What a WONDERFUL day in the Reno Mission! We just finished our first transfers and incoming 16 missionaries! I LOVE working in the office. The feeling there is soooo good. There were a lot of missionaries from all around the mission today who came in to be transfered or to become trainers to the new missionaries. We had 5 new Sister missionaries come in. We love watching the missionaries meet their trainers. They all are so excited. And when the missionaries come in to the office and see other missionaries they know they go up to each other and give each other hugs and act so glad to see each other. They talk and talk. The Sister missionaries scream and run up to each other like long lost friends. It is a joy to be around them all.
Pres. and Sister Hermansen are so welcoming and friendly to everyone and yet really hold the line. I can see the missionaries getting to know and love them. What a pleasure to be around them and watch this happen.
It has been so interesting to see the people respond to us having a new mission here. Everyone seems to be so excited to have their own mission here. We needed 8 new places for missionaries to live with this incoming group. Pres. Hermansen sent out a call to the Stake Presidents asking for help in locating places to stay and all the furniture and things needed to supply the apts. We had just great response. In one ward I was told the women passed around a sign up list in Relief Society asking for specific things to be donated. Before the list was more then half way around the room the list was full. Most things were bought by people. A man called and said his parents had immediately gone and bought 2 twin beds and framed and a box of cleaning supplies for one apt. and wanted to know where to deliver them. We've had all kinds of things donated.
One older woman had a set of old old dishes she had been given years ago and she came and donated the entire set of dishes. Plus she went to $ stores and bought mugs and heavy big plastic glasses for 60 missionaries and brought them in to donate. It all goes on and on.
I am just so happy to be here on this mission. I am more happy to be on earth at this time where I know why we are here, what we need to be doing and where we are going when we die. I just find so much joy every day that I want to shout it out to everyone everywhere. Knowing about the atonement and life of Christ just gives me so much peace, and more happiness. I am so blessed.
Lois Ann
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
June 8 - The Nevada Reno Mission has begun!
July 8, 2013 Nevada Reno Mission
We are now in Sparks. The office has been open for a week. We've been here 12 days.
It is much cooler here - 92 as a high today. We like it here. The people seem nice and friendly.
Our office is a rebuilt Seminary building and has been beautifully redone. The only problem we are having with the building now is the address. We went to the Post Office to get signed up for mail delivery and were assured all was arranged. Then - no mail. Elder Lynn went back over and was told we have no address. We had to establish one with the City of Sparks. He went to Sparks. They told him to go back to the Post Office and take care of it. He talked with a number of people. We were finally told we had the wrong address. But the original address had been changed and the one we have is the wrong number numerically, with the buildings on both sides of us. That is an issue for tomorrow so we can finally get mail delivery. They've been holding our mail and Elder Lynn has been picking it up. We've been told by some that the mail has been returned, however. So we hope this gets cleared up soon.
Our mission officially opened on July 1, a Sunday. So on the 2nd we went in and tried to get onto the mission web site and other sites on the computer so we could begin work, order supplies, enter baptisms, send referrals out to our missionaries, get e-mail, etc. We finally got on to the last one of these on Fri. but like every other place we had to get onto, the pass-word hasn't gone through the system yet. It has been a long very frustrating week just trying to get started. One of the problems has been that because of July 4 being on Wed. a lot of people we need to talk to at the Church Headquarters are on vacation. This week will be much better; we just know it.
We really like our new mission President and his wife. They have a huge job to do but are really starting out running. Last Sunday they met with the Nevada Las Vegas and Nevada Las Vegas West Mission Presidents for a 2 hour meeting (and lunch we served) before the two Las Vegas Mission Presidents flew back home. Then President and Sister Hermansen and the Assistants (Elder Marks and Elder Sparks) toured the mission (all of Nevada except Las Vegas south.) On the 18th we have 16 new missionaries coming in so this week will be REALLY busy for them, with transfers and
trainer assignments and everything.
Our apartment is very nice and we have it mostly furnished. Dee, Penny, Kenzee and Parker came up last weekend and brought the items we had packed to bring. We appreciate them driving all that way so much! They drove up, unloaded and stayed Sat. night, leaving at about 5 Sunday morning to drive back and be home in time for work.
Sacrament meeting last week and this was a surprise. We'd forgotten what 'regular' wards are like.
When the meetings started the chapel was almost empty. Even after the Sacrament people were
still coming in! Even with the children the rows weren't full. This Sat. our ward is having a clothing exchange for a Relief Society Social. People bring clothes they can't use any more and then they can take clothes they can use. Then in August our ward annually hosts the same thing for a Stake wide Relief Society event. They are also selling boxes of pears in two weeks.
We love having so many new things to learn and people to meet! So many have helped us in so many ways. We love Heavenly Father and Christ. We are so thankful for Christ's atonement for us!
We love the truth in the Book of Mormon. We are thankful for Joseph Smith and Pres. Monson and their lives as prophets. Aren't we all blessed?
Love, Elder and Sister Lynn
We are now in Sparks. The office has been open for a week. We've been here 12 days.
It is much cooler here - 92 as a high today. We like it here. The people seem nice and friendly.
Our office is a rebuilt Seminary building and has been beautifully redone. The only problem we are having with the building now is the address. We went to the Post Office to get signed up for mail delivery and were assured all was arranged. Then - no mail. Elder Lynn went back over and was told we have no address. We had to establish one with the City of Sparks. He went to Sparks. They told him to go back to the Post Office and take care of it. He talked with a number of people. We were finally told we had the wrong address. But the original address had been changed and the one we have is the wrong number numerically, with the buildings on both sides of us. That is an issue for tomorrow so we can finally get mail delivery. They've been holding our mail and Elder Lynn has been picking it up. We've been told by some that the mail has been returned, however. So we hope this gets cleared up soon.
Our mission officially opened on July 1, a Sunday. So on the 2nd we went in and tried to get onto the mission web site and other sites on the computer so we could begin work, order supplies, enter baptisms, send referrals out to our missionaries, get e-mail, etc. We finally got on to the last one of these on Fri. but like every other place we had to get onto, the pass-word hasn't gone through the system yet. It has been a long very frustrating week just trying to get started. One of the problems has been that because of July 4 being on Wed. a lot of people we need to talk to at the Church Headquarters are on vacation. This week will be much better; we just know it.
We really like our new mission President and his wife. They have a huge job to do but are really starting out running. Last Sunday they met with the Nevada Las Vegas and Nevada Las Vegas West Mission Presidents for a 2 hour meeting (and lunch we served) before the two Las Vegas Mission Presidents flew back home. Then President and Sister Hermansen and the Assistants (Elder Marks and Elder Sparks) toured the mission (all of Nevada except Las Vegas south.) On the 18th we have 16 new missionaries coming in so this week will be REALLY busy for them, with transfers and
trainer assignments and everything.
Our apartment is very nice and we have it mostly furnished. Dee, Penny, Kenzee and Parker came up last weekend and brought the items we had packed to bring. We appreciate them driving all that way so much! They drove up, unloaded and stayed Sat. night, leaving at about 5 Sunday morning to drive back and be home in time for work.
Sacrament meeting last week and this was a surprise. We'd forgotten what 'regular' wards are like.
When the meetings started the chapel was almost empty. Even after the Sacrament people were
still coming in! Even with the children the rows weren't full. This Sat. our ward is having a clothing exchange for a Relief Society Social. People bring clothes they can't use any more and then they can take clothes they can use. Then in August our ward annually hosts the same thing for a Stake wide Relief Society event. They are also selling boxes of pears in two weeks.
We love having so many new things to learn and people to meet! So many have helped us in so many ways. We love Heavenly Father and Christ. We are so thankful for Christ's atonement for us!
We love the truth in the Book of Mormon. We are thankful for Joseph Smith and Pres. Monson and their lives as prophets. Aren't we all blessed?
Love, Elder and Sister Lynn
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