Howdy,

How y'all doing? Just fine I hope. How's your week been? Will you do something for me? Will you just take a moment to look back through your week... and see if you can identify all the blessings that our Heavenly Father blessed you with.... Now, write those down and read them each morning for the next 3 days. We are SO blessed... and often times we overlook those blessings. I know I'm guilty of that. What a wonderful time to be alive....

Alrighty... there have been so many experiences this week... I honestly don't know which one to share... both experiences of great joy and happiness and ones not so much so :) I've learned much from all of them though... and I'm grateful that I was able to experience each of them.

So.... we're teaching an amazing family. They have been through so much in life... and still are... but they've made so many great changes. It's been amazing to see how much the Gospel and the Atonement has blessed their lives. Elder Webster and I went to teach them the other night with one of their good friends in the ward... and just to give you a back drop for this scene... the first time I went over there with my previous companion, he said to me before exiting the car "take off your suit jacket..." I asked why, to which he responded "so you don't take any critters home with you tonight. Last time I came here I took a few back with me"... now, the place has really been improved since that first time... however, this night when Elder Webster and I went in to teach, only a few minutes into the lesson and I was swatting a cockroach off of Elder Websters back and we could feel some unseen friends crawling through our hair.... but that's really not what I want to talk about, what I want to talk about is this....

During the lesson, we discussed some challenges that this family was facing in regards to the commandments... but as we went along discussing these things and how we could overcome them.... the member that came with us decided to simply bear testimony of eternal families and the power of the Atonement. Despite the not so ideal living situation they are living in and we were sitting and teaching in... the power of the spirit that came into the room was so strong. It was amazing. This brother shared his testimony with every bit of love and energy that he had in him... and I promise you, despite the surrondings, you could feel the cleansing power of the spirit in the room. It became so clear to me that the power of God, the power of the Atonement and the power of the Spirit in our lives transcends ANY mortal obsctacle we face. Whether that be a poor living situation, a struggle with keeping the commandments, struggles with our family, struggles with our own thoughts... no matter what it is, the Gospel can and will help ANYONE to rise above the world and become who they truly are...  a child of God. 

The next day, the man we taught came to church dressed up and cleaned up... he looked so good and was so happy. I know that it was the power that he felt in that testimony that was shared... he felt within himself for a moment, despite his surrondings who he truly was and who God knew he could and will become... and it changed him.

 I invite each of you to continue to pray for and look for opportunites to share your testimony with someone... I know that as you pray for those opportunities that they will come... and as you act in faith, God will give you power from on high to change someones life for forever. I love you. I testify that Christ lives and that God loves each and every one of us. I love you, they love you... and we always will. Have a blessed week!

-Elder Wahlen

Pictures from zone training Feb. 2014

GO Elder Wahlen!

pictures from a zone training meeting

Hello from the recently un-thawed Conyers

Hey y'all,

How are you? What an amazing day... the sun arose again today... what a great miracle this world and our lives are. What a blessing.

So.... what to write about??? Transfers happened... I have a new and amazing companion named Elder Webster. One of the greatest missionaries in the world. Seriously. So blessed to be serving with him. Crazy ice storm... trees and bicylces literally froze... it was crazy!

It's been a week full of miracles....

I'll share one briefly:

Elder Webster and I went out tracting (knocking doors) near the churh on one of the snow and icy days since we weren't allowed to drive our car... we had knocked a good few doors without any success... so we decided to stop and pray for guidance. We said a small and simple prayer, fervently asking the Lord to lead us to where we needed to go. We closed the prayer and opened out eyes to find that a young man was walking towards us. Determined not to pass up any opportunity to talk with anyone, we quickly walked to him and attempted to talk with him. Shot down. He didn't want to have any of what we were offering... and he quickly departed. Determined not to be swayed in our pursuit of finding who those who the Lord needed us to find in the area, we turned and walked to the door nearby. We knocked and the door was answered by a young single mother and her children. We began to ask her a few questions and started to share our message when a "are you serious right now?" type of expresson afixed upon her face... we stopped and asked what the matter was... to which she responded "I'm already a member". Shocked, my companion and I asked a few more questions... turns out this Sister had been baptized a couple of years ago but had moved into the area and lost contact with the church. She had never been since she had moved in 2 years prior and turns out that she has a daughter that has yet to be baptized as well.

So what is to be learned? Well, just as always, there are many things to be learned... but I can testify of the power of prayer. As we pray in faith and as we act in faith... the power of prayer and the Heavens will follow and those prayers will be answered. Especially as we pray to help and serve others. Will each of you pray and ask God to help someone in need today? (If you haven't already, also check out the rendition of "Have I Done Any Good Today" by Alex Buya (spell check?) and Carmen Rassmussen (also, spell check...sorry!). I know that God will answer your prayers... and as you are the answer to prayers for others, you find no greater joy or happiness. 

I love you! Have a great day!

-Elder Wahlen

More pictures

NEW PICTURES FROM TRANSFER DAY!

Lots of pictures - Yea!

All of these pictures are donated by his companion Elder Sandoval who is going home on Wednesday.
If you are wondering about the hospital pictures. Elder Wahlen spent a night in the E. R. - he is fine, but they had a good laugh.

Can you spot elder Wahlen?

Another calm before the storm

Hey everyone,

How ya doing today? Short email this week... but some pictures were sent :)

So... quick experience. We went and got smoothies with the other 2 Elders that live in the same apartment complex as us... we drove over after studies and bought a few smoothies. We got in the car to drive off... and one of the Elders cup had a massive failure on the bottom of the cup and spilled smoothie all over the car. Of course, we freaked out and ran to find some napkins to clean it up with... 

Long story short, we ran into a Jamaican restaruant... ended up teaching the lady that works there. Never would've found her unless that cup had broke and the smoothie spilled...

Sometimes we don't understand Gods plan or why things happen... but there's always a reason!

Love, elder Wahlen

A note from Marks mom

Hello everyone this is Tracy or Elder Wahlen's mom,

This email today really touched me and although this is not my blog I feel like I need to add something today.

I just want to add my testimony that everyone can be healed through the Atonment of Christ.  Not just physically healed, but emotionally and spiritually.  I know that god Lives and loves each one of us, that he knows us by name and is concerned with the little details in our lives.  I know that the Savior would and did do anything for us.

I also know that he needs us now more than ever before to be his hands here on the earth.

I love each of you so much and would do anything to help anyone of you that follow this blog.  Please feel free to reach out if you need anything, even just a listening ear.  As it says in Elder Wahlen's email sometimes we just need to listen.

My email is tracywahlen@gmail.com.   I'm nobody special, but I am a good listener.

I came across this thought yesterday and it really struck home for me, maybe it will help one of you.

Never assume that you can make it alone.
You need the help of the Lord.
Never hesitate to get on your knees
in some private place and speak
with him.

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Love to all, Tracy

Hello everyone from the recently defrosted Conyers!!!

Hello everyone!

How's your day going? What have you learned this week? Will each of you act on the next impression or thought that comes into your mind that prompts you to do something good or to help someone? Did you know that ALL good things come from God? Think about that for a while.... :)

So... here's a short experience. The other day, my companion and I were driving around trying to see some of the part-member families here in the ward... we weren't having much success to say the least... and I was trying to keep my focus else where other than on my head cold that I had caught during the once in a mission event of a Georgia snow storm... and we thought about ditching are plans to keep on trying to contact these families... but we kept on keeping on!

 We rolled on up to the next home and parked outside... as we looked to the home, we saw a tatooed and somewhat rough looking man sitting on a lawn chair in front of the house... smoking away at a pack of cigarettes. My companion remarked at the sight "Oh look, he's got his cigarettes going to look tough for the missionaries". We decided to pray before exiting the car...

We got out of the car and started to walk towards the man and introduced ourselves with a smile. The man replied as he sucked on his cig "Funny thing... I was just thinking how nice it would be to have someone to talk to. Do y'all want to sit down?"

Long story short... we accepted the invitation to sit down and talk. Well, we mostly listened, but we did do some talking along the way... the man had recently had a close friend pass away and was having troubles in many other aspects of life... his wife (who is a less active member) joined us later on and shared her feelings of pain, sorrow and sadness in addition to her husbands. We taught and testified of the Atonement of Christ and the healing power that it has in each of our lives.. we taught and testified of the Plan of Salvation and of the restoration of the gospel... tears filled the eyes of the wife as she remarked, "Thank you. I know it's true. Thank you so much".

We're now planning on seeing them again and we're excited to begin a journey with them that will lead to healing and joy.

So what is there to be learned? I'm not sure... I've learned many things from this experience but I'm sure each of you can learn something different... but my hope is that each of you will always remember to continue forward in life in prayer... and with hope... and with a desire to help EVERYONE. Love everyone... and invite all to come unto Christ.

 He will use you to answer the prayers of others if we are willing and ask him where to go, what to do and what to say. He is the only one who can truly heal each of us... and I testify of that truth in the name of Jesus Christ.

 I love each of you. You're amazing. Remember who you are. God loves you, Christ loves you and I love you... and we always will :) Have a blessed day!

-Elder Wahlen