Monday, October 27, 2014

Adios Athens‏

Family and Friends.
Today I got a phone call from President Daines This is how is goes. 
"Sister Zwahlen, Dont you think that you have been in Athens long enough?"
"uh no?" 
"Well we think so, 5 transfers is enough"
"oh alright"
"We would like to call you as a sister training leader" 
"Oh, I think I could do that"
So anyways. I got the news early and I am leaving Athens. Which has both good and bad feelings. I am sad to leave all my wonderful friends I have made. but I am so excited to have new adventure and meet lots of new people too:)
This weekend was Stake Conference. I love what a member of the 70 said. he says "The Lord is hastening his work, the question is will we keep up with it?" It makes you think about what you do each day and figure out if you can fill it less with the things of the world and more with those things that are going to assist in the Lords Work.
Oh, do you all remember James, he was baptized the end of August? Well funny story. We took a single woman over to his house to help with a lesson before he was baptized. Well they have been hanging out ever since then and they called us this past week and told us the were getting married. Ha they thanked us for changing their lives for the better. So look out everyone, apparently Im a match maker. ha ha we are excited for them.
This past week we also had a table up at OU for LDSSA, so we got to hand out candy and water and tell people all about LDSSA and then go and get all the freebies from all the other clubs:) ha it was really fun. We got shafted to the back corner though so we ended up standing in front of the escalator and talking to all the students who came up ha it was a lot of fun.
Also we did service for a members cousin this week and she is a hoarder. and when I say hoarder I mean it. Its like one of those "that only happens on tv moments." It was really gross and to top it all off she didnt have electricity so is was dark and their were spider webs all around ha It was like a scary movie or a perfect Halloween experience. but you cant judge a service opportunity. She was really nice and embarrassed to have us in her home but she really needed all the help she could get.
Last but not least. We are still teaching Aaliyah, when we met with her she asked " how will i know if I get an answer to my prayer?" uhh ok that shows that we didnt do the best job of teaching, but it was perfect because we got to ask her about how she has felt since meeting with us and how she feels when she reads the book of mormon. It was awesome, she got to teach her self how to recognize the Holy Ghost. I am excited for her and I hope I can come back to her baptism!! Well I guess that is all that I have for this week!!
I will be able to email you next week to let you know where I am transferred to! Love you all!

Sister Zwahlen

Monday, October 20, 2014

Squirrel

Family and Friends,
This week has been an awesome week, I did indeed eat Rabbit, Squirrel and Deer. It was a week of exciting dinners. ha I would like you all to know that Rabbit and Squirrel taste just like Chicken. I think it is so funny. The family that fixed it for us told us that they sat on their porch and shot the squirrel. Ha where am I? I love it. Ooo also the weather is getting colder and colder. I am bracing myself for another long cold winter. Although last year it was already worse than it is now so I am grateful for that!!
We also were able to go to the Temple this week. It was wonderful. It has been since April that I went last and it was much missed! It was funny because my dress and slip had a lot of static and the temple ladies in the dressing room, made it into such a big deal and they ran around trying to find a dryer sheet so that there was no static. They are all so sweet. Really Cool story. Our member who took us told us that she had been wanting to go to the temple, but she doesnt like to drive in Columbus by herself and she can never find any one who can go when she can. (Her husband isnt a member of the church)  So she circled a date on the calandar and told her husband that she was going to go to the temple on that day no matter what or who could go with her. She had been praying that someone would be able to come with her! A couple days later we text her to see if she would want to come to the temple with us the EXACT same day she had circled on the calendar.  It is awesome to be able to be an answer to prayers while having your prayers answered as well.
We have been teaching a 8 year old boy named Chris for the past month and a half. His family are all members and his mom just like her kids to have the lessons before the are baptized. He was baptized this Saturday which was awesome!!
We have been teaching a 19 year old girl named Aaliyah the last couple week and she came to church for the first time!! She loved it! I am so excited. We extended the day of November 15th to her and she accepted:) She is also going to come to our YSA  FHE tonight!! I am so excited for her she is wonderful and she is so sweet!!
Well I guess that is about all for this week!! I love you all. Have a great one!
Sister Zwahlen

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Happy Columbus Ohio Day!‏

Thank you mom for reminding me how clever I was last year with my email title:) It is still just as funny as it was last year ha ha 
"obedience brings blessing, Exact obedience bring Miracles." This is so true. As a mission we have really been pushing being exactly obedient. As we have. I have seen the miracles happen in our area. The Lord is always looking for ways to bless us when we put forth the extra effort in turning to others and Him through obedience.
This last week, went really fast! I cant even tell you what happened. I know that it was an alright week though. We are teaching a couple new people. We are teaching a girl from on campus named Aaliyah. She is awesome. When we taught her she was excited and accepted baptism. So that was really exciting. We are meeting with her again today as soon as we get done emailing.

Oh which reminds me. the Daines have changed how we have done emailing in the past. So No matter when our preparation day is. We always email on Mondays. So like today, because we get to go to the temple this Wednesday, today isnt our p-day but we are emailing. The same will go for transfers week. So you wont know what is happening with me and transfers until I have already been transferred. Unless we get transfer calls early. Which we wont ha
We had interviews with President Daines this week and he is still wonderful! I cant believe how inspired and perfect he is for me and for our mission. Sister Bassett and I rode our bikes to interviews and President was so impressed. He took a district picture and he made us bring our bikes in the picture ha ha it was funny. 

Yesterday we had a miracle. We had several people lined up to come to church and like a lot of Sundays, they all cancelled so I prayed for a miracle that someone would come to church this Sunday and We had a member bring a friend and he was really interested in learning more. So we talked to him and set up a time to meet with him again. It was a blessing. I love how the Lord hears our prayers. and I love it even more when I recognize that he has answered my prayers.
This week is going to be our adventurous week. We have investigators feeding us Rabbit. They were so excited to feed us. Ha they are an old couple and i love them. Then we are also going to have deer this week and possibly squirrel. I guess it is just eat different animal week or something.
I know that this is a short email. but I cant think of anything else that has happened this week! Love you all. 
Thanks for the prayers,
Sister Zwahlen
Sister Bassett and I tracting in the mean neighborhood. ha 
Doing service in the tiny closet

Monday, October 6, 2014

Meet the Mormons‏

This week started out so wonderful!! We had a specialized training where we had permission to watch "Meet the Mormons" It was really fun! They passed out popcorn and treats. It was like going to the movies, but for missionaries. Ha the movie is wonderful! Of course I haven't seen a movie for quite awhile so I'm not sure I'm the best judge of it. I tend to like anything that is about Mormons. ha There was a quote that I liked from the movie he says "Im not perfect, but I am perfect at trying." I love this. I am not perfect at trying but I am always working to improve and change what needs to be changed so that I can become better each day. I know that this is only possible through the atonement of our Savior.
We have  been seeing many small Miracles this week. First off we ate at a "Mexican" Restaurant this week and the manager gave us a discount because we were missionaries. That was totally sweet!!  Anyways, we had exchanges on wednesday to thursday so I was in a town called Circleville. It was really great. I helped teach a lesson to a lady named Carla. All we did was ask her questions and let her testify to herself that the principles of the gospel are true! The spirit was so strong. It was wonderful. Also during dinner we had an old coupe telling us about how their friend had her toes eaten off by her dog, but because of her diabetes she didnt feel it. Uh gross. Thanks for telling me that while we are eating. ha ha oh Ohio!
Also Thursday was love yourself day. Did you know that? me either. We were on campus and we got roses to remind us to love our selves. So remember that you are children of God and he wants us to love who we are, and then forget about ourselves and love others. ha
General Conference, was so great!! The Saturday afternoon session was my favorite. It was one of those sessions where every talk answers your questions and your prayers. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and knows what we need to hear through His prophets and apostles. 
This week I had lost my study Journal and I couldnt find it anywhere I looked in the car, everywhere in the apartment. EVERYWHERE. I even call our sister training leaders to see if I had left it there on accident. Nope. So I prayed. I felt like I need to check the trunk one more time. and there lay my study journal in plain sight. Not even hiding at all. I know that, it was because of pray. Pray=Power.
We also started teaching a family this week, Mike and Lacey, and then they have 4 kids. They are all so cute!! Our first appointment went really well! I cant wait to teach them again. We also got into a less actives home, and she wants us to teach her non-member son! Miracles are everywhere! It has been a fantastic week!!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!! Love you all. Thanks for your support and prayers. Shout out to the McQuivey family, and My family  for the packages(Zwahlen Family im sure yours is on the way)!! Thanks!!
Love, 
Sister Zwahlen