Elder Monsen's First Taxi-be ride!!! TANA LIFE BABY!!!!

Me and Elder Monsen looking over tana from the mission home.

Trainer Swagg!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the four trainers this transfer. The two on the left are in my mtc group

analamahitsy week 13/ sabotsy week 7

This week has been quite great! We will start with monday. Last monday we went and played basketball at the office with some of the other elders and I got to see elder Rasmussen one last time before he flew off to Fort Dauphin (Paradise). It was way fun! Then we had a soiree with our branch president and his wife for the last time before Elder Anderson goes to Fianarantsoa. Then tuesday we went and said goodbye to some people Elder Anderson was going to miss. On wednesday I got to go on a split with Elder Nelson who was in my mtc group because his companion was getting transfered as well. We had a way good time and it was great to get to catch up wtih him. Then wednesday night is when it gets really exciting. We slept at the AP's house with all of the TRAINEES!!!!!!!!! THere were four new missionaries this transfer. They are all way cool, but right from the beginning me and one of them just really got along well and I was just like, he is going to be my companion. Then the next moring we had like 50 hours of training for both the new misisonaries and the trainees, and then the moment of truth. They called out the companionships. They do it just like openion your mission call and it was way fun. The first three went up and they all called out a different name, and then finally the one I thought would be mine went up and at that point we knew we were together because he was the last one. I jumped up and we gave each other a big hug and I got to say a little bit about our area and then we had dinner with the President and his wife and we were off to work! His name is Elder Monsen and he is from Holliday Utah. He is 18 years old and way ready to work. I'm way stoked for the next 12 weeks of working with him. He is super ready to serve and just really wants to give it his all. I am sure there are some long days agaed when I get to try to run everything and teach him what's going on, but it's going to be great and I'm excited to see how I grow from it and to watch him grow! 

Thanks everyone for all of the love and support! Love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier

Well there is only one pic this week because dropbox is being dumb. I think it still needs to be emptied... but this is the picture you get. 

Elder Glazier gone Cowboy!!!

Analamhitsy Week 12, Sabotsy Namehena Week 6

This week was great! First, I think God has finally started to answer my prayers. For the first time in a long time the work this week just seemed to go. Elder Anderson and I worked hard and tried extra hard to be really organized which helped, but we also just had so many small little miracles happen. We received a few really solid referrals and met a couple really cool families while contacting. One thing I've started to notice is that you can knock doors and just tract from house to house and every once in a while somebody will let you in, but they usually aren't too interrested in what we have to say, but when we really find the people that want to change their lives that are really interrested in our message is when we just talk to people on the street. There are people everywhere and the more you are just nice and friendly and talk to people, the more people God is going to place in your path.

Next, something really cool that happened was on Saturday we were meeting with our bishop and when we finished I asked him if there was anything we could do for him and he sat there for a second and then he said, "well there is one thing. I really need a blessing. Can you give me a blessing?" I was really intimidated. I have never given a bishop or anyone like that a blessing. Usually we give blessings to members we visit who are sick and stuff like that. But this was the bishop! I was really nervous. And it doesn't help that I am still not completely "mahay" (fluent) at malagasy. I sat there for a second thinking, and then I had it! I thought I could get out of it! I was on a split with a member and he still doesn't have the melchizedek priesthood. So I said, "sure we can give you a blessing. When do you want it?" Hoping that he would say that me and my companion could come back another day. Nope. He said, "Right now." Oh great. Well, here we go. So in my still broken malagasy annointed my bishop's head with oil and then afterwards sealed the annointing and gave him a blessing. I didn't know what to say! I have never been a bishop! I have never been a father or a husband trying to provide for his family. What was this naive 18 year old boy from across the world that can't speak malagasy going to tell this man who has been called of God to preside over a ward of people and help them come to Christ and who is also somehow also supposed to fulfill his duty as a father and husband? As I began to speak I just felt this amazing feeling of peace and comfort come over me and I knew exactly what God wanted this man to hear. I can't explain it. All I know is that God really does speak to us today and that He knows each one of us individually and knows what we need. I am so grateful that God trusts me enough to allow me to hold this holy priesthood power which allows me to be an instrument in his hands. 

Lastly, this week was... you guessed it... TRANSFERS!!!!!!!!!! And boy is it a transfer. So for the last 6 weeks I have been working with Elder Anderson in Sabotsy Namehena and Analamahitsy combined. It has not been an easy 6 weeks. Elder Anderson and I have gotten along great, but it's seemed like nothing we do helped to get the work moving. So last night was transfer news and Elder Anderson and I were almost positive there was going to be no change in our companionship. WRONG! Elder Anderson is going to be going to Fianarantsoa (same city I started my mission in, but different area) and Elder Glazier is going to be training in Sabotsy Namehena/Analamahitsy! Yep... I'm training. I am very excited, but very nervous! I am responsible for helping this new missionary adjust to missionary life, adjust to life in madagascar, learn a new monetary system, build a foundation for learning one of the hardest languages in the world, and somehow keeping a struggling area alive. Can I do it? Heck Yes! Bring it on! But it is not going to be me alone. I have a feeling the next 12 weeks are going to be filled with a lot of very sincere prayers for help and guidance. This is a nervous/excited Elder Glazier Signing off.

Love, Elder Glazier

Anamahitsy week 11

Manao Ahoana ry namako/fianakaviako! 

This week has been good. I have really been working hard on being patient and enduring with a smile. The work has definitely been my biggest trial this transfer. My companion and I have been working so hard and trying to organize things and get the work going but it just seems like nothing is working. Every week it looks like we are going to have a great week and everything is organized and then without fail by the end of the week something (or many somethings) fall through and end up ruining the great week we had planned. This week our power was having all kinds of problems.

 We had the tompon'trano (the lord of the house or landlord) over almost everyday with an electrician trying to fix our power. We are hoping we finally got everything fixed and the power will work well now. The breaker kept getting tripped because the dryer had fried the plug. Then the washer was having problems, then the breaker itself. So after getting every plug in the house replaced and a new breaker.  We are hoping to avoid any other problems.

 And then on top of having the power go out we had back-to-back splits on Wednesday and Thursday and zone meeting on Thursday so that ate into our work as well. But we are still working hard and trying to stay positive!

 I heard a great story in zone meeting that has really been on my mind a lot lately. I'm not going to tell it very well... but basically what it is is there is this guy and God tells him to push against this huge boulder and to just keep pushing no matter what so the guy goes to the boulder and he pushes for days and weeks and months. Through all of the rain and snow, through the cold lonely nights and the burning hot days he just keeps pushing but the boulder never moves. Finally after months and months of pushing on this big boulder without stopping and not seeing any movement the man goes to God and says, "God, I've been pushing on this huge boulder for so long and it has barely moved a millameter. I am not doing any good pushing on this boulder. It is pointless." God replies to him and says, "I never once told you to move the boulder. All I said was to push on it as hard as you can and never stop. Now look at yourself. Your calves and thighs are strong, your shoulders are perfectly rounded and your back is golden brown from the sun. You have become a masterpiece." We aren't called by God to perfect an area or to perfect our ward or branch or to perfect anything else. We are called by God to serve and to always push against the boulder no matter what. Through the rain and snow, through the cold lonely nights and the hot sweaty days. If we do that we might not always see the good it is doing, but in the end we will become the masterpiece God intends for us to be. It is so true. And we don't always see the change in ourselves and the good that is coming from constantly pushing against the boulder of doubt, temptation, peer pressure, discouragement, and everything else. But in the end we can always look back and see that we have changed. That has been my main focus of this week. Trying to push against the boulder with a smile. If you're pushing, but you're grumpy while you do, you will change, but it will be painful, and you won't change nearly as much as you will if you push with a smile. Don't forget that God has a bigger plan for you and for your life. Don't lose sight of the big picture and of who you want to become.

I'm sad to say that Lanto and Seheno are still not able to get married. They ran into another problem with the birth certificate and are going to have to wait a little longer to get married and baptized, but they are working on it. And Do has been very busy the last week and wasn't able to learn so his baptismal date has been pushed back as well. They are so close, and we are trying so hard to help them continue to progress and not get discouraged. They are all so strong spiritually and are handling it well. I'll keep you posted on what happens with them
.

Thanks again everyone for all of the love and support! Have a great week and don't forget to push with a smile! Love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier

P.S. Shout out alert!!! We are having four birthdays this week! We have the old, the young, and the in between. First, the old.   Happy birthday mom! Don't worry, I still love you even though you're old! haha   Next, the young. My sister Kristan didn't have her baby last week, so he gets two shout outs.   Happy Birthday baby Henson    The in between.   Happy birthday Kristan  and   Happy birthday Lilly!  

 Don't forget to eat an extra piece of cake for Elder Glazier!