Mangarivotra week 8

Well this week has been another great week here in the beautiful city of Toamasina. I love it up here.

 It is starting to get really hot. We walk around and are just sweating really bad and your clothes all stick to you. But the worst, is when it's a really hot day and then you walk into a house to teach a lesson and it is twice as hot. A lot of the houses here just have a tin roof so when the sun beats down on the roof it just turns the house into a little oven. You sit there and are trying so hard to stay awake, and so hard not to die of heat and to try to feel the spirit through all of the discomfort and exhaustion. But the cool thing is he always comes.

 No matter how hot it is, or how loud the music next door is playing the spirit always comes into the room so strong when you bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, or of the prophet Joseph Smith, or of God's love for us. I know that all of those things are true and that if you are struggling to know for yourself all you have to do is study it, ponder it, and pray to God and ask Him with REAL INTENT if it is true. Real intent means that if, and when you get an answer you are going to change. You are going to act upon it and become a new person and a disciple of Christ. If you don't truly intend to change, an answer from God can not benefit you. But, if you will do those three things you have a promise from God that you WILL receive an answer. Moroni 10:3-5. I know that that's true. And that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to know the truth. Please think about your own testimony and where you stand, and if you still want/need more of a witness (all of us!!!), take some time to follow the guidance Moroni gives. You will get an answer.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder Glazier

I made bread the other day... but why make boring bread when you can make it into a turtle and a crocodile!!!!

We went and watched the sunrise on the beach! Only problem is it was cloudy so we didn't see it...

This is Emanuel. He is 21 and has been learning from us for a couple weeks and comes to church every week! He is awesome and will hopefully be getting baptized in December. This is his turtle.

This week was great! We had a great week as far as the work goes and we had quite a few of our investigators start progressing! We are way excited about it! We have a baptism coming up on Nov. 7. I think only one of our investigators will make it, but we have a few with dates for Dec. 5 and I think a few of them will make that date. We have these 3 families we are teaching right now that are way cool!

 There is one (named Guillom and Fara) that they read the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon and really liked it and seem to be loving our teachings.They had us over for lunch yesterday. It was SO GOOD!!! They are pretty rich, so we had like a potatoe salad, green salad, meatballs, then rice with steak, and then they made us carrot cake and we had watermelon. It was incredible!! And they had this french guy there because the wifes aunt married a french guy and every sunday they have all of their family over, so it was like a big family dinner. It was really fun. I was really frustrated though, because I can't speak french anymore!!! I could understand the french guy and when they talked to him, but I had a really hard time answering back. I could speak a little but not much. I ended up speaking malagasy to them and having them translate into french. haha

 And the other 2 families learn together and whenever we come they invite like all of their neighbors and everyone and all of their kids are there, so there is like 15 of us in this little tiny house talking about God and the restored gospel! It's awesome! They love what we're teaching them and seem way interested. We just gave them a Book of Mormon this week so we will se if they have read anything. But we are really hopefully. They are pretty active in their churches, but want more truth, so we are hoping they will recognize that this is the fullness of the gospel. That this is what they are looking for.

We had transfers this week. Nothing changed with me and Elder Bingham. Still the same. But we had 2 missionaries leave and we got 4 new ones that came. I'm really excited about it. They are great missionaries and are going to be a great addition to the zone. One of them is my last companion (my trainee) Elder Monsen. It's been fun to see him again and to have him up here the last couple days. 

Overall everything is going great here! I know that this is God's work and that He is guiding us to those that are ready to hear this message. I know that when we are obedient to the commandments God has given us He blesses us. D&C 82:10. Have a great week everyone! 

Love, Elder Glazier

 Hey everyone!!! 

Well this is going to be a very short email because I just got a call that I need to go meet someone at the church for something. Not sure what, but the mission driver says I need to be there in like 15 minutes so I'll keep it short.

This week has been great! We met a ton of way cool new families that gave us return times so I'll keep you posted on which ones progress. But the work is still going great here! Sometimes I feel like the only thing holding it back is me because I can't get from time to time fast enough. The people here are so ready for this message!

On saturday there was a baptism in our zone so we went to that which was way awesome! Baptisms always help remind me why I'm here and give me a new desire to work even harder! Then after that we got to have interviews with President Foote who came up this weekend. I had a great interview and learned a lot! It gave me some great advice about being a leader and about how to be a full purpose missionary. I hope some day I will be able to be as good of a teacher as he is. He teaches so clearly and so simply! I am hoping to be able to apply some of the things he taught me into my missionary work.  One thing that really stood out to me about our interview though, was every time he talked about Christ or the atonement he seemed to get a little choked up and the spirit would immediately come into the room! I know for a fact that he knows Jesus Christ lives and that He is our Savior. And I know that as well. Jesus is the Christ and He suffered for us and all of the wrong we do. He brought upon Himself all of our sins and shortcomings. I know that because of Him we can someday receive a resurrected immortal body and that if we will repent we will return to live with our Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for Christ and His atoning sacrifice for us. I know He lives and leads His church today. 

Have a great week and don't forget to thank your Heavenly Father for the blessings He has given you. Love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier

This is the crew. This is our zone up here in Toamasina.

Elder Bingham and I overlooking the big river at the lemur park.

We were tracting and ran into a butcher burning hair off of a pig in his back yard. 

Mangarivotra week 5

Akory Aby O!!!! 

Hey everyone!!! This week was good! We have been working really hard and really trying to find those people who are ready for this message and who are going to help the church here progress. One of our big goals is to try to get some more stakes here in Madagasikara and here in Tamatave where I am is a big focus. So we are really trying to find men that will be potential Melchizedek Priesthood holders. Last week I talked about Emanuel and his wife who we are teaching. They are still doing great! They came to church this week and are super mazoto (diligent)!

Sadly we found out they don't live where we are teaching them (right next to the church), but that is where their kids live, but they are just always there because they work right by there selling bananas. They really live like 30 minutes away and not in our area. But, they came to church again this week and seem way interested. We were talking to them the other day about how important our message is and they were just like, Yeah, it's way important. Religion isn't a game. It was way cool. So if they keep progressing and coming to church we're going to have to figure out where they should go to church and who should teach them and stuff. But for now we're just going to teach them at their sons' house.

This week for Preparation Day we went to this lemur park close to here. It was way fun! Our whole zone went and we had a ton of fun looking at lemurs and also going on a hike through the small tropical rainforest there. This country is the coolest place ever!!!

I'm sad to say that we did not get to watch conference this weekend. We won't get conference for about another month or 2. But I've heard lots of great things about it, so if you haven't had a chance  to watch it... Please do!!! We are so blessed to have a living prophet here on the earth today who receives inspiration for us the saints. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." We need to pay extra close attention to the words of the prophets and do our best to follow them. They will prepare us to be ready to meet God. I know that Christ's church has been restored on the earth again and that we are led by a true and living prophet of God. I am so grateful for the chance I have to share the message of the restoration with everyone everyday and to bring them the good news. If you are looking for a fun family night, invite the missionaries over and ask them to share with you the message of the restoration. I promise you will learn something, and the spirit will testify to you that it is true. Have a great week everyone!!!

Love, Elder Glazier

P.S. Shoutout to Bree! Happy Birthday Bree!!! Climbing up the latter to old age!!! haha have a great day! Love, 

Elder Glazier