"The Moms" and a letter!

This is a picture of all of "the boys" moms.  

And this is a letter from Scott...

Hey!

I have a little more time to day so I will try not to leave you hanging this time (haha mom you are so cute.) 

Ok well it is raining like a bean here. It is coming down hard. I am glad it is preparation day. We are going to try to get a little rest today. Last time as you know we did a zone preparation day where we played a little too hard and we were sore, it made it really hard to work. I guess I should tell you last week was the hardest week so far. We saw so much opposition and it just was really hard. But things are picking up we made it through our trial and came out improving we are really excited to learn and improve from our experience.

I don’t know if I have told you about Gerard. Wow he is a big reason why I am here in Heerenveen I just feel it. He is making so much progress. We gave him a baptismal date but he said he needed more time. But he came to church and everyone was so nice, I was just praying hard that he would have a good experience. Our lessons with him are always so good. I keep seeing the picture of me and him in the temple, and me just giving him a big hug. I hope and pray that I can live worthy enough and listen to the promptings of the spirit so that it will happen.

Everyone start writing in your journal!!! Every day! I need to know what happened when I get back. 

I love you all 

love elder Dalpias

"never give up never surrender"

Pictures Finally

He looks like a missionary!
Where have I seen this face before?
This looks familiar too... :)
Before he left the MTC
At the MTC still
At the MTC with Elder Sorenson
Wow! The Netherlands!
Ah the streets of Europe!

letter September 8

Hey how is everyone?
It’s another e mail from the land of the tulips haven’t seen any but that’s what I have heard. haha ya there are so many flowers but no tulips hear in Heerenveen. Well let’s start by answering some questions that you have. No I haven’t got my new bike seat yet but we are on plan to do it today. Actually we are trying to buy everything for a whole transfer today it will be interesting. haha ok well anyway. I don’t get to go to the temple for a while, but boy do I need it, it is so bad out here, just the billboards and signs, I have never sang so many hymns in my life. haha as far as elder Kessler. I still have him and he is as awesome as ever. But this is his last transfer before he goes home so I will have a new comp next transfer. (overplatsing). 
I cant seem to find the recipes I have only the brownie one. if you could send me some, like gnocchi and others that I could cook that would be great, sandwiches are getting a little old, hahah ok well as for the people we are teaching, it has been really interesting, you see we have received 2 golden referrals, one from a woman inSsteenwijk who has read the book of Mormon and wants to get baptized, we haven’t even met her or talked to her so we will see what happens with that. The other verwijzing (referral) was a woman with 8 children and she went on the church website and requested missionaries to come and teach her, so this is amazing! We teach her on Wed. as for Zomerette, she tells us still that she feels so good when we come buy, the only problem is that she can’t progress unless she comes to church, and her children do not want to go so she can’t leave them at home. It is really difficult.
As for pictures they are being developed now so I should be able to send them this week or next depending on how today goes. There is a conference where a 70 is coming to speak to us. It is really awesome. 
Just a side note about where I am. The clouds here are amazing. What you need to do is watch the Grinch and look at those clouds. That is how it here about every day. It is so beautiful.
I love you all so much 
love Elder Dalpias

Latest email!

Hey,
    It sounds like everything is going good over there. Our ward is doing ok, I love it, it is just really small. But the Lord has big plans for this branch. I can see the day when we have a stake in Heerenveen that will be so awesome. 
    As for if I am taking notes of where to go, haha sorry I am not, but I have a good memory and I can speak Nederland’s so I don’t think we will have a problem. As for, am I taking pictures? Yes, I have a few and I am planning on next transfer sending a CD with them home. I would do it sooner but I have no money, wow this first transfer has been hard with all the traveling we have had to do it has sucked me dry, I even owe 70 euros to my own account witch I took out one of the first weeks I was here. But the money is not important. If all I had to eat was worms I would still be out here. The people are amazing! Familie Rozendala is still going strong and I am really hoping that Mr. Van Lend will pull through he is so cool.
   We had district meetings and president interviews on Monday in Zwolla. Wow it was so good, president took me aside and told me to talk to the people on the street as if they were your friends, he said "how often would you go up to one of your friends and tell them, I have a message for you about..." you would never say that you would see how they were doing and really show that you care about them. We have been applying that and seeing really a change in the success we have been having, we also ask questions to really get to understand them. It is amazing how much more someone will talk to you when you care and really try to help them, not that I wasn’t before. I just found out how to show it, another thing president asked was to show the power of prayer and if you feel inclined just to pray right there on the street, I haven’t done it on the street, but on the door once and it was a really spiritual experience. It is amazing how the lord will fill your mouth when you really are seeking his will.

love Elder Dalpias

A new email yay!

I don't know about you guys but I love hearing from Scott!  It seems like too long in between letters, but I know he is working hard!  I hope you enjoy this week's email!

"Hey! 
    How are you guys? Well, right now I am in Amsterdam and it is huge!  We are in a library with about 11 floors of books, movies, and music. It is crazy, this town is huge. We are here because we had a zone confrence here and we asked president if it would be ok if we spent our p-day in Amsterdam and he said that would be fine. So, here we are it is a really big place. Do you remember those people that stood in the middle of the centrums in Germany, and they were impersonating statues? Well, we saw a couple of them here. It was cool they had a Darth Vader and Ares (god of war) and Poseidon.  

   While we were here roaming around in Amsterdam (don't worry we know where the bad streets are haha) two Americans came up to us and took pictures with us. They were members, and they gave us money for food. It was really nice of them. 

   Elder Kestler, my comp, is from Filmore Utah. I think that we are doing great. We have a couple of potential investigators and people that we will be trying to commit to baptism in this transfer. I am really hoping for one man in particular,  he just needs to pray about it. He has so many questions... and thats good, but he just needs to know it is true and so many of his questions wouldn't matter anymore. I don't know if that makes sense but thats how I see it. 

   Another family is doing really good. Their dad just received the priesthood last week. It was an amazing experience, he asked me and my companion to join in the circle and President Brandenburg preformed the ordinance. When it was over his eyes were filled with water, he dident say anything to me he just smiled and shook my hand. Wow! What an experience. He knows it is true there whole family dose as well. the mom is struggling to discern when she is feeling the holy ghost, so we are teaching a lot about that and I really think it is helping. My dutch is improving and I can understand most of what goes on around me.

  Ok, well I can't really ask you to pray for specific families but just keep praying for them and the missionaries. We had one missionary whose sister died 3 days ago in a car accident, he is doing well and has decided to stay. He is one of my zone leaders. The work progresses and I will continue teaching and working hard.

 love Elder Dalpias"

I have some concerns about posting his address.  I am discussing different options with my computer savvy husband to see what we can do.  In the meantime if you would really like his address and you don't want to wait, post a comment at the bottom of this letter and I will find a way to get that information to you!  Thanks guys!  TTFN!

~Malisa

Members, Food, and fun!

Hello Everyone!  Malisa here with a small update from Elder Dalpias's last email.  I have condensed it and I am just gonna post the fun stuff!

"Hey i am taking my p-day on Tuesday this week because we are having a zone p-day in Zwolle it is going to be awesome. We have a branch in Heerenveen, there is usually about 30 people that come each week. We get fed by the members almost every day they are so awsome and nice. The weather here was horrible the first couple of days it was 70 degrees and 90 percent humidity. Well it sure felt like it. Then it started to be normal Netherlands weather... raining almost every day. Haha its awesome.  

-Elder Dalpias

ps we are having a lot of success and I think we will have a baptisim really soon

Well that is all for now!  We will keep you updated as often as we hear from him!  

Laterz! 

~Malisa

And so come the blessings...

This is what Elder Dalpias wrote about his journey to Belgium....

"My Grandpa

Wow what a great man.  He always had a spiritual comment to say.  He kept me doing what was right.  If it were not for him, I wouldn't be here on a mission.  As I was flying over to Brussels, I had the opportunity to talk to the flight attendant for sometime.  She came and sat next to me as we talked.  I started to talk to her about her family.  As we talked, I shared with her that my grandpa had just died which caused her to be sad.  I looked her in the eyes and holding back tears, I said, 'I know that I will see him again and that I will live with him and my whole family in the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven.'  At the end of the flight, I gave her a Book of Mormon and testified again.  I know he is watching after me now and that he will help me as I continue to serve."

I will be posting a link soon with an address for those of you who would like to write to him!

TTFN  ~Malisa

I'll go where you want me to go....

Elder Dalpias arrived safely in Belgium on Monday July 21st.  He is in a town called Heerenveen in the Netherlands.  Below is a link to a map so you can see exactly where he is.  We will be posting his address soon so you can write to him.  There will be more about his trip to Belgium in the next post.

Where is Elder Dalpias?

In Memory of Scott's Grandpa

Scott's Grandfather, Burt Penrod, passed away Sunday July 20th.  Scott loved to ask his Grandpa about the gospel, He learned a lot from him.  Scott will miss him, as we all.  We are so blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel in our lives.  We know we will see him again!

We are also pleased to report that Elder Dalpias arrived safely in Belgium on Monday.  We will have more information about his first area on Wednesday!

Elder Dalpias and his MTC companion!

His companion's name is Elder LeFevre.

Elder Dalpias and his MTC roommates!

Where have I seen that face before?

Scott's District

These are all of the Elders at the MTC that will be going to Scott's mission!  They are standing in front of the Provo Temple.

The Dutch Word of the Day

Hey y'all!  Malisa Twelves here, happy to report some tidbits from Scott's latest email!  He is very excited to go to Belgium, he leaves on Monday!  

"time flys by in this place (the MTC) I am so excited to be searving the people in the netherlands. i will need your prayers still though. i am nothing with out the lords help. as far as what you want to put on my blog its up to you what ever you feel is good. ....... yammer thats dutch for dangit. I will be looking forward to your next e mail when i am in the netherlands. i dont know what i will be doing or what is going to happen but i will trust in the lord. love elder dalpias"

Til next time!

~Malisa

Meeting an Apostle

This is from a letter dated 6/25/2008 .....

"This week has been crazy. During the first three days the new mission presidents come to be trained by the prophets and apostles. So they were here this week. I wanted to see one so bad. Well this is what happened. Missionaries are not aloud at the front desk because that is where the prophets and the apostles come in. but I received a call saying that I needed to come down there and call president Cope. At first I was worried that something happened to Grandpa Dalpias. But to my relief it was just about my calling as zone leader. 

So we were waiting at the front desk while they were helping us when a worker said very casually hey its Elder Holland again. Wow! I turned and there he was. We were the only missionaries in the room because missionaries weren’t allowed in there. He started to just walk by. Stopped suddenly, looked at us, and started waking towards us. He shook me and my companions hand and asked us how we were doing and headed off to his meeting. This experience was amazing. We have been teaching constantly about prophets and apostles but to actually meet one was amazing. I wanted to share my testimony in Dutch but I think he was heading to a meeting.

Later that night we had the privilege in our fireside to have Elder Holland, Elder Scott, Elder Perry and Elder Christoferson there, with Elder Oaks speaking. We knew that there was going to be apostles speaking that night so a lot of people lined up at the doors way before it started. We on the other hand went to a door that was locked. We happened to see the 1st councilor in the mtc presidency, and I asked "Are these doors supposed to be open?" and he said oh ya let me check. So we got right in and were 20 ft away from the podium. Wow the spirit there was amazing."

Advice from Elder Dalpias

Last Wednesday (July 9th 2008), I wrote an Email to Scott asking for advice about a certain problem I was having.  I was so impressed with his answer that I felt compelled to share it with you.  He wrote...

 "i have one suggestion, read the book of mormon!! read it! 
before i came on my mission reading the book of mormon was a chore almost and now i love every minute of it, i get up in the morning for personal study and i am litteraly dissipointed that i only get 1 hr to read from this great book. Nephi said " behold the words of God yay even the words that heal the wounded sole" i dont know what problems you are having and i am sad that i cant be there. but i know with all my heart that the lord knows. that he cares about you and that he has felt what you are feeling. call on him for help for his burden is light and he will take your yoke upon him (mat 18 i think) i know this with everything that i am. because i have seen it in my life and especially as i have been here at the mtc. "

Scott has always been a great example to me, and his words this time did the trick.  I feel so blessed that my younger brother has decided to serve a mission.  I have been blessed and inspired by his willingness to serve.  I hope we can all heed his advice and cherish the scriptures!

~Malisa Twelves