Special Announcment!

Everyone can now email Ashley! But she can't email you back so make sure to include your address so she can send you a letter!

Her email is:

ashley.pahl@myldsmail.net

Thanks!

In The Field!

Huge announcement!! I made it to the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission!!! After having my flight from Salt Lake to Dallas cancelled and my flight from Dallas to Tulsa delayed, we got into Tulsa about 9:30 PM. We were supposed to have arrived at about noon but we couldn't get on a flight from SLC to Dallas until 2:30 PM. So we just relaxed and were bored out of our minds at the Salt Lake Airport. I did however get a surprise visit from my grandma who had flown in from Reno! That was way cool and I was super happy to see her! We got to the mission home and we had some sloppy joes and potato salad and then got our luggage sorted out into the different trailers that would be taking us to our different destinations the next day (Friday). Then we all gathered in the living room and President Merkley gave us all our first assignments! I am in a lovely town called Bella Vista, Arkansas. It is in northwest Arkansas. My companion is Sister Jessica Knutson from North Carolina and I LOVE HER!!!! She has been out a year and goes home on Halloween. We get along so well and we are already best friends! Bella Vista is probably the prettiest place I've ever been. There are so many trees and I just love it. I've told Sister Knutson that I'm going to move out here someday. Pretty much everybody in the ward in some way works for Walmart. Walmart is huge out here.

We live with a member family. They are super awesome! The Sperry's. Speaking of which, my new address is:

 

22 Marionet Ln

Bella Vista, AR 72714

 

That will be my address for AT LEAST the next 6 weeks while I'm training. The Sperry's have 5 kids ranging from ages 12 to 3. So between Taylor's age and Keira's age! They are so cute and I love all of them! Brianna would absolutely LOVE their house. Sister Sperry is so crafty and she decorates her house so well and it always reminds me of Brianna and how much she would enjoy having a house like that and decorating it herself.

I've been told many times that I'm in the best area in the mission and it's only going to get worse because the other areas are not as good. The members in the ward are way awesome at doing member missionary work and we get most of our referrals from them. We have a baptism date set on June 9 for a lady named Sara. I haven't met her yet though. She has been out of town but we are hoping to get two appointments with her this week so we can get her on the right track to baptism.

We cover the Bella Vista ward and the Rogers YSA Branch. So we kind of cover the whole stake when it comes to YSA. And the stake is huge. There are 9 stakes in the mission. It is a huge mission. When we do transfers, usually in other missions all the missionaries will meet in one place and then go their separate ways with their new companion but here, we have like 6 "transfer points" where missionaries will get dropped off and picked up according to where they are going. Does that make sense? Sorry if it doesn't. So every six weeks, the APs are on the road from 8am-5pm just driving and transferring missionaries from place to place. It is quite crazy.

Our progressing investigators are awesome. They are a couple that have a 3 year old boy and an 18 month old boy. I'm pretty sure the only thing that is keeping them from being baptized is the fact that they want to read the Book of Mormon and have a testimony of it before they are baptized. They come to church every week and love it.

We also have another lady who is not progressing but both her and her husband were at church yesterday! Which is huge because the reason she doesn't want to get baptized is because she wants her less active husband to baptize her but he is not active and had no interest at all to get active again. But he came to church yesterday so we are meeting with her sometime this week and we hope that it will go well.

Yesterday we had a pretty interesting experience. We went to go visit this lady who was a referral from a member. We've been meaning to go visit her for the last couple days but we haven't had a chance. So last night we went to go see her and as we were getting close to her house we had to go through this really woody area and it was so scary and we both got the biggest feeling that we needed to leave and not visit her. It was probably one of the worst feelings I've had. So we left and we don't know if we are going to go back or not. The lady is moving soon and we were just going to go and see if she needed any help so we will see what happens.

We also have a lady who was a Head Quarters Referral which means that someone entered something online and said to send the missionaries to her house. We went and found her on Saturday and we set up an appointment to go visit with her on Thursday! She seems like a sweet lady and we think she has about 4 kids. We only saw two of them but I'm pretty sure there were more inside. The ones outside looked about 3 and 9. Both boys. She moved her about a month ago from Columbus and the missionaries had come and helped her move but that was about it. They didn't have an opportunity to teach her anything. So we get to! Hopefully we can get through to her!

There's also a man we visited yesterday. He has been meeting with the missionaries for FOREVER! I'm serious. Like 30 years. He just doesn't like the whole Joseph Smith and modern day prophets thing. He says that he believes in prophets but that they aren't here on the earth today. So we don't know what to do about that. We'll see. Any suggestions? :)

Well, I think that's it for today. I'm doing great and loving Bella Vista! I hope all is well back at home and I hope that I get some letters soon! :) Thanks for all you do!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

SEE YOU SOON THEN!!!

 

Love, Sister Ashley Pahl

Almost done!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 (sorry, we're a little slow!)

 

Hello everybody!

Guess what? I am almost done with the MTC! I pretty much am done because today is my Preparation Day and so I don't have any classes but we do have devotional tonight. Last week for our devotional, we had Elder D. Todd Christoffersen come and speak with us! His wife also talked and I very much enjoyed her talk because she spoke on Charity - the pure love of Christ. I was a short but awesome talk! Elder Christoffersen talked on the Doctrines of Christ. It was also a super good talk!

On Friday we had In-Field training. It was a super long day because that's all we did but it got me super excited to go out to the field! It is weird because I don't really feel like I am on my mission yet. I feel like I am at a youth conference or something just learning more about the gospel and how to teach it. It feels like I'm packing to come home but nope! I'm going to Oklahoma and I honestly could not be more excited to get out there and work! I'm so excited to see the people I'm going to meet and teach! I know it's going to be a TON of work but I'm ready for it. If I can get through the MTC, I can do it.

On Saturday we had a "Referral" that we taught. I feel like the lesson went really well! I could definitely feel the spirit! His name was Melvin and he was a cute elderly man who lost his wife a few years ago. He reminds me a lot of Grandpa Clements. Just like the way he acted and the things he said and they way he described his feelings for his wife reminded me of grandpa. So we talked a lot about the Plan of Salvation and how we can be together with our families forever. He thought that was super cool. We also taught him about the Restoration of the gospel. So we pretty much taught him the first two lessons in Preach My Gospel. He thought everything was really awesome. We invited him to be baptized and he said he wanted to see one first. So although he wasn't a real investigator, it was super awesome to have that experience! I know the Lord has been preparing people for me and He is going to lead me to them so I can help bring real happiness to their lives! I'm still learning how to do that but with Heavenly Father's help, I can do ANYTHING!

We have had the best teachers here at the MTC. I'm pretty sure of it. I know that, just as my mission president and companions will be inspired, my teachers were meant for me! I've been wondering why Sis. La'au and I were put in a district with nobody else going to OK when there are 11 other Elders going but I'm pretty sure it's because I needed these teachers! They have seriously helped me so much and helped me become a better person! I am so grateful for them and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to learn from them!

The other two sisters left this morning along with all the elders from our district! So it is just Sis. La'au and I from our district hanging out with the rest of our zone today on our preparation day. It has been weird not having Sis. Randall and Sis. Quiocho! But everything must come to an end right?

Funny story. In our building, we are on the second floor. There are elders above and below us. Soooo the basement flooded!! And it didn't smell too great....it was actually quite discusting. It still stinks today but it is getting better. I thought that was funny and that I'd share that with you. :)

So tomorrow I leave at 3 AM!! Our flight leaves SLC at 6 AM and we arrive in the Ft. Worth/Dallas Airport at about 9:35 AM and then we leave again at 11:05 AM. And then arrive in Tulsa at 12:05 PM. I'm not quite sure how that works with the time here but oh well. I will be calling sometime so be prepared! :) I'm just going to call whenever I have time. We don't want to miss our flight. We are also supposed to teach people at the airport if we have the chance. That is so crazy and scary!! It is also weird to think that 24 hours from right now I will be landing in Tulsa! Ahhh!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!

I love you all!! Thanks for the support and all the letters! I love getting a ton of letters! Please keep them coming! Send them to my Oklahoma address now! :)

See you soon then!

Love, Sister Ashley Pahl

2nd Week! May 8, 2012

Hello family!!!

These past two weeks have felt more like two years! I can't wait to get out to Oklahoma and teach real investigators. I hope they are not as hard as our teachers have been as they have been acting as "Wes" and "Steve", two of our investigators that we teach. Steve is the hardest and is someone that our teacher had as an investigator on his mission. The last time we taught him, Sister La'au and I cried because he is so stubborn and we don't know how else to help him. During class we couldn't even look at our teacher because we would burst into tears. So we were going to start a 'practice' with our companions and our teacher, Brother Cook, came over to us and said that he felt like the bad guy. We told him he was and then started crying and laughing at the same time. He then took us out to talk to us about what was going on. We told him that we felt like we couldn't get through to Steve and that we didn't know what else to do and we were feeling like we weren't making much progress with anything. He then told us that he felt like we were growing and told us that we would be proud of ourselves if we could see the improvements that he could see and that our Father in Heaven could see. He also said that the lesson that we had just had with 'Steve' went well and that it was the first time that 'Steve' could see that we actually cared for him. I was so glad that he said this because in the lesson, there was a period of probably a good two minutes that we were just silent and I was just waiting for inspiration of what to say or for my companion to say something but then 'Steve' said, "You guys look discouraged. Like what's going on?" We then went on to tell him why we were feeling sad and why we looked discouraged. I think because of that silence 'Steve' was able to see that we really are concerned for him, even though he is an actor. I'm sorry that I'm really just rambling but this even really had an impact on my and I am so grateful for the teachers that I have. Brother Cook was meant to be my teacher and I'm so grateful for that.

Another thing that happened on Sunday had a huge impact on me. The other sisters and I were meeting with the Branch President and his wife. This meeting was for the purpose of us being able to talk about 'sisterly' things without the Elders there. At the very end, after the closing prayer, Pres. Gubler said that he was prompted to say one last thing. He said that Heavenly Father takes into account our desires. I was so grateful for that comment becasue I truly thing it was meant for me. I'm a worrier and so I'm always afraid that my actions are not good enough. But I have the highest desires to do what's right and to do the Lord's will. Sometimes it's hard to know what that is though.

That's something that I've been working on here the past two weeks - recognizing the Lord's will and recognizing what the spirit is telling me to say. I think that's the hardest thing. I might have said that already but I don't remember hahah

So we are now the oldest missionaries in our zone! The older district all left this morning! We have an international Elder from New Zealand coming in today and then the rest of that district coming in tomorrow. We are getting four sisters!! I'm so excited to be able to have more sisters in our zone! We talked as a district this morning about how we need to be obeying with exactness so we are setting a good example for those missionaries that are younger than us. We are setting an example for them for the rest of their mission and ultimately for the rest of their life. If we are five minutes late in the morning or goofing off during our study time, then they are going to think that that is acceptable behavior, which it isn't. So we are going to strive to be exactly on time for everything and always on task with what we are supposed to be doing.

I will be able to call next Wednesday morning!! My flight leaves at 6 AM, and then we get into Ft. Worth TX at about 10 I think and then we get into Tulsa at noon!!! It seems so crazy to me that in about 8 days I will be in Tulsa! Wahoo!!!!!!! I cannot wait!

I miss you guys so much. Thank you for all the letters I have been receiving! I am trying super hard to be able to write you all back! I think I have been doing pretty good at writing back. Even though I can only write on Tuesdays!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Keep the letters coming!

See you soon then!

Love, Sister Ashley Pahl

Received Tuesday, May 2:

Hello family!!!!!! It has been a wicked crazy week! It has been full of lots of crying and laughing. The sisters in my district, which are also in my room, are so awesome! I have been super blessed to have the sisters that I do! My companion is Sister La'au. She is from San Francisco but originally from Samoa! She is also going to the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission with me! Wahoo! The other sisters are Sister Randall from Orem, going to St. Louis Missouri and Sister Quiocho from the Los Angeles area going to Ft. Lauderdale Florida. They are super awesome and we have a good ole time. We have found 7 other elders that are going to the same mission with us. They are not in our zone though so we don't see them a whole lot.

We also have awesome teachers!!! They are so good at helping us get the vision of our purpose as missionaries and help us think about ways that we can help the investigator feel the spirit and receive revelation from the things that we say to the. The MTC is definitely harder than I thought it would be! It is so much work and it is also spiritually draining. I never thought I would be studying so much! But I enjoy studying the gospel and learning new things everyday and feeling like I am becoming a better missionary and getting a better vision of my purpose.

My roommates and I enjoy our gym time! We have a BLAST playing volleyball. There are a lot of Samoans and Tongans and so we all play a game. Sister La'au enjoys talking to every single Polynesian we see! Its funny. She says she's going to teach me Samoan so I can understand what they are saying! She also said that after our missions we are going to go visit Samoa together! It will be a blast! I'm so happy that she's my companion and like I've told you before, I could not have asked for a better companion for my stay here at the MTC.

I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know I can't do this work without them. It has been hard for me to more rely on them and I am still learning exactly how to do that. I think that is the hardest part for me - recognizing that I can't do it without them and receiving revelation and recognizing it as such. I need to be more aware of my feelings I am having and ponder more of what I am studying instead of just keep reading and doing what I think I need to do. I need to listen and let the spirit tell me what I am to do.

The mission is super hard but it is rewarding! I know that I am going to receive many blessings as I do the Lord's work and obey the rules He has had set. I know they are there for a reason. We have an awesome branch president and he is truly an inspired man. Everytime words come out of his mouth, I cry. I have been the biggest cry baby while I've been here. But it's good. That means that I'm growing! I love the scripture Ether 12:27. It has helped me a lot while I've been struggling to become a better missionary.

Thank you for your letters! It is so nice getting them!

Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. When ever I am feeling down, I remember that I have people who love and care about me and are praying for me. We get to go to the temple later today and I'm excited to get to go again! I am thankful for this gospel and that I had such great parents and family and ward family to raise me right in this gospel. I'm so excited to got Oklahoma and spread the word. I'm not quite ready for that yet though. I still have two weeks to learn what I need to here at the MTC. I will be flying out to Oklahoma on May 16.

Well, my time is about spent! Thank you again for your support and prayers! Please keep them coming and keep the letters coming!

Love you all.

See you soon then.

Love, Sister Pahl

Letter Home 4/25-26/2012

We were given permission to write you guys not on our P-day. My P-days here are on Tuesdays. I am scheduled to leave here on the 16th of May.
I am safe and sound. My companion is Sister Laau. She is from San Francisco but originally from Samoa. She is really nice and can be quiet but she's cool.
The other two sisters in my room/district are Sisters Randall and Quiocho (Key-ocho). They are also really cool. Randall is from Orem and Quiocho is from Cali-originally from Samoa. Her and Laau did not know each other before.
Studying the gospel is so great! I love learning about teaching people and the gospel.
The food is good and I am being fed well :) All the people here are so nice and friendly.
We have had lots of time for personal study today and it has been pretty good! I meet my Branch President tonight and have interviews with him. It should be great. I'm excited!
Sister Laau has said that after our mission we should go to Samoa. That would be so fun! She always stops and talks to all teh Poly missionaries. It's super funny. She always apologized but it is fine so I tell her to stop apologizing. :)
Sister Randall is going to St. Louis on her mission and Sister Quiocho is going to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on hers.
I am okay and am going to stay out here and fulfill my calling as a missionary. I just hope I can grow quickly so I really can be a tool in the Lord's hands.
We have gym time soon and we are super excited! We are going to play volleyball. Beach volleyball. It will be fun!
Well, I have to go!
Love, Sister Pahl
:)