Zone Conference Tamatave

This week was great! Last monday we had a zone activity and went the this really nice soccer field that they have a little ways outside of Tana. you have to pay to rent it, so it's super nice! It's astroturf! It was tons of fun! We got to play for a couple hours and just have a great time! I love soccer so much! Then Tuesday-Thursday we worked our area and also did a couple of splits! It was great! I got to work with a couple of great elders that are doing really well. We also took a day to work our area and found a couple of cool families. Hopefully they decide to accept the message. We have one two families we are really focusing on right now. One is the niece of our recent converts we just baptized and her family. They are really cool and seem interested in the message we have. The other on is this cool family we tracted into. They have three little kids. They haven't come to church yet, but just committed to a baptismal date on July 30! I hope they will come to church and make their date! 

Then on Friday we woke up at 5 and drove to Tamatave. When we got there at around 1 we went straight to the church where the missionaries were waiting for us to have zone conference. It was a good conference. We were a little short on time so I had to cut my lesson down a lot which was kind of a bummer, but it's alright. Everyone (including me) would rather hear from president than from me anyway. Then we woke up saturday and drove back to Tana. When we got there that evening we had some things to take care of to help some missionaries and then sunday was good. We went out and worked our area again. That was about all that happened. And then today was really fun! We got all the missionaries in Tana together and had a big, huge basketball tournament. It was really fun. I think everyone really enjoyed it. 

As far as me manokana (muh-noo-kuh-uh) (personally) I am doing great! It's weird that Elder Rasmussen and Elder Covey are going home next week, but they aren't really trunky, so that's good. We have been staying busy. But one cool thing is we always make time to get in our studies even when we wake up really early and have tons of things to do all day and end up getting home really late. It is so important to always find time to study the holy scriptures. In my studies today I read about Captain Moroni and how firm he was in the faith. I love Alma 48:16-17. "16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

 17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

Moroni gloried in keeping the commandments of God and in doing good. That is why satan would have no power if everyone was like Moroni. He had no desire to sin, he just wanted to please God. I want to become like that too! That's the goal here on Earth is to lose all desire to sin and to learn to choose the right all the time. 

Anyway, have a great week everyone! Love you all tons!!!

Love, Elder Glazier

Zone Conference

This week was great! We had two zone conferences that we did and we made it on a couple of splits. The zone conferences both went great. President asked all 4 of the assistants to share a little lesson. 

The topic of the conference was being a full-purpose, full-time missionary. It was really good. I chose to share a little lesson about integrity and what it really means to have and honor our integrity and how that will help us be a full-purpose, full-time missionary. I think it went well. Everyone participated well and seemed to enjoy it. Other than that splits are still going great.

 We are getting to know lots of missionaries and being able to help them out a lot. I love getting to go on splits and help other missionaries. 

This last week I've been working on trying to do better at pondering the scriptures and the things I've been studying. I've decided that enough apostles have talked about it that maybe I should stop being ignorant and disobedient and try a little harder to apply it. It's been really cool to see the change in myself. It still requires effort and isn't natural to be constantly thinking about the scriptures and stuff like that, but I've noticed the Holy Ghost with me more when I do. Our mind is always going to be filled so that means either we can fill it or we can wait and let the world fill it. It's up to us to take an active role in who we are and what goes on in our minds every minute of every day. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Love, Elder Glazier

I'd like to give a shoutout to Henson, Mom, Lilly, and Kristan who all have birthdays this week! I hope you all have a great day! Love you all! Happy Birthday!

Back to Tamatave!!!

This week has been really good. We continued our splits. We finished up in Antsirabe and got back to tana for half of a day, and then the next day (tuesday) drove 6 hours to Tamatave. I got to drive which was fun. I feel like a racecar driver driving here. Our car is a stick shift which is way cool, and then all of the roads are barely wide enought for two cars, and they're super curvey, and there is trees lining both sides on the way here, so everytime you pass someone you feel way cool! haha 

We have gone on splits everyday while we've been here. I've gotten to see a few of my old investigators and recent converts which was a lot of fun. My favorite lesson I taught was with Elder Johnson. He is the zone leader up here and working in my old area. We had just had a great split, and the last lesson we had was a guy I found and taught named Rado. He is about 30 and teaches french. He isn't married yet, but he's a great guy! He got baptized right after I left. But we went to teach him and Elder Johnson started the lesson different than I was expecting. He asked him how he had changed since the first time he met the missionaries and how his relationship with God has gotten stronger. It was amazing to sit there and listent Rado talk about how before we met him he used to go to clubs every weekend and get drunk and do all kinds of bad things, but after about a month of learning from us he decided he needed to stop doing those things and start taking our message seriously. When he was telling us that, I remembered exactly that day. I was with Elder Bingham and we were thinking about dropping Rado. When we got there he told us he was done with clubs and that he was coming to church the next day. From that day on he completely changed. Now he is a totally different person and he is so much happier! I really felt the spirit during that lesson this week and I know that Elder Johnson was guided by the spirit to ask those questions. I know that this gospel is true and that it brings us so much happiness! I love being a missionary and getting to share that with everyone! If you are questioning whether or not it's true or if you feel like life is hard or unfair, examine your life and see what principle of the gospel you could be living better. God didn't put us here to suffer, but to have joy. I love you all! Have a great week! 

Love, Elder Glazier

Splits!!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! 

It's been another amazing week here in the not-so-tropical island of madagascar. This week was great! We went down south to a city called Antsirabe. It is the coldest part of madagascar. We were all freezing! It got down to about 50 degrees. We all thought that we were going to get frostbite! haha But while we were down there we did splits with all of the missionaries and tried to build up their programs! There are some awesome missionaries here! They are all doing great and were really nice to us while we were there. 

On Sunday we went with the zone leaders and took some of the leaders in the District to Ambositra. It is a city about 2 hours south of antsirabe. It's still part of the antsirabe district, so we took the district president and a couple of the ladies in the relief society down to go to church and do some meetings down there. It was fun. It's this little tiny city that doesn't have any missionaries right now. There used to be two, but we pulled them out because we don't have enough missionaries anymore. One of the elders that went with us took a couple pictures so I'll try to get them from him and send them. Other than that not a whole lot has happened. The mission is great! Lately I've been reading Jesus the Christ and the Atonement has been on my mind a lot. I love studying about Christ and the sacrifice that he made for us. I know that he is our Savior and Redeemer and that he suffered for us, died for us, and was resurrected too. Without Him we not only couldn't receive the celestial kingdom, but we also couldn't receive the terrestrial or the telestial kingdoms either. We would be filthy spirits forever and would be below satan. But because of Christ we will ALL be made clean and receive a kingdom of glory and a resurrected body. We will be above satan and his angels. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me. 

Have a great week! 

Love, Elder Glazier

TRANSFERS!!!

Well I don't have very much time, but I just wanted to write home and give a quick update of what's happening here in Madagascar. Everything is going great! The weather is cooling down which is nice. That means that I can wear a sweater. That might not seem that cool, but it's a big deal to us missionaries because that means instead of just choosing if I want to wear brown, grey, or black pants, and which tie to wear I can also choose if I want to wear a sweater or not, and I have three colors to choose from and I have to make sure that it matches my pants. Big decisions!!! 

So this transfer brought some big changes for me! I have been working with Elder Covey, but this transfer we got put into a foursome, so now it's me, Elder Covey, Elder Rasmussen, and another Elder named Elder Wiscombe. Yep, I'm working with Elder Rasmussen again!!! We were so excited when we found out! It's been a ton of fun and we're way excited for the rest of the transfer! We have planned to try to do splits with every single missionary in the mission this transfer, so that will be great! 

Our investigators are doing great! Tina and Harilala are going to be getting baptized on June 4th and they are so so so ready! I want to baptize them so bad, but we're really going to try to encourage them to have their son do it. He is preparing to go on a mission. I can't think of too many things cooler than getting to baptize your parents right before you go on a mission! 

Other than that, we had a great p-day today! We played soccer against one of the wards here in tana. they are pretty good, but we beat them 5-4! It's a pretty bad field (if you call it a field). It's just a big open dirt area that they draw lines on using crushed up charcoal. But it's still really fun! And then we came back to the office and played basketball with a bunch of missionaries for a couple hours! I couldn't have asked for a better pday. 

Lately I've been working on pondering the things I've studied, and just pondering life and the scriptures in general. The thing I have really noticed myself pondering more than anything is the savior's life and Atonement. I try to think of a story, and then put myself right in the middle of it as a bystander. It's a cool little strategy I learned from President Foote this week. I really like it, it really makes the scriptures come to life. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that he lived a perfect life and performed countless miracles here on Earth. I know that the ultimate miracle he performed was taking upon Himself our sins, dying for us, and taking His life again on the third day. Jesus Christ lives. He lives.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Elder Glazier

Hi everybody!! 

So this week has been crazy! I don't have a whole ton to write about because we have literally just been driving missionaries all over the place and planning out transfers and helping missionaries get where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. We have 6 missionaries going home this transfer, but they are going home in two groups. The transfer is actually next week, but 3/6 missionaries going home wanted to go this week to make it home in time for mothers day so we have been taking care of them. It was really weird to see them off. I was companions with two of them. And one of them was my trainer. I can't believe he is gone. It's so weird to think that it was over a year and a half ago that we was training me how to be a missionary. I was trying really hard not to get trunky, but dropping them off at the airport and watching them go through security and everything just got to me and I realized how little time I have left. I want to try so hard to use these last few months the best I can. I want to live them to the fullest. I didn't come on a mission to serve with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength for 20 months. I am going to give it everything I've got all the way to the very last day! There are still tons of people who are waiting on me to bring them the gospel. I can't let them down. 

This week in my studies I have been focusing a lot on patience and on choosing to be happy. I noticed myself getting really annoyed with missionaries and other people calling me all the time asking for help. I realized that that's not okay. I really want to master being patient with others and seeing the good in life. God has given me so many blessings in my life. It's my choice if I want to focus on the good all around me or if I want to focus on the shortcomings of others and myself and all the problems all around me. I decided it's not worth it to be negative, or even to point out something negative. When we focus on the good in ourselves and in others we are encouraging growth in those areas. I know that Heavenly Father doesn't see us as who we were yesterday, or who we are today, but He sees us as who we are capable of becoming. 

I hope you all have a great week! Love you tons!!!

Love, Elder Glazier

P.S. Happy mothers day to all those incredible moms out there! Especially mine! She has raised me and taught me since birth how to be a desciple of Christ. She teaches me by words, but even more than that she teaches me by how she lives! 

  Love you mom!

Anjanahary week 8

Hey Everybody,

This week has been great! We had a couple really slow days of taking care of a sick Elder, but it's okay, I'm glad we could help him out. He is doing a lot better now and is out working with his companion! We went on a split on Thursday with two pretty young missionaries. It was fun. They are doing good. We tried this new thing the Apostles are pushing for where when we go on a split we bring the missionaries into our area instead of going and working in theirs. It worked pretty well. We did a lot of knocking doors, because our program is still pretty empty, but we are getting more and more investigators! I'm hoping that soon we will be able to have at least one (hopefully two) days with a full program. Then when we go on splits we could bring the missionaries to our area on those days and show them how we teach in our area and how we interact with our investigators and stuff. I think it will really help! 

We also got to watch conference this week!!!!!! It was soooo good! I loved all of the talks! A few of my favorites were Elder Nelson's Talk, "The Price of Priesthood Power" that he gave in the priesthood session, Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson's "Do I Believe" in the Sunday morning session, but of course my favorite talk was Elder Holland's talk in the Sunday Afternoon Session, "Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among you". I love that. We are imperfect beings trying to be perfect, and as long as we are trying God is happy with us. It's when we give up when he we disappoint Him. I love how he talked about Heavenly Father's love for us. He said, "Brothers and sisters, the first and great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength. That is the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength." I had never thought about it that way. When we are working to love God with our entire being we are just reciprocating the love that He already has for us. I learned a lot this conference. I learned how to be a better son, friend, father/husband (someday), priesthood holder, and a better disciple of Christ. I also received personal revelation from the Holy Ghost of specific things I need to change/work on in my own life. I know that the Prophet, the apostles, and all the other general authorities and leaders of the church are called of God and are led by the spirit to say what God would say if He were standing at the pulpit. Jesus Christ lives and He guides His church through our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.

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

Love, Elder Glazier