Anjanahary week 5

This week has been awesome!!!! We got out and taught a few times and found a way cool family. So Elder Covey has this guy named Santatra (sawn-tuh-chuh) who he taught in his last area like 6 months ago and taught him all the way until he was ready to be baptized. Right before his baptism Santatra moved to Tamatave. When it was time for his interview I was the one that got to interview him. Well it turns out his parents actually live in Anjanahary which is our area now. This last week he called Elder Covey looking for the phone number of the missionaries in Anjanahary so that they could teach his parents. That's us!!! So we went and taught them this week and they are SO COOL!!! They are so ready to hear the gospel! At the end of the lesson after we taught them about Joseph Smith and the Restoration his mom said, "Hey, I have a question. So you say that Joseph Smith restored the gospel in 1820... so why are we just now learning about it? That was 200 years ago. This could have helped us with our family. And did our grown son learn about it before us?" We answered them with a question, "Do you believe that God knows everything?" She then answered her own question and said that this is the time God has prepared for them. It was awesome!!! We think they are going to get baptized! We are going to teach them again today so we'll see how that goes.

After the lesson we were driving home, and there was a HUGE crack and it got really bright all of a sudden. I looked out the window and saw sparks flying and just ducked. After everything calmed down I look up and there was a massive dent in the windshield about the size of a softball and glass shards all over the car. It was crazy!! Everyone is alright and safe, but it was a pretty crazy experience.

Also, this week we got to go on a road trip with President and Sister Foote! We went to this city up in the north part of the country (the farthest north we have missionaries) called Mahajanga. It is a coastal city, and it is a million degrees and like 100% humidity. It was a lot of fun though, we got to drive 12 hours there with President and Sister Foote and then go on splits with the missionaries for a couple days, and go to church there. It was really fun. And then on our way home we stopped in this TINY town in the middle of nowhere. There is a family that lives there that are members. They run this little library out there. They had maybe 60 french books and that was it. They said they teach the kids that can't go to school how to read and speak french. It was so cool though, they called the mayor to come and meet President Foote and just kept saying how much of a blessing it was to have him visit their library and their town. The old mission president was never able to make it there because they would always fly to Mahajanga. They literally treated President like royalty. It was cool. But the sad part was they told us how bad they want to share the gospel with all of their friends that live in this town but they can't because they have to receive permission from a general authority to spread the church to that city because the church isn't there yet. So they are just waiting for permission. They are going to baptize their 8 year old son though, so that's awesome! 

We got back yesterday night pretty late from our trip, and we leave again tomorrow for an even longer trip to the far south end of the island. We are heading to a city called Toliara. It will be great to get to go on splits with the missionaries down there. We are hoping to just get everyone super excited about missionary work and get it to take off!

The last thing I want to write about is that family I was telling you about. Santatra and his mom Tina (tee-nuh) and his dad Harilala (har-law-luh). We went and taught them tonight, and I'm convinced that they are already baptized members and Elder Covey is just trying to trick me. We went back and they had read the entire Joseph Smith pamphlet, and they watched "The Restoration" movie with their son. We asked them what they knew about Joseph Smith and they told us the entire story all the way from him wondering where the true church was to receiving and translating the gold plates! They knew Moroni's name and like every little tiny detail. I was blown away! They ask such amazing questions and pretty much already know the church is true. We just need to get them to come to church and next lesson we need to give them a baptismal date. They are so so so  ready! I know God knows His children and He knows the best timing for everything. I know that if we will move our feet and walk in faith He will guide our footsteps.

 

I hope you all have a great week! I will write when I have some time. Hopefully on monday, but no promises. Have a great week! Love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier 

Anjanahary Week 4

This week has been awesome!!!! We got out and taught a few times and found a way cool family. So Elder Covey has this guy named Santatra (sawn-tuh-chuh) who he taught in his last area like 6 months ago and taught him all the way until he was ready to be baptized. Right before his baptism Santatra moved to Tamatave. When it was time for his interview I was the one that got to interview him. Well it turns out his parents actually live in Anjanahary which is our area now. This last week he called Elder Covey looking for the phone number of the missionaries in Anjanahary so that they could teach his parents. That's us!!! So we went and taught them this week and they are SO COOL!!! They are so ready to hear the gospel! At the end of the lesson after we taught them about Joseph Smith and the Restoration his mom said, "Hey, I have a question. So you say that Joseph Smith restored the gospel in 1820... so why are we just now learning about it? That was 200 years ago. This could have helped us with our family. And did our grown son learn about it before us?" We answered them with a question, "Do you believe that God knows everything?" She then answered her own question and said that this is the time God has prepared for them. It was awesome!!! We think they are going to get baptized! We are going to teach them again today so we'll see how that goes.

After the lesson we were driving home, and there was a HUGE crack and it got really bright all of a sudden. I looked out the window and saw sparks flying and just ducked. After everything calmed down I look up and there was a massive dent in the windshield about the size of a softball and glass shards all over the car. It was crazy!! Everyone is alright and safe, but it was a pretty crazy experience.

Also, this week we got to go on a road trip with President and Sister Foote! We went to this city up in the north part of the country (the farthest north we have missionaries) called Mahajanga. It is a coastal city, and it is a million degrees and like 100% humidity. It was a lot of fun though, we got to drive 12 hours there with President and Sister Foote and then go on splits with the missionaries for a couple days, and go to church there. It was really fun. And then on our way home we stopped in this TINY town in the middle of nowhere. There is a family that lives there that are members. They run this little library out there. They had maybe 60 french books and that was it. They said they teach the kids that can't go to school how to read and speak french. It was so cool though, they called the mayor to come and meet President Foote and just kept saying how much of a blessing it was to have him visit their library and their town. The old mission president was never able to make it there because they would always fly to Mahajanga. They literally treated President like royalty. It was cool. But the sad part was they told us how bad they want to share the gospel with all of their friends that live in this town but they can't because they have to receive permission from a general authority to spread the church to that city because the church isn't there yet. So they are just waiting for permission. They are going to baptize their 8 year old son though, so that's awesome! 

We got back yesterday night pretty late from our trip, and we leave again tomorrow for an even longer trip to the far south end of the island. We are heading to a city called Toliara. It will be great to get to go on splits with the missionaries down there. We are hoping to just get everyone super excited about missionary work and get it to take off!

The last thing I want to write about is that family I was telling you about. Santatra and his mom Tina (tee-nuh) and his dad Harilala (har-law-luh). We went and taught them tonight, and I'm convinced that they are already baptized members and Elder Covey is just trying to trick me. We went back and they had read the entire Joseph Smith pamphlet, and they watched "The Restoration" movie with their son. We asked them what they knew about Joseph Smith and they told us the entire story all the way from him wondering where the true church was to receiving and translating the gold plates! They knew Moroni's name and like every little tiny detail. I was blown away! They ask such amazing questions and pretty much already know the church is true. We just need to get them to come to church and next lesson we need to give them a baptismal date. They are so so so  ready! I know God knows His children and He knows the best timing for everything. I know that if we will move our feet and walk in faith He will guide our footsteps.

 

I hope you all have a great week! I will write when I have some time. Hopefully on monday, but no promises. Have a great week! Love you all!

Love, Elder Glazier 

Anjanahary week 3

Dia ahoana ry fianakaviako!!! Inona vaovao?

Hey what's happening family?!!! Everything is great here! This week was a little quieter than the last 2 weeks which was great! The craziest thing that happened was we had 4 new missionaries come over from South Africa. They are all great! There are 3 white guys and one black one. Kind of cool. I always think of it just being black people there. But transfers are FINALLY done!!! This transfer has taken three weeks. These elders have had some problems with their visas so they had to come in groups. So last week we got the two from the provo mtc, then on tuesday we were supposed to get 2 from south africa, and then on saturday get 2 more. So on tuesday we go to the airport to pick them up and wait for a while but don't see them. So we ask the front desk and they say the plane is delayed 2 1/2 hours. So we wait forever and finally the plane comes. We watched person after person come out of the terminal, but no missionaries. Finally people stop coming and everyone is clearing out of the portal, so president checks his email and he had gotten a confirmation of their flight earlier that morning that said everything was as planned and they would be coming in on WEDNESDAY! We were just like "WHAT?!" So we spent from 12-7 going to the airport to pick up the missionaries who were coming the next day. Nice... So then on wednesday we went and got them, and they're great! We took them straight out to their trainers and they seemed way excited! Then on Saturday we went and picked up the last two. So after three weeks of craziness transfers are finally done! And just in time too, because this week we have Elder Hamilton of the 70 coming to our mission to do zone conferences. He is going to be here for about a week and a half and go to 5 different cities to have a meeting with all the missionaries in those cities. It is going to be a great opportunity to get to learn at the feet of a general authority. He is in the South East Africa area Presidency. He is in the first quorum of the 70. We are really excited, but we're ready to be rebuked, or as we call it in our mission "Slayed", for something. He has a history of slaying really hard. So I'll keep you posted on how that goes. Hopefully everything goes great. I think it will.  

Funny story of the week... So elder Covey likes to drive like a maniac! And it doesn't help that there are zero traffic laws here. So we are flying down the road, and as is normal to Madagascar there is a cute little family of chickens having a picnic in the middle of the road- mama and her 6 little babies. So what does Elder Covey do? He doesn't even flinch and nails poor little baby chicken and squashes him flat! So I turn around to see one squished and another one flopping around in the road. I think he might have just gotten flipped upsidedown from the wind. But Elder Covey being himself just screams as he does it and then tucks into the church fence really fast because we were right by the church. He comes to a screeching stop in the church and we just sat there hoping nobody saw. haha Bad, I know. But I haven't stopped giving him a hard time for being a heartless chicken killer ever since. It's great! 

But I am loving being a missionary! It is incredible! We have so much fun and the spirit is always with you so strong! I know that God is our Heavenly Father and that He loves each of us. I know that when we keep his commandments He will bless us. If we will do all that we can to magnify the callings we have been given God will make us into a lot more than we can make of ourselves. Have a great week everyone!

Love, Elder Glazier