We went on two exchanges this week. This first was Monday-Tuesday with the Carlisle sisters. I was able to spend 24 hours serving in Carlisle with Sister Wilson which was great. She is a wonderful sister. She's just starting her mission - been out for about 9 weeks now. I wish I was back in her place... I told President Johnson that I wanted a restart on my mission, but for some reason he wouldn't let me. I'm not sure why. He must be in cahoots with my mom.
We had a really good time in Carlisle. We were able to find a couple of people that they could potentially start teaching which was awesome. Then we picked up a new investigator named Teresa. She is so incredible and her life circumstances have seriously prepared her for the gospel. She actually had meant to be baptized a few years ago but ended up having to move away and she could never find out how to get in contact with the missionaries until the elders tracted into her! Which was a miracle...
Something...interesting... that happened...
So as missionaries we do this thing called "backing", right? I don't know if I've ever written about it. But we have to stand outside of the car whenever someone is driving in reverse and direct them. So this is what I was doing for Sister Wilson, I was trying to help her parallel park. So I was trying to direct her, but... well, basically what happened was she wasn't watching me as I was backing her and so when I lifted up my hand to tell her to stop... she didn't stop. So I had to act really quickly. I knew that if she didn't stop, she was going to run into the car behind her and there was going to be a dumb little accident that I just wasn't ready to deal with. I've never been involved in an accident on my mission and I wasn't going to start now! So... logically... I just placed myself in between the two cars and hit the back window and yelled, "STOP THE CAR!" So, she stopped just as I felt her car push me back into the other car... and then I knew I was pinned. Well, for some reason she just wasn't moving. I didn't know why. But I felt like pain shooting down in my legs cause the blood flow had stopped and I started to panic. So I started hitting the back window and yelling "Go go go!!"
It was the scariest 30 seconds of my whole mission hahaha. But as soon as it was over I just doubled over and started laughing cause of how funny it probably looked.
So we got a kick out of that :)
And I think Sister Wilson learned a valuable lesson ;) If you don't watch your companion, you're probably going to run her over. hahaha
Our second exchange went well. Definitely less eventful than the first, but just as fun. I spent the day in Greencastle with Sister Bennett. It was awesome. We taught a few lessons Wednesday evening and then we were doing service all day on Thursday. We helped an older lady clean out her house which was awesome. They rewarded us by taking us to lunch and letting us play with some baby kitties. They were so cute! Then we mowed the lawn for another disabled lady. I had no idea that mowing lawns was so relaxing. I should start my own business or something! I'd be tan, buff, and relaxed all of the time! What a life! I smelled really grassy though. And I was still in my dirty service clothes cause we had just barely finished up when Sister Talbot showed up with Sister Thompson to exchange back. And we were running late so we had to go straight to our dinner appointment at the Shearers... and on the way there Sister Talbot told me that our investigators were coming to dinner so we were going to have a lesson! I was so embarrassed when we showed up and I was all grassy and in my basketball shorts. I had to change at their house and they were all laughing at me :) Hahaha it was so great.
It ended up being a super awesome evening! We've been trying for a LONG time to get Lauryn and Brady to be able to come out to dinner at the Shearer's and it finally happened! And they were even able to come to church for the first time this Sunday! It was so amazing. They're going to be getting baptized on June 20th and we are seriously so excited for them! It was a really big blessing.
Friday was a long day. We spent most of the day doing weekly planning... which is basically where you sit down for 5 hours and plan out your upcoming week... like who you're going to see and what you're going to teach and when you're going to see them and who you're going to bring with you and all that jazz. It was really good. I appreciate Sister Talbot as my companion always. I love going on exchanges and learning from others but it is so good to be back with Sister Talbot. She is so wonderful and we are growing so much together. I love serving with her. I hope we get another transfer together!!
Saturday was LEGIT! We helped two people move! It was the funnest thing ever. The first one wasn't too bad. Just taking some stuff from a storage unit and carrying it up two flights of stairs. Most of it was pretty light. The super heavy lifting we left to the men ;) haha. The hardest part was the couch... because of the door and the stairs and everything, we couldn't get the couch into the apartment by just carrying it up the stairs and putting it through the door. Instead we had to lift it up to get it to go straight through the door... I know that description doesn't make any sense but I sent a picture so I hope that helps, haha. Anyway. That was insane.
By the time we were done with the first move and on to the second it was like 89 degrees and REALLY humid because a storm was rolling in.
The second move was pretty rough because we were taking things from one house to another and they were about 30 minutes apart, driving. We only took two loads though, so that wasn't so bad. In the middle of getting the second load in the U-haul, it started to rain REALLY hard! It was so awesome! So we ran around in the rain and played... okay... I ran around in the rain and played by myself and everyone else made fun of me. But it was still awesome! Plus, SUPER refreshing since we had been working really hard in the heat of the day. So the cool rain felt really nice. Then I was soaking wet. By the time we finished unloading the second load, a giant storm was rolling in, so we called it quits. When we got back to our apartment, we had worked for 8 hours moving people. It. Was. Awesome.
Then we had dinner at the Mealeys and she made us fajitas and brownies with ice cream because she's the best human being ever to live ever.
But she's moving to Texas 
So now I'm sad.
But that means more moving!! YAY!
Well anywhoozies. I feel really discombobulated with my thoughts today so hopefully this email made sense... haha. If not... better luck next week, I guess? :)
The scripture that I want to share today is Mosiah 2:17 (or just all of Mosiah 2 in general 
). I know that as we serve those around us, that we are truly helping to build God's kingdom on the earth. It was incredible to be helping and serving so many people this week. I feel better about myself and my relationship with my Heavenly Father. But it's all about your attitude! You either make yourself miserable, or you make yourself strong. The amount of work is the same. But people really do pay attention! The sweet lady that we helped move on Saturdaythanked us for our example and enthusiasm. She said that her inactive son had been impressed by how hard the missionaries were willing to work, and she told us that our lightheartedness and humor really helped to lighten the atmosphere and she felt like it was greatly needed throughout the day. When we put the Lord first in our minds, the needs of others naturally become our greatest priority! And as we serve others, we feel better about ourselves... naturally :) It is incredible to see the Lord's hand shape and mold our lives into something so beautiful, there's no way we could have even imagined it ourselves. I am grateful to see Him at work in my life personally, and to catch little glimpses of what He has in mind for who I am to become in time and eternity. I know that the Lord has a perfect plan for each of us and that we will learn to love His will as we wholeheartedly give our lives to Him. He will fill our hearts with joy and our minds with understanding.
It all comes by faith. 
I love you all and encourage you each to look for the hand of the Lord in your life this week. I promise it's there. He's there.
He loves each of you. As do I.
All my love,
Hermana Bills
