Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Dear friends and family,

     Elder Wahlen has been transferred and didn't get time to email this week.  He asked that I take parts of my email and parts of my husbands and add his testimony at the end.


Before I do that here is some information:

Release Date January 15th

Homecoming January 18th at 1:00 with dinner after at our house

More information to come on the homecoming - if you know anyone that would want this information that doesn't get his emails, could you please spread the word!  I will post his new address as soon as I get it in case you want to send him a christmas card.

So this is from Elder Wahlen. 

     I am going to a place called Franklin Georgia.  it's going to be SO MUCH FUN.  I'm going to be serving in a newly created "group".  A group is the smallest unit in the church…it's smaller than a branch!  They meet in a member's home.  There's someone called as a "group" leader who leads the meetings.  Church services only last a total of about and hour and a half and there's only about 20 active families that attend.
The key holder is the Bishop of a nearby ward (summer grove).  I am staying in a hotel for a few days and then will live upstairs in a members house.  (I will get ya'll the address as soon as possible). I will be training a new missionary fresh out of the MTC.

     Last sunday I went with Elder Savage to check it out. This was their second meeting ever as the group was formed just two weeks ago.  This is how the meeting went:

-I was asked to sit on the "stand" next to the group leader.  I sat next to him at one end of the kitchen table.
-At the other end of the kitchen table was the Sacrament.  Elder Savage blessed both the bread and water and 1 decon passed it to the group who were sitting on rusted metal chairs and on a couch.
-We were asked to select all the hymns upon our arrival.
-15 people were in attendance
-I gave one of the two talks for the meeting
- Sacrament meeting only lasted 45 minutes
-There was only 1 combined class which lasted for 45 minutes
-Immediately following the conclusion of the meeting, the group held a pot luck lunch.

The town of Franklin only had 1 street light that we came across.  It's a pretty rural area……and it's amazing.!!!!!

It's totally different from where I've served so I can't wait to get started.  It will be a riot training a new missionary. I'm excited to start laying the foundations of the lord's kingdom in Franklin.  What a humbling opportunity.

Here is the testimony he asked me to share:

   "Regardless of if we're meeting as a group of 15 members in a house or if we're meeting in a church of 300+ families…one thing remains the same:  The spirit that attends the blessing, distribution and worthily partaking of the sacrament.  I felt the spirit so strong there with those small families… the same spirit which I felt later in the day at the Pechtree City Ward… and that to me is evidence that this gospel is true.  I invite each of you to pray and ask God 2 specific questions that you have need of answers to…and then write them down.  Take those questions to church and seek for the answers…and I promise you that you will receive those answers.  No matter where you are or who you are with.  I know this is true because it worked for me.

This is going to be a strange time for me.  The beginning of the end.  I'm excited but nervous…I just pray that I can and will finish in the way that the Lord needs me to… so humbling to be sent there to finish.

I love ya'll

Love, Elder Wahlen

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