The Fullness of Times

Hola Todos!

This week was so wonderful!

On Wednesday, we had exchanges! I went with Hermana Collier to Riverside and Hermana Gonzalez came to Lockhart with Hermana Gibson. It was such a great exchange. I love Hermana Collier! We met at the airport on the way to the Mexico MTC. We have followed each other around the mission, and have had many opportunities to work together. She was amazing when I first met her, and it has been so cool to learn so much from her throughout the mission. We had a couple of lessons with their investigators and part member families. Hermana Collier really leads by example and is such a powerful teacher. I really learned a lot from her. 

Thursday was Zone Conference! We learned about the importance of working with members. We reviewed some of the training we had received during the World-Wide Missionary Broadcast about working with these members. It was really neat to see the vision of our leaders. My vision was definitely raised, and I am so excited to use these new ways to work with our members here. 

Yesterday, David accepted a calling! He is the President of our Gospel Principles class. He is so excited to give his all in this calling. He was a little nervous, but said he is so thankful for this opportunity to serve others. We had a lesson with him that night, and we talked about Prophets. We watched a little clip from President Monson's address this last conference. David said he hopes to be able to meet him and his counselors and the 12 apostles someday. He told us that he has noticed such a great change in himself. We told him that we have seen that change, as well as the members of the branch. Many members have commented to us how proud of him they are and how different he is since learning more about the Gospel. It warms my heart to hear this and see the Gospel in action!

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the Lord. I know with all my heart and all that I am that this is His Gospel, restored once again to the earth. How very blessed we are to live during this time when the fullness of the Gospel is here on the earth!

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Hermana Megan Dean

megan.dean@myldsmail.net

http://www.mormon.org/me/C0MJ

True Doctrine

Hola todos!

This week has been so wonderful, and so full of amazing things!

We had a meeting with all of the Sister Missionaries in Austin, with our Lead Sister Training Leaders and President and Sister Slaughter. We were so spiritually fed! I love learning from my leaders. I always learn so much, and leave the meetings with so much fire and desire to continue doing good, and to change in ways that will make what I do better. 

One thing that President Slaughter talked with us about was being overwhelmed. He used the example of the Apostles with Christ in the ship. They are all in the boat on the water, and suddenly, a storm arises. The Apostles begin to fear, and go to find their Master. They find Him asleep. Their natural side arises, and they ask, "Master, carest Thou not that we perish?", and the Master's response: "Peace, Be still". After these words were spoken, the waves and the winds ceased. As did the fearful thoughts and feelings of the Apostles. 

In this account, the Apostles were very overwhelmed. They saw the winds and the waves, and feared. Maybe later on in their life, as they looked back, they felt silly for being overwhelmed. They were in a boat with the Creator of those waves and winds. 

The point President was getting at is that there is no use to get overwhelmed. We too will look back on those moments, and feel silly for overwhelming ourselves, rather than trusting in Him who is in our boat. 

It was a wonderful meeting, and did learn so much from my leaders. 

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This week was so great! We had a lesson with D and D. They are doing so well. They read in the Book of Mormon together every morning. We invited them to be baptized, and they said yes! 

David is doing so great! We had a lesson with him and a Sister from the branch yesterday about Tithing and Fast Offerings. David is so excited to pay his tithing. He has seen a change in his life, and we have noticed changes too. When he first started coming to church, he would sit in the back of the chapel, with the hood of his hoodie up. In classes, he would sit in the back too, and wouldn't say much. Now, he sits closer up in the chapel, with members of the Branch. He doesn't wear a hoodie, but a white shirt and tie. In class, he volunteers, and asks questions, and shares his thoughts on the subjects with us. Conversion is real, and it is so powerful!

One of my favorite quotes, which also is found in Preach My Gospel, says, "True doctrine, understood, changes attitude and behavior" (Said by President Packer). I have seen this on my mission. In myself, as I have come to understand better the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. I have also seen it in so many other people, as they have learned true doctrine. Their attitude and behavior have changed. David is just one example of this, but there are so many people that have experienced this.

I love you all!

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Hermana Megan Dean

megan.dean@myldsmail.net

http://www.mormon.org/me/C0MJ

The Ten Teachers

Hola todos!

This week has been SO AMAZING!

I need to brag a little about my companion. Hermana Gibson is SO wonderful. She is such a wonderful missionary! She is so focused and such a powerhouse teacher. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be her companion. For whatever reason, we have grown so close this week, and have seen the power that comes from increased unity in our companionship. She's so great! I hope you all have the chance to meet her someday. 

We have seen so many wonderful miracles this week. On Tuesday, we went to an appointment we had set up with one of our less-active members, Esther. She is such a sweetheart. Her husband, and two of her children aren't members. When we got there, M (the husband) was out working, but we met J  and T, their kids. We sat down, and got to know them just a little, and J told us she wants to be baptized! How awesome. T wants to also. We were about to say a prayer when M got home for his lunch break. He joined us for the prayer, but then had to go back to work. He seems very nice.  Esther is such a great lady. During the lesson, she helped teach her children about Joseph Smith and why it was necessary for the Doctrine of Jesus Christ to be restored. She has a very strong testimony of the Gospel, and wants to be a better example to her kids. 

We also had a lesson with RJ and his grandma Margie. They are both such sweet spirits. RJ has been coming to church since October or so on his own, and we have just began teaching him and his grandma. They are so sweet! Tiani came with us, and is such an amazing teacher. She got back from her mission in December, and is still such an awesome missionary. 

Last week, President Slaughter invited us to participate in a study of 10 Teachers in the Book of Mormon. Even in just this first week, I have learned so much! These are chapters of the Book of Mormon I have read before, but it has been so wonderful to study them with the perspective of who the teacher is and how he teaches. It has increased my testimony so much of the power of the Book of Mormon, and that it was indeed written by holy men, men called of God. Here are the 10 teachers and their teachings. I hope you all are able to study them and get to know them as well.

-NEPHI: 1 Nephi 21-22

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2 Nephi 30-33

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JACOB

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2 Nephi 9-10

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Jacob 4

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MORMON

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3 Nephi 11

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3 Nephi 27

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Mormon 9

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Moroni 7-8

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MORONI

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Ether 12

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Moroni 10

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LEHI

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2 Nephi 2-3

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BENJAMIN

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Mosiah 2-5

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AMULEK

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Alma 11

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Alma 34

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ALMA

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Alma 7

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Alma 12

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Alma 39-42

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ABINAD

​I: ​

Mosiah 15-16

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SAMUEL

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Helaman 14

I am so grateful for this time I have had to be a full-time missionary. I have seen myself be changed and molded into a better person. I am excited to take everything I have learned and everything I have become back home and use it to continue in the Work of Salvation. I will forever be a missionary. I might not always have a nametag, but I will forever declare the truth I have come to know. I will do all in my power to be an example to all around me. There is so much more to missionary work than a year and a half. There is enough for a lifetime and more!

I love you all. Have a wonderful week!  

--

Hermana Megan Dean

megan.dean@myldsmail.net

http://www.mormon.org/me/C0MJ

The Joy of Families

Hola Todos!

I just want to start off by saying how much I love this Gospel and the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. I know with all my heart that it is true and living it is the only way to return to the presence of our Father. 

This last week has been so great. We have met with some great people. 

Earlier this week, we had a lesson with David, and he shared with us something he had written in his journal. It was about his journey to the truth. He testified of how he knows Joseph Smith is a prophet, that the Book of Mormon is true, and he knows that he did what the Lord wanted by being baptized. He recognizes that he has joined a huge family and support system. He is grateful for the help he has received and the support the branch has given him through this journey. 

He shared this yesterday as part of his testimony during Fast and Testimony Meeting. It touched many people's hearts, and they went up to him after and thanked him for sharing that experience and testimony. It was so sweet, sincere and heartfelt. 

This Gospel is so special and dear to my heart. There is so much comfort that I have in my life because of it. One of my most favorite hymns about Missionary Work is "Go Forth With Faith". The second, in particular, brings the most comfort. It says,

"Go forth with love to tell the world
The joy of families--
That we may be with those we love
Thru all eternity."

I LOVE this truth. I know that families are central to the Plan of God. They are not just for this life. Through the power of God, we can be sealed together in a family unit. As we each do our part, we will be able to enjoy the blessings of a forever family. This truth is so near and dear to my heart. I love my family so much, and I know that I can be with them forever, as we continue forward, faithfully and firmly taking hold of the Iron Rod, all the way to the Tree of Life. 

I love you all. Have a wonderful week!

--

Hermana Dean

megan.dean@myldsmail.net

http://www.mormon.org/me/C0MJ

Reconoce quién eres y actúa como debes

Hola Todos!

This week has been fantastic!

This morning, we received our transfer information. Hermana Gibson and I will be staying here in Lockhart for this next transfer. I am so excited. Lockhart has become one of my favorite areas. I love the people here so much, and have learned so much from them.

David is doing so great. He is still reading the Book of Mormon-- he started Mosiah the other day--and he is participating more and more in our Sunday classes. He loves the gospel, and loves everything that he has learned.

Tracy is doing well too. As of right now, she no longer has a date for the 13th of February, because she has some habits that she wants and needs to quit, but doesn't think she can do it before then. She still wants to be baptized, and wants to continue coming to church and meeting with us. She has such a sweet spirit, and loves learning. 

This last week, President Slaughter invited us to study in depth the Missionary Handbook. I have personally LOVED this study so much, and have learned even more. I have seen how much of the Missionary Handbook has to do with obedience. Really, all of it does. One of the phrases President uses all the time, which really is the underlying principle, is "Know who you are , and act accordingly." If we do this, there will be no misunderstandings about rules or standards. As we learn and know who we are, we begin to see a greater, grander perspective. We understand that we have commandments for a reason--that God loves us and wants to protect us. As we understand this, we act accordingly: We keep the commandments because we love God, not because we fear punishment or simply want the blessing attached. 

I know who I am--I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love Him. I am a servant of the Lord, called by Him and assigned to serve here, in Lockhart, TX. Because I know this, I will continually strive to act accordingly.

I love you all. Have a most wonderful week!

--

Hermana Dean

megan.dean@myldsmail.net

http://www.mormon.org/me/C0MJ

​The Page family has a couple of donkeys. This is Eeyore. 

Over the course of my mission, I have kept track of the companions I have had and the areas,and zones I have been in....Now it is all filled in!

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