HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last p-day, we got a call that we had to move apartments, which was an ordeal! We all have so much stuff! And I may have to do it every six weeks. Oh my! We didn't even unpack everything because in a short time we may pack it all up! Luckily, it was just to the next apartment down. But on top of that there was an emergency exchange and Sisters Fehlman and Günther got a new companion, Sister Richins from AZ. She is a sign language sister. I can introduce myself as a missionary in ASL now! Our district had a kick out of that. Sister Günther gets to finish her training. That was last week’s crazy p-day, which seems fitting because a relaxed p-day at Temple Square is too good to be true. We didn't have to go back to square because we had to move everything! 

We are back to the regular temple square p-day schedule where we don't go back to square at 7, but p-day starts at 1pm! As we were doing our teaching center time, I always like to click on one sent to locals to see who is being taught who isn't interested, and rarely so rarely we see that some one got BAPTIZED!!! Some guy who requested a Bible back in November that I only texted. It said that he got baptized!!!!  What is this?? So we call and I introduced myself. He hung up. We texted him and he never replied back. So sad. We can't report it until we know when he was baptized and when he was confirmed. 

But what I like about missionaries who update the status of people that we have referred, is that it saves us the embarrassment and disappointment when they don't pick up. Also, the verbal abuse that can come when we call back, especially if we have a member on the phone with us, blessed members. So great. 

I got to see the Timms, as mother put on the blog, but they brought with them gifts from the Oroville youth! Now that the Christmas excitement is over, I now have four brand new tooth brushes! Two of them are purple! But that was so fun! Love all of you! So sweet and kind. 

Well the hustle and bustle of people are over. The last day of the lights was yesterday or either today. YES! WHO HAS TWO THUMBS AND IS READY FOR THE SLOW SEASON? THIS SISTER MISSIONARY! But now, we live by the phone, to take tours or people through "God's Plan for His Family." I am on top of that. The phone is rarely from my hand. The Sisters at Westgate, who send out the texts, laugh when I call so fast...WE CAN TAKE THE 3 GP! Sister Da Luz and Glanzer. Usually I would ask people, "Is this the first time you've come to see the lights this season?" Yesterday I asked this year, meaning 2017, and the people and I would chuckle together over the pun! ehehehe.

Beehive is funny, some days we have many people, some days we have none! But we took a tour through beehive that was half members and half non-members. That was the most interesting, on edge, spiritless tour that I have given in Beehive. When we got to the part about polygamy, they were just attacking us with, “Where is it said in the Bible?” or “Where does it say that we are spirit children of God?” We don't remember right off the fly! The member woman new about where polygamy was in the Bible, thank you! We tried to keep it moving, but they were insistent. We were glad for the members being there to help us. Missionaries don't know everything! 

But as transfer day comes closer, I am hoping I don't move apartments, and that my assignment stays Beehive. I really enjoy Beehive Tours. Oh hey! I talked to a return missionary from the Washington Kennewick Mission, who served a transfer in the Ephrata 1st Ward! Sister Alison Brand! That was neat! We know some of the same people! I also talked to some people that are from Cedar City that know Aunt Wendy! 

On New Years Eve, they had several kind of famous musical members preform in the Tabernacle. Bless4 is one that has a "Meet the Mormons" video, but they preformed at 10:15 pm and we all had to go home then, so a flock of sisters waited outside the window to see them. They all got so excited to, vocally, when they came on stage. It was hilarious!

Even though the Light the World Challenge was dated for December, we can still strive every day to be like Jesus. You can always light the world in January! Light the World again! 

As 3rd Nephi 12:16 reads, "Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." 

That's all there is(echo)

There ain't no more(echo)

This is the end(echo)

The end the end(echo)

‘Til next I type, with some more exciting news!!

Sister Glanzer

Our messy full room

This kid was so cute, standing in front while 'The Words of Christ' played

Look Who Found Allison!

Brent and Joy Timm and their family, members of the Oroville Ward, were on a vacation and made a stop at Temple Square to visit Allison. Michael and Connor stood in for a picture with Allison.

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....