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
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