Monday, June 30, 2014

The "Great Daines"‏

"Each day compel yourself to do something you would rather not do." -my latest fortune cookie. Yes I know so spiritual:) I do what I can. I really like it though. I need to be better at doing things that I dont like. I keep this fortune in my Ether Chapter 12 page, because doing things that you dont want  but you know is right takes a lot of faith. Especially during trials. I hope you all will try to push your self out of your comfort zones and do something this week that you would rather not do. (preferably to do with missionary work or the gospel.)
Well I just emailed a couple days ago and not much has happened since then. However President and Sister Daines are officially arriving today and The Nilsens are officially off. It seems weird I kind of feel like we are president less right now. We havent heard anything from either of them!! Do you like the "Great Daines" I think I am so clever. Im sure they have never even thought of that before. ha ha ok probably they have heard it one million times. I am excited to get to know them though. And rumor has it that apple products are in the mission office. Which means i pad mission. bleh and yay. I have mixed feelings.
Also I have been opening my birthday countdown. Thank you for all the party supplies. Um I have to admit, I opened #7. I thought if it was a countdown. I should start high and count down. but I soon learned I was supposed to count up in my birthday countdown. So I am really sorry. I re wrapped #7 so that I can pretend I dont know what it is on day seven. 
Oh I know something that happened. Paul. Paul is the guy from China. I love him! He is awesome. He came to church on Sunday and LOVED it!! He wants to be baptized. I am so excited for him. Plus I like that he is from China. That makes everything better. We also found out that he was a dentist in China and had like 50 patients a day and wasn't making much money. So he moved here to Ohio to go to school for sports medicine. He is only 26! He is one of those crazy people who never stop reading or studying. Which is great because he is really smart! Ok sorry enough about Paul. Keep him in your prayers that he will be baptized in July!!
Well Im sorry, there isnt much else to say this week!! I hope you all have a Happy 4th of July!!

Love you
Sister Zwahlen

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Fireflys‏


Sister Tueller and I are both staying in the wonderful town of "The plains". I guess with how transfers have been so far on my mission I cant say Im surprised. I feel that I am ready for a change. Heavenly Father knows best though, so trusting in him is the best that I can do. I know I am needed here if I haven't been transferred. So that is all that is exciting... I think. ha No really am glad to be here we are starting to have success.
Let me tell you I have never been caught in the rain so many times in my life as I have this past week. Thursday last week we decided to be adventurous and ride our bike from Campus back home. This is probably 10 miles on a bike path. No big deal. We start off and then the rain starts. It gets heavier and heavier THEN the winds start and the tornado sirens go off and we are no where near home. Ha so we just keep pedaling. 20 Min. Later we are pulling into a members house and knocking on there door. We were so wet. I have never been so wet. Not even when I take a shower. Ok maybe a little over exaggerated. It was fun. I felt like a missionary, you know those ones that they make movies out of?? ha Anyways we ended up creating huge puddles on the members floor and then having another member pick us and our bikes up  and take us back home. 
Borrowing bikes from the members 

On the other hand there are so many fireflys here! They are beautiful. I love them. Family we need to come back to visit my mission at this time of the year!! It is perfect! It is beautiful and green and then millions of fireflys come out at night. I catch them. Sister Tueller and I caught a ton and put them in a jar and put them in our apartment for a little bit of time.
We have found a couple new investigators this week. They are so cool. Eric is president of the Jugglers club on OU. So that is pretty awesome. We have taught him a couple times and one time he wasnt wearing any shoes... um gross. but hey half of his family is mormons from Utah and he is totally prepared. Then we have been meeting with a guy named Alex. He is agnostic... for now. He is great as well. He is learning and hopefully coming to church Sunday. We are teaching all college aged men right now I feel. I pray they are really interested in learning about the church. I know It seems suspicious that we arent teaching any women right now.
I feel like I havent emailed in years but I cant think of anything else that has happened this week. I cant believe that I have been out 10 months and I turn into a grandma age next week. "Why are you so old?" thats what I ask myself everyday. Ha I love you all!! Thanks for all of your prayers. Talk to you soon.
Sister Zwahlen
P.S. Do you realize that by the end of this next transfer I will have pretty much been out a year. Time goes way too fast!! 

Monday, June 16, 2014

World Traveling in Athens‏

" When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ's Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace." President Uchtdorf " Grateful in Any Circumstances"  I love this I am trying to be more sincere in my gratitude. Especially in my prayers. I have been praying for the specific food that I have in front of me. Which sometimes seems funny when I say " I am so grateful for the cheerios" but I really have noticed a difference in my prayers and how  much more grateful I am!
Just a quick reminder that transfers are next week. the 26th of June. So p-day will be on Wednesday.
This past week has been so good!! Tuesday was a little rough we wanted to ride the shuttle to campus and we missed the first one we wanted to. So we visited a member till we could the next one came in an hour. So while we are waiting. We start talking to a woman named Ashley. She was awesome, but then the shuttle passes and didnt even slow down for us. AND our appointment on campus cancelled. Ha needless to say. I dont think Heavenly Father wanted us on campus. So we sat down and re analyzed our plans. We decided we needed to be other places. It was a good learning experience for us. Unfortunately it took us missing our bus twice ha It was great though because we got a return appointment with Ashley and we met a drunk man. cant complain about that. We also went tracting on a street and found a castle house. So now I can say that I knocked on a castle. (note it wasnt a cool castle it was made of storage sheds with foam sprayed on it. ha  but hey with a draw bridge car port.
We had a chance to meet with "Paul" (Cheng-Ge) this week and taught the plan of salvation. It was perfect. He prayed at the end of our lesson and it was so sincere. He talked about how grateful he was to know that there was a God and to have us help him learn more! He is amazing. His girlfriend went back to China for a little bit so she wasnt able to meet with us though. We also met a really cool man named Tim. He went to school with Mormons and he lives all the standards we do. so its wonderful. We are teaching him as well.

Later in the week when we went back to campus we had a youth come with us so that we could split up and talk to twice as many people. It was so much fun. It is like getting the best of both worlds here in Athens I have met people from Ghana, Brazil, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. It has been so wonderful. It is like getting a taste of each culture all while being in Athens, Ohio. I love it. I am so excited for this next week so that we can try and teach all of these great people.  It has been a really great week. We have found so many people. I know that it is because Heavenly Father is answering our fast and prayers from us and all the ward members.
Today we had a district fun day. We played ultimate frisbee and soccer. While we were playing it decided to rain. Wait no let me take that back. It started to pour. We were all soaked within minutes. It was a blessing though because it is so hot and humid. It was so funny. Sister Tueller and I were the only sisters there today and for some reason everyone thought I was doing really well at sports today. They started calling me "the wall" Um ha ha I dont think it was a fat joke. but maybe. ha get it zWALLen like that ha oh elders they are something else. It was a lot of fun though.
On Campus of OU.
 Overall it was a fantastic week. We are going to have a really busy week this week and probably next as we say goodbye to president and Sister Nilsen. and Welcome president Daines. I hope you all have a great week. I love you all.

Sister Zwahlen


Party pig, This is the landmark we always refer to in The Plains. 

"Inner courage includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened with a a loss of friends or social status. He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular." - President Monson " Be strong and of a Good Courage"
I really like this from his talk this past conference. I am not the most courageous person, but I have learned that " perfect love casteth out fear" I know since my mission when I have a love for the people in the area where I am serving. It makes it easy to have courage to share what I believe. I hope you all may have more courage to stand up for what you believe, even if it isnt the most popular belief.
This past week has been really good. We had Zone conference, it was really like going to a funeral. President and Sister Nilsen are leaving pretty soon and it was their last time they will get to train us. They were emotional and everyone else was as well because we love them and respect them. I am going to be so sad to see them leave. I have not emailed a lot about them. They are amazing. I cant even tell you how much they mean for me. I know that I was partially meant to serve here because I needed them as my mission president and wife. They are such great examples and they will be missed. On the other had we saw a little slide show about our soon to be mission president, president Daines and his family and they look awesome as well. I am excited to meet them and have the opportunity to learn new and different things from them. I really get the best of both worlds.
We also helped make some garden boxes for one of our members and we planted corn. It was fun, she had a huge floppy hat that she made me wear, but I actually fell in love with the hat and didnt want to give it back. That is on my list of the first thing I need to get when I get home. ha ha just kidding, but seriously I loved that hat.
Ok also, this past week we met with a guy named Chen Ga or Paul. He from China and you know how I love people from Asia. I was so excited to meet with him and my hopes were not crushed when we met with him. He doesnt have a christian background and doesnt know a lot about God, but he is amazing and wants to learn more. Yay!! and even better he wants his girlfriend to come next time to learn more:)
We got a mini missionary on Saturday. Her name is Sister Glaser (glay- sir)  she is wonderful. She is 16, from Newark OH. and she is bold, and sweet, and quiet all at the same time. I love her. 

Sister Tueller is a terrifying driver so that is us screaming because we almost died. haha only half kidding. 


This last week has been wonderful like always. I am super jealous you are all headed to Lake Powell. Make sure to have some fun for me:)  Shout out to the King family. I got a birthday/ 4th of July package from them. Thank you!! 

I love you all, have a great week.
Sister Zwahlen

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Jet packs

Hello Family and Friends.

I love this video. What a powerful message of our Savior Jesus Christ. My testimony is that he lived on this earth, He was the perfect example to each of us. He performed the atonement for us in the garden of Gethsemane, for each of us individually. He knows how we feel and he is there by our side to lift us up and make our burdens light. He was crucified, and was resurrected on the third day. He over came death so that we one day can as well. I know that through him we can have those special relationships with our families and friends in the life to come. He lives today and is the head of our church. He is our Savior, Redeemer and Friend. I love him and I know that it is through him that we can do all things. I hope you each can more fully apply the atonement in our lives.
http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages/topics/jesus-christ?v=910937379001
Man this week flew by, I have no idea what happened this week either. I feel like the days are starting to run together. We have seen many more miracles! It is awesome. We found a lady named Julie. She is amazing. She let us right in and she introduced us to her daughters who are 12 and 18 years old. We taught them the restoration and talked to her more about who we are and what we believe and she wants to learn more and come to church! um perfect. We love it when things like this happen. It is the best.
Today we had a zone fun day and we went on a hike to a couple of lake/ponds! It was a lot of fun, then we played ultimate frisbee. Besides the fear of running into poison ivy ( which is everywhere in ohio) We saw a water snake, a dead frog, a live frog, a fish and an eagles nest. I would say that is quite the adventure. It was a lot of fun though.
We also have a busy week this week. We are going to be having a zone conference tomorrow, and mini missionaries on Saturday:) Im so excited for mini missionaries. Then we can get twice as much work done in our area, as well as I get the opportunity to help someone decide if a mission is something that I want to do. I know that the sisters in Taiwan really played a big part in me feeling like I could serve a mission and I am so grateful for that because this is where I need to be at this point in my life.
So each week we have conference calls with the sister in our zone. So when we do role call they always have us answer a get to know you question or just something fun. So this week they wanted us to say what we thought they would have at a playground in 600 b.c. When they called on us i was excited, I knew just they answer so I blurt out "a jet pack!!" everyone went silent and then they were like " in 600 B.C.??? Oh ha ha that isnt in the future. ha um embarrassing. Everyone was laughing so I was like I guess they had a stick or something at the playground then. ha so there you have it the most clever sister in the mission. And the award goes to Sister Zwahlen.
I guess that is about all that has happened since the last time I emailed. I love you all and I am grateful for your love support and prayers.
Sister Zwahlen