Look Who Found Allison in Elko Nevada!

Allison is assigned to Elko Nevada where her sister's friend Amy Still lives.  Amy and her children found Allison at church on Sunday.

Why do you need the Savior?

​​I think I have told y'all, but Sister Christensen and Sister Lovstedt have been writing a case study about building an area, and how to use the members and stop finding through our own efforts and go strictly to LARCs. For the past five weeks this was all of our non existent free time. I got to read it a few times, hear the trainings a few times, and listen to it over and over again while I contacted people on the LG Flip! Listening to it was so inspiring. Now, I would have quick thoughts that I would shoo away, "That would be fun to implement that in a new area" or "That would be cool to go apply this in area that needs it." I never prayed for it. I never put too much thought into it, but guess what, I am transferred to Elko, which 4.5 hour away from Reno. Who would have thought? And now I get to help start the case study mission wide. How nerve wracking is that?

My new companion of is Sister Cluff from UT. I hope she knows how to drive in the snow. I don't have a tiwi card. Tiwi is the box that regulates our driving. To let us know if we are driving to fast or if we took a turn too fast. He lets us go seven over the speed limit. that is pretty generous.

The funny thing about this is that Pres. Chesnut told Sis. Christensen on Friday after Sis. Conference. So we told a bunch of elders that Sis. Christensen and Lovstedt dreamt about it. The Assistants thought that was pretty funny.

This is how you know Heavenly Father gives inspiration to mission presidents and the assistants. I have maybe talked with Pres. Chesnut like twice, and once was with Sis. Smith at the beginning of the transfer, and the only thing I remember from that, "I can trust that you will be obedient?"  "Yes, President!" I wonder what my companions were saying about me in their letters to him every week. Thanks Heavenly Father, I'll do my best.

Also, Sis. Christensen, who spent her whole mission on the west side, (Reno/Sparks area) is getting shipped out with me to the east side her very last transfer! Also in spring to summer next year all there will be 162ish missions that will be using smartphones in their proselyting. How crazy is that!?! Man, too bad it wasn't early, while I was still here, I would have loved to help prep everyone on technology!

I am a bit sad to be leaving the Reno YSA because I was really barley getting to know the people better, and there are going to be two more baptisms here next transfer. This is nothing like getting transferred to a new zone every transfer at Temple Square, I still see all the missionaries I kind of made friends with. BUT! Elder Harmon, who is in the YSA ward with us, and Sis. Merrick from the zone are coming with us! So there will be three people I know!

WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE ON TUESDAY! That was amazing! I never thought I would be so excited to see a temple! The Reno temple is pretty small, but I like it! That temple is beautiful! We went as a zone. This was the first time in a long time that I went to the temple and their were more men than women going through. Good boost before I am shipped off!

We had Sisters' Conference, where all the sisters in the mission come to the Prater building right next to the mission office. We have trainings from the STLs, Sister Training Leaders. They were all really good trainings. We had a senior missionary talk to us about the priesthood, about what it is and means to him. That was very spirit filled. We got a copy of it!

I never have talked much about the rough tours on temple square, or the rough over-the-phone lessons. But Sister Lovstedt and I had a legendary lesson with an investigator we had on date. This was the worst lesson ever. We would ask a simple question, he would go off on tangents like nobody's business. Literally, I asked, "Who is Christ to you, how do you feel about him?" I gave him an example, and he goes on to talk about James Bond! Then I asked a simpler question, "Do you know why we need a savior? Yes or no?" That answer was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off! Way off. Then he told us that he learns better from men, so we gave him the Elders. They had a better lesson with him, which we were happy about. After that lesson as soon as I was in the car, we just laughed out heads off. It was ridiculous and funny! While this lesson was going on, the YSA Elders were making funny faces in the classroom window! 

My invitation is to study and find out why you need a savior. Who is Christ to you? Not only will you find the answer, but your love for Him will grow, and you will trust Him more.

Last six weeks in Reno Nevada Mission!  It is going to be great!

Sister Glanzer!

P.S. I have a new address: 1140 college ave elko nv 89801 the Zone LEaders didn't give us an apartment number if there is one. We'll find out next week I guess. A member told us there is going to be a snow storm on Friday in Elko! Yay! I got some boots.

Reno has a mission blog!

http://nevadarenomission.com/

Reno Mission Photos

Sister Cluff and Sister Glanzer in Elko Nevada

Reno North Zone Temple Trip

Being a Missionary is so Great!

We had a centipede in our apartment. then another, and then another. Then I found a dead one in the bathroom of the Buena Vista Chapel where the YSA meets. Gross. I am the catcher and the killer of them. Being the tallest companion, you get the hard jobs. It is so gross. I have never seen one before, but the first one we wanted to keep and show to other missionaries, it was an ordeal! We almost lost it in the carpet. So scary. It's body was 2 inches long, but it had 4 antennas and 30 legs. Don't worry, I have a picture!

We just had two baptisms, Kayana Kane and Wyatt Weese. Fun fact, Wyatt's birthday is the 28th of December, my nephew Wyatt's birthday is the 28th of December! Cool! It was so amazing to have been part of someone learning in person, not just teaching the Restoration and watch them walk away wondering what will become of them. My companions had started teaching them before I came, but just barely. Kayana is so good, the YSA elders have already asked her to be a member present in a lesson this week! Wyatt can't wait to get married in the temple, literally, ever since he had the Law of Chastity lesson and temples, he talks about it every time. They are so great! It will be fun to follow them on social media and keep in touch with them. Their testimonies are so strong!

We are busy everyday.

Sundays we go to the Tongan ward at 8:30 am. They sing in Tongan, which so amazing. The older generations speak in Tongan, the youth speak in English. We leave after sacrament meeting and go to the YSA ward, which starts at 10:30. We stay all three hours. Actually, this past Sunday, my companions and I spoke. Since Kayana and Wyatt got confirmed a member and received the Holy Ghost, that only left a short time for us to speak. I was the last speaker and as the time came down, I spoke for like four minutes, which is A-okay with me! Speaking in church is not my favorite. But we all did great.

We do about five hours of planned service each week.

Eating in Tongan homes is odd. Usually we eat and they watch us or are off in the other room, or the head of the house will eat with us, but even then not that much. That is the culture or they just hand us some money. Kind of sad. But for the YSA Chili Cook Off we are dressing in some Tongan attire and being Tongans for Halloween. My companions last transfer got these beautiful matching Tongan dresses a member made for them. There is this skirt chilling in the closet that fits me, so I get to wear that. My hair is just a blond Tongan version, so I am covered there.

There are quite a few less actives that we work with that are making so much progress. There is one that falls asleep a lot during meetings, so the sisters would give him mints. Well, for the baptism he was so persistent of a mint to keep him awake, I gave him like half of my mints. Then we had a "Why Believe Fireside" (devotional) Sunday night, He asked for some more, I just gave him the rest of the container. He was very loud about getting them out of the thing. So funny. The fireside happens at the end of each transfer, each zone puts on their own, and members are invited to come, and a few are asked to share their conversation stories. Kayana shared hers, a less active we work with shared his, and some other member did as well.

Also, this is huge, I guess. So the Bishop of the YSA ward has been a bit standoffish to the missionaries, both us and the elders, because some missionaries awhile back were a little too close with the members. So he hasn't done much with us. But this past transfer, he has texted us a complement and then this last Sunday he wanted to have a meeting with us, the elders, and our ward mission leader. This is HUGE! Really HUGE! He doesn't want any of us to get transferred out next week, which neither he nor us can control, but he appreciates the efforts that we have been putting in. I wasn't as excited as Sisters Lovestedt and Christensen and Elders Harmon and Wegelin, but they were super, super stoked, which made this very note worthy by their reactions.

Man, being a missionary is so great!
Sister Glanzer

Also we ate dinner with this family up in Cold Springs, which is super far away in our area, and their less active friend gave us nicknames. Sister Circumference, Sister Lock n' Load, and Sister Glycerin. Best nicknames ever.

We ate octopus ;)

The Zone

:)

Just Been Busy as Bees

We've just been busy as bees! We actually had two people have their baptism interviews these past few days! So we have Wyatt. He really, really, really likes dirt bikes and motorcycles, who has had a number of concussions in his day. Sister Christensen is super good at connecting motorcycles to the gospel. The Zone leaders were going to interview him on Friday, and they had to drive 30 minutes to get the chapel at 6:30. We are running a little late ourselves, getting done with dinner at 6:30, and we look at a text we got from Wyatt that he was in Carson with his sister.................................AHHHHHHH! But he is pretty funny. He had his interview on Saturday and he took an hour and 20 minutes... because he talks a lot... about motorcycles.

Sunday was Kayana's interview, and she took like 30 minutes and our district leader did her's. He said it was his very first he has done. She is super! She is in Jacob 4 in the Book of Mormon, and she is solid in the gospel! She is a freshmen at UNR, her friend Brendan is a recent covert that we are also working with to be more solid in the gospel. We teach both of them together.

Okay quick side note about Kayana's interview, we had eight people in the building, two elders, three sisters, one ward mission leader, and Kayana, and Brendan... I was taller than all of them! WOOT!

Their baptisms are next Saturday! I am excited for them!

There is a Tongan family that we teach Family Home Evening (FHE) to on Mondays, and I am always really excited for that! In the past they haven't been too involved in the FHE, like pulling teeth to get them to respond, but last Monday we taught the Word of Wisdom lesson and I got them more open! Today we are talking about temples, my element! We teach FHE to them because they live with the grandparents, and there is a bit of a language barrier between them.

We had exchanges with the Peavine sisters, aka Sister Smith A. and Sister Roush! Sister Smith joined Sister Christensen and I! That was so much fun to have her around for the day! We had just exchanged and our appointments fell through, so we were driving down Rock (a main street) and we see this kid just walking down the middle of the road not caring if he got hit by cars, so we flip around and go talk to him. Walked all the way to his home with him, He had a rough football game. Turns out he lives right next to the assistants to the President! We saw them later that night and told them to follow up in a few days. He also reads the book of Mormon every couple of months just to read it. This kid is prepared, if not now, but definitely in the future!

Hmm. It is getting colder and colder here...

Well have a great week everyone!

Sister Glanzer

This is our desk arrangement

A typical P-day we spend at the King's Row Chapel, running around the gym! Pretty fun!

My stellar companions putting the finishing touches on their case study!

The Sienna Elders saw our car parked and gave us some sardines... we passed them on to the YSA Elders

Taking a brain break

I was brushing my teeth and as I spit out the toothpaste foam my hair does a suicide jump and collides with the stream of spit

The end of the exchange!

Jacki Fisher was a super awesome member that moved to Logan. We were so crushed, she always came out with us to lessons

Baptisms in Reno

Brother Ron Turner from the Reno  NV who has the opportunity to work with the full time missionaries from the Reno North Stake, sent these photos on Saturday. 

Early morning photo of the first snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains outside of Reno

I am glad to give my time to Him

This week is Tongan week, meaning the big-hearted people feed us this week. They feed us tons of food. Maybe next meal I'll see if I can take a picture, but last night a brother had cooked a HUGE foil pan of Lasagna. I was so worried they would have made us take it all with us.

But of the food that has been Tongan, is Lou, and sa-pa-soo-ee. They like sweet potatoes but the white ones, they taste better. I agree to that!  A YSA member fed us last week, she had orange sweet potatoes... it was kind of gross to eat, not that she made them weird or anything.

The Tongan people beautiful singing voices!

There was stake conference for the Reno North Stake, so the YSA ward went. We had two rows filled with people we are teaching and then one or two in the way back! It was a really good conference. The Stake President compared to when he was driving a huge combine up a steep hill and having to respond immediately to this boss's commands, to  immediately following the spirit's promptings.

There was also a recent convert who gave his convertion story. He had a calling in the church for 10 years before he was even a member, and he was just really stubborn to being baptized and didn't understand why he didn't want to be. Last year, the Stake president asked him if he would be security for Elder Christoffersen as he was visiting the area. Because of the time that he spent with him, he really helped him to make the decision. After 18 years he was finally baptized. He said that he wished he hadn't waited so long to be baptized.

We drive a car because since we are over the Tongan ward the whole mission is our boundary (but we don't drive it, that would be too much and too far from the chapel). Big difference from those 35 or so acres back at Temple Square. We walk when we can, but usually we are always at the institute teaching there. We had three lessons going one day! Two pass off lessons, giving to less active members to the elders, and one investigator lesson. It is amazing how many YSA members will come with us to lessons! Sister Christensen came into this area a few transfers ago and has worked so hard to build it to the how it is today. She and Sister Lovstedt gave a training in MLC on "the vision to build." It was very good to hear them go over the training, I learned somethings from afar! They are such great missionaries are working hard to keep the area busy and going.

I think I might have mentioned that we have a flip phone. We rotate each day who uses it. As they have prepped for their training and had MLC, it has been pretty much me on the phone all week, which is kind of hard sometimes, because casual conversation over text? What? I still don't know all the people in the area. It is great to give the phone to the other sisters, they feel the same as well.

WE HAD ZONE CONFERENCE!  So how do I compare and contrast the two different missions?

Lets go with similarities:

1. Mission president gives a training

2. Assistant to the president gives a training

3. We sit at tables

4. Two zones attend

5. Mission President's wife (MPW) speaks once

6. We have a zone break off

7. We eat lunch

8. Talk about missionary work

9. Departing missionaries bare their testimony

10. Special musical number

11. Sister Smith A. was there. (right next to me in fact, common to have zone Conf. with her in the past)

Differences:

1. Elders are everywhere

2. The zone leaders just train in their zones not in the whole big group

3. The APs only had one training

4. Sis. Chesnut (MPW) only had one training

5. It was in a chapel.

6. We played a game called 9 square. I'll take a pic next transfer.

7. President had us prep a 5 min. talk on the Book of Mormon and randomly called on 4 people to speak (I wasn't called, thank goodness, didn't want to relive the MTC talk all over again)

8. Just the sisters sang the music number, so staring out into a sea of elders was kind of weird.

9. We took pictures after.

10. Ran off to a lesson, not a tour/assignment

11. Members made and fed us lunch, I think.

12. Sister Smith and I were introduced to everyone, which was like, no, we are just missionaries like everyone else.

13. We talked about working with members.

14. It felt kind of sporadic, maybe because we where in the gym and everything was more spread out.

15. My only choice was to hand write my notes.

I really loved seeing how much was the same between the two different missions, but I loved the most was thinking about how I get to use every aspect of missionary work now! Working with members, being in people's homes! What I can do to teach with my companions.

Something really funny that happened? Hmm? Well. There were definitely times that were super funny. Hmmm.

I know that this work that I am doing is the Lord's, and that the Book of Mormon is true, which means everything that we as a church believes, does, knows is true and correct in the eyes of God! Temples, priesthood, a living prophet, etc. I am glad to give my time to Him.

Sister Glanzer, The Secretary of the Reno North Zone STLs 

My companions and me

The zone