Monday, March 30, 2015

WOAAAAH I'm Halfway there. WOOOAAHHH Livin on a prayer

Well. 
Holy Moses. 
Here it is.

Thursday is my halfway mark. My hump day. 
I can't even believe it! 

So I'm just gonna pretend that it's not happening. 

This week was fairly wonderful, as they all are. 
We were able to go on an exchange with the sisters from Greencastle. They're doing wonderfully. Sister Anderson came to spend the day with me in Hanover. She is getting ready to go home in 3 weeks, so her last request was to serve a day in Gettysburg. She was so happy when we drove past the battlefields. 
Guys, I'm serving in the coolest area in the whole world. 
Anyway. We had a blast together but, as usual, I'm always happy to be back with Sister Talbot. 

This week was a little bit rough because I just seemed to be getting sicker and sicker. I just... couldn't hold down anything I ate and I was nauseous and dizzy and in a lot of pain and all this dumb stuff. So finally the mission President's wife called to tell us that I needed to go to the doctor. So we went... they told me that I had a badly inflamed stomach! So they gave me some pain meds and some antibiotics to help out. Then, I got a blessing. I'm feeling so much better, now! So that's good!  

Last Monday we went to this AWESOME shop called "Thrift" and we went shopping for some new outfits. 
Guys. 
This place is like...
Wow.
I got 3 new skirts, 2 new shirts and a new dress for a whopping grand total of...
15 DOLLARS.

So that's officially my new favorite place to shop. 

Friday was the hardest day of this week. We had Zone Conference. I love Zone Conference. But it was really hard because Hermana Landa was there. And man... let me tell ya. It's just so hard to see your old companions. Like... she's my best friend and now we only get to talk on Mondays. So we sat by each other and talked at lunch and stuff. But it's not really the same and getting to be with them for 24/7!! So that was really super hard for me. 
That's the dumb thing about missions. You get really really close to a lot of cool people. Like Sister Talbot. I've only been her companion for like 3 weeks and I already don't want to know how I'm supposed to be companions with anyone else. 
So. The struggle is very real. 

But Zone Conference was good. Sister Talbot and I got to sing in two different musical numbers and that was really fun. We sang one with our whole zone - the EFY Medley, and another with all of the sisters that we're over - I stand all amazed. It was so fun! Then, had our zone trainings and Sister Talbot and I got to do a training on "Line in the Water" which is really cool! Because I know that not all of the zone leaders have their STL's get up and participate in the training. It made us feel really special. So that was a lot of fun. 

We got to spend lots of time with the Clarksons this week which is always a win. They are some of the funniest people I've ever met. Elder Clarkson will be talking, trying to tell a story. Then Sister Clarkson will chime in. Then Elder Clarkson will glare at her. "Go on, you tell it then." And she'll just stare at him, waiting for him to start talking again. "D'you see my face?" Hahaha we are always laughing with them.
The sad thing about funny missionary moments is that you try to write home about them and they're never as funny in writing as they are when you're there in person.
Plus... everything is funny to missionaries. 

Like...
Really. 

Well the only other thing that happened this week was that we gave a lesson for third hour at church. The special thing about that was that we didn't know that we were supposed to be in charge of the lesson until they announced that we were in sacrament meeting... 
so it was kind of a train wreck haha. Hopefully people will still want to be our friends.

Well. I hope you are all preparing for a wonderful Easter, and that you're getting ready for General Conference. I hope you all share #BecauseHeLives with your friends and family and aquaintances. 

THE CHURCH IS TRUE! 

I want to end with an awesome story that I read in Cahlynn's email last week because I wish I was half the missionary I know she is. (Also because the story is awesome).

There once was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared to him.
The Lord told him He had a work for him to do, and showed him a large rock explaining that he was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, and for many days he toiled from sunup to sundown; his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface of the rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling his whole day had been spent in vain.
Seeing that the man showed signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind, such as ``Why kill yourself over this?, you're never going to move it!'' or ``Boy, you've been at it a long time and you haven't even scratched the surface!'' etc. giving the man the impression the task was impossible and the man was an unworthy servant because he wasn't moving the massive stone.
These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man and he started to ease up in his efforts. ``Why kill myself?'' he thought. ``I'll just put in my time putting forth just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough.'' And this he did or at least planned on doing until, one day, he decided to take his troubles to the Lord.
``Lord,'' he said, ``I have labored hard and long in Your service, putting forth all my strength to do that which You have asked of me. Yet after all this time, I have not even budged that rock even half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?''
To this the Lord responded compassionately, ``My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you to push against the rock with all your strength and that you have done. But never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. At least not by yourself. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed, ready to quit. But is this really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled; your back sinewed and brown. Your hands are calloused from constant pressure and your legs have become strong. Through opposition you have grown much and your ability now far surpasses that which you used to have. Yet still, you haven't succeeded in moving the rock; and you come to Me now with a heavy heart and your strength spent. I, my friend will move the rock. Your calling was to be obedient and push, and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom, and this you have done.''
I love you all!! 
Happy Easter

"He is not Here
for HE IS RISEN."

Love, Hermana Bills