Week of Wonder

This week I would like to send you all a photo of me with one of the most eventful things that has ever happened to me. I was preparing cookie dough for a FHE and 4 eggs in a row came out with double yolks. 4 IN A ROW!!! I took a picture when the 2nd one came out... I don't know exactly what that means, but I feel like things are looking up for Cauquenes. 

This week we taught very few investigators. But we are starting to see some great progress in the Branch in Cauquenes. We had a training with all the leaders on Friday which went great. Most importantly, they liked the food that we prepared. And, best of all, there are 4 different less-active people that we've been teaching that kind of come and go for these last 3 months, and ALL OF THEM came to church on Sunday and are getting really excited! It's so beautiful seeing that. So beautiful.

I don't have much to say this week, so I'm sending another photo of me with homemade coffee! Ha. False alarm. Not really coffee. But, yes, homemade, by one of the members. They call it "wheat coffee." It's basically burnt wheat that you boil and then make it into a "coffee". Tastes like Postum. (Or Ecco, that literally all of the members here drink).

Well, love y'all, have a great week!

Hermana Glazier

P.s. I apologize for the lameness of this email. I still love you!

Cold Winds

Cold wintery winds are begging to blow around here. I've been drinking a whole lot of hot chocolate and herbal tea. I also have a pretty consistent pattern of dress. I rotate through about 3 or 4 skirts, gray, black, or blue leggings, and 3 different sweaters. The jacket on top can vary, because my companion has a lot and I can borrow one from her. I don't plan to break this pattern until about September, when spring starts. This is why I laughed when one of the sisters in the ward here asked us if we dressed like this at home. No, my dear Hermana, I will probably burn all of this clothing one day, if it even makes it into my suitcase to go home. As I told my family last Sunday...I'm getting to the point of real-life mission-weirdness. It's something that I always feared. But now I'm starting to accept it. I am, after all, a missionary. Why not enjoy it?

I was very excited to receive some mail last week - packages and letters that people have asked me about. All you who have asked me recently - yes, I got it! (traveling 5.5 hours round trip to Concepción for your companion's doctor appointment has its perks). 

This was a week of "let's get serious and do all this stuff we've been throwing around as ideas for like 3 transfers". We're going to head into a strong, focused effort to get this branch excited. Nothing happens in missionary work if the members aren't involved. We're planning a training for all the leaders and a bunch of activities (English and music class included woohoo!). Most of al we're going to keep being obedient, studying hard, talking to everyone around us about the Gospel, and doing service. I know that's our job as missionaries, but I invite everyone at home to do the same! This work is being hastened, my friends. I know this hasn't been the most exciting weekly update, but it's basically all that's happening. Like I said, I'm turning all mission-weird. Keep working hard in all you're doing at home, love you guys!

Much love,

Hermana Glazier

Photos: disapproval at my inability to open the package sent by my family. Level of difficulty: probably spent more money on packing tape than what was inside.

Disapproval at our messy study room. Cleaning time!

Random walking shots. Woohoo the mission!

More Than Words

I feel like I got all my words out yesterday...so this letter's just going to be mostly photos and a little bit of description. This week was one of the most...interesting of my mission and my mind's a little exhausted! It was great getting to talk to everyone. I didn't think I was going to have anything to say but it ended up being just what I needed at the time. Loved seeing my fam and just talking about whatever we wanted. Love you all!

Next we have the best and the worst: pass-a-long card version.

                                                Then, what happens when you have a "sports activity" and no one shows up?

And we have our highlight of the week, Hernan was baptized! He will be a great member of the church. Some members had told us about him and we had tried to visit him several times without any luck, when we met him in the middle of downtown one day. It was a miracle and it made me realize that the Lord has His own timing in all things. 

And last of all, we had a great, very American lunch today. My companion had to go to the doctor so we're in Conce today. We figured we would take advantage of being here while we were just waiting around and eat at a sit-down restaurant. Something I've done like 1.5 times in the mission. It was really good but there's still nothing like home-made burgers!

Love you all, stay strong, enjoy your week, hug your moms, and choose the right! 

Love, Hermana Glazier

¡La más bonita de todo el país!

(that is a song written and performed by some kids in our branch. It's a song dedicated to their mom. I will sing it for you all one day). 

That's right. This week is mother's day. Woohoo! I know I've said this before, but the mission really does make you thankful for your parents. You just see a lot of examples and say wow good thing my parents weren't like that. I'm really grateful for my childhood. 

Anyway this week was full of unexpected twists and turns that wouldn't be all that exciting for you guys. Like for example, obedience. I've been improving on my goal to be right on time instead of like 3 minutes late (to bed, getting up, to start studying, to go out and work, whatever). And many other just-as-exciting details. Or having an "activity" that no one came to cause it was raining. But! At the end, one person came. And we actually really needed to talk to that person. Or like when showed up at our lunch appointment and the sister wasn't home (what? what could be more important than giving the missionaries lunch?). When she showed up she told us it was because she went to buy a guitar for her boyfriend who was visiting from Santiago for his birthday and then she left it in the taxi and spent the whole morning trying to get it back. She was freaking out because she hadn't found it, so we cooked lunch with her and sang hymns and she calmed down. It ended up being a great b-day lunch for everyone. And to top it off, they even found the guitar later! Or when in Sacrament meeting a recent convert shared with everyone his revelation that there would be an earthquake next week. I can't help but be a little bit nervous for fast and testimony meeting - especially when it's an investigator's first time. But you know what? I learned something important this week. 

 

making pizzas with the hermanas

You know how everyone jokes about how if the church wasn't true, the missionaries would have destroyed it a long time ago? I see that being more and more true all the time. If this wasn't true there's no way it would still be standing. We're so imperfect. And the Lord is the one who is really running this show. He knows so much more than us and we just need to trust Him more. 

                                                                    With the Iturra family (mission leader, RS pres)

                                              

    First time eating grilled cheese in my whole mission!

Love you all, have a great week!

Hermana Glazier