NO WAY!

That was my reaction when I heard where I will be going my last transfer of the mission. I'm going to be in Parral (close to Cauquenes) to be with Hermana Romero. She's only in her second transfer, and came to Concepción a few weeks ago for her new missionaries conference. I don't know if anyone remembers a week when I said that we had absolute craziness, divisions with new missionaries and mini-cambios and whatever else? Well when we had divisions with new missionaries she was my companion! I loved her so much after just one day with her and I never thought I would be her companion. I'm so excited! And the best part is, no one in Parral knows when I end my mission so I'll be able to focus well.

Christmas was great! It was a tough week as far as work goes, but we tried to enjoy the most we could. We had an awesome Christmas conference with the WHOLE MISSION (first and only time my whole mission) and it was great. We spent Christmas Eve with a great family. It was a calm, classy dinner and they gave us some small gifts. We then decided to follow the Chilean tradition and stay up until midnight to open all our presents! It was a little bit anti-climatic waking up on Christmas day and not having any presents but it was still fun. 

This Christmas season I feel like I have learned a lot about my Savior and what He really means to me. What he did for all of us means that anyone, anytime, in any situation, can start over. Whenever we what, no matter what we have done, no matter how old we are. (I was reminded of that when I watched one of my favorite videos again). It also means that no matter what I'm going through, there's someone who understands. I've had some tough moments in the mission where I didn't even understand myself, and realizing that someone actually does understand was all I needed to feel better. I'm so grateful for that knowledge and I am going to do all I can to let others know the same. 6 weeks is a very short time and I won't be able to do everything in that time. But I'm going to give all I can because He deserves the best. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

I love you all. 

Hermana Glazier

Photos: reunited with all my old companions at the Christmas conference, Christmas Eve with Hermana Lorena.

Pan de Pascua

If anyone were to ask me what Christmas is like here, I would just say, "lots and lots of pan de Pascua." (similar to fruitcake). No snow, obviously, but it's actually been nice and chilly here in Concepción this past week. It even rained a couple days, so from what I hear, we've been having the same weather as Utah!

This was yet another crazy week - divisions with new missionaries, exchanges with hermanas from our zone, ward Christmas activity (the primary kids from the Collao ward did a Nativity that gave me some ideas for next year with the Glazier fam, including some fancy light effects haha) and much more! We once again are barely keeping up with everything and trying to enjoy the ride. Today we had a zone activity and rushed around to buy some gifts afterwards. Some things never change - I've never been one to buy my gifts very far in advance. I also hate shopping with all the crowds. I should probably change one of those things. 

On Saturday we stopped to talk to a man in the street and invited him to church. He surprisingly said, "Yeah, I want to go" - not just the normal "yeah, maybe I'll pass by sometimes". And he showed up the next day at church! He loved it and seemed to get along with some of the members. Hopefully we'll be able to keep on teaching him. 

I also was very excited to hear on Sunday that a relative of one of the members got baptized in a different part of Conce. (Actually from the Concepción South mission). She was at the member's house one day and we asked if she would like to be visited by the missionaries. I wrote down all her information and passed it on to the office. This was about 2 or 3 months ago and I never heard anything else. In fact, I've passed on the information of dozens of people to the office but it's not likely I'll ever know anything about what happens afterwards. Anyway, a couple weeks ago she visited Collao again and told us she had been visiting with the Elders and going to church and was trying to decide if she should be baptized. We encouraged her to keep praying about it. I was so happy to hear that she had made the decision. It feels good knowing that sometimes the smallest things make a huge difference. 

I hope everyone's been enjoying the Christmas season and have found small ways to serve others. Thanks for all the love and support. I love you all!

Feliz Navidad, 

Hermana Glazier

The only pictures I have this week are from the Zone activity. A major asado. The zone leaders went a little overboard on the grocery shopping and we ended up with a loooooot of meat. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

We've been teaching this classic Christmas tune to one of the Hermanas in our house. She's from Argentina but we practice English with her a lot. Her companion, who is from Brazil, is not happy with us - she's been listening to the first 2 lines of "Rudolph" for about 3 days straight. But the good news is, she still has taught me a few words in Portuguese! I love being able to learn and teach languages. It's so fascinating. I would love to be able to talk to anyone in the world in their native language - wouldn't that be amazing?

Anyway - it was a hectic week. There are times in the work where it feels like we're pushing a car uphill and for every foot we push it we have to stop at let it roll back a few inches. Then there are times where it gets momentum and we have to run to keep up, and meanwhile some other things are neglected. I often feel like I'm not keeping up with everything, but we're trying to enjoy the road anyway. I especially love focusing on Christmas and inviting everyone to learn about the greatest gift that has ever been given - our Savior.

I love recognizing and remembering that no matter how much we lack, the Savior makes up for the rest. This week I was studying a talk by Elder Maxwell called "Notwithstanding My Weakness" (follow the link at read it if you have a minute). I love it 1. because it's so well written and 2. because it's so true. Our spiritual progress is never going to be a checklist of things nor anything like it. It's about trying and constantly repenting. Right at the beginning of the talk he mentions that some of us have "false insecurity". Why do we doubt our abilitites, lose hope, or feel discouraged, when we know deep inside that we only have reason to rejoice? I can't help but love everything that has to do with Christmas because it reminds me of that. 

I love you all,

Hermana Glazier

Ramuntcho

Dang, I'm still not used to this only 1 hour thing. Next week I'll write the blog first, deal? But for today enjoy some great photos of Ramuntcho - a beautiful beach where we went for a zone activity today. 

Love you all!

H Glaz

Thanksgiving is every day, man

I chose that title because this Thanksgiving passed like any other day. I thought it couldn't get any less eventful than last year, but apparently it can! As I was eating my carbonada (typical Chilean beef and noodle soup) at lunch ton Thursday, I suddenly remembered that it was thanksgiving. I mentioned it and everybody just said "Oh yeah, that's cool," and we carried on. I didn't feel bad though in all honesty, because EVERY day is like Thanksgiving here! 1. sometimes the food portions are VERY LARGE and 2. I'm constantly and eternally grateful to be here. No matter how much I complain about being tired or how strong the sun is or whatever else, I really do love this place and these people. And most of all, I love talking about the Savior every chance I get. 

That's why I LOVE the new video the Church is using this Christmas season. If you haven't heard of it yet, go to http://www.mormon.org/christmas to watch it. We as missionaries have been invited to use this video in all of our efforts this month. I love it and it's a message that we all can relate to. There's nothing like the mission to make you realize how unimportant the gifts and out-of-control commercialization are at this time. I love focusing on the greatest gift any of us will ever receive. I'm thankful that in my family we always focused on that and that we always did something as a family to serve our neighbors or help out other people and that we always read the Christmas story from the scriptures. Keep up that focus this year and it'll be 100% more enjoyable!

Well, my last piece of news is that we have had an onfortunate occurence here in Collao. This morning I pulled my sheets and blankets off my bed in one large swoop and threw them in the washer without checking to see if any items had gone unnoticed. As were about to go out the door I asked Hermana Corbett to call me because I couldn't find my phone. She said that it didn't ring - it was just turned off. That's weird, I thought, because I had just charged it yesterday. As I went into the kitchen I heard a clunking noise in the washer. In that moment I knew what I had done. I always make fun of people for making those dumb kind of errors and think to myself "how can you just not take care of your stuff like that!" and yet here I am. It's what I get for making fun of people. We'll see if the classic rice-drying method will restore it or if I'll just have to pay for a new phone. Haha I'm so embarrassed. 

Have a great week, love you all!

Hermana Glazier

BIG-TIME cambios!

This past week we saw huge changes in the mission. There were lots of surprising transfers and changes (things that are exciting for us :)

I'm excited to be with Hermana Corbett! She's awesome and we're getting along great. The first week was crazy but things are settling in now. 2 new Elders also came to the ward so it's been like a good jump-start for everyone. We've got some great activities coming up and we're starting to be more united with the ward (that's what happens when you have 2 new Elders who need help from the members to find where people live, etc - everyone is obligated to get involved!)

So the other big change/news is that we now only have 1 hour of internet time instead of 1.5 hours. This is just to let you know that it might be harder for me to respond to my "abundant" *cough cough* emails. Ha. You get to this point in the mission and everyone forgets about you...nah, I don't feel forgotten. I'm just glad that it's at this point they've changed the rule. 

I would just like to take a moment to give a shout out to my little brother who is a STATE CHAMP! Good job, man. Like I have mentioned several times - I'm determined to improve my sports abilities after I get home, and I have great siblings who are going to be able to teach me :)

Well, I love you all, keep working hard and doing good things! 

Love, 

Hermana Glashzieier

p.s. I shouldn't have promised photos of this week because I didn't take any ha! Here are some surprise-attack-while-on-the-computer attempts and a shot of me and H'Meyer eating amazing home-made bread, a kind relief-society president's way of saying thanks and goodbye.

Goodbye Hermana Meyer!

Well, it's happening - cambios again. Hermana Meyer is going to Chillán, and Hermana Corbett is coming! I will miss Hermana Meyer but Hermana Corbett's great too. I'll send pictures next week. I'm always nervous about walking around with another blonde hermana (we get a lot more attention and "hello"s) but I guess we'll just have to tough it out :) I'm also nervous because the other 3 missionaries from our ward are leaving - I'm the only one staying! My memory will definitely be tested these coming weeks.

This week we had stake conference and wouldn't you know it, I was the only person in the stake qualified to play the piano. They called us about 2 weeks ago with an urgent request for someone who knows how to read music to help with their choir rehearsals. I accepted, thinking that they just needed someone to help fill in for a couple practices. I ended up playing all of the hymns for both sessions of stake conference. I'm about 98% sure that it will be the first and last time I will be asked to accompany the hymns and choir at a stake conference because I know there are MANY other people who play a lot better than I do. But I'm grateful that I at least had the ability to fill in where I was needed! 

This also relates to what Hermana Arrington (mission president's wife) spoke about in the conference - how her sister once had to help deliver 3 babies in a medical clinic in Africa. She was shocked when they asked her to help, because she had no experience and thought there surely was someone else more qualified. But there are times where we really are the only ones who can help. Each of us is needed somewhere - even when we think someone else could do the job better or that we aren't up to the task. But as we trust in what the Lord is asking us to do, we will see that our past experiences really have qualified us for what we're about to do. And if we alone don't have the ability to do it, He knows exactly how and will help us. I love that message because it's so true in every part of the work - the Lord needs us to help even when we think someone else must be more up to the task. The truth is, He called and needs US. 

I love the work and I love all of you who are patient and kind enough to read my letters, write me, pray for me, etc. 

Love, 

Hermana Blazer (as they announced my name in stake conference)