Love how it turned out.
Hard to see (bad pictures), but I bought some 4th of July, red, white, and blue material on sale and made this patriotic wreath. Still might add some ribbons and bling.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
E-Mail from Dalan July 11, 2011 and Baptism Pictures
WOW what a crazy week it has been. we are finally done with the leadership training meetings that took place all of last week and now we will have a little more time to stay in our area! :) It was really crazy trying to run everyone around and get them to Scottsdale because we had some of the snowflake zone staying with us and others that are on bikes but we managed.
Bowdrie sure is cute, he looks a lot like Stockton at that age! i am really happy to hear that all went smoothly and he is doing good. will be a little different the next time i see him! haha. :) I cannot believe that Lacie and Andrew are going to get married!? he is a awesome guy and was a amazing missionary! bishop emailed me and told me about some of the sweet missionary experiences that are going on in the ward right now! that is so awesome that there are going to be some baptisms and new members in the ward! :) be sure and get a good gospel essentials class going! :)
you asked about me getting a Ha1c. i could definitely do that. it would be really good to get a idea on where i am at. i have been doing really well lately. Testing a lot and trying really hard to keep them level and not have any spikes. :) its hard in the heat but i am blessed with good companions who help me a ton. remind me and carry sugar. i had a low on Sunday and i think it kinda scared elder derenthal. all was ok i just got really irritated. after case i thought it was kinda funny and i had to explain to him some of the side effects of having lows! :) its great to have so much support. i haven't wore my dexcom in a while. last time i did a few months ago it still worked. i will get that going this week and get a better pin on things! thanks for the reminder and i will keep you updated!
So this week a crazy thing happened...its called a dust storm. it started west of phoenix in the far desert and then came all the way through AJ. it was insane. we were walking to our car and we could see it coming. it was huge and moving so fast. it looked like something off the mummy or Aladdin. haha, huge walls and it hit us hard. dirt everywhere and though every crack possible. not very much fun to be out and about in but it got us in a few doors! :) monsoons are starting to hit a little. the last 2 evenings we have been getting some small showers and good lightning so that's exciting. the only down fall is that it is super humid in the mornings! but its better that pure heat. last wed. it hit 118 in Scottsdale...that's really hot in case you are wondering! haha :) not to much fun to be out in but its bearable. there is a member in one of our wards who does insulation and he was blowing in some ones attic to help keep it cooler for cheaper and he took a little hand thermometer up with him and he said that it was 187!! he was up there for 15 mins. at a time and still almost got heat stroke! crazy, the heat isn't something to play with. drink lots of water for sure!
our baptisms this week end went really well. Mary had hers on Saturday and it was such a sweet experience! there was so much support there for her. same with Brad. he had a bunch of family fly in from out of state and it was really good. we have two baptisms coming up this week end as well. Vanora and Lorean. they are mother and daughter and they are natives so that will be really cool. she just got married to one of the members of our ward. so exciting. there are so many prepared people everywhere! i feel so blessed to be a part of this work and see the miracles happen first hand. its really great. we are teaching a lot and getting a lot done.
the three some is good, kinda difficult but things are working. we are not sure how long elder hay will be with us but i will probley get a better idea on what to expect during interview this week. we all have so much to learn and its not always easy to learn so we'll just take it one day at a time and grow while that happens! :)
kinda cool sense elder Davis is a DL here in our zone in 2 weeks i am going to go on exchanges with him in my old area. he told some of the members that i was back and going to be back in the area and so we are going to be eating with the Braddock's i think! :) it will be a lot of fun. elder Davis is a great missionary and has TONS of potential! fun to serve with people that you know from back home!
well i hope that all is well there and your healthy happy and having a good summer. it is flying by so fast. we were shopping today in walmart and they have all there back to school stuff set out! kinda crazy, doesn't feel really or possible but i guess it is. i appreciate all that you do for me and your love and support. i couldn't ask for a better family! :) love you and cant wait to hear from you again soon!
All my love,
Elder Dalan Lerwill
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Bowdrie sure is cute, he looks a lot like Stockton at that age! i am really happy to hear that all went smoothly and he is doing good. will be a little different the next time i see him! haha. :) I cannot believe that Lacie and Andrew are going to get married!? he is a awesome guy and was a amazing missionary! bishop emailed me and told me about some of the sweet missionary experiences that are going on in the ward right now! that is so awesome that there are going to be some baptisms and new members in the ward! :) be sure and get a good gospel essentials class going! :)
you asked about me getting a Ha1c. i could definitely do that. it would be really good to get a idea on where i am at. i have been doing really well lately. Testing a lot and trying really hard to keep them level and not have any spikes. :) its hard in the heat but i am blessed with good companions who help me a ton. remind me and carry sugar. i had a low on Sunday and i think it kinda scared elder derenthal. all was ok i just got really irritated. after case i thought it was kinda funny and i had to explain to him some of the side effects of having lows! :) its great to have so much support. i haven't wore my dexcom in a while. last time i did a few months ago it still worked. i will get that going this week and get a better pin on things! thanks for the reminder and i will keep you updated!
So this week a crazy thing happened...its called a dust storm. it started west of phoenix in the far desert and then came all the way through AJ. it was insane. we were walking to our car and we could see it coming. it was huge and moving so fast. it looked like something off the mummy or Aladdin. haha, huge walls and it hit us hard. dirt everywhere and though every crack possible. not very much fun to be out and about in but it got us in a few doors! :) monsoons are starting to hit a little. the last 2 evenings we have been getting some small showers and good lightning so that's exciting. the only down fall is that it is super humid in the mornings! but its better that pure heat. last wed. it hit 118 in Scottsdale...that's really hot in case you are wondering! haha :) not to much fun to be out in but its bearable. there is a member in one of our wards who does insulation and he was blowing in some ones attic to help keep it cooler for cheaper and he took a little hand thermometer up with him and he said that it was 187!! he was up there for 15 mins. at a time and still almost got heat stroke! crazy, the heat isn't something to play with. drink lots of water for sure!
our baptisms this week end went really well. Mary had hers on Saturday and it was such a sweet experience! there was so much support there for her. same with Brad. he had a bunch of family fly in from out of state and it was really good. we have two baptisms coming up this week end as well. Vanora and Lorean. they are mother and daughter and they are natives so that will be really cool. she just got married to one of the members of our ward. so exciting. there are so many prepared people everywhere! i feel so blessed to be a part of this work and see the miracles happen first hand. its really great. we are teaching a lot and getting a lot done.
the three some is good, kinda difficult but things are working. we are not sure how long elder hay will be with us but i will probley get a better idea on what to expect during interview this week. we all have so much to learn and its not always easy to learn so we'll just take it one day at a time and grow while that happens! :)
kinda cool sense elder Davis is a DL here in our zone in 2 weeks i am going to go on exchanges with him in my old area. he told some of the members that i was back and going to be back in the area and so we are going to be eating with the Braddock's i think! :) it will be a lot of fun. elder Davis is a great missionary and has TONS of potential! fun to serve with people that you know from back home!
well i hope that all is well there and your healthy happy and having a good summer. it is flying by so fast. we were shopping today in walmart and they have all there back to school stuff set out! kinda crazy, doesn't feel really or possible but i guess it is. i appreciate all that you do for me and your love and support. i couldn't ask for a better family! :) love you and cant wait to hear from you again soon!
All my love,
Elder Dalan Lerwill
Baptism of Mary Jacobi
Baptism of Bradley Sowards
Letter from Dalan July 4, 2011
.... Well let me tell you a little about my area. It is great. There are so many amazing sweet, prepared people we are teaching right now. We have been crazy busy. We had 9 investigators at sacrament meeting yesterday so it is great. Brad is getting bap. this coming week end. He is 16 (part member family) and is really great. Then we have Mark, Vanora and Lorean getting bap the next week end. I will have told you about them in my email. We have lots of others coming up soon as well! It's great.This area is crazy though. It is really ghetto. We live in some shack like apts. and it's really crazy. AJ in one of the largest Meth capitals in the Nation and a lot of our investigators and less actives are strung out on it. so sad to see. It is such a harmful and destructive drug. It's really crazy to see. Aj and mostly all of our area is solid trailers and the stereotype people that go with them. This place makes down town Tetonia look like Teton Springs! Not very many people have teeth (one of the sides of Meth) And when they are asked to dress up for church that means put on a clean wife beater. ha ha, I am being funny but am not joking in the slightest! :) It's great and I love it here a lot of humble situations and they are ready for God's help. It's awesome and we are having a blast!
Elder Derenthal and I get along awesome and are really good friends. It is great to have awesome support in a companion and some one to help you through trials. One of those trials is Elder Hay. He is great! Really is, but he is struggling with the whole concept of being a missionary. His last area got white washed and so now he is here with us. He will do great and be fine. We have a ton of fun all together and get along fine. Just gotta love him to death!:) Who knows how long he will be with us, but no matter what it is, it's what is needed. It has been a great and humbling experience so far. I learn from him every day and we have nothing in common, but we have fun all together, it's great.
Last night had another mission president's fireside and I sang again. It is a lot of fun and I really enjoy it. It scares me some times on how fast time is going by. It doesn't feel real that I am at the point in my mission that I am. Right now I am the oldest (missionary age) missionary in our zone! Crazy, unreal.
This next 2 weeks is going to be insane. Starting tomorrow we are starting again the 4 day all day leadership training meetings again. All Zone Leaders will be going. Do our area will take a hit bur all will work out. Then the next week we are going on exchanges with both our District Leaders and also with the Assistant's. Then we also have a big zone meeting where President will do interviews. It will be stressful but hopefully will work out and go smoothly.
Elder Derenthal and I get along awesome and are really good friends. It is great to have awesome support in a companion and some one to help you through trials. One of those trials is Elder Hay. He is great! Really is, but he is struggling with the whole concept of being a missionary. His last area got white washed and so now he is here with us. He will do great and be fine. We have a ton of fun all together and get along fine. Just gotta love him to death!:) Who knows how long he will be with us, but no matter what it is, it's what is needed. It has been a great and humbling experience so far. I learn from him every day and we have nothing in common, but we have fun all together, it's great.
Last night had another mission president's fireside and I sang again. It is a lot of fun and I really enjoy it. It scares me some times on how fast time is going by. It doesn't feel real that I am at the point in my mission that I am. Right now I am the oldest (missionary age) missionary in our zone! Crazy, unreal.
This next 2 weeks is going to be insane. Starting tomorrow we are starting again the 4 day all day leadership training meetings again. All Zone Leaders will be going. Do our area will take a hit bur all will work out. Then the next week we are going on exchanges with both our District Leaders and also with the Assistant's. Then we also have a big zone meeting where President will do interviews. It will be stressful but hopefully will work out and go smoothly.
Email July 5, 2011 Apache Junction
Holy cow things sound crazy there! there is a lot of new stuff happening there. sounds like you had a good week end and it was a busy day for Driggs! cant believe that there could possibly be that much stuff happening there! it sounds like you all had a great 4th of July. did you end up getting to go camping of did you just chill at home? great to hear that the rail is still running well and your having a good time. :)
that is awesome that you talked to Andrew coffman! he is great. he was the assistant when i first got to the mission. he actually some how got my number and texted me on Sunday and told me that he had seen and visited with you all so that was really cool to hear! that is so awesome that Jared Stewart is getting married. i better be getting a announcement from him or i will be mad! haha. that is great, i am so happy for him and hope all goes well. maybe i will have to drop him a letter next week.
I got your sweet package at the mission home on Friday at zone leader council. i loved it and it was great. i am stocked up on sets for a while. i got quite a few set in a box. thank you so much. i loved the jerky. i ate the first one and i guessed that it was Phillip 66 jerky but didn't know for sure until your tape. that was great as well. i love hearing how things are from your voices and it makes me smile. i will buy some tapes next week and i will get you one going! :) thank you so much!
So I am officially jealous of your weather. this week it hit 118. miserable. i honestly never thought that any place in this world could get this hot and if it did i wouldn't think that anyone in their right mind would live there! haha. i just feel really blessed that i am in a car. the car gets really hot and by the time it starts to cool off we get where we need to be so you get the raw end of the stick either way but i am being blessed. really hard to stay hydrated and keep cool but some how I am managing. :) the power did go out for about 4 hours last week and talk about miserable. it got so hot really fast. everyone was freaking out looking for generators and water and all the necessities of life that we all take for granted. but it came back on and no one died! haha
so transfers went really well. it was really hot out on the asphalt moving luggage but all went well. it was a really long day but we finally got to AJ and got a few things settled. AJ is like nowhere i have ever been before... our area is right in the middle of the city and it is all trailers pretty much. there are a few residential areas but for the most part its all lower end. there are a ton of really wonderful people that we are teaching right now. we have a really good teaching pool and have received so many blessing just since i got here. its great. we actually have 2 baptisms coming up this weekend. the first one is a sweet lady named Mary. she has been meeting with missionaries for a while and is just now ready. she has been coming to church and doing all the things that she is supposed to she hasn't felt like she has been ready. with in the past 2 weeks she has made so many amazing changes in her life and it is great to see. her boy friend Karl is also investigating but isn't quite ready. just a few more minor things that he working though and he should be moving along really fast. probley with in the next month!
then we also have Brad who is getting baptised on Sunday. he is 16 and really awesome. One great thing about AJ is that there are a lot of people who are not able to work for different reasons so we are able to meet with them on a regular basis. i have got around and know most all of our investigators so far and really look forward to working with them all! :) Church is completely different as well. 3 of our 4 wards are really small. like 60 people in sacrament. way different than mesa. haha. one of wards that we cover has been assigned by the stake to be the ward where all the convicts and sex offenders and any one with a problem attends so needless to say we have quite the interesting congregation! :) we cover the Merrill creek ward, meridian ward, ocatillo ward, and the signal butte ward. all of our bishops and ward mission leaders are really awesome and there is a lot of work going on in the stake right now! :) you should ask what ward Charley and Judy cook attend and let me know. and i will keep my eye out for a Charley Raspenson. its not too big of a city so you never know! :) and the church makes it alot smaller! :)
A huge miracle is that we have a member in one of our wards who has been dating a nonmember girl from phoenix and she has been meeting with missionaries in the other mission. well they got married on Friday and her and her daughter are moving into our area this week and then getting baptised next weekend! Its awesome to see so many people who have been prepared and are ready to make these sacred covenants!
So ya...AJ is officially CRAZY. there was a nasty looking coyote running down the side of the road on the way to church. lots of road runners and other wild life. the people are completely different and there are a lot of needy circumstances in our area. that does make people humble but it is really difficult. Lots of nasty stuff. i am so great full for the awesome family i have and the area i was raised in! it is great.
kinda crazy but i am the oldest missionary age missionary in our zone. hard to believe that i am to this point in my mission. elder Davis is one of the District leaders in our zone and the other district leader has dated the same girl as me! haha. remember that girl named Brooke from Star Valley that i did alot with at collage, well they went to High School together and dated there! haha, kinda funny. we have a really good, hard working zone and it will be alot of fun. i am really looking forward to it. i love elder derenthal. he is a few transfers behind me and then elder hay has been out 8 months. it is really hard being in a 3some. teaching is hard, everything is more difficult. we are getting by though. we have no idea how long elder hay will be with us. could be a few more days, end of the transfer of even another transfer depending on what president wants. he is one of the most inspired men i have ever met. i have no doubt that i am here in this new area for a reason and there is something great that i need to learn. i am excited! :)
this whole week we have the leadership meetings from 8-4 Tues-Fri so it is going to be a crazy long week and there is lot of other things that we need to get done in our area! haha, so it should be a little stressful but we'll get by. then the next week we are stacked with lessons and big zone meetings. kinda crazy and it makes time go by so fast. but i love being busy! better than the alternate!
I am doing well. new areas take patience and some adjusting but it will be great and i will look back on this time 6 months from now and be so thankful for the things i have learned! i love my mission so much. thank you so much for all that you do in making it all possible. your great and i love you all a lot and know you are doing well there as well. hope that the spraying goes smoothly and you can get all you need accomplished. give Katie and Wes my love and i will keep them in my prayers. there isn't really any one that i know of that you could let know so just be sure and let me know next email. i will be anxiously waiting the news! :) hope you all have a wonderful week and take care. keep healthy, safe and COOL. I'll do the same!
Love
Elder Dalan Lerwill
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that is awesome that you talked to Andrew coffman! he is great. he was the assistant when i first got to the mission. he actually some how got my number and texted me on Sunday and told me that he had seen and visited with you all so that was really cool to hear! that is so awesome that Jared Stewart is getting married. i better be getting a announcement from him or i will be mad! haha. that is great, i am so happy for him and hope all goes well. maybe i will have to drop him a letter next week.
I got your sweet package at the mission home on Friday at zone leader council. i loved it and it was great. i am stocked up on sets for a while. i got quite a few set in a box. thank you so much. i loved the jerky. i ate the first one and i guessed that it was Phillip 66 jerky but didn't know for sure until your tape. that was great as well. i love hearing how things are from your voices and it makes me smile. i will buy some tapes next week and i will get you one going! :) thank you so much!
So I am officially jealous of your weather. this week it hit 118. miserable. i honestly never thought that any place in this world could get this hot and if it did i wouldn't think that anyone in their right mind would live there! haha. i just feel really blessed that i am in a car. the car gets really hot and by the time it starts to cool off we get where we need to be so you get the raw end of the stick either way but i am being blessed. really hard to stay hydrated and keep cool but some how I am managing. :) the power did go out for about 4 hours last week and talk about miserable. it got so hot really fast. everyone was freaking out looking for generators and water and all the necessities of life that we all take for granted. but it came back on and no one died! haha
so transfers went really well. it was really hot out on the asphalt moving luggage but all went well. it was a really long day but we finally got to AJ and got a few things settled. AJ is like nowhere i have ever been before... our area is right in the middle of the city and it is all trailers pretty much. there are a few residential areas but for the most part its all lower end. there are a ton of really wonderful people that we are teaching right now. we have a really good teaching pool and have received so many blessing just since i got here. its great. we actually have 2 baptisms coming up this weekend. the first one is a sweet lady named Mary. she has been meeting with missionaries for a while and is just now ready. she has been coming to church and doing all the things that she is supposed to she hasn't felt like she has been ready. with in the past 2 weeks she has made so many amazing changes in her life and it is great to see. her boy friend Karl is also investigating but isn't quite ready. just a few more minor things that he working though and he should be moving along really fast. probley with in the next month!
then we also have Brad who is getting baptised on Sunday. he is 16 and really awesome. One great thing about AJ is that there are a lot of people who are not able to work for different reasons so we are able to meet with them on a regular basis. i have got around and know most all of our investigators so far and really look forward to working with them all! :) Church is completely different as well. 3 of our 4 wards are really small. like 60 people in sacrament. way different than mesa. haha. one of wards that we cover has been assigned by the stake to be the ward where all the convicts and sex offenders and any one with a problem attends so needless to say we have quite the interesting congregation! :) we cover the Merrill creek ward, meridian ward, ocatillo ward, and the signal butte ward. all of our bishops and ward mission leaders are really awesome and there is a lot of work going on in the stake right now! :) you should ask what ward Charley and Judy cook attend and let me know. and i will keep my eye out for a Charley Raspenson. its not too big of a city so you never know! :) and the church makes it alot smaller! :)
A huge miracle is that we have a member in one of our wards who has been dating a nonmember girl from phoenix and she has been meeting with missionaries in the other mission. well they got married on Friday and her and her daughter are moving into our area this week and then getting baptised next weekend! Its awesome to see so many people who have been prepared and are ready to make these sacred covenants!
So ya...AJ is officially CRAZY. there was a nasty looking coyote running down the side of the road on the way to church. lots of road runners and other wild life. the people are completely different and there are a lot of needy circumstances in our area. that does make people humble but it is really difficult. Lots of nasty stuff. i am so great full for the awesome family i have and the area i was raised in! it is great.
kinda crazy but i am the oldest missionary age missionary in our zone. hard to believe that i am to this point in my mission. elder Davis is one of the District leaders in our zone and the other district leader has dated the same girl as me! haha. remember that girl named Brooke from Star Valley that i did alot with at collage, well they went to High School together and dated there! haha, kinda funny. we have a really good, hard working zone and it will be alot of fun. i am really looking forward to it. i love elder derenthal. he is a few transfers behind me and then elder hay has been out 8 months. it is really hard being in a 3some. teaching is hard, everything is more difficult. we are getting by though. we have no idea how long elder hay will be with us. could be a few more days, end of the transfer of even another transfer depending on what president wants. he is one of the most inspired men i have ever met. i have no doubt that i am here in this new area for a reason and there is something great that i need to learn. i am excited! :)
this whole week we have the leadership meetings from 8-4 Tues-Fri so it is going to be a crazy long week and there is lot of other things that we need to get done in our area! haha, so it should be a little stressful but we'll get by. then the next week we are stacked with lessons and big zone meetings. kinda crazy and it makes time go by so fast. but i love being busy! better than the alternate!
I am doing well. new areas take patience and some adjusting but it will be great and i will look back on this time 6 months from now and be so thankful for the things i have learned! i love my mission so much. thank you so much for all that you do in making it all possible. your great and i love you all a lot and know you are doing well there as well. hope that the spraying goes smoothly and you can get all you need accomplished. give Katie and Wes my love and i will keep them in my prayers. there isn't really any one that i know of that you could let know so just be sure and let me know next email. i will be anxiously waiting the news! :) hope you all have a wonderful week and take care. keep healthy, safe and COOL. I'll do the same!
Love
Elder Dalan Lerwill
Elder Derenthal, Elder Hay, Elder Lerwill
Bailey at Girl's Camp
Bailey went to Girls Camp last week and she had a great time. She is a LITE this year and had so much fun helping all the younger girls.
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Bowdrie Dean Panter
He is finally here!! Bowdrie Dean Panter was born on the 5th of July 2011. He weighed 7 lbs and was 20 1/2 inches long and so very very handsome! We were so excited to go to Twin and see him this week end. He is such a sweetie and his brother and sister think he is great!
Congratulation Panter Family! We love you!
Panter Boys. Wes, Stockton, and Bowdrie
Katie you did an awesome job!!
Macie and her cute toothless grin! How can she be that old! She turned 6 on the 7th of July!
4th of July
We had a great 4th of July week end. We were waiting for the grain to get tall enough to spray on the mountain so we did a few small things for several days to celebrate. We went on a couple of stubble buggy rides. It was beautiful weather and lots of fun. We saw these bear tracks going up to the brick house on the mountain. Would have been lots of fun to see the real bear. We did everything we could to avoid Driggs and the Huntsman Springs Celebration. Yuck they said they had between 17 and 20 thousand people visiting. Double Yuck!!!!! We did enjoy the fireworks though on Saturday night.(From a distance of course)
On the 4th we went to the Rexburg Parade and watched it with Stacy's family. It was a good parade and lots of fun. Lots of kids running around for our entertainment. We then went to IF and went to Allyson and Kent's house and got to see some of my family. Nancy, Danny, and boys, Warren, Verna, Amber, Garrett, and Kent and Liz were there from AZ. Uncle Kent and Aunt Kathleen were there also. It was fun to see everyone. I should have taken some pictures but I didn't dang it.
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