Brandan's Madagascar Mission: Christmas!!!!

Well this week was great! It was Christmas so I got to talk to my family! They are all doing great and it was so fun to see them all! I can't believe how big all of my niblings (nieces and nephews) are! I finally got to meet my three new nephews! They are all so cute! I am so greatful for my family! They are so awesome and I wouldn't trade them for anything. They have been such a big support to me on my mission and I love knowing that they are all cheering me on and supporting me. Being a missionary is so great, especially during this Christmas season. What better way to celebrate Christ and His birth and life than by sharing with the world my testimony and the things I know about Him. I know that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that only through Him and because of Him can we receive eternal life and return to live with our Father in Heaven and our families. Only because of Him can we receive forgiveness of our sins and our shortcomings, only because of Him can we progress and change in this life. I know He lives and loves all of us.

Have a great week! I love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier

P.S. Cool story of the week: So we have this couple that is learning from us that just accepted a baptismal date this week and seems like they are ready to change their lives. Their names are Solofo and Odille. We met him about two weeks ago. His wife had left him earlier that day and taken their one son with her to go live her parents. He had also lost his job just a few weeks earlier. He was devastated. He invited us in and we just talked all about how God loves us and wants us to return to live with Him, and how He wants us to be happy here on Earth. The spirit was there so strong and he invited us back. For the next 2 lessons we taught him by himself and he loved what we were teaching him and was slowly improving and keeping his commitments, but he was still concerned about the situation with his wife and if he was going to be able to pay the rent on his house. When we came back the next time his wife was there and learned with us and he told us he had been blessed to find the money for rent. It was a little miracle God had given him. Now they are learning together and this week we taught them about the Plan of Salvation and they both said they want to be together forever. They loved the plan and said they want to get baptized and go to the temple. We told them it isn't going to be an easy path but they can do it. They still have a ways to come before their baptism (stop smoking and drinking, and get legally married) but they have a desire to do it, and I know that if they will keep working hard they will reach their goal to get baptized! This is God's work and He is leading us to those that are ready to act.

P.P.S. This week we get transfer news... that means we will find out if the dream team gets to stay together or if we get split up. I will let you know next week.

Elder Rasmussen and I decided we needed a spa day so we got some epsom salts and took a 45 minute foot bath while we read through our journals!