Different World

This week I was thinking a lot about how missionaries are kind of in a different world from everyone else. It's great because it's easier to focus in on the things that are the most important, but it also creates challenges because we have to respect that everyone else is in the "real world". When we're working with the members here, when we're inviting people to church or to meet with us, it's like "oh yeah they have other things to do too besides talk about the Gospel". It's hard to find that balance sometimes but it's possible. And most of all it makes me really grateful to be a missionary. It makes me realize what things are actually worth my time. I'm really thankful for all of my experiences I've had so far (I have a lot more work to do still!) and I'm enjoying the whole being separated from the world thing. 

But don't get me wrong, it also has its disadvantages. For example this week there was a city-wide water shut-off for one night at we didn't know about it until we were already out working for the day. There's a picture of me with all the water we had for the whole night. We survived. BARELY. Nah we basically just brush our teeth and go straight to bed at night. Too tired to do anything else, so it wasn't really a big crisis. That's another reason we're different in the mission...we don't really care about things that used to worry us. (Especially what colors match...let's not even talk about how I'm dressing these days).

The truth is, anyone who knows about the Gospel of Jesus Christ should also be different from the rest of the world. We need to be examples of the happiness it can bring. We have to be different! I know I've said this before but I just want to say it again. It's so easy to get distracted and forget who we really are. But I would like to be able to look back on my life and say that I was faithful to what I knew. That matters so much more that what someone else thinks or whatever other justification I can make. Keep going strong!!! The Lord is hastening His work and it's so exciting to participate!

This week was full of interesting experiences - a disastrous family home evening, a strange man trying to talk to me in English and showing us his dog that is the only one of its kind in Cauquenes, heart-attacking a member family, having a 5-minute surprise b-day party for Hna Vieda (one of the other hermanas in our house) because we all finished our planning really late and had to go to bed right after, eating lots of fried things, helping a sister make sopaipillas (kinda like scones) and completely ruining them, getting a "new" (it's pretty old) washer, and trying to entertain kids in Sacrament meeting with the connect-the-dots game I used to always play with my siblings. I've learned in the mission that I actually have no idea how to handle kids. When I was younger I used to just tackle my brother when he was bugging me. But we 10000000% can NOT do that as missionaries. Being able to work with them is really important, too. We normally are teaching adults, but if their kids are running around they won't be able to pay attention. And Jesus always said that we need to be more like children! That's my tip for anyone preparing for the mission - learn how to work with kids. And also be humble like a child. I'm still working on that one too. 

I love this work and I'm so grateful to be here in Chile. This is the only place I want to be! 

Love you all, thanks for supporting me and doing all that you're doing at home. 

Hermana Glazier

Las Mini-Misioneras = Semana de Milagros

Aubrey Glazier	11:03 AM (40 minutes ago)
to me, Richard, Tosha

This week we had mini-missionaries! 2 young women from other parts of the mission were here for 4 days. It added a lot of stress in some ways, but we also saw tons of miracles. This whole weekend we have been suddenly finding people that we've looked for and never found. I know that the Lord is directing this work and that things will work out in His time.

It was also District Conference (I still have trouble remembering to say district/branch and not stake/ward). It was excellent. Our branch provided the choir and it was fun to sing in a choir again. It wasn't exactly like choir at BYU but it was still fun. 

Today we have transfers! Except actually we don't have transfers. The 4 of us in our ward are staying the same. We basically just had transfers early and knew that nothing was going to change right now. We're excited to be here and work hard! Woohoo!

Some great moments of the week (with photos!):

A couple times a week we eat lunch in our house. This week I made Dad's famous rice. One of the few things from home that all of the ingredients are found here easily! 

An awesome view of the moon. The sunsets have been AWESOME lately. The sky never ceases to amaze me. 

Normally we are the ones that start a conversation with people in the street. But this week we got to experience what every one else feels every day...a Jehovah's Witness started talking to us in front of his meetinghouse, inviting us to attend their special Easter-week service. I actually wanted to go see what it was like, just out of curiosity. Obviously we can't do that during proselyting time. But it was a super weird feeling being the person receiving the invitation. 

First time on the upper-part of a double decker bus! We were super late to the conference and we had to take an expensive bus that goes on long trips. We thought there was one at the right time but to our surprise, when we got to the terminal, we found out that there were less buses for the holiday weekend.We were super late to the conference, but at least we got to go in the fancy bus...

Our great district!

With mini-missionaries

Other great moment of the week. I left my journal in the chapel in Parral (like an hour away) in the Saturday session of conference. I thought it was lost and I was dying. My whole life (okay like the last 3 months) is in there! I prayed so hard that it wouldn't be lost. Luckily when they were cleaning, someone found it and saw my name in it and gave it to me. I was freaking out so much because my time here in Cauquenes has been the time in my life when I have progressed the most as a person and have grown so much closer to the Lord. I couldn't bear the thought of losing the written account of all that progress. I hope you people at home are keeping journals as well! It's so important. 

Well, love you all. Keep in mind what's most important in your life and dedicate your time to those things. Work hard and do your best! 

Herrrrrrmana Glazier

Who Knew?

Today we had a zone activity. A few weeks ago all of the zone leaders had a meeting and afterwards went paintballing. Our zone leaders thought it would be a good idea to do that as a zone. Who knew that my first time going paintballing would be in the mission? It was way fun. I hope my brothers still have all their paintballing stuff from like 7 years ago. I never wanted to go back then but now I will want to! 

As far as the missionary work goes, we literally have 3 new investigators this week named Maria. Also I was battling trunkiness, as an Hermana from my hometown finished her mission this week. I feel like I have SO MUCH more to do here in Chile. The time is passing like those little balls of paint. It passes so fast and all of a sudden it just hits you. WHAT! Speaking of time, I didn't leave very much time to write this letter (also I'm not sure what else to tell about oops). I'm reading the war chapters of Alma if you were wondering. All in Spanish. Good stuff. 

Hey. Enjoy the following photos. I love you all!

Private (Undercover Hermana) Glazier

My collection of sunscreens...brought one from home, bought a few, people gifted me a few more...(the entire Chilean population is worried about my skin)

This is war! (before and after).

Hey, did you hear that?

Did you all watch General Conference? I sure hope so. If you missed even a little part, you must watch it!!!

I don't know if it's just cause I'm a missionary and it's the most exciting thing that happens here, but I was so impressed by General Conference this weekend. Every single talk left me in awe. I know that all of these things I'm teaching and that our leaders were saying are true. I know that we will be opposed for believing in these things and defending them, but I also know that we will be happier in the end. This work and this church is so much bigger than just me. It's so much more than just a religion that makes us better people or anything like that. It is really the truth and the purpose of this life. How can we not share that? People will always oppose because they don't understand. But I know what I have felt. I see President Monson and the twelve apostles and all of the other leaders of the church and I can just feel that they are called of God. It's undeniable that they speak the truth, as long as we are willing to listen to the Spirit. 

I was very thankful to be able to watch General Conference in English, yay! Especially in the Sunday morning session. As we were walking to the chapel, we were talking to people in our path and inviting them to church. One man, after talking to us for about 2 minutes said "when do you have meetings?" and we told him it started in like 10 minutes. He said "yeah I'll go with you!". My companion and I just looked at each other like, uh, okay, we'll see how this goes! Turns out, he wasn't very interested in the church as much as he was interested in my companion. This became apparent as he was continually commenting on the fact that she was from Buenos Aires, and "muy simpática".  We had him sit by the Elders during the meeting. He talked out loud the whole time. The only time he wasn't talking out loud was when he was sleeping. I'm pretty sure we'll never see him again. Moral of the story: knowing English is a blessing because then you can be in another room of the church, watching separately, and you'll never know any of this was ever happening. 

Well that's about all for this week. I'm so grateful to be a missionary and that I was far from the earthquakes that were happening. Keep doing good things! And like Elder Ballard said, it's time for us all to study Preach My Gospel. Tell me what you're learning and I'll tell you what I'm learning too. 

Love you all!

Hermana Glazier

Photos: 

English-room face

Herrrrrmanas so happy about conference

All the Cauquenes missionaries! We love conference. So much.