Hello Ya'll,

This is Tracy!

Elder Wahlen did not have time to send an email this week. So instead I am going to let you read part of an email I received from the first women that mark Baptized.  Her name is leia and her husband is Johnathan.

We were at a fireside and saw Elder Wahlen and we met his new companion elder Savage.  We loved him instantly. Elder Wahlen seems to love him and I believe him when he says he's awesome.  Elder Wahlen looks so peaceful and amazing.  he mentioned he is eating better and also that Elder Savage has him on some crazy workout thing (Mark will love that, his companion is going to play football for BYU after his mission).  He looks good.

Honestly, seeing him, I tried not yo cry (but shed a few tears, but tried not to let him see).  But surprisingly, Johnathan was the one who cried more when he saw Elder Wahlen!  I couldn't believe it! It was precious. Truly.  They hugged a couple times throughout the night and I could tell they truly love and respect one an other.  It was awesome! I wish you could have seen it.

He looks really happy, peaceful and full of the spirit!!! I am so thankful to know you and your family! Your son is honestly one of my most favorite people in the world.Elder Wahlen conveys charity, empathy, compassion and patience.  You can see it in his eyes and actions, and feel it in his spirit. I just thought, you would love to know this about your son!  It is what the world sees and what his investigators see.

It's nice to hear some things about elder Wahlen that he would never tell us.

thanks for all your support,  Tracy Wahlen

Hello Ya'll,

This is Tracy!

Elder Wahlen did not have time to send an email this week. So instead I am going to let you read part of an email I received from the first women that mark Baptized.  Her name is leia and her husband is Johnathan.

We were at a fireside and saw Elder Wahlen and we met his new companion elder Savage.  We loved him instantly. Elder Wahlen seems to love him and I believe him when he says he's awesome.  Elder Wahlen looks so peaceful and amazing.  he mentioned he is eating better and also that Elder Savage has him on some crazy workout thing (Mark will love that, his companion is going to play football for BYU after his mission).  He looks good.

Honestly, seeing him, I tried not yo cry (but shed a few tears, but tried not to let him see).  But surprisingly, Johnathan was the one who cried more when he saw Elder Wahlen!  I couldn't believe it! It was precious. Truly.  They hugged a couple times throughout the night and I could tell they truly love and respect one an other.  It was awesome! I wish you could have seen it.

He looks really happy, peaceful and full of the spirit!!! I am so thankful to know you and your family! Your son is honestly one of my most favorite people in the world.Elder Wahlen conveys charity, empathy, compassion and patience.  You can see it in his eyes and actions, and feel it in his spirit. I just thought, you would love to know this about your son!  It is what the world sees and what his investigators see.

It's nice to hear some things about elder Wahlen that he would never tell us.

thanks for all your support,  Tracy Wahlen

This is a picture of Elder Wahlen and his New companion, sent to me by a women in Georgia on Transfer Day.  He is 6'6" and will play football at BYU after his mission.  Elder Wahlen looks handsome even with his eyes closed.

Hey y'all,

How's everyone doing this Columbus day?? Didn't even realize today was a holliday until someone told me haha. Crazy how fast times flys out here!!! Can't believe its already Fall... the weather is great though! I love this time of year... a time of change!

This is going to be really short today seeing as I only have about 4 minutes... but something I wanted to talk about is how action in faith leads to us recieving answers to our prayers. Something I've learned recently is that we can't just pray and then say we have the faith in our hearts and therefore we'll recieve answers to those things.... or we'll recieve the blessings we want or need... we have to go out there and WORK in FAITH. As we act in faith, as we follow the example of Christ, as we apply the gospel to our own lives... as we act in LOVE to help and serve others... we will literally allow the Lord to bless us with answers to our prayers... and He will pour down the blessings on us that we so badly need. If you ever feel like you're not recieving answers to your prayers, or recieving the help you need from the Lord... I invite you to go out and find someone to help... and I promise that as you do so, that you'll see those blessings in your life... you'll recieve answers to those questions that you're so desperately searching for... and you'll bless the lives of many, many people. Help, love and serve everyone!!! The more you love and serve others unconditionally, the more blessings and answers you will recieve from our loving Heavenly Father... who loves you unconditionally!!!

 I love you! You're amazing... keep loving and helping each other out. Christ loves you... and our Heavenly Father loves you.

Until next time!

-Elder Wahlen

Hello from the turning seasons ATL

Hello one and all,

How y'all doing today??? Can you see and smell it? The seasons are changing... the leaves are starting to fall along with the temperature here in ATL. It's so beautiful.... even if we're in downtown where we don't have too many tree's :) I love this time of year... I hope everyone enjoyed conference!!! It was truly amazing this year... so many great things were said!

I just want to touch on a few thoughts and feelings I had coming out of conference... one of them being the road of repentance. To repent is to change... is NOT a punishment nor is it something to be ashamed about. It is a way of healing... a way of progressing... a way of growing... a way of becoming more and more like our Heavenly Father. We ALL need to repent. Daily. None of us are perfect... to paraphrase the Book of Mormon... are we not all beggars? Do we not all need and rely on the same Savior to unlock us for the torments of our mortal imperfections and weaknesses? To release us from the chains of him that would bind us fast? Yes. WE ARE ALL BEGGARS. When you find yourself in a position in which repentance is required in your life... do not fear nor feel ashamed... only feel love.... and know that you have company! We are all there with you... all of us have not only been there before, but we are there with you now. We are all stumbling forward in our best efforts to receive salvation and eternal life... we are all constantly falling as well. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. This has many meanings... first, you are not alone because as I've been saying, none of us are perfect... but secondly, you are not alone because WE love you. Your friends and family love you and are there to help you... your church family (which is really your eternal family) is there for you. Be not afraid, neither though be dismayed... reach out and seek help. You shall find it here in this church... among your brothers and sisters who are all striving to do just as you are striving to do... which is to change and follow Christ and His example for truly. Third... the Savior and our LOVING and ever so patient and forgiving Heavenly Father is there for you.... they, above anyone else, will ALWAYS be there for you and love you. Reach up in prayer and ask for their divine help and healing. You will overcome these things... you will be healed... you will be happy and receive eternal life. I promise and testify to each of you that God loves you... and He wants to help. His whole purpose is to help us receive eternal life... the Savior died for us so we could pray and be healed... and that we could change and become perfect through Him. I invite each of you to pray and repent daily. Whether it be for small mistakes or large... we ALL need to pray and repent daily. We all need to change daily and strive to do better than we did yesterday to follow Him. Change in small ways and you will become great. You can do this. You can do this now. I love you. Christ loves you. God loves you.

Until next week,

-Elder Wahlen

Hey ya'll,

This is Marks mom with a message from Elder Wahlen.

The mission home will no longer be forwarding his mail, so if you have been sending mail to that address you will need to start sending it to where he is actually living.  since that address changes with his transfers, if you are writing him and need his address just text or email me tracywahlen@gmail.com
801-860-6904  even though he doesn't have time to answer all his mail he LOVES getting it and cherishes every letter and email he get's.  Thanks for all your support for the son that I love so much!

Hello from the perfect day here in Atlanta!

Hey y'all,

It's the most beautiful day here in Atlanta... and I know most of you are probably a bit coldish now... but just know that the world, no matter what kind of weather is going on around you... is always beautiful and a true testament of the existence of our Heavenly Father and His son, our Savior, Jesus Christ... they blessed us with this beautiful world to live in... to be together with families.... to learn and to grow... to become more like them... how lucky are we??? Amazing.

Short story this week... We went to teach an investigator last night who we've been meeting with every night for the past couple weeks... he suffers from bi-polar and schizophrenia... and he is AMAZING.

 I love him to death... as we started our lesson, he suddenly blurted out... "I just don't know if God or Jesus Christ is real!!".... we asked him a few questions about how he was feeling, and we talked a little bit about how he can come to know that they are real for himself... but then he turned and looked me in the eyes and asked me "How do you know that Jesus is real?" I took a moment and was about to answer when I thought, how do I know that Christ is real??? 

In that moment, I realized something very important... I had always just assumed and somewhat taken for granted the fact that God is real... that He really is our LOVING Heavenly Father... and that His only begotten son, Jesus Christ.... did indeed live... and died for us... and rose again. That they both really truly exist and live today... and that they both truly do not only love me but love everyone here. I've always "known" that... but I had never truly come to know that for myself by praying and asking for that vital truth to be confirmed to me...

At the time that question was posed to me... I wasn't sure how to answer... but I did my best to... 

but I can now tell you without a shred of doubt in my heart these things... I know and testify with the energy of my soul and every fiber of my being that God is our LOVING Heavenly Father... He loves EVERYONE. I know and testify that Jesus is the Christ... that He died for us and took our sins upon himself because He loves our Heavenly Father and He LOVES us... I know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can and always will feel of their love... I know that they are ALWAYS there for us.... and I know that as each of you kneel down and sincerely seek out a confirmation of those truths, and any others you stand in need of... I know that they will answer your prayer and you will feel of their eternal love for you. I invite each of you to do so... even if you already know...I invite all of you to kneel and ask God if He and His son are real... and if they really do love you. I promise you that they do. I love you. We will ALWAYS love you. You're amazing. Have a blessed day!

-Elder Wahlen