Sister

Feb 15-21st

We had a trip to the Hoover Dam.  I did not think my companion would appreciate all the DAM jokes so I kept them to myself.  We took a tour of the dam as a missionary group and were able to access the tunnels and see the inside of the dam!
Tuesday we had exchanges and sister Chazen, a temple square missionary came with me.  We had a great day.  We taught plenty of lessons and had a huge lunch at Roberto's Mexican restaurant.  She is from South Africa so she has not had Mexican food.  Later we had a lesson with an investigator named Krystal.  Her family is hispanic so they fixed us tacos and there was no way to tell them no so I think I ate my weight in tacos!  e were stuffed driving home.  When we got home I realized that Sister Bedont had the key to the gate...in Boulder City...20 minutes away...but I had the key to the house!   I decided to scale the 7ft tall cinder block wall and jump down on the other side to unlock the gate all in a skirt!
Thursday morning we had interviews with the mission pres.  It was good.  I can not believe that I am one of the senior STLs in the mission and that I am HALFWAY done!  President has a lot of trust in me which is good and it is neat looking back and seeing how much I have grown.
Thursday evening we want to Church of the Vine Las Vegas.  Originally it was to talk to one of our investigators and his pastor but we ended up going to their young adult service with one of our members and e did not get the chance to talk.  If I got anything out of the trip it is this:  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints truly is God's Kingdom on earth today and the fulness of the gospel and the power and authority of God has been restored to the earth.  Hopefully our investigator will see it too.
Friday I went on exchanges with sister Snadoval and it was awesome.  We are fortunate to have been able to serve around each other.  We had a good heart to heart that evening and we were both in tears. She is a great missionary and special person.  I just love her so much.
Saturday we volunteered at the Saints and Sinners half marathon.   I received some weird tan lines that day!.
I love you, the church is true!

Happy

Feb 8-14th
We live in a member's casita and it is super cute and wheyey nice!.  Probably the nicest place in the mission.  My area is huge.  I cover over 4 stakes in the east part of Henderson and Boulder City.  Later today we are going to the Hoover Dam!  Whose.  The members here are great.  I was a little scared to go back to YSA because it was hard but we have been blessed!
We received a text this week from an investigator that we found our first night in this area.  He recently joined another Christian church but accepted the Book of Mormon and said he would pray about it.  The text said that we has been praying and wants to meet together with his pastor...st his church...So next week there may be a story of how we converted the whole church!
We had dinner with a lady named, Grace.  She served her mission in Oklahoma.
Exchanges went well this week.  Actually it was a miracle it went so well.  I had been praying all week that they would be effective and God answered my prayers!  It was neat seeing how the sisters were able to open up a lot (even those who hate STls) I know I am here for a reason and I know God is working through me to touch the hearts of all the people.   We had zone training this week which went well.  The zone is quirky and fun.  Saturday night we "heart attacked"the sisters and put heart notes on their door and streamers all around.  It was fun and I love how special it was to them because Valentine's Day as a missionary can be boring.
Wednesday, we were at a bus stop and this guy came up to ask us if we were Christians and we explained our purpose as missionaries and told him about institute and he said he would come but then he got on the bus.  So the next morning he called and asked the time and the address!  Its a first that an investigator called us first!.
We were on our way to institute class and sister Bedont asked if we could go back to the car and get a bottle of water.  On our way a non member who lives only four houses from the institute building approached us and said he was looking for a place to worship and thought he might as well try this one since it was so close to his house.  We explained our role as missionaries to him.  We were in awe as to how we just happened to be at the right place at the right time for him.  We gave him a tour of the building and gave a lesson to him on the restoration and the plan of salvation.  I would describe him as a mad scientist.  He is a 65 year old metaphysics who has hair similar to Einstein.  Very knowledgable.  He understands the basic concepts thoroughly.  Hopefully, he will continue to come to church.
After church on Sunday we had a "Linger Longer" with baked potatoes and chilli and salads along with a sugar cookie decorating bar.  YSA activities are fun.
I love you!

Ice Ice Baby

Week ending February 7th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM AND BRIAN!!

Monday was fun.  It snowed in the mountains surrounding the valley.  At ZL/STL meeting we reviewed the transfers by reading my losses.  The whole transfer the zone leaders made a list of losses, mistakes, and weird things I said or did.  They mess with me WAY too much!  But the good thing is it was the last day so they got it all out.
Tuesday was transfers.
It turns out my new companion lived in the same hall as me at BYU in the summer.  Only a few doors down!  She was in Ty's FHE group.  I knew she looked familiar but because of mission brain I could not place her.  Probably because she spent most of her time in the dorms studying ( like I should have been) while I spent my time with Gabby at the guys dorms.  What a small world.  She is awesome and super smart.  Everything she says and testifies comes straight from the Preach My Gospel manual.  It is like when someone talks by quoting lines from a movie except it is super spiritual.

We had zero appointments set up this week...The area book dis not sync until Thursday.  And when it finally did sync it had not been updated for a month.  Double transfers are rough!  But because of it we had a lot of time to find new investigators.  Normally finding investigators in a YSA ward is hard because it is a limited demographic but God blessed us as we diligently worked to find those He had prepared to receive the gospel.
Our first night we just prayed to know where to go and we turned into a gate apartment complex.  Right as we were praying it started to open and the first door we knocked on the guy was interested in learning about the gospel.
The whole week was filled with meetings like that.

Today we were so busy that we barely had time to play sports.  Next week we are going to try to see the Hover Dam.

The ward is super awesome and missionary minded.  This is the ward that sister Sandoval started her mission.  We had dinner with a member, Grace, and she served her mission in OKC.  How cool!  I have officially spent more time serving in YSA wards than family wards.  Zach's high school is across the street from the ward building...He said he has some non member friends that he is going to try to get the contact information for so hopefully I will be able to stay in the area for a while an teach them the gospel.

It is neat knowing that I am here in the Vegas area for a reason and how small the world really is.

Love,
Kaila

Overjoyed

Week Ending Feb 1st

So here is my weekly summary:
The weather was nice.  We played volleyball and basketball on our day and hiked up a mountain.  So exciting and cold.  Found out Elder Chamber's dad went to the same high school as you which is kinda weird.
Tuesday Elder Corbridge fro the 70 came and spoke to us.  It was great seeing sister Kaufusi (she is serving in North now).  She told me 5 people from Bullhead that we found and taught were baptized. Wednesday we went to the temple with Sister Vaaie and Erickson.  It was a perfect day to go.  There were not many people there since it was early and had just reopened the day before.  I love going to the temple.  It gave me peace of mind and was just the thing I needed!  Plus it was a gorgeous day!
Thursday we finally thought Sabrina.  Earlier this transfer Bishop Olsen asked me to speak in sacrament meeting and it was super spiritual.  Immediately after the meeting, a brother, Brother Cordova, who I had never met before, came up to me and gave me the information for a friend he wanted my companion and I to teach.  This does not happen very often.  Unfortunately she was living in Henderson at the time but just moved into our area.  She had already started to read the Bokk of Mormon and had questions like, "do you worship Joseph Smith?, what are you called Mormons, etc".  We started the lesson by getting to know her better and she is from the south side of Guthrie, OK!!!  Isn't that incredible!  We taught the lesson and the spirit was so powerful.  Then we asked her to be baptized on the 12th of March and she accepted the commitment and started tearing up.  You could tell the gospel was something she has wanted very badly.  In a tender moment Brother Cordova looked at me and said "remember the poem"?  He was referring to the poem I shared in my talk 5 weeks earlier.  It told a story of how two spirits knew each other and were best friends before this life but how one was born with the gospel in their life and one without.  The one without begged the person with the gospel to find her and share the blessings of the gospel.  The spirit was immense.  We promised Sabrina that we would find her and bring here the gosple.  How wonderful it is to be part of this great work.
Transfer news:   I am going to Henderson!  I am getting a double transfer into a YSA ward there and will still be a STL. I am super nervous because this are is harder that what I am in now .  My new conniption is Sister Bedont.  She is from Washington and come out a transfer after me and was sister Wilde's trainer.  I am on my 7th companion.  I must be a trouble maker!  I over the Eldorado, Lake Mead and Black Mountain stakes so if anyone knows somebody there, let me know!
I am sad to be leaving this area.

Love you!
Sister Gier

OK, It's Alright with Me

Jan 18th-24th

Things are going well here in Vegas.  This past week and this upcoming week are going to be and have been busy with broadcasts, MLC missing tour, exchanges and transfers.  Fun stuff!
It sounds like Natalie did great with her talk at the Stake conference.  Man, she is the coolest!  SO proud of her.  She is going to be a great missionary.
Sister Fingerle sent me an American flag tag like the sisters missionaries on temple square that was cool because she probably had to kill someone to get it.  She gets released in a week but I am going to do my best to keep in touch with her.
The Pday report:  I am getting pretty good at basketball, the elders actually want me on their team!
Wednesday morning we watched a broadcast form the mission department in SLC.  This year's vision is to teach Repentance and Baptize converts.  Everything the leaders talked about came from Teach my Gospel.  It is amazing how simple the doctrine of Christ is but how it has such far reaching effects on our eternal progression.  Repentance is such a key component.  I always learn something new as I study this fundamental but complicated gift.
Sunday we went on a mini exchange with the other sisters in our zone.  It was really nice.  The mission president is proud of the work that it going on in our area.  I found ut that 3more people I taught in Bullhead got baptized!  I wish I could have been there.  Elder Corbridge fro the area 70 came and spoke to us.  Kinda calling us to repentance  and humility which I needed because God had blessed me so much I need to become more humble.  Our investigators are doing well.  We walked Alma to church today.  Steve our recent convert called to tell us he read the entire General conference issue of the Ensign in a day!  Holy Cow..  He is awesome.  We keep finding people to teach and the Lord is blessing us greatly.
We just finished hiking Sunrise mountain.  It is super steep and my legs are on fire.  As we were hiking down Elder Chambers and I found out that is family went to Pueblo East High! crazy to know that his dad and uncles lived in the same town as you, mom. Crazy small world. We were freaking out.

The church is true!  I love you,
Sister Gier

Sister Gier in her Birthday Denver Bronco gear!

Don't Stop Believing

Jan10-17th

This week was AWESOME!

Thanks for the birthday surprise.  Chelsea Upshaw asked the zone leaders where we lived and then brought a lot of members from the YSA ward and surprised us when we came home!  It was awesome and very thoughtful.   Thanks mom!  I love you!

We also went on exchanges with the hermansas and my spanish is getting worse...not that it was that great to begin with but still...

Saturday night we received a call from the president telling us one of the sisters in our zone went missing but it was a miscommunication and it turns out everyone is alive and well.  But we were all a bit worried for a while.

Steve was baptized this weekend.  It was incredible.  The night before the baptism he had to Book of Mormon bash his family because they were giving him a hard time that he had been brain washed and was joining a cult and he did not understand what he was doing..   He went and picked up his Book of Mormon and said, "READ THE COVER".   It says it is another testament of Jesus Christ and that its whole purpose it to testify of Christ.   The he flipped to a page and read it and it talked about baptism and the holy ghost, he told his parents that is what he wanted in his life and if you don't believe in this then you are not Christians!  Pretty bold but awesome.   After the baptism we walked around the temple and he knew all temples needed a corner stone.  Who knows stuff like that?!

I don't have much time but thanks for everything!  Love you!

Sister Gier

The New Year

Dec 26-Jan 4th

Hmm...where to begin.  At day sports the missionaries started paying volleyball without me even begging to play.  I am starting to get better at basketball.
Tuesday we had exchanges and that is always fun.
Thursday we had dinner with our part member family who's kids are investigating the church.  WE love them!  They are so amazing and should be getting baptized soon!  We had to be inside by 6pm so we did weekly planning and made our usual calls and headed to be by 10:30!  This was the first year in I don't know how long that I did not stay up until midnight on New Years eve.  Not a very exciting for Vegas.  Haha
Friday, I was in the Spanish area and had to give my first prayer in Spanish, so that was fun!
Saturday was awesome because we met with Shayla and Shaundricka.  They always have some crazy questions but diligently search.  Sheryl read 1 Nephi 1 and had some specific questions on two of the verses.  How awesome!  Then in the middle of the lesson, Shaundricka said, "how Howard?! "  Puzzled by this inquiry she continued and said, "you know like Howard be his name"!  Hahahah, I was dying!!!
We almost lost our car and had to bike for a week, but all is good now.
Sister Wilde and I won the Iron Rod!!   We crushed the elders by 10 points!

Jan 5-11th

My week was less busy than usual but I still felt like I was scrambling around.  Getting the iron rod means that we had the most points in the zone based upon the number of people we find, teach, bring to church and set a baptismal date.  Not easy because our zone is really competitive and this area is prepared to be harvested.
We played basketball instead of volleyball this week so that was weird but no complaints since Elder Sawyer and I were killing it on the court!  Shooting 3's left and right!
Tuesday we went out on exchanges.  I was in an area with a sister who has been out for 3 transfers.  It was great and we saw plenty of miracles.  And it rained...no POURED on us.  We were walking around soaked to the bones.  We had forgotten our umbrellas so by the time we got back to the car we looked liked drowned cats.  I literally had to wring water out of my shoes.
The rest of the week went well.  There was a lot of snow on Mt. Charleston.  A family in the ward found out my birthday is this week so they gave me a cute gift.   We served at the Salvation Army which is always a joy and adventure.
In case you are wondering what the most common excuse is why people can't meet is is because they are getting their hair done.  And it takes at least 5 hours to get your hair done in Vegas!
Our investigator Elizabeth was finally coming to church this week.  She has a hearing handicap and needs a service dog.
Our investigator, Steve, is getting baptized this weekend!  His is awesome.  Reminds me a bit of grandpa.  He lives in a trailer and talks a lot.  Like so much that while we were in a lesson this wok I just remember thinking how in the world did we get through all the lessons with all his talking?!
There is no way we could have gotten Steve to the point he is now without the Book of Mormon and the power of the Holy Ghost.  Steve always read the assignments we gave him and knows most of the stories from the Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon is key to having faith in Christ.  It is so important to Heavenly Father's plan.
It was Sunday night and sister Wilde and I were just short of our goals for the week.  It is important for the SLT to meet there goals since we are the leaders and supposed to set the example for the other missionaries.  We knocked on the door of our last appointment and it fell through.  Disappointed, we went to the car and prayed, asking Heavenly Father "where do we/I need to be"?  A thought came to my mind, "you are exactly were I need you to be."  I thought about this more and how Heavenly Father lead me to go on a mission in Las Vega.  It was His Plan for me.  He brought me here at this time and all I had to do was be willing to listen.  Then I thought about where I would be if I had not listened.  All this was streaming through my mind when suddenly an apartment came to mind.  We followed that prompting and found a new investigator.  Talk about a miracle and the importance of listening to the promptings we receive!
Love you,
Sister Gier