Merry Christmas -- 26 December 2012

I don't have much time, and since I talked to you yesterday, this is more for those I didn't talk to.

Thank you all so much for your love and your prayers! I love you all very much, and hope you all had as wonderful of Christmases as mine was!!!!

Crazy, Busy, Wild, Spiritual, Awesome, Missionary Life -- 17 December 2012

Lots to say, and only 20 minutes to say it! AHHH!!!

First, we DID get a transfer call last night. I am leaving the YSA. I dont know where, or who I will be with, or even what my new phone number will be, so don't ask. I don't know if we will have normal e-mail next Monday, either, since Christmas is on Tuesday.... So long story short, I don't know how/when we will be calling. :)

Second, thank you to everyone who sent a letter for Christmas conference! I loved every minute of it! Mom, all my comps love you and think you are the greatest comp-mom EVER! (I know, right?!)

Christmas conference was so nice! We got to watch Mr Kruger's Christmas, and we sang basically every Christmas hymn in the hymn book. So dang much fun!! Also while we were there President Collins told us our new Mission compliment number.... Right now we have 175 missionaries, 18 Sisters and 25(?) Senior missionaries. Our new compliment (that the church is going to fill as fast as possible!) is 278 with 58 SISTERS!!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!! The work of God moves forward in Indiana! The church is true! Can't wait to talk to you next week! Be all the Bee's!

Love always,

Sister Hill

Busy Week... -- 10 December 2012

And yet, not busy at all. Because we are YSA, we work on campus a lot. And as some of you know, it's finals time. Now what does that mean? It means a lot of walking for the Sisters, as everyone else runs away. (Faster than they did before. Seriously, it is so funny how fast people run away! You can almost hear them saying: "RUN! The Mormons are here to get us to join their cult!!!!")

But this week has been really good! We went on exchanges this week, and it just so happened that Sister T went up to Lafayette with Sister C, and Sister S came to the YSA with me!!!! We had a lot of fun catching up on each other and Lafayette, and how our investigators were doing. We had So. Dang. Much. Fun!

We had a lesson with one of our investigators that we are just not sure what the best thing to do for him is. So "What do you do in those situations, Sister Hill?" is what you ask. Well I will answer you. You call and invite President C to join you for a lesson. Yes, that is right, folks. President C came and taught with us. It was pretty fun! A little bit intimidating, as both he and our investigator are very intelligent people! They had a whole conversation, and Sister S and I understood the words they were saying but as to their meaning, we were totally clueless! Haha!

This morning we met with a referral (that President C had given us earlier in the week) at the mission home with him there. :) It was a really great lesson! The woman we met is a sweetheart who was recently diagnosed with MS. She is getting shots every week that make her feeling flu-like, and she absolutely HATES it. It threw me back to the past for a minute. I don't remember much of when you were diagnosed, but I remember a lady coming to the house and you giving shots to an orange. I remember you saying that you would be sick for a few days, then have a few good days, and have to start the whole thing over again.

I remember when Ash came home from S's house totally freaked out, because Mama B didn't remember Ash, and S telling her that her mom had had a really bad MS day.

I was reminded today how grateful I am for the blessing that I have a healthy mother who does normal stuff, and is not wheelchair bound, and can talk, and just be normal, even though she technically has this disease that should be debilitating. I am grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation--that I know who I am and why I am here on this earth, and I am grateful for the knowledge that those who are in pain and miserable in this life will be okay and at peace after this life, and that it's not far away. Life is very short. We are here for a specific purpose (see Alma 34:32).

We had a "Why I Believe" fireside last night. I have come to love those! I love hearing recent converts bear their testimonies on the truths that they have come to know for themselves. I love being around my brothers and sisters who have found the joy and peace that the gospel brings.

Thank you to all who have shown me that joy throughout the years! Whether you were a priesthood/YW leader, a surrogate parent, a sibling, or a friend. You have all shown me the good news of the gospel, and you are why I am out here! I love you all! Can't wait to talk to you!

Love Sister Hill!

What a Week! -- 3 December 2012

So.... This week has been pretty cool!

Monday: Birthday! Greatest day ever! Thank you all for the love you sent!

Mama: when I got home from the li-barry, there on the doorstep was a bright pink package! Super exciting! Don't worry: Sister T took lots of pictures while I was opening!

Bestest Friend: Your letter also came right on Monday and was one of my favorites. I HOPE to be hearing more from you, but I know life is super crazy.

Special thanks to all of my wonderful grandparents! The consistency of your love and encouragement has been such a blessing not only on my mission, but my whole life!

Monday night was FHE, and we made gingerbread houses. Don't worry: a member of the branch took the time to make REAL gingerbread AND put the houses all together.  All we had to do was decorate! It was so dang much fun! One of our investigators came, and he decorated one of the gingerbread men (yes, she made little men to go with the houses) as a missionary! He put a tie on it and everything! It was so cute!

Sister T, sneaky Sister mish that she is, told everyone it was my birthday, and would they sing to me at some point. So all of the sudden about an hour in the ENTIRE cultural hall is singing "Happy Birthday!" I was very red, but also very pleased!

Afterward we were talking to one of the guys who works at the totally amazing Children's Museum (that is NOT open on Mondays) and he told us that on the 17th of this month it will be open, and that he would hold some tickets for us to go!!! YAY!! I am SOO excited! We have heard that this is a super fun place to go! Plus! It's Christmas time!!! Need I say more?

Wednesday: (Yes I know I skipped Tuesday) Wednesday, we went up to the mission home to hang out with President and Sister C. and the assistants. Just kidding, we weren't hanging out, we had a campus missionary special training. We loved it, and came away totally uplifted, and REALLY ready to get to work, and apply what we learned on campus! We also all went out to lunch (about 17 missionaries).  Since Sister T. and I were the only Sisters who went we got the privilege of sitting with President and Sister C. and laugh and talk with them. I love watching the two of them interact! You can tell they are crazy about each other! I have been so blessed with so many examples of what a great marriage looks like! Thank you so much to you all! Especially Mom and Dad! You are the best, and I couldn't ask for better parents!

After the training, I went up to talk to President C. one on one. I truly love my mission president! I know you all think you have/had the best one, but I am telling you, I WIN!!! He gave me some advice that I went home and applied right away, and the remainder of this week has just flown, full of the spirit! He was called here for me! (And Indiana is the BEST Mission on the earth!)

We have done a lot of walking this week. Applying what we learned, (and also this area just struggles with commitment. Can't be that we are in a YSA area?)

I got a very sweet letter from one of my best friends on Saturday! You know who you are, and I want you to know, that this has never been a one-sided friendship! I am forever grateful for you, and all you teach me as well! And thank you for waiting for me! ;)

Today: We left the house early (after study! Stop thinking I am disobedient!) and headed to.........LUCAS OIL STADIUM!!!! We (the whole zone) had a private tour that a member in a neighboring ward paid for us to go. It was so neat! That is a really cool building! I kept thinking: "My family, especially Uncles, would be dying right now!" We stood on the 50 yard line. Went into the Colts locker room, (the guide showed us Payton Manning's exact locker!) For the most part it wasn't "big-whoop" to me and the other sisters, BUT it was SO fun to watch the Elders. They thought they had died and gone to heaven! We have one Elder in my district who is only serving an 18 month mission, because he has a contract to play football for BYU next fall. So, he was soaking everything up! :)

Lisa, I got some really great pics, so when you go scrapbook paper shopping, look for Colts stuff! :)

I love you all and hope you have a great week! I echo Elder Hill's challenge. You will be such a powerful tool in the Lord's hands if you are serving your brothers and sisters! Keep the faith! Talk to you soon!

Love, Sister Hill

Pictures! -- 3 December 2012

Here is Sister T and I at Gleaners Food Bank. This is our weekly service!