Hola,

So this is the last week of Transfers, and I think I’ll stay in this area but I’ll get a new companion. I’m excited to see what happens in our Zone.

We had an after-Christmas miracle yesterday (Sunday). There is this girl and her boyfriend who have been investigating the Church for about a year, so when the missionaries started to teach her, she progressed fast and wanted to be baptized. But then she dropped all contact and for the past three months and we’ve been tring to get back in contact with her. We would pass by her house three times a week, but no luck. She was always gone or busy. You could tell she wasn’t interested. So she would be considered “dead” or “not progressing”.

On Sunday, she came to church, and lo and behold, the five greatest words ever were spoken to us, “I want to be baptized!” Wow, just out of the blue she comes to church and says baptize me. Ok, I think I could accomodate you This week we are going to see where she’s at and probably baptize a soul this Saturday or the next. The Lord blesses even after Christmas…we wanted to have a baptism before, but this is just as good. I love when people say “baptize me”, perhaps my favorite words ever uttered.

Today we had a conference with a member of the Seventy, and I finally hear a talk that wasn’t “Baptize, Baptize, Baptize”, it was actually about working and enduring to the end. What we teach, we have to live. We’ve experienced forgiveness, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that is what we teach, because we live that. But there’s that last point, enduring to the end. Now, none of us are at the end so we have to do our best to endure. Once people are baptized, they are on the same level as us, all left we have to do is endure to the end. That’s doing all the Lord has asked us to do. So this is what I, and we, strive for daily. And the talk was in English so I got a little more out of it.

We are doing the work of Angels, we are those investigadores’ angels. To them we are the vision of the Savior, we are sent by Him, through revelation, to bring them unto Him and share this glad tiding with them and all. What an amazing comparison for me to be compared to an Angel of the Lord. For I truly am.

Well, since I just talked to you on Christmas, you already know everything else about the life I lead. Continue to magnify your callings and have love and charity.

Encontar, Enseñar, y Bautizar

Les amo

Elder Glanzer de Nueva Córdoba

!Hola Mi Familia¡

Well, it’s almost the day of the birth of our Savior. I’m so excited to find souls and familias during this season. Their hearts will be more open and willing to except two gringos who speak bad castillano.

The only thing I lack for this Christmas season is SNOW! I have everything else…my compi is my family this year. We’ll be okay don’t worry, two Christmases away from home won’t kill us, maybe a few tears will flow, but will be replaced with laughing at how hot it is and how much we’re sweating. Oh fun days.

I hope you all can feel the love of our Savior this Christmas season and draw near to Him and to the ones you love.  One scripture we share with members and investigadores is Alma 7:11-14. The passages are amazing and detailed about the Atonement of Jesus Cristo. I feel the power of the Holy Spirit when I share these scriptures.

Alma 7:11-14:
“11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.”

In our district meeting today, I gave a spiritual thought, so I used that scripture and the Spirit overcame us and that started our meeting off good. And yes, I shared it in Spanish I’m progressing…slowly.

We got a new Elder in our Zone and he’s fresh out of the MTC. I actually met him once. I am so glad that I don’t have to do those first few weeks again, oh, how I don’t miss that.

!Feliz Navidad¡ Enjoy this time and focus on the gift of the Savior, for He will magnify your love and charity.

Les amo,

Elder Glanzer

¡Hola familia!

Feliz Navidad! Oh, I think we are going to have a white Christmas here in Córdoba. But when I say white, I don’t mean snow, I mean baptismal clothes. That’s the best kind of Christmas! His name is Deivid and his baptismal date is for the 27th, but that’s pretty much still Christmas.
We’ve been teaching him for months and we changed the date a few times, but now it’s set for sure on the 27th. Oh, the Gozo!

It’s now starting to feel like Christmas time for me because we had our Zone Conference in the mission home and its was a very personal and amazing conference. We all sat in a circle with the Mission President and the Hermana. And they had an Arbol de Navidad — and — carpet!!! It was a festive time singing the songs of season. But I was brought back to earth after I stepped outside into the blustering sun! 

The Christmas festivities here are similar to ours in the US, but there’s not much in the way of decorations because decorations cost plata. So there’s not much in the way of lights and trees and such. But there is some.

There´s this cake that people eat here around this time of the year, it’s called Pan Dulce, I haven’t had a good one yet so I still have mixed feelings on them, but I plan on buying a good one.

It’s nice being in Centro for Christmas because they do some amazing fireworks and also for El Año Nuevo. So I’m excited for that event(s).

And there’s so much to buy here, I don’t know what to get just yet for my Christmas present. I know I’m going to buy a Picture Dictionary English to Spanish. At least I’ll get the best present that I could ask for, bringing Deivid unto Christ.

I love this time of year because people are more open to the message of Christ. They should be this way all year! We all should, en verdad. I’m working on this more, my life is centered around Christ and what He did and is doing. But for some reason I feel closer during this time, even
without Christmas lights and that amazing weather called winter…I can’t even remember what that is like…I’m very thankful for the impact that Atonement of Jesus Christ has and still makes on my life. And I can show my thanks by spreading His gospel and preaching His word. It’s so simple yet so profound!

This week went by fast, where did it go? We had a good week of work anode I know next week will be good too, we don’t like being in the Pention for to long, we’ve been in there long enough. Time to go out and learn and teach, and in my teaching I learn. Especially Spanish!  :-)  I’ve had some embarrassing mistakes in my conversations with people, but too many to retell to you, but once I told a lady after we touched her door  “We want to share ourselves with you, can we come in and give you this now?” Ya, I´m learning.

I hope you can feel the love of our Savior during this time of year and hold onto that love always. And that love you receive, share it with others.

Thanks for all your prayers and support (especially letters), it does not go unnoticed, not one bit of it.

Les amo,

Elder Andy Glanzer

¡Hola Familia!

This week was a good week, you got to love the good ones and embrace the bad ones. Since the beginning of this transfer, we haven’t really had a normal day. We’ve had other mishes stay in our pention and intercambios (exchanges) up the ying-yang. But this semana flew by. Since our pention is centro, we always have elders sleeping here. And they usually trash the place, so I get to spend half my P-day cleaning, so fun (sarcastic voice).

Also, I had an intercambio with one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Holland, he came to my area, so I had to plan out the day and kind of be the senior companion. Elder Holland is amazing, the way he teaches is more like a conversation, and that’s the way it should be. I hope I get to that point someday. Right now I’m stuck to the words I know. He taught me a lot of great things about the mission and it was a great intercambio.

It didn’t hurt that we also found nine new investigators and a new family. :-)  He taught me how to tocar puertas (touch doors) effectively and how to contact people in the calle well. I felt very close to the Spirit all day with him, he just radiates it into me, and as missionaries we radiate the Spirit into our investigators. And, as members we radiate it into everyone else.

It’s so amazing to see the Spirit work on someone’s heart and see them change. That is my passion in life right now, and it’s building my capacity to have love and charity. I pray for those two attributes daily. Without those I can’t grow, change, or develop relationships with others. Love and charity are essential for bringing people unto their Redeemer.

After that intercambio, I went to an area called Miralta and I was there with an Elder se llama Elder Ferrin. He came to the mission the same day I did. So yes, two mishes who have only two months in the field were together for a day. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous and did a lot of praying for strength and for the words to come to me. I know for a certainty that the prayers we offered were answered.

We rocked Miralta! It was a great day, and I was amazed in all the things I could understand and say. But it was also very humbling to know how much more work I need to put into learning Spanish. And how much I rely on my companion and the Spirit. We taught four very good lessons and contacted muchisimo personas. We survived, only because we had the Spirit.

I want to tell you about the family we found. Elder Holland and I were cruising along touching doors. This is a tough work, very discouraging, but after touching the 86th door with no luck so far, feeling not too good. I had this blast of happiness and hope. I don’t know why. I was not having fun touching all these doors. But for some reason I felt lifted and enlightened. I knew the Spirit was trying to tell me something, I was confused. I couldn’t understand the prompting so I stopped and listened…nothing, just me and my feelings. Then about two blocks away I saw an open door and started to walk towards it.

Now this neighborhood is a little sketchy, scary people with scary dogs. So I started for this door, Elder Holland followed, I think he knew too. So after our B-line for the door, I touched it and this little boy got up and came to attend to us, he looked about 14 years old so we asked if his parents were home, No. So we asked a few other questions and somewhere in the conversation he said that these were his two kids and he was 21 years old. He let us pass into the house and we conversed with him.

We asked him the question, ” If God was here right now what would you ask Him?” He said ” I would ask for health and safety for my kids and wife and happiness in life.” Bam! Mosiah 2:41. That scripture hit him good, and the Spirit was working him over, oh and his wife was there too, so we asked if we could come back tomorrow. That day I was in Miralta and my companion couldn’t find their house, so we went back on Saturday. He said it was amazing that we caught both him and his wife there at the same time because they work different schedules and it’s tough to teach them together. So we finally found a day to teach them again…this Saturday. Really far away, I know, but that whole experience was amazing.

The Lord really does want me to find those who are ready to hear this Gospel. I feel so privileged to be here and be the one the Lord has entrusted with finding His sheep. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, well, maybe somewhere where there is snow…just joking

Encontar, Eseñar, y Bautizar

Con mucho amor

Elder Glanzer

Hola familia,

So this week was a special one. Why? you ask…well from Tuesday to Friday we were in the Pention (apartment). All day, everyday. First my companion was sick, the kind when he had to be near a bathroom. Those days were brutal, then on Thursday I got sick and I came to the conclusion that that was one of the most boring weeks of my life. Needless to say, I read from 2 Nephi to the end of Alma in the Book of Mormon.   :-)  A person can only read for so long then you go crazy.

When we go on splits with other missionaries, one companionship goes to where the other two live and we exchange. You do a normal day with the other elder. It’s fun. When we travel to the other towns it’s always by bus or taxis. Cars…ya right!  When we get transfered to a far away land, we take a bigger bus.

We didnt get a fridge until yesterday.

On Friday night, did the weather look nice?  …no. We were in the farthest point of our area, and it dumped rain! I mean like I have never seen before — and we were in the middle of it. The streets were literally rivers up to our shins. Cars couldn’t even drive. Now I know the meaning of being wet. Everything I had on was wrecked, except my scriptures. My tie is toast too. I had lakes in my shoes. It was so sad, I had to laugh. I laughed all the way back to the Pention. You know people were like  “stupid Mormons.”  Funny days. At least it’s not too humid anymore. And Argentina got its water!

So that was my week, and because we didn’t get out all week, we had one investigadore in church  :-(   This week is going to be better.

Anda con Dios

Con mucho amor
Elder Glanzer