened . This week has been pretty normal for me. We're still doing work, trying to contact people and being missionaries. Elder Fernandez is six months out and I'm only three, so he is the senior companion.
Excerpt from his letter to Grandma
Thanks for the letter. Rita's is really common shop on the East Coast I didn't know there was one in Provo, it's probably from all the missionaries. It's a fun treat that we get sometimes on P-day.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
A change in companionship
July 27, 2015
Hello family and friends, it's me Elder Dean. I am sending you my weekly report.
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| Elder Fernandez and Elder Dean |
Nothing too dramatic has happened this week. One of our investigators Xaymara Fajardo will be baptized on
August Ninth and hopefully Cinquetta Moore the week afterwards. It's good to have success. I am also so glad that I was born to great parents who have raised me to be a missionary. I know that Heavenly Father has put trust in me to be a missionary because I know that I was born into this gospel so that I could share it with others.
Thank you for all the letters and emails I have received (shout out to you Grandma) they have really lifted my spirit. It's hard to be a missionary, but it is fun to see that I have already been away from home for three months. Time is just flying by. I love you guys. If you have any questions for me I would love to answer them (whether they be for Trevor or Elder Dean). I can also read Emails any time, so write me anytime like I said I love seeing what is happening back home. Keep doing your best
-Elder Dean
trevor.dean@myldsmail.net
My mailing address is 510 North 8th Street, Allentown, PA 18102
Transfers are coming...
July 20th, 2015
Dear Mom,
I hope you are doing well and I hope Colin is doing well after his fifty miler hike. I expect he has some good stories from camping. How are you doing? I haven't heard much from the family in the past week. I am doing well-ish. Transfers are coming up and my companion is leaving, so I will be getting a new companion soon. I don't know who it is yet. I'm a little nervous taking over my first area. I will still be in Allentown. What was dad's first experience of taking over an area?
I have a few things to ask of you mother first could you email me some pictures of each family member second could you send me your bread recipe and third could you send me some nose hair trimmers (they're getting a little wild). I hope your feeling better from your Kux love you.
-Elder Dean
(P.S. I'll write about my week in a minute)
(P.S.S. Minute is slang here for any measure of time)
Love you Mom!
The Bread Recipe
6 C flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Mix 6 cups flour and salt together. In another bowl add to 1 Cup of the water and 1&1/2 tsp yeast and set aside. Mix the rest of the water into the flour salt combo. When well-mixed, add the yeast water. Mix well, cover and let sit. (Note: None of these ingredients needs to be exact. If the dough is too playdough'ish add more water. If the dough is too watery...you'll add more flour after its raises. Depending on the quality and age of your yeast you're dough should raise enough to cook within 4-10 hours. I generally do it over night, it seems to work best.)
When you're ready to bake. Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and heat up the pan and lid. Scrap the dough onto a floured surface. Depending on how wet your dough will determine whether you need a full cup of flour or a half cup of flour to knead into your mixture. Scrap the dough onto a flour surface and shape into a ball or oval. (Just needs to fit your oven proof pan.) I pour a little olive oil into the bottom of the pan, but you could use Pam spray as well. Put the lid on the pan and bake for 30 minuites. Then remove the lid and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes to brown the top of the bread.
Love you,
Mom
July 4th, 2015
Thanks for the heads-up I love you and I have a lot of cool news and stories for you when you get back. I am getting a mini missionary, so we will see how that goes. Also things continue to go well for for me in Allentown we have some ne
w investigators and have five baptisms on the forecast.
I hope you are having fun and I expect to here some fun stories of dear nuzzling and Ashton antics when you get home. Also it's all about your mind that if you want things to be good things will be good. That's what I learned here in Allentown. If you plan be
happy, you will be happy. If you want to be stressed about a camp out, you'll be stressed about a camp out. Keep doing your best. -Elder Dean
(Trevor wrote later "The mini missionary wasn't able to come. He had something come up. To put it in missionary terms we had a miscarriage.)
June 29th, 2015
Things are going well not much has changed we are about half way through a the transfer so I will probably have a new companion in 3 weeks or so my trainer will probably leave but he could also stay nothing is to solid in missionary work. I'll write something about that for the blog later. Not much has happened this week. The days are starting to blur together. I love you I will write a news letter next week.
But to answer some of your questions,
-Elder Dean
Dear Mom,
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| Humidity in Allentown. |
I have a few things to ask of you mother first could you email me some pictures of each family member second could you send me your bread recipe and third could you send me some nose hair trimmers (they're getting a little wild). I hope your feeling better from your Kux love you.
-Elder Dean
(P.S. I'll write about my week in a minute)
(P.S.S. Minute is slang here for any measure of time)
Love you Mom!
The Bread Recipe
6 C flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Mix 6 cups flour and salt together. In another bowl add to 1 Cup of the water and 1&1/2 tsp yeast and set aside. Mix the rest of the water into the flour salt combo. When well-mixed, add the yeast water. Mix well, cover and let sit. (Note: None of these ingredients needs to be exact. If the dough is too playdough'ish add more water. If the dough is too watery...you'll add more flour after its raises. Depending on the quality and age of your yeast you're dough should raise enough to cook within 4-10 hours. I generally do it over night, it seems to work best.)
When you're ready to bake. Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and heat up the pan and lid. Scrap the dough onto a floured surface. Depending on how wet your dough will determine whether you need a full cup of flour or a half cup of flour to knead into your mixture. Scrap the dough onto a flour surface and shape into a ball or oval. (Just needs to fit your oven proof pan.) I pour a little olive oil into the bottom of the pan, but you could use Pam spray as well. Put the lid on the pan and bake for 30 minuites. Then remove the lid and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes to brown the top of the bread.
Love you,
Mom
July 4th, 2015
Thanks for the heads-up I love you and I have a lot of cool news and stories for you when you get back. I am getting a mini missionary, so we will see how that goes. Also things continue to go well for for me in Allentown we have some ne
w investigators and have five baptisms on the forecast. I hope you are having fun and I expect to here some fun stories of dear nuzzling and Ashton antics when you get home. Also it's all about your mind that if you want things to be good things will be good. That's what I learned here in Allentown. If you plan be
happy, you will be happy. If you want to be stressed about a camp out, you'll be stressed about a camp out. Keep doing your best. -Elder Dean
(Trevor wrote later "The mini missionary wasn't able to come. He had something come up. To put it in missionary terms we had a miscarriage.)
June 29th, 2015
Things are going well not much has changed we are about half way through a the transfer so I will probably have a new companion in 3 weeks or so my trainer will probably leave but he could also stay nothing is to solid in missionary work. I'll write something about that for the blog later. Not much has happened this week. The days are starting to blur together. I love you I will write a news letter next week.
But to answer some of your questions,
- I get out of the car to make sure he doesn't scratch the car on the curb. We drive a Ford Fusion.
- I have started to keep a dream journal. My asleep mind is weird.
- Can you get dad to tell me some of his mission stories (maybe he can share them with everyone at a family home evening as well?)
- Peace save the whales!
-Elder Dean
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
A Series of Small Sucessive Emails/Hello
June 23, 2015
From: Angie Dean
To: Trevor Dean
(Excerpt from a previous email to Trevor from Me for context)...I mean you've only been gone two months now, but it seems like forever for me. Although Trev I can honestly say, I have never felt like I needed to drive to Philly and sit on the corner with a big bat in order to protect you. So that's good. I hope you would tell me if things weren't going well, then I could pray for you and put your name into the temple. Pam and Marianne cried for weeks and weeks, but when I think of you, I am always hopeful. It could be my adventurous spirit talking, but I would encourage you to enjoy the successes and enjoy the disappointments if possible. Both experiences will teach you a lot about others, and yourself. Just don't let the dissapointments keep your down, because you really have no idea what seeds have been planted. Therefore thrust in your sickle, and trust in God, he won't disappoint.
From: Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 9:13 AM
Subject: Hello
Sorry our P-Day was moved this week but I can address your last letter. Yes, I have had a lot of good (and some bad)experiences, but I am always happy. I know that you raised me right to always look for the good and to keep my values.
From: Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 2:32 PM
Subject: Hello
Hey it's Elder Dean with the weekly news. I have had a great week, our car has been in the shop so we have done a lot of tracting and street contacting on our way to appointments. We have seen so many miracles. We have gotten some new investigators. We have a great family we started teaching. We also have a part-member family who wants to start taking the lessons. There is also a woman who moved from Philadelphia who couldn't be baptized because she was living with her boyfriend, but sheis ready to be baptized we set a day for her in three weeks.
I know Heavenly Father has prepared this area for the work and I am glad that I can be the tool that hastens his work. I know that the times we struggle the most are the times we learn the most about ourselves and who we are. So when hard times hit don't bend under pressure, be the weld that holds.
-Elder Dean
From Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 3:42 PM
Subject: Last Ray of Sunshine
I will be on a regular schedule next week so I'll write you on Monday. I love you.
-Elder Dean
From: Angie Dean
To: Trevor Dean
Sent: Sunday, Jun 21 at 7:44 AM
Subject: Hello
(Excerpt from a previous email to Trevor from Me for context)...I mean you've only been gone two months now, but it seems like forever for me. Although Trev I can honestly say, I have never felt like I needed to drive to Philly and sit on the corner with a big bat in order to protect you. So that's good. I hope you would tell me if things weren't going well, then I could pray for you and put your name into the temple. Pam and Marianne cried for weeks and weeks, but when I think of you, I am always hopeful. It could be my adventurous spirit talking, but I would encourage you to enjoy the successes and enjoy the disappointments if possible. Both experiences will teach you a lot about others, and yourself. Just don't let the dissapointments keep your down, because you really have no idea what seeds have been planted. Therefore thrust in your sickle, and trust in God, he won't disappoint.
From: Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 9:13 AM
Subject: Hello
Sorry our P-Day was moved this week but I can address your last letter. Yes, I have had a lot of good (and some bad)experiences, but I am always happy. I know that you raised me right to always look for the good and to keep my values.
From: Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 2:32 PM
Subject: Hello
Hey it's Elder Dean with the weekly news. I have had a great week, our car has been in the shop so we have done a lot of tracting and street contacting on our way to appointments. We have seen so many miracles. We have gotten some new investigators. We have a great family we started teaching. We also have a part-member family who wants to start taking the lessons. There is also a woman who moved from Philadelphia who couldn't be baptized because she was living with her boyfriend, but sheis ready to be baptized we set a day for her in three weeks.
I know Heavenly Father has prepared this area for the work and I am glad that I can be the tool that hastens his work. I know that the times we struggle the most are the times we learn the most about ourselves and who we are. So when hard times hit don't bend under pressure, be the weld that holds.
-Elder Dean
From Trevor Dean
To: Angie Dean
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 3:42 PM
Subject: Last Ray of Sunshine
I will be on a regular schedule next week so I'll write you on Monday. I love you.
-Elder Dean
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| I wanted to send one last picture then I will be done. Love you guys. Put this picture on the front door or something! Love you!!! |
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| Explanation of the picture: I got a bloody nose while tracting |
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