Sunday, October 30, 2016

My Assignment on the Square is the Square

I learned of our plans for Halloween. I have always found it interesting when girls do that scream thing a lot when they are with other girls. I have always inwardly groaned when they participate in such acts. As Pres. Risenmay told us, "The buildings close at 5pm and the Square at 6pm. Our dinner will be catered by Olive Garden-,"

"ooooooo ahhh (other excited high pitched girl sounds)" 

"We have preview and approved, just for this occasion, only this once, to watch 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." 

"AHHHH. EEEE! (other such sounds from these sisters of glee and excitement)"

"And we will be providing you all with popcorn." That sent them over the top. I am glad to see the girls from all countries have the same happy reactions to things. I did not participate in sounding my excitement. It will be an enjoyable evening. Now, if he had told us we could change into pants, the whole group wouldn't have been able to out match my enthusiasm for the event.

Yesterday, being the 28th of October, was by far the best personal study I have ever had. 17ish more months to have even more awesome ones! But two highlights from it. I was reading in Preach My Gospel about the "Authority of Your Calling." There were a list of things we can do and should do with scriptures that talk about it. In the Book of Mormon, Alma 8:22, Alma is doing his missionary thing, goes to Amulek's house, asks him if he will feed him, a servant of the Lord. Sure, says Amulek. Alma blessed Amulek's house. That is where offering a blessing of the home comes from! I never knew! I had just thought it was a thing that missionaries just did. And then In Doctrine and Covenants 75:19 "And in whatsoever house ye enter, and they receive you, leave your blessing upon that house." Well. There it is again! So awesome how it all just connects. 


Then there was an activity to study a picture of Jesus and His apostles, read in The Bible, John 15:1-16. I did not because I was nearing the end of my study, but I read 15:14-16.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known
unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

I want to be Jesus' friend! I am a friend of the Lord because I know what he does and why I am commanded to do it! He chose me, I chose to listen and follow! And what I ask for, I will get. And what I ask for is for the missionaries out in the proselyting field to follow up with the referrals I have sent out! (Though I know that there may be some things I don't know about, but when people from two weeks ago still haven't been contacted... come on elders and sister) But 'Faith without works is dead' (James 2:17-18). We are allowed to contact the mission office and inquire about the referrals. 
On Tuesday and Wednesday I had exchanges with our district leader. Tuesday, I was with Sister Sanchez, the district leader. She is in charge of three companionships in the Zone. There are eight zones I think. We were taking a rather rude Australian couple on a tour. We had explained that with the History we explain, we will be talking about some beliefs of the church. The two go together, that's how it goes! But near the end the woman very aggressively, stance and all, somewhat in S. Sanchez’s face, tells Sis. Sanchez they are atheists and are just interested in the history. But S. Sanchez smiles and continues on with the tour. What a great missionary she is!

Wednesday, with S. Tuttle, the companion of S. Sanchez (S. Da Luz's turn to be with her), was super fun! She got to see pictures of a lady that had just gotten baptized that she had contacted originally over the phone. One of the elder missionaries in the picture was in the MTC at the same time as me! That was cool to see him. 

S. Tuttle is in her 2nd transfer, but when she was in the MTC she was in Branch 34 with the Williams, Johnsons, and Mays and she also had S. Seegmiller as a teacher, like me! But that day there was next to no one on the Square! But as we looked at what we did during the day, we actually talked to a lot of people. And I physically handed my third Book of Mormon out! It fills me with glee! Inwardly, I am like the outwardness of the sisters as we were told the Halloween plans. 

In those two days on exchanges, I felt and noticed myself grow more confident in sharing the gospel on the tours. It feels nice to be confident. 

I saw one apostle, from afar, during my short time here. President Rasband. I didn't realize it was him until S. Da Luz had said specifically it was him. I knew he looked familiar.

My Assignment on the Square is the Square. I spend most of my time on Temple Square or in the Teaching Center. I got my iPad, but I don't really use it much except for when we plan and for companionship study if we are not at home. But the Planner App is super cool! I wish all missions were iPad missions. We get to watch the progress of the people we send out to their local missionaries! And it tells us when the locals have contacted them. But not every mission is an iPad mission. Bummer. And I like the written better than the iPad too. Maybe it will grow on me. 

I don't know if I am allowed to tell you all where I am living, but I am about five minute walk from the mission home, which is the basement of the South Visitor Center. There are two sets of apartments we sisters live in. Mine is referred to as the terrestrial or telestial apartments, where the other building is celestial. But I am glad for my living conditions. They are still nice.

S. Sanchez and I took a Spanish tour of two member families. The daughter of one went into the MTC this past Wednesday! She is going to serve in the Idaho VC So I was really excited to tell her a bunch of stuff about the MTC and tips and all that Jazz. So great. I was really excited and she listened. Also, she knew a sister that I had done Visitor Center Training with!

I got a package from KT, my beloved eldest sister. Such a nice surprise! She wrote a little note, "A Halloween treat."

I had talked to a mom with a three-week-old baby. Made me think of my new nephew and various other people that have had babies in the last few months, like the Portwoods, and who are due soon, like the Gill's granddaughter (who is like now if she hasn't had it) and Charity McCormick (I don't think she is due soon). All of these people and babies. I think since I am not allowed to hold kids, it makes me more excited to see them. A 6 year old girl referred her grandma to us, can't wait to call and say. "Hi!....... Your granddaughter said you'd want to talk to us?" Children, so precious.

I also met a member of the church from Cordoba, Argentina! I could barely understand him because he was talking so quiet. But he told a story that sounded really familiar. A missionary down in his area was knocking doors, and came to a woman's house. She wasn't going to let him in because she said he was a spy for his country. He reaches into his pocket to get the phone and said “Okay, let me just contact the president.” She goes, “Okay, come in come in. But that could happen in any country, right? 

My mom had her birthday on the 26th, but she didn't tell anyone, the snake. So if you see her, tell her happy birthday.

Seems like I was just typing. But because of this earlier p-day, the next wont be until the 7th of November! Oh my! Just like when I first got here from the MTC, forever and a day until next I type.

But wow. A lot happened in these few days! I don't see how some missionaries can write so little! I hope they are keeping great journals!

Peace out y'all! 


Sister Allison Jo Glanzer





This is my view every morning.
Branch 34 Temple Square Sisters
My bed is the bottom bunk and desk is the far one

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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

I handed out my first Book of Mormon!

I am in the field. But before I speak about the field, I will speak about the last few days in the MTC. From 2pm Friday to 5pm Monday, I lived in a state of worry. I felt so cut off from the outside world because I didn't get the DearElder until Monday. The DearElder that told me that I have a new baby nephew named Duke, and that he and my sister are alive and healthy. At one point I sat down in front of a vending machine and turned it into thing to tell me the outcome of the birth. I am glad that my reading was wrong. But this made me very glad for the Plan of Salvation and that if something bad had happened, that I would have been able to see KT and Duke in the Spirit World. I am so very thankful for my Eternal Family. 

Now on regular MTC Sundays, they randomly choose a departing sister and elder to give a two minute talk. We departing missionaries all have to prep. Out of 15 sisters leaving I was the chosen one. I knew from Fast Sunday that I was going to be the one. Two reasons, I made eye contact with Bro. Jackson, he was the 2nd counselor in our branch. Second, while an elder was bearing his testimony, this feeling of, "hmmm," came to me and then I was one of the very few that didn't bear my testimony. I also did prep well for it and I kind of a little wanted to give it. It was about the Book of Mormon.

Sis. Meneghini and Coleman thought it was hilarious! I didn't specify my name was Allison and so I talked about Allison St in Seattle... There is also an Allison Rd out somewhere in the states, saw that on a package today. But I relayed the story of me reading Jacob 5 aloud while mom and I were driving home from Spokane, and how I was looking at it with a literal mind and not a spiritual mind. Also, that in order for one to be influenced and touched by the words, we need to have the spirit with us. But WAAAAY funnier, I guess, than those simple words. A common Allison talk, it was. Funny yet spiritual! 

Our Visitor Center training was getting us in the groove of keeping the gospel in with the historical. My last Saturday at the MTC we got to have field trip to temple square! It was nice to see the work we will be doing before we actually do it. 

I loved being at the MTC. Part of me is just a tad jealous of the missionaries that get to be there longer than me, but only a tad. When I entered the MTC, the leaves on the trees were green with a few yellow ones, and then when I left the MTC, most of the leaves where yellow and falling off!

Okay, my new companion and trainer is Sister Da Luz from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She is training me well. There are things that I have to have her explain a lot because her voice is so cute and high that some of the things she says doesn't stick with me. It is funny to see how when we are doing well, something puts a damper on us, but then soon after something good happens. 

I learned from a German sister, Sister Herr, that Glanz means Glow. Look at that! I glow with the Light of Christ!

We went shopping for food on Wednesday. I had no idea what to buy or what I could make. My brain just went dead. I remember thinking, "Man, I really need mom right now for this." But I think I got enough to survive until we go shopping again.

I ALSO HANDED OUT MY FIRST BOOK OF MORMON! Like I was the one that physically handed it! I gave it to a guy named James. We have high hopes for James. We should probably contact him soon. I think so far we have giving about eight Book of Mormons. My first Thursday here a group of Italians came to us and asked if we would explain something’s about the temple to them, about 20 people. S. Da Luz did most of the talking, I hadn't a clue as what to say. The man that knew English the best translated what we said. They didn't want to wait for an Italian sister. But I didn't feel nervous or anxious, I was pretty calm and I know that it was because I had the spirit with me. 

I absolutely love personal study time. Companionship study is so-so. I am getting really sick of role-playing, but I know that I need it to help me be ready for tours and contacts. A contact is when we talk to someone and share a gospel principle or doctrine, then invite them to do something. It is super hard to do. Some people are easier than others. I still have a lot of growing to do. I wish that they gave sisters from the states a flag with our state on it. When I say I am from Washington, I have to specify, even after I say Washington state. But then I live in the middle of nowhere next to nothing except Canada, "4 hours west of Seattle... 3 hours north of Spokane... west side of the mountains so it is dry... north central Washington". I am super awesome at telling people my home location, if they care to ask. Sisters from out of the country are more interesting than in country ones, no matter what country the guest is from. But on the occasion I meet people that know the area, like an elderly couple that was from the Tri cities and even knew what stake I was in! That was awesome. They know the May's, who where the first counselors in our branch, and they had met with them at Temple Square! Some of the Sisters from my MTC zone got to see them, so jealous, I love Sister May. 

We didn't get our temple nametags until Sunday because the engraver at the MTC was making the Temple catawampus. Now the unveiling of how they connect the flags to the name tags..... drum roll…..baadadadaddadadadaddaaddadadadaddadaddadadadda.... Tape! Such a divine way, I know, the Church is true!

I can say "itchy" in Portuguese, but S. Curcino from the MTC taught me that. I will have yet to find the Swedish sister that S. Hansen said is from her son's ward. But I am looking, it would help if I could remember what the Swedish flag looked like! 

I get my iPad today after emailing! Woot! Yay me! In some ways I am excited and others not so much. It takes S. Da Luz so long to put stuff in the planner on her iPad that our planning sessions take almost an hour! And then I have the night dish duty, which I regret taking, so now I have no time for writing in my journal! I have a few days to catch up on! Good thing it is P-day, #Blessed! I am in the North 2 Zone. I haven't seen the supposed secret tunnels; one or two of the sisters I came with was shown these on the Saturday we came. I asked my trainer about them, she didn't deny their existence, but neither did she confirm them. Hmm. peculiar. 

I can tell that my lack of feedback is bothersome to my trainer, but I struggle with giving feedback, my MTC district can attest to that. But then when I ask what we are doing she give me a look like, "why do you need to know that?" With time and patience we will get better. 

I know that as I forget myself and lose myself in the missionary work and strive to fulfill the missionary purpose, to invite other to come unto Christ, I will grow and become a great missionary! It is just rather hard to do that as Temple Square sister that is new to the work. 

May the spirit be with all of you, I'm outty until next pday... which is the 29th because Halloween is a Monday and the square closes at 6 and we are having a mission dinner and activity!


Sister Glanzer






President and Sister Risenmay

Sister Da Luz and Sister Glanzer





Saturday, October 15, 2016

Wednesday we started visitor center training!

Man, I need to get better at thinking of the highlights of the week. That is a goal I will commit to right now! Take a moment each day to jot down the highlights! Sometimes the weeks blend together! 

Fast Sunday was such a long time. I got a headache, but my comp wanted to go to choir, so I sat off in a corner and slept. When it came time for Sunday Devotional, my headache was almost gone. We sat for one final time as a district. Saddening. But we sang a tone of hymns before devo started. The elders sitting behind us were less than reverent. We were singing hymn #34, Oh Ye Mountains High, when the elders were singing it as silly as ever. Right before the last verse, an elder whispers to his crew, "With conviction." I lost it. I was laughing so hard. I wasn’t singing because my head still hurt and they were just taking away from it. But "with conviction," S. Blocker and E. Christensen gave me some looks. The goofy elder’s singing made me think of the Ninja Turtles.

Elder Etone (he-ton) was our speaker and he talked about preaching repentance. If what we teach matches our hearts, then the spirit will witness it to whomever we are teaching.

I was making this random weird doodle. The elder behind me, the one that said "with conviction" asked me, "Sister? Sister? What are you drawing? What is that?" I was so startled to have an Elder randomly talked to me. I was like a deer in head lights, "I don't know. Just random." He said, "Just some doodle. Okay, cool." However, the format of my doodle leads to playing the dot to dot game with E. Christensen. He won, 30 boxes to 60 boxes. 

Monday was our first day without our elders and we were kind of put out. S. Foote made a sign, "Our Elders left us, come say Hi to us!" We got quite a few elders and sisters to say hi.

We didn't talk that much during lunch, I remember excepting a set of elders to walk through the classroom door, disturbing our peaceful personal study. But with it just being us six sisters we got even more help and guidance on our lessons that we gave to PI’s (personal investigator) from our teachers. A lot of good help. Sister Davis especially was excited because when she was in the MTC she was just with sisters. We even had enough to get into some deep doctrinal questioning after the initial lesson, and she wrote our names in Russian for us. 

For Tuesday Devotional, when we were practicing for choir they told us that we were going to have a very special speaker. Also, it was broadcasted WORLD WIDE to the other 14 MTCs! Elder Bednar came and spoke to us!! How awesome is that! He spoke to us on how to find a away to get the most out of conference, and that conference should be our walk and talk for the next six months! He gave us the idea of looking for the doctrine or principle, invitation, and blessing(s) in each talk given. I thought of mom and how she would love this idea! Usually we just figure out the topic, she always takes notes, but this is grand way to outline them! More info to go with my tie drawings!

Earlier in they day back in our 18m classroom, actually the next door class, we watched Mormon Messages with the other temple square sisters. Then there was a man on the roof! We are still having issues with bats. It was funny to make up what he was shouting down to the men below him. It was just so captivating to have something new and different.

WEDNESDAY WE STARTED VISITOR CENTER TRAINING! WOOT! We have been waiting three weeks to know what we, as temple square sisters, will be doing! Finally, we as visitor center missionaries will come in contact with more people than any other full-time missionary. Our "tours" are our lessons. We will be bearing our testimonies 100+ times a day! 

There is a quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that one of our new teachers shared with us, "Light in their countenance and testimony of the atonement in their eyes." There is that beloved light again! Temple Square sisters really are unique! Regular Visitor Center (VC) sisters are half VC and half proselyting every day for the full mission. We are full time Visitor Center, and if we choose, we can request to do the outbound mission. I will definitely be choosing that.

We usually have a service project on Wednesday mornings. We didn't have scheduled time for it, but we still did it. We had no time to eat AND get ready for class. Our class was supposed to be on the 5th floor of 18m, the next floor up from our old class. So, we being late, hike up four flights of stairs, then see that the location is changed, fly down four flights of stairs, speed walk over to 11m, and scurry up one really steep flight. I am thankful we don't have to go up so many stairs now.  

Thursday, we go to do an online chat. I was very frustrated. What I was impressed to say, my comp did not let me. We have been trying to balance out how much teaching and talking we do, she does a lot and I do a little, and now having the chance to be more vocal, she shoots me and my promptings from the spirit down. I was not pleased, so I kept my mouth shut for the remainder of the time because I need to cool my jets and let the contention die. 

I have a new favorite painting of Jesus. It is of the story where He walked on water out to the boat of His apostles. But this one is before He got to them. It is amazing how you can take a painting depicting one thing, but find so many gospel applications to it. I was also able to enlighten S. Wagner a little bit with my very small knowledge of art that I had retained from Mrs. Lind. 

When we have our break, we go out into the hall and we sprawl out into these arm chairs and chillax, take a quick nap in 5-10 minutes, then back to the grind.

I got my magnets for doing my laundry. Woot! This week as a whole, my district of sisters really sucked at getting up on time. We got to the point that we asked the sisters next door, the ones also going to temple square with us, to wake us up at 6:45, and we haven’t shown ourselves yet.

Today, on our way out from the temple, we were still in there, just about to go change, a man stopped S. Richey and I and talked to us about formulas. It was super random, but for at least ten minutes he repeatedly asked us to make sure we got it. It was a tad hard to understand him. He said, "Workers will win, wishey washer won’t. Three R's: right choice, responsibility, and report.” Then he talked about keeping track of how many people we do work for in the temple, and do as many as possible. “Keep score" he said. I do not think temple work is something to "keep score" for. 

Oh! I was on the phone, doing a bible confirmation and the woman asked, "This ain’t the mermen bable is it? I don't want the mermen bable." No ma'am, this is the holy bible. 

As soon as I hung up, I cracked up hard. I love interesting accents. There is a sister here who did her three weeks in the New Zealand MTC and her VC training here. I think she is going to the DC Visitor Center. We were checking out her Australian currency. She thought on the 20-cent piece, there was a dead body floating in a river. I told her it was platypus. She is like 20 and she thought it was a dead body all her life. I am glad I could enlighten her! 


Today is also S. Blocker's birthday!! She got a package yesterday and STILL hasn't opened it. Self control at its best! Wow. There are couches in our residence that are placed right in front of the vending machines, and it feels like you are watching TV. Almost. 

Sister Glanzer


An MTC tradition; smelling the cream soda tree

Another MTC tradition! Map picture
The district together one last time before the Elders leave for their missions

Our "almost TV" vending machines