Mother's Day Phone Call

Dalan called us Sunday evening and it was so good to talk to him. He is doing really well and keeping so busy! He is loving Snowflake, he is says it is a town of 12,000 people and it has 2 stoplights. It has lots of rolling hills and trees and the wind blows ALL the time. Anywhere from 40 to 70 mile hour gusts. He is on a bike and bikes around 20 to 30 miles a day. He says his legs are feeling hammered and getting big. His jeans almost don't fit in the thighs. Him and his companion are over 4 wards. The 2,3, and 4th ward are in the Stake Center and the 6th ward is in a different builing that was built in 1910 and he says it is the coolest building. They are doing a lot of retention work and teaching a lot. They have a goal of getting 60 TTI (Teach, Testify, and Invite) a day working the streets. Dalan is doing good at that. He is not afraid to talk to people. His companion was amazed, he said he didn't talk to anyone the first month. They ususally have a dinner appointment every night and most lunches. He has developed a bad case of snoring (I think he is exhausted) and woke up the other day with his companion sleeping in the living room. Elder Stewart went and bought ear plugs. He also gave Elder Stewart the first discussion in his sleep the other night. On Sunday he went to 4 sacrament meetings, 2 gospel doctrine, and 2 PEC meetings. He also has already had some close dog greetings. He is doing well and loves getting letters, it is what keeps him sane. So keep the letters coming.

Voles or Gophers????

I don't know when a gopher became a vole? I think it happened when all the new people (hippies) moved here to the valley. But whatever it is called can I just say I DO NOT LIKE THEM. Half of my back yard grass is all gone. It looks like it got a REALLY bad hair cut. Saturday Stacy mowed and mowed and then we raked up all the grass, I can't believe how much we raked up, we dumped our trailer 3 times. It looks good to have all the dead stuff gone so maybe it can get some sunshine and start to grow back. Please spring it is time you made your appearance.

A great Mother's Day

Sunday was Mother's Day and it was a great day. First of all I have the most wonderful husband and friend in the world,  I don't know what I would do with out him. Thanks Stacy for being the BEST! Second of all I have the most wonderful children in the world. Bailey is a sweet heart and I love her cards and notes. Stacy and Bailey and I picked out my mother's day present the other day when we went to IF. They bought me a picture of the Idaho Falls temple and I love it. It is so pretty. I also got to hear from Dalan and it was awesome. He called around 5 and we got to talk for about an hour. We miss him so much,but he is doing so well and is becoming a great missionary. He is so busy, I worry how he can keep this pace up for 2 years! I will blog about his phone call and copy and past it to this blog on all the details. But I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such a great family. I also have the BEST MOTHER ever. I love her so much and am so thankful for all she has and still does for me. She has always been one of my best friends. My other best friend and a TERRIFIC MOTHER is my sister Katie. Love you both and hope you had a great day, wish we were closer and we would go do lunch today. All my love to you both.

I have to say I have another GREAT MOM, Verna, what a remarkable lady she is. She is a wonderful person who I love very much. I also am very blessed to have wonderful sister-in-laws. Each one of them have so many talents and abililties that I envy and look up to. They are ALL wonderful mothers to our cute nieces and nephews that we love! Happy Mother's Day to you ALL!

President Bassett's Family

Dalan with President and Sister Bassett's family. Taken on his arrival date, May 4, 2010.

First Day in Mission Field, Snowflake, AZ

Hey how is everything going?!?!?! my pdays are on tuesdays and we didnt get the chance to email yesterday so we get a chance to today!! im so excited and LOVING it here! so yesterday after i talked to you, i flew down and the ap's and presidnt Basset picked us up at the air port then we went to the Mesa temple visiting center and talked and took some pics real quik, then we went to the mission home! we got out all our driving paper, lisence, immunazions, and other stuff out so they could make copies, filled out some insurence/health papers and the ap's talked to us for a while, while presidnt basset intervieved us all!! he is such a spirtual man and is sooooooo nice!!!!!!! :) then we had lunch,... hot dogs ;) and then went back into the room that they talked to us in and all the trainers came in and sat down. we practice street contacting with each other and then some ppl talked about things to do and not to do in the mission, like leaving clothes on the ground cause of scorpions!! :) haha then after all our orientation stuff presidnt basset got up to announce our trainers and where we would be serving?! i was the last on to be read off the list of who mine was and where i was going! my comp is elder stewart and he is from rexburg! haha.. how does that work? :) he is way kool and is teaching me lots! :) and im am serving in the most coveted areas in the mission, Snowflake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :):) i love in here! So after i found out, we grabbed my bags and got in the truck and drove 3 1/2 hour to here! it was amazing country and there are pine trees and its awesome! it really reminds me of island park!! :) its a small town feel! nearest wal-mat is hour and a half away, everyone waves to everyone and it is 15 degrees cooler than down in the valley! its 76 here right now and in mesa is in the 90's! :) so that is amazing! elder stewart is going home in 6 weeks so i gotta learn alot in 6 weeks cause when he leaves ill be taking over the area! aww haha :) we live in the basment of a members home, really nice! :) im in a biking area, but also have access to a truck if absolutely needed! i got a really nice bike and got a good deal on it i think! we will be biking alot so that will be good to have a good one! :) when it is 75 degrees or higher we dont have to where our suit coats so thats a blessing! :) get to go to the temple once a transfer! :)


so yesterday i got my bike and we drove to payson and got groceries at the walmart and then hauled butt to snowflake and got here 5 mins. before our apt with the Chairez family! so we threw all our groceries in the fridge and got back in the truck and drove to there house! we taught lesson 2! it went really well have another apt with them next week! then after that we hauled butt again to the Gardner families home and taught the about the importance of the BoM and tithing, they are a less active family and the mother is not a member! that was really kool and went well too! :) i was so nervous! haha, we have 5 teaching apts today, all lesson one to new investigators! :) so that will be kool! our area includes 4 wards, and me and elder stewart got white washed into this new area cause they just spilt the area! so guess what that means... next Sunday we get to talk...four different times... :) haha it will be good. we were asked to just introduce our selves and give a little bit of back ground and then talk on the importance of missionary work and just how excited we are to be hear so that wont be too bad! :) also today we a apt with Jim Hufman and we are going to try to set a baptismal date!! :) we already have two ppl with dates this month so i will be able to step in and teach them the last couple lessons with elder stewart!! :) so there is a crap load of work and i don't think ill have a problem keeping busy!:) It all definitely puts me out of my comfort zone for the most part but im am learning and growing so much! :) i miss and love you all so much and cant wait to talk to you sunday! :) be safe and good luck with everything. hope you dont mind me filling you in early... ;) haha



Love Ya, Elder Dalan Lerwill





p.s. last Sunday it snowed here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Tuesday, May 4, 2010


Fly Date



Oh how sweet, we got a phone call this morning at 7:00. Dalan was up at three and headed to the airport, he was all checked in and waiting to board his plane. It was so awesome to hear his voice and talk to him. He really liked the MTC but is so glad that it is over. He said he weighed 193 but he would soon loose the extra since his mission is a total bike mission except for the office people. He thought they would get to AZ and have some orientation and do some tracking tonight and then in the morning more orientation and be sent to his new area and companion. I think he was nerveous and excited all at once. He said he has met so many neat people and he has loved to read in the scriptures and also write in his journal and letters. I think his journal has been a good out for him. He has almost read the whole Book of Mormon while in the MTC. He was planning on finishing it yesterday but was too busy getting ready. It was awesome and we can't wait to talk to him on Sunday to see how the real mission field is going. We are lucky on our timing for the allowed phone calls. It will make Christmas seems like a long ways away.

Dalan 's last P-Day in the MTC

hey how are things going? it has been rainy and snowing here during mornings but not quite like at home! haha, i leave in the morning at 5 from the mtc then my flight is at 8ish! :) i have 2 1/2 viles of insiln left! things are going good and im really ready to get out of here! that crazy about kyle! haha, the temple was awesome this morning! tell bailey to get better and im thinking about her! :) i have money for my luggage and ill keep my reciet and wen i get to az the church will refund it back to me! so thats good! :) thats too bad to here about aaron's boy! he'll be in my prayers! one of the counslers in our branch presidency here is a doctor,his name is Brother Stacey and he is awesome!!! yesterday i was in a interview with him and just talking about how things were going and all that fun jazz and then we started talking about my diabetes, i told him where i was with my a1c before and how fast i got it down to a 8 and he was absolutly amazed! i think he actually doubted me haha, no he didnt but he just testified how the lord works and apprently i am supposta be here!! :)


Did you get all the grain cleaned or how is all that going?!

The best way that mail to az is ging to work is just send all my letters to the mission home then they will forward them. any thing through US mail they will forward, but UPS or FedEx packages wont, so i wouldnt get those till transfers or wen id be at the mission home again... so ill let you know more about that when i know more! :)

i am going to do laundry here in a bit and start packing up all my bags! :) We had a chin up contest last night and i got 2nd place! haha, i did 24!! my shoulders are sooooo sore! haha :) One of my teachers came in yesterday (Brother Lewis) and told us that he just looked it up and it was 98 Degrees in Mesa!!!!! AWWWWWWWWWhaha, but ill be ok, ive got all kinds of help and support! ;) im running out of time so if you would forward this to Wes and Katie that would be awesome! they emailed me and im not going to have time to write them back as well! :) keep shootin those squerrls! :) love all you guys and thanks for the letters and emails! :) keep in touch with all that goes on there and ill do my best on the other end as well! haha :) ill talk to you next sunday! :) good thing i wont be in the mtc cause you cant call if you are so its gonna work out perfect! dont know for sure it will work but you'll here from me! :) quite honestly im not sure how anything for the next few days is goin to work out! haha :)



Love you all,

Elder Dalan Lerwilll

p.s. im hearing from nathan and he is doing well! :)if you see wayne and cinthia tell them hi from me! OHHHHHHHHHH and in my zone i met this kid and we got talking, his name is Elder Olsen and John and tom beard is his cousins! realated to rigby aand stuff so talk to regina! ;) love ya all :)