Elder Andy Glanzer

Hola,

I know the Lord puts people in my path to help me and to build me up. I know also that I am a person in someone’s path to help them on their journey. Those who help me come at the right time. As you may know, I’ve been having a little trouble getting my companion out and working and doing the things missionaries do. I was on a downward spiral into looking at the calendar everyday and waiting for the day to turn into a week and the week into a month. I’ve been struggling with what to do and who can give me the answers. I found out my mission president was too broad. This was for me to figure out.

Over the course of a transfer, the ZL’s have an intercambio with the DLs and their companions. I’ve been lucky enough to have these every transfer. What a blessing to have just one day with a mish who is amazing (I love that word).    This time I was going to Maipu to be with Elder Bair — he’s a stallion. But it kept getting pushed back and I was afraid I wasn’t going to have it. Finally the day came and I headed to Maipu.

Elder Bair is a beast, taller than me, and huge. So I went into this intercambio with the idea to work, that’s all I wanted — to have an excellent day. He asked me want I wanted to learn and I told him just that: “Lets crush this area!” And that’s just what we did. This Elder literally talks to everyone.  We’d be contacting someone and he’d say, “Hey, contact this lady and I’m going to go over and contact this family.” Ok…don’t leave me I thought at first, but he kept doing it and he gave me the confidence to do it alone. Or rather he just left me and I HAD to do it.

Maybe we didn’t find a family or a golden investie, but this day helped me. His example boosted me to be the best I can and be the missionary I know I am. I saw, and now again see, the value of working hard and talking to everyone. This elder changed my mission for me and the way I will follow-up in my life. I lost the vision of why I was out here, plain as that. I lost the drive to work and to be a mish. I lost the Spirit. He saved me and my mish. He showed me why I was and am here, what I need to do, and who I need to be because I’ll be held accountable for those who I didn’t find, and how scary is that.

I need to be that person who is everything and does everything down to the T. Why should I feel sorry for myself and groan in my state. I need to improve my state, get up, and get moving. For I’m the only one who can improve me. Elder Bair gave me the day and experience I needed to start again. I know I should never have had to do that start over, but I did and it made me better and realize things more clearly, and put my priorities in line.  First priority right now is my mission and the Lord.

I told him what he did for me and I hope one day I can do the same for someone else. Today he told me that he didn’t want me to get transferred outside of this Zone. Who else is he going to have an amazing day with?

Later that day we had our Ward mission activity in the church. It was a skit show where each organization made a little show or skit.  We had a good time. The mishes and our ward mish leader did a skit where Abraham is going to sacrifice Isaac.  The idea was, just think if the Angel slept in and Abraham killed Isaac. Well, I was the angel… because when have you seen a non-white angel? So I had to talk in Spanish in front of a ton of people, yea! We did the skit, Abraham killed Isaac and I (the angel) arrived too late. We got some good laughs and such. And yes, I got it recorded. The message was, don’t be late to meetings and to church. But wait, the funniest part is that the activity was supposed to start at 8:30 pm but didn’t start until 10:05 pm. We dropped cane with our skit on the entire congregation. Oh fun days!

That next day we did splits with Leo and a young man in our ward. It was also a way good day, Leo and I crushed it and placed some copies of the LDM, a few were very solid and we’re going to go back to them this week to see what’s up. That night I had another intercambio in Miralta with Elder Vado from Nicaragua — and he speaks very well Ingles.

During this whole time I had the mindset to talk to everyone and have amazing days and not to stop this momentum that I’ve been building. The morning of this intercambio it began to rain and I didn’t have my coat or anything. Dang! But we didn’t want to stay in the apartment so we braved the torment and went out to teach and preach and do the things that missionaries do. We both wanted to have a great day.

Now in this area when it rains, the streets like to turn into rivers. So much fun to cross!
:-)  Halfway through the day we were soaked and my feet and kicks are toast. We were having fun and talking to anyone who would listen. At a few points, we had to seek shelter under a house to escape the storm for a bit. And something amazing happened. Check it, I knocked on this door and this old dude came out so I began to converse with him and he had sympathy on us and let us it. We chatted and got a return appointment. And today I found out in our district meeting, this same guy went to church on Sunday! No way, I said! The guy I found is now a progressing investie and went to church two days after the mishes showed up at his house. We are truly blessed when we do the will of the Lord and forget about ourselves.

I’ve finally found again the reason why I’m here, I don’t want to lose it again, that Spirit, that drive, that love. I love what I do and who I’m able to help, because if I’m receiving the help the Lord gives me, why can’t I be that help to someone else? Even on Sunday we were blessed for our labors and had five people in Church! And do you remember Julie Figuroa? Well she came too! What a good Sabbath day.

I hope we all can be in someone’s path to help them and build them up.

Les Amo

Elder Glanzer

Hola,

If I was to think about the aspects of my life right now and analyze it for you, answering a few questions that would shed light on whom I’m becoming, things I’m figuring out about myself, and things I’m realizing I have some skill in, well, the answers would go like this.

In my life, I’m beginning to see the importance of making goals. This is how I survive; I make those short-term goals that reach me to those long more distant ones. Without this goal-making aspect of my life right now, I would constantly be at a standstill.  And how depressing your life can be if you are in that state for too long.

Without the desire to be better, to make better, and to constantly grow, my goals would flop. They are what drive us to become who we want to be. Be when I have a goal, I need to have it in my mind and in my heart. If it’s not in my heart, come on lets be honest, it’s not going to happen. I need to have that real desire to move forward. And I’m beginning to know that it’s tough, but who said it would be easy.

I know I need to complete my goals, but sometimes I fall short, so the next time I set up a goal, I’ll make sure it’s obtainable. For example, I have a goal to talk to at least two families I see in the street. Now it may not seem like a big goal, oh but it is. When you’re at the end of your day and you realize you haven’t found those two fams yet, there’s a sense of panic because you have that goal in your mind and you have let yourself down.

And I have seen the fruits of this goal. So check it. We were near the end of our day on Saturday, starting to head back to our apartmento. I had realized I hadn’t met my goal – dangit! But since I was trying, the Lord made up for me. Up ahead in the distance, just like a photo out of a church pamphlet, a dad was pushing a stroller and the mom at his side. Perfection!

Now you need to understand, there are some things that make mishes happy: cloudy/cold days, anything edible, and families walking towards them. Jackpot — was my first thought. Now this family was a good distance away, so we had a little time to plan our “assault.” J OK, so we decided that my companion would open and I would follow with the back-up question.

The plan was flawless — and well executed I might add. Two mishes walking towards this fam, they knew what was coming. So we started, talked a little about family and there’s is a feeling you get when you start that perfect contact — those mishes out there know what I’m talking about. We asked them if we could stop by their house to teach them more. They said, “Well, the thing is, we live in the ‘Villa’ right over there, and people don’t go in there, never, unless you want to die.” Oh, no way, well that sucks.

But wait, a “villa” is where tons of people live, in tiny little house all smashed together. Very dangerous because they are people who are less fortunate and they look at you and see what they can sell on you for money. And mishes aren’t allowed to go there anyway.

So we told them where the church was and started to walk away. Then I was like, wait just a second, and we went back and told them that we could teach them in the church and they liked that idea. We’ll see what happens with the “villa fam”, but that’s what I get to do when I complete my goals.

I have found out many things I would like change about myself. And it’s very hard to change habits that I’ve had for over ten years. But they can change; they have to if I’m to be successful in this little thing called life. They slowly begin to change, but it’s a constant battle to fight them to the ground and put them into submission. The full-frontal mount seems to be working (that’s for you Brian! I know that the habits I build now will stay with me for a lifetime, so I’d better build those good ones — like I need to stop spitting out our sixth floor window onto traffic — but these things will change with time…or if my next apartment is ground level! I love the person I’m becoming.

Today I carried my basketball to the district meeting to shoot some hoops and everyone else brought their junk too, so we played some 5-on-5 as a Zone. It’s fun to play with Latinos because they really don’t know what to do, it’s a good trade-off because they crush me at fútbol. We had a good time sweating and getting our sports in — one of those good Zone bonding moments.

I’ve been in this zone for six months and I love it. I feel like I’m starting to know the other Elders and starting to have friends all over. At Zone Conference I’m talking to all my friends and the peeps I know. It’s fun to be in the loop and have peeps that I have a past with. I believe one of the most important things about a missionary is to build those relationships with other mishes, who will be your life-long buddies.

I hope all is well up there in the North Land, Yankeelandia, as some would say here. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to be a member of Christ’s church, to be a missionary in finding those whom He has sent me to bring unto Him. Is there any other place for a 19 year old to be then serving a mish? I submit, no. And I believe a Prophet also said that… I know that work that I do is the work of Angels and we are sent out two by two to encontrar, ensenar, y bautizar.

I also have the most killer family who loves and supports me in every way, shape or form — even if they send letters and emails about home and how they are making “Glanmuffins” without me! But I know I only have this chance to be in this opportunity to serve with all my focus, might, mind and strength for two very short years.

This is not a calling to be a mish for two years, but for the rest of my life…just without my plaque. But maybe I’ll slip it on a few times, just to see if it still fits. Should we not go on for such great a cause?

Les amo

Elder Glanzer

Chao

HOLA,

We all stood to say we had faith, I stood. We all said we had faith, I did too. Now they told us to show our faith and leave the Conference and find someone and bring them back to the chapel. I left too, just like everyone else. As I left, I left without faith. I would come back, to return, just like everyone else, investigator-less.

So we head out to find a street that didn’t have missionaries in it. We walked and knocked on a door and that brought nothing, if possible, my faith dropped a little more. I just wanted to return like everyone else. I was thinking the whole time that I didn’t want to be last back to the chapel. I mean come on, we had 15 minutes to find someone, to capture their interest in a few seconds, gain their trust, and get them to come with us back to the church.

Awaiting them would be 50 missionaries and a Mission President. A situation that could literally change their life in a matter of minutes. Where was my faith? As we continued on, still nothing. The area we were in and the time of day means that there is no one in the streets – the streets were dead. Around the chapel are all houses and no one really wants to listen to two Mormons. We had 15 minutes to find one person; I’ve spent the last three months with less than ten new investigators. Faith, I had none.

Now, time had burned and it was time to head back. We had our straight-line to the chapel; I didn’t want to veer from this path. Then a man, not in our path, emerged. Nothing special, just a guy. Forward. But then something happened and then we both went towards him. He started to talk; I didn’t receive any burning sensation that this guy was going to be baptized. He seemed a little tense and hurried, he just got stopped by two guys in suits and not to mention, one is a tall Gringo, terrifying, I know.

I asked where he was going, and we walked with him. Now we didn’t have much time, so we jumped into it. We told him right off the bat that we wanted to invite him to a special musical number and message in our church, and he accepted. But only for five little minutes he kept saying. I would say that my faith spiked in that moment.

As we walked, he talked a little more and we got to know him. He kept saying, “tengo otro religion” (I have another religion), we just laughed, Oh that’s nice we said. As we neared the church, we saw all the other missionaries investigators-less. Now I would love for all of them to have brought someone back, but I had mine, and it wasn’t pride, I was just pleased.

We walked him into the church, we were beaming, and he was scared. But he had two angels on both sides, perhaps the safest man in the world. Little did he know what he was walking into. He met the President and then sat down and I sat next to him. There were also three other people inside too — how amazing (there’s that word again)!

We opened the message with singing the most powerful song for someone new to hear, that’s right, “Nearer My God to Thee.” Now the room was completely drenched with the spirit. Then Elder Reyes and Elder Bair stood up to speak, or rather bear testimony of a young boy and how he saw God and Jesus. How the true church of Christ is on the earth today. It was amazing, I couldn’t help but let one or maybe two little tears fall to my tie. Then to top it off there was a member there who had been baptized two years ago and he spoke so simply and powerfully. I don’t know how anyone could deny this at this point in time.

I’ll probably never find out what happened to Gustov, but I had this experience for the building of my own. Jesus “punched” me in the face, and said what are you doing? You have the faith, didn’t be afraid. I’m helping you, when have I ever let you down? Now go out and show your faith. Something changed for me after this. I know that there are people out there waiting for me, in reality. After each step I’m becoming the man the Lord wants me to be, the man my parents know I am, and who I want to become. How many steps are to come? Will I make it up all of them? I have faith. Faith is action.

I never thought an earthquake in Chile would affect my life. Around 3:30 am on Saturday, I was laying in my little bed because I couldn’t sleep. Then it started to shake, who the heck is shaking my bed?! So I stood up and my companion said that it’s an earthquake. Now, we live on the 6th floor of a building and the entire thing was swaying. Legit!

Our neighbors are all running out of their apartment, I just laid there. There were people in the street. Then we got another wave, but of less strength. The next morning, we found out what happened. There was an 8.8 quake between Concepcion and Santiago, Chile.

My companion’s family lives in Santiago, so this is very real for him and all the other Chileanos in this mission. They all got permission to contact their Parental Units in whatever way they could. But there’s not much communication into Chile. Concepcion was destroyed and parts of Santiago also. Way bad situation. It’s all over the news. Crazy eh, who’d every think a quake in Chile would have any effect on me. But my companion is way worried; he hasn’t talked to his parents yet — so things are tough all over.

It’s been an interesting week, but we’re trying to do our best to get out and work still. Moving forward.

I love you all and hope you’re doing well.

Les amo

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Aloha,

In the theme of finding another apartment… we gave up on that and are focusing on the work. Finding another apartment is one of the last things on our mind — unless the President calls and tells us to do it.

Oh, the weather… It’s starting to cool off a bit and the rain is coming about everyday, but not storms. And it’s been pretty cloudy lately, that is weather for finding familias! It starts to drop down a little more in Marzo…March.

It’s tough not typing in Spanish, sorry. It took me three tries to write that first sentence. My companion asked me why I was typing in Spanish…. I was like “good question” — but I’m so excited for the cold. I can judge hot — hot it is if I use my sheet at night, and I’ve been using it a lot lately.

My companion is From Chile, Santiago. It’s like the Provo of Chile for missionaries. His dad, mom and him were baptized when he was 8 years old. He has one other brother who has 19 years, but he’s not going to serve a mission. That’s a whole theme in its self. I’ve got to know this kid, Elder Serrano, a lot. We’ve had tons of those bonding moments. He’s my companion and friend.

Spanish, oh Spanish. It still costs me to understand what people are saying to me, some days are good and other are bad, but I can say pretty much anything. But when I don’t focus on a conversation, I get lost instantly. If more than two people are talking, I’m out again also, but I’m getting it. I still study daily and pray for that mystical gift of tongues.

On pday we usually have a District meeting at 10:30 am, so before that meeting, we buy breakfast and clean a little. After we get done with the meeting and done talking to the other elders we head back to Centro for lunch, then we cyber, then buy groceries. Some days we meet together as a zone to eat or play sports and that’s always fun to chill with those elders. Elder Grange is still in the zone so that’s nice. We like to rest because we walk all week. Sometimes we go to stores or book stores and just go into cool places. We have members do our laundry, we drop it off during the week, and pick it up sometime during the week.

I love you guys, I’m mean, how can I not, you’re my fam. What I teach is about family and how they can be together, not only in this life but also in the next. I’m very grateful that you all are in the Church and have testimonies, for there is no other way to live.

I want to live with my family, all of them, again and the only way that I can have that is if we’re all in this together. I don’t want empty chairs at our table. How can I preach something that I don’t live? I can’t. So that’s what I want to let you know, I love you all. You are my everything — my support. If you don’t think that I love you for one second, I have to throw down!

I see these families coming into the gospel and wanting what I have — and guess what? — they can have it. I want to find that family that is waiting for me in this area. I think I may have found them…but I don’t want to jinx it yet, so I’ll tell you about them after I baptize them…if they are ready.

Les Amo

Your Elder,

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Hola Familia,

So I bet your just dieing to know what happened with transfers. It’s going to blow your mind, I still can’t believe it! But you’re going to have to wait. 

This week we did some “interesting” things. On Saturday we got a call from the office saying that there was a family who got robbed in the bus terminal, and they needed help. We went to find them to let them use our phone to call the office and find someone to help them. They are from Paraguay and were trying to get home. But why in the terminal?  They got robbed, everything – so, they are stuck.

We arrived there and the place is packed with people. So here are two missionaries walking around this place looking for some people we’ve never meet. A few people stopped me and asked me a few question in English. Everybody was looking at us as we walked around for an hour trying to find these peeps. No luck. So then my companion made a little sign with their name on it and the guy finally saw us. I mean come on, why couldn’t you see us before. Gringo,tall, white shirt, tie and name plaque. I guess for some it’s hard.

We got them to talk to someone who could help them. Now we got there at 2:30 pm, remember this, and the Church was trying to get someone to come help them, but not working very hard in this, finally around 5 pm they got someone; some guy was going to come to help but couldn’t get there until 7 pm, so he told us to wait there. To cut the story short, he didn’t show up until 9:45 pm. ¡Que rapido! The family had been in the terminal for two days. But now they’re on their way home.

Fun Fact: I completed 6 months, that’s 1/4 of my mission, que loco.

Transfers, I got the call on Saturday night after we got back from terminal…not the time to receive the call and get the answer I wasn’t looking for. I’m in centro another transfer. I wanted to talk to the Zone Leader to see if he was messing, but no…four months in the same area. I was a little upset, but I’m legit now. I figure there is someone here waiting for me. I was so ready to go, but this transfer will be good, I’m ready to start.

Elder Holland is going home; the loser never gave me back my shirts. But it’s no bueno when your friends go home, but I guess that’s part of the mish.

That’s all I got, thanks for your prayers and everything.

Les amo,

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Hola Mí Familia,

I’m in the last week of this transfer and it’s flown by. When you teach and preach and work as missionaries do, you don’t even have time to think about anything else, like get caught up in the ladies, how many months you have left, or how hot and tired you are. All that you can think about is what you’re going to teach and who is the familia you’re going to find tomorrow. I can definitely tell the difference between working hard and not. And now behold I say unto you, I like to work. I hope this sets a pattern for the rest of my life.

This week I had back-to-back intercambios or exchanges. First with Elder Ferreria in Ituzaingo. He has one transfer here and he’s from Argentina. We had a good day, nevertheless, I can say I know the feelings like that of a turkey in an oven. It was 48 degrees, which for us is about 122 degrees. And we worked the siesta, the hottest part of the day, and we survived — but barely. After that I had a day in my area, but then that night I went to Maipú to work with Elder Reyes, the Zone Leader. I love working and learning from the Zone Leaders because they’ve been around. I also love to work in an area with different faces and streets — even if I may get raped!  ☺

Julio got back last week so we went over to his house and he is going to take us out for lunch tomorrow. A crazy little, fat Argentine guy named Leo, came to church last week. He’s a member in Carlos Paz and came to our ward. He served a mission in Cali and went to BYU for three years. I give him crap because he didn’t get married while he was there at BYU. So, needless to say, I was excited to talk in English. Then he took us out to lunch last week and came to church again. This week he told me that because I don’t have any brothers, he could be my Argentine brother so when I come back I’ll have a place to stay. I told him I’m just going to use him for his house.  :-)  This week he’s going to take out again for lunch because I’ll probably get transferred.

Well, that’s my week — stay tuned in for next week for my adventures and travels in Argentina. Transfers are on Sunday so I’ll let you know on Monday. 

Les Amo

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Hola people in North America,

I have a question…What happened to January! ¡Se fue! How can we be in February already, and February only has four weeks.  :-(    I need more time, I only have 18 months left to touch more doors and souls. I better get to work, eh?

We had a very interesting week. I’ll start with this amazing little event called “Cortar la Luz”.  In Córdoba, because it’s so hot everyday everyone is using air conditioners more and more and using up electricidad. Okay, that’s a little background action — entonces, since I’m in this wonderful country of Argentina, they “cut the lights” and power to different parts of the city during the day and night.

You need to realize before I go on, how hot it is — everyday it is in the 100 plus temperatures and there is not shade and there are no clouds. So, without power, there are no fans, no air conditioners or fridges and other such things that aid us in fighting the heat. Our wonderful power is cut at 9 am to 11 am, then again at 3 pm to 6 pm and that’s just the part of the city where our apartment is at, but then it happens at different parts of the city during the day. Imagine, at night laying in bed sweating without an escape. Horrible. And… you can imagine how the people — business owners and everyone — are feeling. So Argentina does what Argentina does when something sucks…they protest.

One night we were returning to our apartment and there was the beginning of a protest. I’ve come to the conclusion that protests work…sometimes. During the protest…we watched for a bit…people were banging things together. This one stupid lady was banging a lollipop on a pop bottle…yes, because that is going to make a ton of noise.    People clapping and yelling and blocking the streets. This one guy, I guess he was the leader, had a loud speaker and was yelling things trying to get the people to walk to the Governor’s house, Ya right! It’s like 13 blocks away, people aren’t going to walk that far, they aren’t Martin Luther King Jr! It would have been the perfect opportunity to cut the lights again, I would have laughed!  :-)  But it worked — they haven’t cut the lights since Saturday. I’m happy.

Some people have no clue. We were looking for this family and knocked on a door. We asked for Maria, and the man seemed kind of scared and timid and asked “Are you Interpol?” No we’re CIA, come on man! Do we look like Interpol material? That was a first. When kids ask us in the street if we are CIA, we say “Yes, and don’t tell anyone.” It’s fun to have fun with the little niños. Maybe someday we’ll need to borrow some sweats…   

We were again looking for a miembro and knocked on a door and this lady named Yessica opened and before we said anything, she told us to come in…okay. I remember contacting her in the street the past transfer with Elder Smith. So six weeks later she tells us to come in. She was there with her two tots and her husband was working. Instantly in our discussion, we headed right for the Plan of Salvation. It was amazing, so we set up a return appointment to teach her family together. It’s just one of the things that happens. That person that you talk to in the street that doesn’t seem interested and not ready right then — God will prepare them later, everyone has their time. So I’ll tell you later what goes down with her.

Our transfers are on the 14th, I’m so ready to leave, I don’t want to have touched this area for six months. I have to get this DNI card…its kind of like a license to be more legal in the country.  Nevertheless, an Elder from the office, Elder Reid, came and stayed in our pension and we got up at 5 am and walked to the place to get the license which is only three blocks away, then we stood in line for 4 hours. We went today, but when we got to the front, they told us to take out a turn, so I have to go back on the 4th.

We are going to be with Elder Reid everyday this week, because he’s in a trio, so he’s with us in the mornings for the week. We won’t work the morning, it’s a good thing he’s way capo “cool”. We had a fun time standing in line, we talked a lot and laughed the whole time. My abs still hurt a little. When we were talking and something really funny was said, he would whip out his planner and write it down so he wouldn’t forget it — like when a lady walked by carrying a bunch of Tupperware and I said ” It’s always good to carry Tupper around, you don’t know when you are going to need to store food…or beads.”

Well, now to begin a new month, pray for me, for you are always in mine. And if you are not praying, START NOW! Your Father is waiting to hear from you.

Encontrar, Enseñar, Bautizar

Les amo

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Hola!

This week I discovered I can eat a lot of rice. I mean so much rice that I’m pretty sure my stomach ripped. I love eating with members and I appreciate the sacrifice they make, but I still eat very fast and they must think I’m really hungry so they give me more and more. I’m trying to learn to eat slower so they’ll stop shoving rice and other food down my throat.

Being with my Latino companion, I feel like I’m in a world that I can say what ever I want in English and no one will know what I’m saying. It’s a strange feeling to have, sure there are some people who know English, but the majority of people don’t.  In the streets I can pretty much yell anything and no one will know. “Stop living your sinful lives and be baptized!” for example. Oh, wait…I’m saying that in Spanish…

We had a fun little event in our daily lives, if you can call it fun, so to begin my story… I take you to the apartment of Elders Glanzer and Serrano.  A building of nine floors and we live on the 6th and our door has an Argentine lock.

One beautiful morning, after a good study sesión and really feeling the excitement to go out and baptize, we were leaving and Elder Serrano…yes the blame game…locked the door and broke it. The door was locked and the lock wouldn’t move. Locked out of our apartment!  We tried to open it, but nothing. My companion wanted to kick it open, he’s a Taekwando fighter and likes to kick things, but I used my better judgment and wouldn’t let him break the door. So that sucks, we called the Pentionero (elder in charge of this stuff) and he called his man to come fix it, but he was out of town until tomorrow.

We went about our day and came back at night to check it out again. No go, so we called the Zone Leaders to see what to do. They told us to come to their pention for the night and that’s all fine and dandy, but all of our cash is inside of the pention. We’re broke. Not even four pesos for cospeles (bus tokens) so we walked. Walked about an hour in the night to our Zone Leaders’ and spent the night there.

It was a fun night. Elder Grange is a new-ish elder and way legit. I can tell him it gets better and he can trust me, I was in his spot three months ago. We talked how amazing the MTC was. Maybe we stayed up a little too late, but who really knows. We slept on the roof in the cool night air and didn’t get eaten to death by dengue (mosquitoes).

Ok, so the next morning, the guy was going to come to our apartment around 12 noon, so we were there waiting for him. He didn’t get there until 2:30 pm! Image the punctuality of an LDS member and an Argentine, lethal mix eh?  Finally he got there and opened the door and all is fine again. So that was our fun little experience.

As we were working, we were going through the Ward directory and passing by everyone. We came across this one family, La Familia Benegas — less active members. They were on our list to pass, but they kept getting pushed back, so finally we stopped by their house.

A few days before, they were having a conversation and the question to the daughter came up, she’s 7 years old, “Who do you want to baptize you?” Now is there any other person to baptize anyone then their dad? So she said dad. Now we hadn’t stopped by yet, this was a few days before. When we got there, they let us right in. We had an amazing conversation with the father and mother, they really want to be active and they said they were having trouble with how to do it and were looking for the answer, and then we came. We committed them to come to church and they did! The next day!  The dad had an interview with the bishop. And then the next Sunday, guess what? I found out they had been to the temple! We win! They’re on their way and he is going to baptize his daughter soon. I love what I do, because I not only find new people to come unto Christ, but I strengthen and re-activate families — eternal families. 

Fun Fact: So you know how in Nacho Libre, his name is Ignacio? Well the nickname for Ignacio is “Nacho”.

When I dream in Spanish I have no idea what anyone is saying, I’m so lost and confused and just want to wake up. Then the funny part is, when I wake up…my dream is still going. My dreams are my real life.  Nevertheless, my dreams aren’t so bad anymore. 

I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.

Les amo,
Elder Glanzer
Chao

Hola,

Another week of my life in Centro. It’s been a good week, not much to complain about. Still crushing the Spanish, because that’s all I speak, I can’t even pray very well in Ingles anymore. I continue to study my verbs and such everyday. I study the words I needed yesterday, so I can have them for the next day. It’s crazy when you learn a word; you hear it everywhere after that. Was it there before? I don’t know. It’s like that untill you learn a new one, it’s kind of like a cycle you could say, and then you start to use it and all the tenses too.

We’ve had some decent weather lately…who am I kidding? It’s been the same blustering sun. At least today it’s raining and I guess you could say the weather is cool.

Everyday I try to look for a miracle. Hermano Jensen, in the MTC, told me to look for a miracle everyday, they are there so look. Somedays it’s a little harder, I end up saying the miracle is having a companion who loves me, a bed, and a fan. Oh how that fan is a miracle! It keeps me from killing myself! Such an ingenius invention. But then other days, the miracles are punching me in the face — we find a new family, our investigadores come to church, we give a LDM (Book of Momron) to someone. I have a certainty that they are there, in all of our life, we just need to open our eyes and see.

Somedays it’s tough to be motivated and ready to go labor in the vineyard. But I don’t have time to feel down, I only have months. But good thing that serving Christ is a life-long calling. Maybe not in this capacity. I’m just thankful for this calling that I have.

We found a new Apartmento, about four blocks from the church. We are so excited to move into it and we’ll probably move on Friday or so. We are going to be way closer to our are of labor, since we had the great idea of working a 1 1/2 hour walk away from our pention now. One part of our area is on the other side of the world and we work there two days out of the week. It’s an area that the other missionaries haven’t touched because it is so far away — but guess who gets to touch it? …me. Lucky? Yes, because its a virgin area.

Well that’s my life thus far, I try to remember all I can for you, so you can enter my life for a moment.

Keep praying for me, for I pray for you.

Les Amo

Elder Glanzer

Chao

Hola,

This past week I spoke nothing but Spanish and it killed my brain. Elder Serrano can usually help me or help me understand better, but I can usually get around anything I want to say — which is a miracle. I’m surprised in myself with what I can do with the help of the Lord. Just think how much more Spanish I’ll have by the time this transfer ends.

In this transfer I’ll complete month 5 and month 6. Thats one fourth of my misión. Craziness, that kind of puts it in perspective a little more. Well, I just won’t think about the whole time factor because when I do, everything slows down. I just want to enjoy my misión.

In the theme of Spanish, I still have trouble understanding what other people say to me, but I still focus on the lessons and what is being taught.  Sometimes I just have to ask, “what are you talking about?”  I’m sure Elder Serrano is being very patient with me. Since I’ve been speaking Spanish all week, I spend all my study time on Spanish.

We have been re-charging the area by passing by all the members homes and our investigators’. This week we’ll start to find new people, I’m excited because our teaching pool is a little dry.

We are going to have two baptisms this month. Sandra is ready and will be baptized next weekend. She’s been investigating the Church for a year and she’s finally ready. She’s gone through a lot of changes to get to this step. And Antonio, he is amazing. At first, he would run when the Mormons would come, but now after a year, he wants to change his life for himself and for his kid. He is an alcholic but hasn’t drank in four weeks. It’s so amazing to see how bad he wants to change and he is doing it.

We had a very powerful lesson with him, and when I bore my testimony, I’ll tell you, the Spirit was helping me. It was a very simple but powerful momento. We told him that familias are the most important thing ever. I told him about my family and how they are my foundation and how Christ strengthens us together. I told him everything that my family does for me and how in truth nothing can replace my love and feelings for them. He really desires to have a family. Oh ya, he’s the boyfriend to Sandra, but they split because he’s a drinker (was) and she wants the LDS life.

We’re still looking for an apartment and making progress, but other than that, thats my life thus far. Thanks for the letters, emails, and prayers. They don’t go unnoticed!

Les amo

Con mucho Amor

Elder Glanzer

Chao