Look Who Found Allison!

Sarah Green, Allison's friend from high school and in the Oroville ward, made a six hour drive to surprise Allison! What a fun thing to do.

Merry Christmas, A Tad Late

Last week we had dinner in a member's home. It was kind of weird and awkward, but fun all the same. They had this beet salad, which the wife forgot to take the cinnamon out of it, and Sister Smith choked down the chunks of cinnamon! 

We had zone conference. I love zone conference. We watched this video called the Blue Vase, pretty corny, but excellent in applying it to us as missionaries and what we do. We also were told how Jesus is able to speak on behalf of Heavenly Father (God) because He was given all of God's power when He said that He would sacrifice himself for us, as well as some other reasons, but I don't have my notebook with me. I would give y'all some more deets, but I don't want to remember wrong and tell false doctrine! But any time that we learn more about our life before earth, I am always excited to learn. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas day we had our Beehive House assignment, and the people who run the Lion house left music on, so, as we had no one to take on tours we got to enjoy beautiful Christmas music.

Christmas Day was the highlight. A lot of us when to the North Visitor Center to call home. It was odd, and nice to be in the building without any other people. We got to really enjoy the building. Some of us even laid on the floor of the Christus to look up at the ceiling. A 2.5 month dream finally fulfilled! We had snow too, and looking out from the windows at the different sisters playing in the snow was so fun! The Square was closed until 4pm. We weren't just letting the people roam free without us caring. 

But every year the members from the area and surrounding donate items for sisters to have a Christmas present type thing, especially nice for the sisters for other countries. But one of the Sister's mom from Georgia organized even more items for us! It was so amazing. Everyone got the same thing basically, but it was still different and unique. Sister Da Luz, who loves to brush her teeth (she really actually does), got two new toothbrushes! One for home, for the square, and for Beehive House! But the generosity and thoughtfulness of the members was outstanding. We had a Christmas Devotional at 2 pm, we heard a few miracle Christmas stories then Elder Spencer and several sisters produced the nativity for us! We read 'The Living Christ" and President Risenmay shared a couple things with us. 

I saw Sarah Green! That was very exciting to see her after two years. Snapchat brought us closer that last month or so before I left on my mission, and she said that she was going come see me one day! That was a grand surprise!

There was a day that a 14 year old boy came to the square, seeking advice. He just got called as a Teachers' Quorum President, and he came to Temple Square! We uplifted him and his faith in himself to magnify his calling. That was the best part of my week.

To invite others to come unto Christ has its challenges, but I am glad we aren't limited to people who aren't members of the LDS church and those who have become less active and inactive. Even the most active, strongest member can be uplifted even more. That is my favorite part of the Missionary Purpose, "invite others." Everyone can do better than they already are, everyone can be happier, everyone. 

Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye in German, btw)

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Sister Glanzer

You can never have too many pictures of the temple!

Went out in the snow barefoot.

Sister "star gazing"

Elder Lip and the deer jerky my brother in law Brian sent me

Sisters getting to play! I think a lot of them went out to take pictures with the nativity.

Chilling in the North Visitor's Center

So many people in such a busy little place!

I knew that teaching center could have emotional turmoil. For examples, people swearing at you over the phone, wasting your time by going on and on about their sad life (only because they aren't heeding the advice of their bishop and your missionary help), people hanging up on you, telling you that your are going to hell, that you are (choice word) psycho (or the bishop, I’m not to sure who she said it about, she was just rambling on), and other such things. But it is so creepy when over the phone older men hit on you. It was the second call with this man. Sister Da Luz was with me. She would repeat what she said a few times, and then I would have to say it. He asked questions like, ‘Are you married?’ and ‘Do you have fb messenger so we can video chat?’ Also, ‘When will you vacation to (his home is in the big city) so we can meet?’ Never. I am glad that it is elders who are teaching him. But before we call on Friday, I want to call the mission home to know if they actually will continue teaching him. I told Sister Da Luz not to call me Sister Glanzer so he doesn't have both names. This happens to us a fair amount of times. He was my first encounter of probably many. Yikes! It was really funny though.

We had our theater five assignment, playing #LighttheWorld, and a group of four came in. Two of them worked in Brewster the last summer, so they knew were Tonasket is! They worked for Gebbers. They gave us a referral. 

Last Tuesday, we had a super fun zone activity! We had two families representing Lehi's family. I was Laman. I got to be dragged from one apartment to another. We all also eat raw sausage on bread (we were blind folded) which they eat in Germany. We had a crazy amount of fun! But also were spiritually uplifted by helping build as a team. Also, really fun. 

There are still sisters here that I don't know. I saw a sister the other day that I have never seen before, but she says that she was here last transfer! So many people in such a busy little place! 

We were going to be a trio with Sister Hammer, our zone leader from Germany, yesterday. However, she and sister Herr, who is also from Germany, got called to do an important translating assignment from President Uchtdorf... For two hours they translated the labels on film roles from German to English. The people in the office couldn’t read the hand writing or German so they asked for some sisters, but they didn't know that until they got there. They got all nervous for nothing! So very funny! But we got to enjoy sister Zeller in our companionship. We gave two tours in beehive together. The first one was rough, a lot of confusion and repeating, but the man still referred! But the second one was way better, and she took a Book of Mormon!

I know that we have a prophet today called of God, and that God will never stop His patterns of old in these days now! From Joseph Smith all the way to Thomas S. Monson. Each prophet giving us the teachings we need for our day to help us better ourselves, our families and our communities... and the world!  

Until next week!

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Sister Glanzer

My lovely zone

The kid who lost this Donald seems pretty creative

The game we played was to show there was very good food in the promise land, but the family still squabbled over it. It was very intense, but Family 2 won!

I told sister da Luz I might wear this hat all day everyday.

You know you are at an LDS church building when....

I get to drive mission vehicles!

I get to drive mission vehicles! Woot! So today I am driving my companion and I to Walmart! The only qualm is my slowing down to stop process, which most people who have ridden with me have experienced. But hey, with the Lord on my side, and exact obedience, that sin too shall be conquered!

I remember in the MTC when we had infield training (I think that is what it is called), we were saying how we shouldn't let our referrals pile up. I had thought, "Contacting them wouldn't be that hard would it?" It is, and keeping track, and not losing them. We had 14 un-contacted member referrals. Some of them we don't even know who they are anymore because it has been quite some time. We got that number down to nine this week, but we always have to ask for referrals, so now we are back at 13, in one day. But I am thankful for the members wanting to share with their friends and family, and Sister Da Luz for gathering in those who can be part of our little flock. Sister Da Luz and I are brainstorming a new system on how to keep them all straight and organized.

I got to exchange with Sister Coleman! On Thursday, there was the Christmas concert. Some sisters got to go, so Sister Coleman and I signed up to cover Beehive and gave a tour to a very interesting member who was all over the place. I really enjoyed the exchange, getting to really catch up with her since the MTC. We still see each other, but we actually got to talk! Sister Meneghini was on the same shift with us, so all three of us got to bond. They were companions in the MTC. We also got to go to all the tunnels under the square, except one, which we speculate goes over to the conference center. We didn't spend much time, maybe 20 minutes, but that was still fun!

Usually we don't know very often if the local missionaries have made contact with the people we send to them, and often times they don't answer their phones or text us back, so we just pray for the best and let it go. A man named Walter, who I had the best referral confirmation ever of my time here so far, who requested the bible, also accepted the Book of Mormon. I shared the Restoration, and he accepted the missionaries. I promised him blessings, and he accepted to have a return call, but called us! He called us because the elders HAD contacted him, in less than a week, to say that he wasn't going to be home at the time they had set up to meet because he was working late, and he had forgotten their number. So we helped him find it in his phone and it just filled me with so much hope that Walter is taking this seriously. He letting them know and setting up another time to meet with them. When we find golden people like him, we walk away from TC saying, "He will be baptized!" or "So golden."

It hasn't been too cold here during the day, but the night gets colder. There is no snow. None. It is all melted and gone. We see the President and Sister Risenmay at least a few times a week in passing. Our mission home is the basement of the south visitor center, where every sister goes everyday at least four or five times. Wednesday is the day that we get to have our transfer interviews. So Wednesday will be my official eight-week day mark, but I've been saying eight weeks for like two weeks.

I know I am here doing the Lord's work, helping to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man! Planting those first seeds and supporting what the local missionaries are teaching, talking up the local missionaries, and referring to the local missionaries. And remember, if you read The Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and pray to know about what you read, your faith, knowledge, and testimony of Jesus Christ will grow!

Sister Glanzer.

Yes it IS cold in Washington. No, I am not "warm", cold is still cold.

Tree and lights,with Sister Fehlmann

In the back room of the North Visitor Center

The awaited drive test!

Preach My Gospel, such a good book

That isn't actually all that we haven't contacted, sister Da Luz like to lug them around, but some of them we need to. 

Thuggin under temple square

'See all nations flow, unto it, our lovely temple square!'

Sister Da Luz

We have Christmas because of Jesus, and we wouldn't have Christmas if we didn't have Easter.

I feel like I am running out of things to say that everyone hasn't already read, I don't like to be too redundant. A struggle of being a temple square sister is losing your food bag in the maw of the two big fridges. It really is trying when you are super hungry after a long while on square. But you wouldn't imagine the amount of covers we need, especially during the day when it isn't as busy! Ridiculous at times the amount of 999 covers or tours that west gate has to send out to our phones. The worst ones to see are  "3 eng missed at EF”. That means sisters aren't looking at their phones. Sister Da Luz and I aren't perfect either, but all sisters can improve during these times.

Now my new assignment is Beehive House. We give 20 minute tours and Sister Da LUz and I are there four times during the week. Each shift is three hours long. This is the place where we get to take panic buttons because there are no cameras in the house. But security gets there fast, and like three of them will show up. A sister pushed it on accident, so I got to witness this first hand, and then they remind us only emergencies. She felt bad, but I would feel bad too if I accidentally pushed it.

Since I last wrote, #Light the World has started, and December 2nd was the worst challenge as a missionary. Jesus honored His parents, you can too! I will do it now! I love my parents, Tyrone and Janet Glanzer. They took very good care of me as I grew and I know that they are supporting me as a missionary. It is also fun to see, away from people I know and know me, which characteristics I have from them, good and okay. But they are the ones that had the most influence of the Allison you have today, excuse me, sorry, Sister Glanzer you have today.

Last Saturday was a very busy day on the square. I say more people than are in the city limit of Tonasket, I saw more people that I would see in a month back home! I may be exaggerating a little on the month bit, but maybe not. I do not like being at TC desk at that time. Nope. Beehive house is nice because there aren't hordes of people coming.I also have it in the evenings of the two busiest days of the week! Woot!

I taught a new sister how to take discrete pictures on her iPad. Hey hey. They are changing from iPads to Samsung tablets! By the time the newest sisters are at the end of their missions everyone will Samsung tablets, one new sister told me. Interesting.

Sister Da Luz called a crazy woman on the phone. She told me about it, I didn't get to be apart because I don't speak Portuguese, but what she told me was super funny!

For Christmas, the square is closed until 4pm. but what we do that day, I don't know yet. From the Christmas Devotional this year, my favorite talk was from Henry B. Eyring. Mainly his story of how his home nativity pageant grew through the years. The messages where also good. We have Christmas because of Jesus, and we wouldn't have Christmas if we didn't have Easter.

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Günther, her companion is Sister Fehlmann, who is our district leader. Also, those two are our new room mates, the two German sisters. I rather like them both. I really enjoyed my exchanges with her. One can always learn so much.

Now, you have to be certified to drive a mission vehicle. We need to be safe and use good judgment and so forth. I have been trying for the last three weeks to take the drive test. Every time it gets scheduled something happens that pushes it back further. The next date is tomorrow, Wednesday, but I am going on exchanges with sister Fehlmann, and I think I'll have to reschedule, again. I don't think I am meant to drive a mission car. BUT! I wont give up!

I still invite you all to go to https://www.mormon.org/ and accept the service challenge. Today's was read the scriptures; I got that one in the bag.   So I'll share my favorite scripture with you all!

Mosiah 18:30: And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever.

I think I've might have talked about it before, but it just cracks me up! Mormon so totally had fun as he wrote this scripture on the plates! It just shows that great prophets are still just people! I bet when Joseph and Oliver stopped for a second and chuckled to themselves while they were translating The Book of Mormon. I would have. I probably would have had a laughing attack, driving the spirit it away with my laughter, then need to go for a walk and a drink of water. I can connect with Mormon here. I like my name too!

Chau

Sister Glanzer

Our lovely tree! Thanks Mom!

Those plates are heavy! Like lugging a bag of soft water salt around!

Rebel

I asked a kid how tall he thought Moroni, the angel who is on top of the temples, is. He said one foot. Fun fact, it is 14 feet.

Panoramic of the Reflection Pool at Temple Sqare