Well hmm...

Dear family,

 

I regret to say that in the last 3 months in the field, I've had more funerals than I have baptisms....0 baptisms and as of tomorrow, a whopping grand total of 4 funerals.

 

It's been a pretty sad week I guess you could say. Our numbers keep going down. I feel like we take one step forward and then two steps back. We probably need to be more obedient. There's always something to improve on and I think this is something that I can always be better at. I have such a great desire to be exactly obedient, it is really hard.

 

We did have a pretty great thing happen on Thursday though! We were on our way to an activity with the YSA Branch and we got a phone call from an Arkansas number that we didn't know. I answered it and it was a lady who wants us to come teach her! MIRACLE! She knows somebody in the Rogers Ward but she lives in Bella Vista. So the person she knows got our number, probably from the Elders in that ward, and she called us! She said she wants to change her life around and start coming to church every Sunday. She said she was going to have to ask her grandma when we can come over but she really wants us to come teach her! We haven't been in contact with her since but we will probably call her today or tomorrow to see how she is doing! We are pretty excited!

 

We also had a member in Bella Vista bring a non-member to church! It is one of her daughter's best friends. So her daughter is in town right now and the friend is going through a rough time right now so they brought her to church! They went to the Bella Vista Sacrament Meeting and then the YSA Branch Sacrament Meeting since she is YSA age. We are hoping to meet with them before the daughter goes back home to North Carolina! The non-member is super nice and as I was talking to her she said that when she was younger, her and her mom used to go to all different churches and that the Mormon church was her favorite. So she seems pretty promising. I love her already and only spent like 2 hours with her! I just love serving here in Bella Vista and the YSA Branch! I couldn't have started out in a better area!

 

 We had a pretty good lesson with A this week! He didn't have a whole lot of time but we went through the Restoration lesson. He thought the Joseph Smith story was an interesting experience and that he really wanted to know if it was true. So he said he would ask God if it was!

 

The YSA Fireside is also moving right along! The memebrs are being held accountable for bringing at least one non-member. We also invited the Springdale Single Unit so hopefully they all can come up here and bring non-memebrs as well! We are going to have it include "Break the Fast." In singles units, they usually have these on Fast Sundays where there is a meal and we "Break our Fast" together. So we will include that and then there will be a tour of the church building for everyone. Then President Shumway (our mission president) is going to come and do like a Q&A type fireside! It is going to be great! I'm so excited for this to be going on!

 

We had to "soft drop" one of our investigators! [ ] He is the 17-year old that knows the church is true and wants to be baptized but his parents are not aware that he has been researching our church since junior high school. We can't continue to teach him or baptize him without his parents giving us permission to do so. We are going to pray and fast for him so he can get the courage to tell them and that his parent's hearts will be softened and accept the decision and want of their son. If they don't, he says he will just wait until he turns 18 and do it without their blessing, as sad as that is. It makes me even more grateful to have grown up in the church and that my parents, along with me, belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the only true church on the earth!

 

Another great thing has happened! About a month ago we met with a less active YSA member, M. He said that he wanted to come back to church but he was going out of town for a couple weeks. So since he has come back, we have been meeting with him. Last Sunday, the 15th, he came to Sacrament Meeting but left after that because he said he felt awkward. We were so saddened by this! So we challenged him to go to FHE the next day. He did and he said he felt better! So yesterday, he came to all three hours of church! The Branch is also going to be hosting an activity at his house! So he really has jumped back in with two feet! We are so excited! He is such a great guy and he deserves the best!

 

This last week we have taken a few people into the Family History Center to get them jump started in family history work and indexing. I love indexing so much! There was a lady there and as I was talking to her I gained even more love for it! She is what you call an "arbitrator." When you index something, it gets sent to an arbitrator who looks over the information you put in and either accepts it or changes it. So turns out, I can do that! You have to index so many names and have a good percent rank. And I have qualified with both! There are so many things that I want to do when I come home and this was added to the list this week. It just keeps getting longer!

 

Last week I challenged everybody to make their own mormon.org account. Who has done it??? If you have, send me the link to it so I can look at it! ANYONE can email me! I just can't email you back...so if you want a reply, you have to give me an address that I can send your letter to. I would love getting an email from everybody! (ashley.pahl@myldsmail.net) So let me know if/when you make your account! Tons of people get on mormon.org everyday! You never know who needs to know your experiences to have sparked interest in learning more about the gospel! :)

 

So, I always begin my email and feel like I have absolutely nothing to say....then I get going and I have a bunch to say! This was a super long email but please don't expect one this long every week! :)

 

I love you all!

 

See you soon then!

 

Love, Sister Ashley Pahl :)