HOT IN HERRE

On Monday, we played laser tag.  Missionaries can play for free.  It was awesome!  And of course, I held the Gier name well.  Elder Riley (from OK) actually had the most points so he won but since we were on the same team all is well.
In the evening we tried visiting one of our investigators named Rei, but he was not there but his brother was and said, "Hey, I know you guys go around praising God, but can I get your number?" HAHAHA!   Umm sorry, we don't do that!
On Tuesday, we spoke with a guy about the For Strength of Youth standards and read scriptures with him.  I love the standards!   I think it is awesome that they are for everyone not just the youth.
For dinner, a member took us our to Famous Daves.  Yes, I ate my entire dinner.  And the member who took us was amazed that I could eat so much and made me take his leftovers home with me.  This member is incredible.  He was in jail for 5 years but you could never tell now.  He is living the gospel of Jesus Christ and has such a light about him!
Tuesday we street contacted a lady who was wearing underwear on her head! So that was different.
I love the members in the ward they are so nice.
It was 117 degrees on Thursday!
We stopped by a members house Friday evening, she had lost her job earlier that day. Even though it was sad, she was able to come to church on Sunday and found a better job.  God works in mysterious ways.
Today was hard emotionally and physically.   So sister S and I read inspirational quotes.
Saturday was much better!  We got slushes at 7-11 - that is probably why. And we had a planning meeting so we were out of the heat.
Sunday was insane. We had so many investigators and less actives at church is was hard to keep up with all of them.  But that is a good thing.  We taught one investigator about the Atonement and the power it has on us.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  A member had dinner for us and served a cherry dessert just like cranberry salad from Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Brighter Than Sunshine

We randomly had District Counsel on Tuesday, and we talked about being urgent and desperate.  meaning - no need to take heed of danger and being bold.  i shared my thoughts on how the Lord is hastening his work.  What if we knew the lord was coming tomorrow?  How much ore would we work?  How much greater would we testify?  Ezk 33:16
We had a lesson with a guy named Maistro.  God has prepared him so much! He has had a rough life; his dad died when he was 10, his brother has been in jail 3 times because he is part of a gang, and Maistros's friend was shot in the head a few weeks ago and is in a coma.  He told us the world is bad and he knows it is going to end cause "only hell is this hot outside"!  He said he wanted to change his life so we committed him to baptism and he accepted.  When sister Sandoval started to explain the first visio, " I saw a pillar of light..." He turned to me and said, "that was God!"  It was very powerful.  At the end he was grateful we came to visit him or else he would have gotten in trouble on the streets.
The homes around here are insulated in styrofoam.  Since when was styrofoam part of the story of the 3 Little Pigs??
We had a service project on Friday at the Food bank.
I saw a shooting star!!
Sunday was Father's Day.  Dad, I love you and hope you received my card.
Overall a good week!

Get Your Shine On

June 22, 2015
Thursday was my first exchange and I was with Sister Robinson, who is from Texas.  She went to BYU for a year before coming out on her mission.  She 'hit' her year mark before coming the day of exchanges.
We had District counsel in the morning and then had lunch at In and Out.  I love this zone and district!  They feel like family to me.
Sister Robinson and I knocked on this grumpy man's door who had just woken up and was in his underwear...Awarkward!!!
Later in the day we had a lesson with a lady named Kim.  And then with a guy named Cando.  He is from the West Indies and it was rough the gift of tongues that I could understand him through his accent.  His step son came outside and realized we were missionaries, he was so excited.  It turns out he had been taught all the discussions by missionaries before but his parents had sent him to live with his grandma for a while so the missionaries had lost track of him.  Timing is everything, now he can be baptized and be an example to his family.
We visited another man who as I was shaking his hand to say goodbye to him, he looked at me and said, "your eyes"!  "They are bright!  They shine like the sun! Don't you see that?!"  I realized he could see the spirit of God in me.  It was a really powerful experience.
Being a missionary is cool.  You don't just help the people who are in your path but we help those who are trying to keep holding onto the iron rod, the word of God, as tightly as they can!
Saturday was my one month mark, 17 to go!  We are keeping really busy.  Oh, one day a lady accidentally sprayed us with her hose!  Haha, and she would not take a pass along card.
I know God places us where we need to be even if we can't always quite see the reason behind it.

On Our Way

June 15, 2015

We met a real life false prophet.  At first it seemed like he thought he was Jesus but later he told us he was a prophet of Jesus.   And he asked if we recognized who he was.   I think I will recognize Jesus when he comes.  Some of the thoughts I had while he was talking were: "Will I recognize Christ?", "what is Sis S thinking?", "is this guy on drugs?",  "how long is this guy going to talk for?" and then I wanted to add an "Amen Brotha!" at the end but I did not.
We helped a lady pack up her house.  She has a big heart but is a hoarder.  she has been trying to move for weeks but still needs more help.  At institute we discussed the difference between sin and transgression.  I challenge you to find the difference!
We tried to meet with a less active member but met with his mother and grandmother.  When said a prayer before leaving them.  Immediately at the end of the prayer, the grandma in her poor English said that the mom needs to get baptized like in the Bible.  Heck yeah Grandma!

June 8, 2015

On our first P-day, we went to the $.99 store for groceries.  Haha it is amazing what you can find! (kinda sketchy)  Every Monday, our whole zone gets together to play sports.  I guess word got around that I have hops so all of the Elders wanted me on their team when we played volleyball.  We played basketball and I made a 3-point shot and everyone thought I was so cool!  So I am holding up there Gier name here.  The we played a game that is like ultimate frisbee but with a football.  It was fun but I ran a wall...like literally a wall.  I was trying to tag someone and I guess I was running faster than I thought or the wall was closer than I thought, but I tagged them!   It hurt.  For lunch we got creative and had black bean-mango-lettuce wraps and we sautéed canned chicken with ramen noodles.  It was seriously good.
This week was insane.  Within 24 hours we taught 5 new investigators the Restoration and 4 have baptismal dates.  One of the investigators, Tyler, but we call him Team Jesus because he wore a hat that said "team Jesus" on it because "he knew the spiritual sisters were coming over".  Haha.  God has blessed greatly!  I know I could not do it without the many prayers everyone is sending my way.  I am so thankful to be doing God's work.

Sisters Gier and Sandoval at the Las Vegas Temple

Waking Up in Vegas

June 1, 2015
Wednesday was a super long day.  We had to wake up at 2:30 am, take a bus, then the train for our 8 am flight.  Our calling cards were not working so a nice pilot who's daughter is on a mission in the DC area let me use his phone.  Talking to you was wonderful and the first time I actually cried.  when we boarded the plane that is when things really hit me. I remembered when we flew to Mexico for vacation when I was 8. For some reason back then I was thinking of what it would be like to go on a mission (probably because not too long before a sister missionary had sang at my baptism).  I imaged myself all grown up with a Book of Mormon in hand ready to get on a plane to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The flashback hit me hard.  I have not thought about that memory for years but for some reason it was back in my head and this time it was for real!
We landed in Vegas and were treated by the Mission President.  At the mission home sister Snow made us pancakes and bacon.

My companion is sister Sandoval.  She is from Alaska and is really patient with me.  We cover the North Star YSA ward, which is basically the whole north Las Vegas stake.  Sister Sandoval has been here since January and knows the area really well.  She told me the missionaries were guessing who would get which companion and everyone guessed that she would get the girl from Oklahoma!

I saw a member from our ward who looked familiar.  When he heard my name he said, "I've heard of the Giers before are they from Vegas?"  I said, "no".  Then it clicked.  He said, "must be Oklahoma and I had dinner at your house"!   It was Elder Zerkle.  The members are awesome and feed us so much food.  I will get fat.