Analamahitsy week 19 Sabotsy week 13

Well this week was great!

 Elder Monsen and I had an amazing week as far as missionary work goes! On wednesday we got a little discouraged about our tracting and feeling like we were just waisting our time and energy, but then we realized that our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and contacting and talking to everybody is doing exactly that, even if they don't want to hear what we have to say. We went back at it with a positive attitude. Sad to say that we did not get let into any houses that day. But the next day we had some more time to contact and we went into it with a smile on our face and ready to work hard and the first three doors we knocked on were families and they let us in and wanted to hear what we had to say. Also this week some of the families we found last week had us come back and we are hoping that they will be interrested and that we can help them to see the importance of this wonderful message we have to share. 

Also this week I got some unexpected vaovao. I have been assigned to be our district leader. THere are 4 companionships in our district including ours and the zone leaders who are also in our district. I am excited for the opportunity to serve. When they first called me I was nervous because I still feel super new and there are so many awesome missionaries here. I'm not special, I'm just Elder Glazier. But then I saw this quote that I have that says, "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." I am a little nervous, but I know that if I put my trust in God and let him guide me he will qualify me and help me to do a good job. 

Other than that, we are just getting ready for my birthday this week which means we have changed absolutely nothing. haha but we do have a dinner planned with some members tonight for my birthday so that will be fun. 

This week in my personal study I was in the beginning of Alma in the Book of Mormon and I was reading about how he went into the city of Ammoniha and how when he got there everyone rejected him and how they told him he was crazy and following the crazy traditions of his fathers. They said he had no power over them and were just making fun of him. But that wasn't all, they were spitting on him, and in the end kicked him out of the city. Now at that point Alma was pretty down. He just got a lot of persecution. It says he was ready to "set his back to this land forever." Then an angel appears to him and tells him to be of good joy and that he has reason to rejoice. Now I'm pretty sure Alma thought this angel was crazy. But the angel told him that he had been rightous and done the Lord's work so he should rejoice. Then he tells him to go back to the city of Ammonihah. Alma didn't argue, but he returned "speedily" to the city. And when he did he was received by Amulek who was a Nephite and who later became his missionary companion. This story brought be a lot of strength when I read it because nobody is spitting on us or telling us we're crazy, and we haven't been kicked out of a city yet, so we have no reason to be sad. And we need to always be willing to do God's work, even when it's hard. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Love, Elder Glazier

analamahitsy week 18 Sabotsy week 12

This week has literally brought zero vaovao (news). Elder Monsen and I are working hard and trying to help some of our new investigators start progressing and coming to church. We have had a really hard time finding new investigators and are working on getting to know the members and the auxillary leaders in order to hopefully get the ward excited about missionary work. We have been trying to visit at least one auxillary leader a week and do a soiree (dinner and spiritual thought) with them. Another one of our new focuses for our work is going to be trying to find and reactivate the melchezidech priesthood holders. We have about 20/40 inactive priesthood holders so we really want to try to get them reactive.

We had transfers this week as well, but even that didn't bring any vaovao. Elder Monson and I are half way done with training so we still have one more transfer together. I am going to try way hard to make this a great transfer and to really get the work going in this area before I have to leave. But that's all this week from Elder Glazier. Love you all and hope you have a great week! Don't forget to pray and read your scriptures!!! 

Love, Elder Glazier

This is a classic Malagasy Billboard! Half of it is upside-down! 

Well we decided to hitch-hike from one end of our area to the other, so of course we had to take a picture in the back of the truck! haha

Analamahitsy week 16, Sabotsy Namehena week 10

This week has been really good! We had a couple of really big things happen. The first, and probably the biggest thing that is going to have a lasting impact is we got a new mission president. His name is President Foote. He is from Reno Nevada. He is a super big guy, but super nice and funny. He is a lot younger than our last president. He is only like 54 which I think is going to make it a lot easier for him to bond with the missionaries and understand them. We got to have interviews with him on saturday which was way good. He is super excited about the work and really wants to light a fire under the missionaries. 

This is eternal life we are dealing with! It's nothing to take lightly! So I will keep you posted with the changes that happen in the mission.

The next big thing that happened was we had three of our investigators get interviewed for baptism which means they will be getting baptized this saturday! We are so excited! The three are Do, Lanto, and Seheno. Lanto and Seheno are the couple that just got married, and Do is the single guy that I have talked a lot about. They are all so ready for baptism and are going to be great members! I am so excited for them!

 Other than that, the fourth of July was good. We went to the other Elders' House and made hamburgers and french fries and talked about the things we love about America. It was really fun, but a little bit different than in America.

 Training is still going well! Elder Monsen is doing great at the language. He is basically training himself! He is going to be a way good missionary! Have a great week everyone! 

Love, Elder Glazier

Analamahitsy week 15 Sabotsy Namehena week 9

This week was a little bit different from most weeks here in the area of Analamahitsy, Madagascar. To start off, it was the 26th of june. Now to 99% of the world that means absolutely nothing, but for the entire population of this tiny island in the indian ocean it means time to get so drunk you can't remember your own name and then start lighting off fireworks! Oh, and you get bonus points if you can light like 50 firecrackers all at the same time! So guess what that means for missionaries here... you got it we had a very hard time teaching anybody on the 25 or 26th of june and we had to be home before dark on the 26th. Why all the fuss? Because not so many years ago this country was under french reign, but on the 26th of june gained their independance from france. 

Then on saturday the 27th our investigators Lanto and Seheno were finally able to get married! It has been a long hard road for them, but they never gave up, and they never used it as an excuse to be lazy about coming to church even though they couldn't get baptized. They now have a baptismal date for July 11th along with Do!

The wedding was really cool. A lot different than in America, but a lot the same. We met at the city hall in the morning and there was a small ceremony where they signed a paper and were pronounced husband and wife and then kissed in front of everyone (super awkward because malagasies hate showing affection in public so they like didn't even touch lips) Then we went back to their house and had lunch (rice and laoka) and there was a little dance and stuff and they introduced the family. It was a cool experience. It was cool to think that the parents of this family are now going to be able to get baptized and begin down the road to going to the temple!

The next thing that happened is that night we were sitting in our house planning and all of a sudden our door gets pulled on. Neither of us moved. Then it starts getting pulled on over and over really hard. We both jumped into action and grabbed huge knives. We weren't going to take any chances. Malagasy people are very scared and cautious people, and if this was a malagasy they were not afraid which meant they had a reason not to be afraid. I had suspicions that it might be the AP's because they had called earlier that day, but we couldn't understand what they said.  So I pulled out the phone and called them, but there was no ring. Now I was really starting to worry. The door being shaken and rattled this whole time somebody trying to break in. Now I'm really starting to worry. So my next thought is, "okay, well if this is someone trying to break in I should let somebody know something is up." So I called the District leader and as soon as I started talking I hear through the door, "Hey hey hey! It's us! Let us in!" Yep, the Assistants. So I set my knife down and opened the door. They heard me talking and were afraid I had called president so they gave up really quickly. I don't know if I have ever had so much adrenaline going through my body. I was literally ready to get in a fight and protect my life. After I calmed down a little I was just like all shakey and got like tunnel vision because my body had used up all of my adrenaline. I gotta give it to the AP's. They got us good. They were just coming over to say hi and see how we were doing. Make sure we were doing alright. I love our APs right now. I lived with one of them in Fianarantsoa and the other one is my trainer's trainer. They are both just super funny and love to joke around. I'm gonna have to find a way to get them back.

But that's all of our adventures for the week. It was another great week here in the best mission in the world! Have a great week and happy 4th of July!

Love, Elder Glazier

This is a way cool less active family we teach that fed us some way good saucage! Not less active anymore!!! 

Analamahitsy week 14, Sabotsy week 8

This week had a rough start, but it ended up being a pretty good week! On monday we had to go to this place in our area that is about an hour and a half or two hour walk. When we finally got all the way out there guess what... the people we went to visit weren't home! So we got to walk another 2 hours back to the main part of our area. But before that we decided to stop and grab a small drink. When we went to pay my companion discovered that his walled was missing. He had it when we had eaten lunch, so we thought it either fell out of his bag right by the restaurant or he got robbed by the drunk guy that was all over us on the walk. But I'm pretty sure the drink guy took it because his oil vile was attached to his belt loop and that was missing too. So we got to spend the entire day tuesday walking 4 hours so that we could knock on a door that nobody was home, and then trying to get my companions personal credit card and church credit card cancelled. Fun day! whoo! Wednesday wasn't much better. We had a member helping us find some refferals we had recieved. We spent about 4 hours going from house to house trying to find them and none of them were home. Then we finally were able to start getting things going on wednesday after a lot lot lot of praying! We have a wedding this week that we are way excited about! Lanto and Seheno FINALLY got everything sorted out and are getting married this saturday. We are stoked! Other than that, training is going well. My trainee Elder Monsen is doing great! He is way excited about the work and he makes sure I stay organized which is good. Still loving madagascar life and missionary life! 

There is something about madagascar that just destroys your body from the inside and the outside. Outside:FLEAS/ other bugs and spider bites!!!!

Inside: Food! The food here (rice) has a way of all going right to your belly. Here we call it the rice belly. It's real! But Elder Glazier has decided he will conquer the rice belly and has started working out every morning. It seems to be helping a little bit. My pants already fit a little bit better. But there is still a long way to go. But that's about it from Elder Glazier this week. Have a great week and don't forget to read your scriptures!!!!

Love, Elder Glazier