Dearest Family and Friends,
This will be the last email that I ever send as a missionary!! How crazy is that? I can hardly believe it! It seems like I was just in the MTC and then in Bella Vista. I am excited to come home but very sad at the same time. As a missionary I've had a purpose for the last 18 months and now all of a sudden that purpose won't be there as much. I still will have the responsibility of sharing the gospel but not so much as while I've been a missionary. You get what I'm saying? Anyway, it will be good to come home and see everyone's faces again! :)
We had a superbly fantastic week! I'll start with our Fall Festival. We had it Wednesday night and let's just say that there were so many people that there weren't any parking places left in the parking lot!!! They estimate about 200-220 people were there! It was so much fun! There were so many nonmembers and less actives there! We had a blast walking around and meeting lots of new people! I'll share one success story from it.....Sister Wells, an inactive lady was wanting to come to church and couldn't wait until Sunday to come. On Wednesday, she was driving around Greenwood for some reason and saw that there were people going into the church parking lot. She thought to herself, "It's Wednesday! I can go to church now and not wait until Sunday!!!" So she drove in and parked and met Sister Whatcott in the parking lot. Sis. Whatcott told her what was going on and walked into the church with her! Sis. Wells now wants to take the missionary discussions again, she came to the Relief Society Activity on Saturday and to church on Sunday!!! Wahoo!!! She is so great and so that was one of the success stories from the Festival. I could probably tell you a few more but I'm on a time limit!!! :)
On Friday I went up to Van Buren for my last exchange. I was with Sister Breaux and she is just amazing! She actually is coming to Charleston to take my place and be the Sister Training Leader over the zone. Sister Ficklin gets to stay in Charleston and be her companion! They are going to do great things!! :) I'm so excited for them!
We had a great day on Saturday! We came back from an exchange and then went to the church building to help set up for the Relief Society's Super Saturday!! It was a lot of fun and we made a lot of cute little crafts! It was great fun!!
After the Super Saturday, we had Bro. Crockett's baptism! There were like 10 missionaries there because he's been investigating for a while and he wanted as many missionaries to come as he could get. Sister Ficklin and I take great pride in the fact that out of all the missionaries who taught him, we were able to set a baptism date with him and he wasn't even our investigator! :):) Bro. Crockett also counts us in his 15 missionaries who helped him come to the gospel! We love him and his wife so much! It was a very good baptism and his wife even shed a few tears! We are hoping that God will continue to soften her heart! Sis. Ficklin and I are going to lunch with them on Wednesday so we'll see if we can talk to her about how she felt at the baptism. Hopefully she won't get offended. :)
Katie and Lexus are still on for their baptism this week! Hopefully we can get everything in order for it to happen! It will be a very stressful but happy event! Deja, one of the Elder's investigators is also getting baptized that day! It is so exciting! Since August, in the Greenwood Ward, as of this next Wednesday, there have been 7 baptisms! How exciting is that! We also had the highest number of people in yesterday's Sacrament Meeting than there has been in a while!! The work is moving forward rapidly out here in Arkansas! I just love it!
On Friday, we had to say goodbye to the Vendels. :( They are in Alabama this week because Bro. Vendel has to be in his class this week. He was really sad that he was not going to be here to see me leave. He said he was crying because he couldn't hug me! I'm going to miss them so much! In a text that Bro. Vendel sent, he said, "I pretty much quit crying by the time we got to Clarksville. I feel as if I'm losing one of my own. Even if only for a time, and we've only had you for a time, you will always be in our hearts." After we told him about transfer calls, he said, "Thanks for the news. Now we can sleep. For tonight. Next week we need info on Sis. Pahl's choice of companion." Bahahahah I thought that was super funny! I just love the Vendel's it has been sooooo great living under their roof for the last 4 months.
In Sacrament Meeting, Bishop Webster invited me to bear my testimony first since I am going home. I wasn't as emotional as I thought I would be, but I did tear up a little bit. I really am going to miss Greenwood. It has been so great! One of the best!
I just want to thank everybody for supporting me these last 18 months! I could not have done it without all the support, letters, and emails. I've found lots of strength as I've had communication with people from back home. I know that I was supposed to serve a mission. It has been the best thing I'll probably ever do besides being a mother. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true church on the earth. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, as is the Bible. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins and all the feelings we will every have on this earth. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and was and is a Prophet. Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet on the earth today. I know that with all my heart! We all need to read our scriptures every day, pray morning and night, go to church every week, go to the temple every week, and do all we can to become more like Jesus Christ. It is also very important for us to share the gospel with others! As we share our testimony, our testimonies grow in leaps and bounds. Again, thank you all for everything! It's been a great ride at Disneyland, as my mission president, President Shumway, would say! :)
See you VERY soon then!
Love, Sister Pahl
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." -2 Timothy 4:7
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