¡Viva Chile!

Well folks, the season of the World Cup has come. That means staying inside the house while Chile is playing instead of being out working. It's a little bit hard focusing again with so much time inside the house, but the good news is that I was able to work on a project we're doing with all the Relief Society sisters. We're learning how to knit with . . . looms? Not 100% sure what you call this stuff in English, but it's cool anyway. You can see the photos of my progress right now but hopefully not too far in the future we'll have a finished project! I know you're probably thinking, "seriously, that's how you're spending valuable mission time?" Yes, my friends, your question is vaild. But the important part is that we're spending time with the sisters here. We have to work together or nothing will ever get done.

This week we also had a night without electricity. Someone *cough cough not me* lost our electric bill and never sent it to the mission office. We got everything figured out by the next day and we're all alive. I can't complain much because, like I said, I wasn't in charge of the electric bill. We can't complain about our situation if we aren't willing to fulfill a responsibility that would change it. That's something I've learned in the mission as well. In the church we are very good about criticizing and pointing out all the things people don't do well in their callings. But we have to remember that that person has been set apart to do that work. The Lord trusts them and if they mess up once in a while that's just part of the learning process. If I one day am in charge of the electric bill, I will never forget to send it because I will remember how scared I was entering a dark house, thinking that the other hermanas were lurking somewhere, waiting to scare us...

As if that weren't enough excitement, this week we also had quite a traumatizing occurrence. (Queasy people please don't read this, I can only tell the story without fainting because I've heard it about 20 times this week) We had to go early to district class this week so Hermana Amaya decided to shower the night before. Unfortunately, she slipped and fell. As she stood up, she noticed that she had a razor hanging from her arm and there was blood everwhere. She had caught her arm in my razor (that as she always explains, has like 5 blades because I like good razors okay, not my fault) and it cut her arm open pretty deep. I was absolutely no help in the situation, seeing as I don't do well around blood. In fact, just telling this story is putting butterflies in my stomach. When I saw her arm I went running for the other room and the other sisters had to help her out. In the end she had to go to the hospital and get 5 stitches. I didn't even know that part until the next day because I fell asleep as they were caring for the wound. The moral of this story is: Hermana Glazier is not always the best companion and, I hope my poor kids never have injuries in the future. 

So as not to end on that distressing note, the good news is that this week there was a baptism in the other branch in Cauquenes. Remember Hernan? This week he baptized his girlfriend! We weren't teaching her because, like I said, she's from the other part of Cauquenes. But still, it was pretty exciting for me! 

Well, love you all, happy Father's Day (yesterday, be good. 

Hermana Glazier

Whatever Cliché Phrase About Rain

Whatever chiché rain phrase you want can be the title of this letter. This week we started getting a little appetizer of the rainy season to come. We also realized that we're going to have to make some small adjustments in our house...look closely at the photo that may look like just an inconspicuous wall. There's one corner where the water gets in a little bit. Or we might just leave it...mushrooms are expensive here and you never know when a lunch appointment could fall. 

My companion continues to have health problems, leading to one of the most defining experiences of my mission so far. We had to travel to Chillán (like 2 hours away) to go to the doctor, and neither of us know Chillán at all - it's one of the bigger cities in the mission. We got off in a bus terminal that we didn't recognize because we usually go in a different bus company. When we called the missionaries from Chillán to ask for directions, none of them knew where we were either. We started walking, asking for directions from random people in the street (or at least the people who were willing to stop and talk in the rain). Finally we learned that we had to take a certain kind of taxi, and all of those taxis that passed for about 20 minutes were full. We decided to start walking towards the direction that the taxis were going. Finally one of the Elders called us, trying to give directions even though he didn't really know where we needed to go. As we were talking to him our phone died, so we just kept walking. The security guards in a train station nearby luckily had the right type of phone charger at let us use it. When we called the elders again, they were already coming to look for us because when our phone died they thought something might have happened to us. We stayed there talking to the security guards for a few minutes about the church until the elders came and showed us where we needed to go. After that everything went well, but we both decided that we'll be going to Concepción next time (it's farther away but I think it would be worth it). 

I say this is a defining moment of my mission for 2 reasons: first, this would literally never happen in my normal life at home. Second, I wasn't stressed out at all that whole time. We were cracking up the whole time. I think that this is something I'm learning how to do more and more - just go with what we have and make the best of it. Don't look back at what we should have done or might have done, however dumb our mistakes were. It would have been so easy to ask the bus driver where we needed to go, or ask someone BEFORE getting to a miscellaneous part of Chillán. But that's how we learn in this life, by our own dumb mistakes. And who knows what might happen with those security guards in the train station who had never talked to missionaries before? 

I love being here in Cauquenes and being in Chile and being a missionary. The love of the Lord is what drives it all. Thanks for all your love, those at home! Keep working hard always. The enemy doesn't rest so we can't either. We know who will win in the end, we just have to choose to be part of that team. 

Love you all!

Hermana Glazier

Photos: eating a typical Ecuadorian dish, chicken with rice (thank you Hermana Morán), our great district (stayed all the same this transfer - woohoo Cauquenes!), Dansko's got two new models...

False Alarm

So, it's transfer week. The week you all (or at least we all in the mission) have been waiting for. Turns out, our entire district is staying the same. I'm so relieved to be staying in Cauquenes! Yesterday I felt really strongly that I was leaving. In Sacrament meeting I bore my testimony and it came out more like a goodbye-speech without even meaning to. Then in the closing hymn I started crying uncontrollably, thinking about all that I have been through and learned here in Cauquenes. I wasn't even thinking about leaving, I was just really emotional. But all the members were like "aw, Hermana Glazier is leaving!" And I was like "hey, we don't even know that until tomorrow! Stop it!". To top it all off the ward mission leader made me take a goodbye-picture with him and his wife "just in case". Now I have to face the ridicule of everyone seeing that I'm actually still here for 6 more weeks, how embarrassing. All that emotion for basically nothing. I will never make a transfer-prediction again, no matter how I feel at church! 

This week was interesting. For the first time ever, I had to stay in one day for health - related issues. Don't worry mom, I'm not dying. 'Twas my dear companion. She's had some health issues and one day she just couldn't work. I cleaned the whole house while she rested, and then when she didn't feel any better I decided to try to find a sister in the ward that could be my companion for a while to at least work part of the day. Turns out, our phone was out of minutes and the office elders were out working so no one could get us more minutes on our phone for another hour. Then I never found anyone that could go out so we ended up going to a member's house and I did some computer work (with the list of members). It was the weirdest day. As tiring or cold as it may be, I feel so much better being outside. 

We also had a great conference with all the sisters in the mission! It was fantastic and it was great to see all the sisters. Being in Cauquenes for a long time means not knowing that many other missionaries. The good thing is that made me less nervous for the solo I sang - "Hija de un Rey" (Daughter of a King). I was shaking a ton from the nerves. Everyone probably thought it was the vibrato in my voice, like, professional or something. Yes, hermanas, go on and think that. The point is, that song is great because it reminds us who we are. If we just remember who we are, we won't get down on ourselves so much. We are doing a lot of great things and we just have to keep going!

Love you all, remember who you are and keep moving forward. 

Love, Hermana Glazier

                                                                                            Hermana Glazier & Hermana Oldroyd  (cousin)

                                          Hermana Glazier and Hermana Amayo with President's wife

p.s. please enjoy the pictures of our matching Chile t-shirts! We'll see how the work goes around here for the World Cup...

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