Monday, June 13, 2016

So Fam, 

This week we got good news.   Remember two weeks ago when we went to the hospital?  We got word that every person we gave a blessing to is no longer there.  I felt relieved to hear that.  So many people put their fragile faith to the test and wait for their own will to be brought to pass without really thinking about God's will for them.  I am happy that God gave them what they wanted so that their faith and vision of us, and much more importantly the Church of Christ that we represent, would not waiver.

The weeks are passing by quickly and I have little to say.  Actually, I have so much to say I don't know what to say.  Just a thought.  Listening and discerning are prerequisites to talking.  As missionaries we sometimes think about example and reasons that somebody should do what we tell them before we listen to their concerns.  Not to say that their circumstances will justify disobedient behavior, but, if we listen and they can see that we care about where they are coming from. Two things can happen.

1. They will listen.

2. We will know what to say.

In zone conference this week we talked about the difference between us and other churches or missionaries.  The main difference was correct authority from God to Preach the Gospel.  The second was that we NEED the spirit with us.  There is no success without the Holy Ghost.  I have come to love and understand His role in these last few weeks..

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

In "spirit prison" for an activity

With Elder Checketts

Weekly fun

Monday, June 6, 2016 

Hellos to all,

I had a great realization this week which came through an event yesterday.  As Elder Checketts and I were trying to do something during the incredibly busy hours of Peruvian Election Day (yesterday was the final presidential vote here and Church was illegal and no one was home.  That being said it was still a good day.  We worked hard and did some other things that I will get back to.)  I realized that my agenda wasn't in my pocket as usual.  Upset because there are a few directions and numbers that only I had.  Elder Checketts and I decided to search for my agenda hoping for a miracle experience that Elder Goday told us about when he was here.  We retraced our steps of the day and contacted... nothing happened.  Nor did I find my agenda until the night time as is had fallen into a crack between the wall.... Why am I sharing this?  As people we often use excuses to do (or not do) something.  Yesterday was hard and the agenda incident helped us get started and at the end of the day we had taught and had lessons like a normal day!

Yesterday we had a cool experience on Sunday morning.  Like I said Church was illegal.  So, we asked the bishop is WE could do the sacrament and he said that I would be fine as long as we invited the sisters.  So, we did.  And it was beautifully simple!   We had a prayer two hymns and the sacrament between the four of us.  I thought of where it says where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name I also am there. I felt a new importance and love for the sacrament as we did so.

That brings me to today.  We started this day about 6 hours ago at 4 in the morning.  We went to the Huanuco Cross which is a 2 hour hike more of less getting back just in time to eat breakfast and clean the room a little bit.  I would send pictures but the internet is having trouble. 

Last story.  I fell like this is a story week.  On Wednesday we were walking in the hills when I felt like we should go find a guy named Jonathon.  I quickly turned in down,(knowing that he is only home at night and not a 3 in the afternoon).  So, we went to a family that is close-ish in P.S.W.T.H.T. (Peruvian standard walking through the hills time) after they had failed us I was once again told that we should go to Jonathan's.  On the way we found a guy named Alejandro who once he saw us started to talk to us.  HE found US.  We talked and taught about the Book of Mormon until we got to Jonathon's door and saw the pad lock on this door.  We finished talking to Alejandro and have an appointment today.  Hopefully it goes well.  But I learned that God doesn't always send us for the reason we think he does.  We should be open and willing to work in His way.

Well that's it for this week.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Another photo found whilst "browsing" the internet...

Hello goodbye hello goodbye

Monday, May 30, 2016

Family and readers,

Today I'm writing in reverse order.  Yesterday, we had two lessons that were opposites.  The first one was a reference a 22 year old named Oliver that is friend's with a guy named Deacons who always helps us.  Oliver has questions about many things that are covered or cleared up by simply teaching the restoration, a lesson I have come to love.  Seeing as Oliver didn't want to keep having questions, he visited with us at 9, went to church at 10, stayed until 1 and was asking questions and involved himself in every way he could.

Edith, a less active we are reactivating with the help of her son Natan. Is Struggling. She has things that she needs to talk about with the bishop and a few changes that she needs to apply to herself.  But, she only goes to church if her son hasn't already left or if she will be late.   We spoke with her yesterday about future goals, arriving to the temple, but she isn't ready to act.  

Newton's law is simple.  An object at rest will stay at rest until acted upon by an outside force.  I would say that a person in a state of confusion or unhappiness will be there until they open their hearts to the power of the Holy Spirit that CAN convert us.  Convert means change.  

As Oliver realized that we didn't know what church was true we took the actions necessary to seek and as we all know, seek and ye shall find.  The more I think about the promise that Christ gave us I think about one said by the prophet Nephi.  "For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." 

Moroni, "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

People who let the Holy Ghost into their lives learn what they should do and how to do it.  I am grateful for people who can put their pride aside and look for the truth.  People who recognize that they don't know everything but need divine help to know the will of God which will put them in motion and on the path to eternal life once again.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

American Pancakes cooked with a Perivian Gorge Forman

Monday, May 23, 2016

Family,

HI. 

I will start this letter with what happened yesterday.  We went to the hospital with a less active member to give a blessing to his wife with diabetes.  She might have to lose a leg because of all of the problem she is having, really sad.  We entered the very private six person room where the sister was staying.  We talked a little bit and gave her a blessing.  After that blessing the lady on the other side came and said, "Give me one too."  We did.  A woman then came over and told us, "My mother needs one."  We got their and she was an 85 year old woman that was sleeping.  The woman told us that her mom had been asleep for 2 weeks.  I gave her a blessing.  As I did so I felt two very strong impressions.  

1. This little grandma had been a good woman and God loved her a lot.

2. Her time was come.  She would not open her eyes again.

I wish I could have a logical reason to have thought those things, but I didn't.  I just felt them.  Many times we think we need to fully understand why we are supposed to do something before we do it.  But we should remember that we are agents to act and that the only thing that determines my actions are my thoughts, and words.

In other news, my comp and I are both tired, just tired.  We gave this week all that we had and we feel good about what that is.  Today seeing as we are in Huanuco and there is nothing to do ever, we are going to play it by ear and make that best of it.

This week in English Class we decided to tell stories to keep people entertained.  Meaning that one of us would make up a story and the other would act it out.  We told stories about missionaries and dogs. Forgetting the keys and midgets skipping through the woods singing YMCA and then running into a pot of gold.  haha you can say it was eventful.

That's the week.  I can't really think of other stuff that is happening even though I know it is.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Colonial is home sweet home

Monday, May 16, 2016

Family, 

I am in Huanuco.  AGAIN!  And I am happy about that!  I got here on Wednesday so I have almost 1 week here but I am definitely not counting seeing as I don't need any reminders that my time is limited.

My companion is Elder Checketts.  A great guy from Layton, Utah and officially my second American comp.  I miss Elder Calle.  He was the best. 

I got to church yesterday and in the announcements was the normal, we have a new Elder, Elder Glassett in our ward.  Which was then followed by the not very common, he will be giving the first talk today.  Dang-it. Thank goodness for personal study.  I don't know where I would be without it.

My area in big for Huanuco, but not for Huancayo.  We have all the basics like dogs, hills, houses of mud, apartment complexes and as always in Huanuco, Dust!  Lots and lots of dust.  I think it's fair to say I will not be using contacts here.

As far as getting to know the area, I am doing my best.  My comp and I are thinking of doing weekly divisions with members to cover more ground so I need to learn the roads and people quickly.

And it is a blessing to be free again.  I learned so much from my time in the office and I wouldn't try and take it out or replace it but it feels really good to work and get tired, to climb up hills and take advantage of studying the scriptures. It's harder but it's worth it.

All is well in the Andes.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Week # Eleventy-Seven

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Family,

So I am writing my last weekly letter on Saturday.  On Wednesday I will be going to somewhere I don't currently know, but I'm excited. Sunday marks the end of the eighth change I have been in Huancayo. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Half of the mission in this city!!!!  Like I said I have no idea what will happen but i'll enjoy it.

This week was a little bit crazy for us.  We had the leadership council on Thursday instead of the normal Tuesday because of some medical issues that surprised us all. (Maybe I will go into more detail on that one later on but for now on I will say that we are all healthy and well.)  So that whole thing made us cancel and un-cancel council which means that we didn't start our training until Tuesday night-ish.. But may I once more say that the spirit is absolutely the one who leads and guides our thought process while we plan things like that.  As always, we started out ready with an idea and even more ready to decide to change our idea. (It's always like that.)  We had a good idea and we had done our part to think and plan ahead.  As we came to the end of the training we started feeling that is wasn't right. Nothing else, just that it wasn't right.  DANGIT!!! So we erased everything.  (Thank goodness we always do the rough draft on a whiteboard. And we started again.  After that we started talking about past trainings we have done and what we talked about.  We started thinking about one from a while ago about teaching, testifying and focusing on the Rock, Jesus Christ. But this time we remembered something Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 3:11-14, For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  In other words, i'm glad that you built your house on a sturdy foundation. But, if you put something weak on that foundation then your house will still fall down.  We would not have done this without the spirit. I have been thinking a lot about where it says; The Spirit will teach you all things which ye should do.  I would add in, If we let it.  

I hope we are all willing to listen and follow that spirit. It will take our best efforts and make them inspired. He will tell us what we need to hear. In the way we need to hear it.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Week of weeks

Monday April 25, 2016

Family,

Sorry for writing late, although it still counts as writing. Today we went to Huaytapallana Again!!!  I only have to go two more times to tie Elder White who has gone 7!!

This week has been good.  Maybe a little stressful but normal.  Tomorrow I will be sending the numbers in because today we couldn't.  And the wheel keeps turning.  We are still teaching Samuel who likes to learn from us.  Like I explained he has been taught by a lot of churches but he likes the familiarity-ness of the Doctrine of Christ.  Which is just a little testimony that it was taught to us before we were born.  Every time he asks us something he says.  That's kind of what I thought. Wow, it's great.

This week we had a stake activity where all the missionaries, had to go because we were apparently going to be swimming in references and member support.  HA. Well we went and our ward did a presentation of the Jaredites my compi and I had the idea for them.  It was about the first set of elections in the American continent.  With a lot of funny Peruvian elements that will make sense with a basic knowledge of Peruvian government. Like:

· Voting in Place of birth. 
· Fines for not voting.
· All candidate ideas.
  
It was a good time.

That atheist kid that we are teaching is really cool!  He is really smart and NOT ATHEIST. haha.

We are teaching a guy named Cesar he is awesome!  We taught him a lesson the other day and the word he used to describe it was fue impactante (very impactful).  Wow!  He is totally ready and excited to learn more about God and Jesus Christ.

Oh yea one more thing!  I did an experiment this week where I cleaned my glasses twice, once during the sacrament and once more one week later.  In the sacrament. Two thoughts.  One they got really dirty, two I got used to it interesting.  Now that I am not in the experiment I am cleaning them a lot more.  Repentance.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Cholo dressed like a cholo

This helped me not get sunburned.

Experiment with glasses and how it can relate to repentance.

Still finding photos in the vast internet from the hike a few weeks ago.

My compi left the Compu!

Monday, April 18, 2016

¡Aloha a todos!

Hi family.  Life is a lot calmer now that last week and the elections and conference and everything thing else that was happening is no longer happening...

Before I start I have a funny story.

The other day my compi and I set a new goal to see which ice cream place is the best in our area.  Obviously contacting the ice cream Cholita, while we are at it, we were not only saddened to discover that there is only one ice cream place in the other area. (We thought there would be at least 2 or 3) But the Cholita didn't know how to make the thing work. Elder Calle said what flavors do you have and she said ya ya ya wait one second and put like one crooked swirl of ice cream on the cone and then gave it to him.  (Keep in mind he never told her what favor he wanted). I was there thinking.  Uh oh now I have to get one too and she's going to do the same thing... But haha right then her granddaughter came out and gave me a whole bunch!!!  Saved by the nina!  Elder Calle and I then awkwardly looked and the different amount we had each received and said thank you... We left laughing and the next day I bought him another to make up for it.  haha good times.

We came across a folder of old baptismal records and have been using that to find less active and recent converts. The problem there is that many people no longer live in the same house so the week has been full of looking for little streets that nobody knows and talking with strangers.  haha the mission right?  While we were looking for a street I had a feeling we should talk to a man who was sitting outside his house. We passed him to talk to a member really quickly and then the thought came again in quiet but urgent feeling, which I have understood to be the Holy Ghost, that we should talk to him.  We went and started talking.  He asked a few questions and we ended up sitting on the ground next to him talking for about 30 minutes. His name is Samuel. And he said, wow that's crazy that you guys just happened to be passing by on the day that I locked my keys in the house.   What are the odds?  We gave him a pamphlet of the restoration and made plans to visit him again.  And this time he said, normally churches give me things to read and after about 2 pages I get bored and stop.  But this time I read the whole thing and then thought I should read that again to understand it better.  We have put a baptismal goal with him and are grateful for that miracle... I left the appointment last night thinking, God pulled so many strings so that we could have this experience.  What would have happened if we had ignored it?

I love when Peter says, we only speak of what we have seen and heard.  What I have seen is the power of a loving Father in Heaven who knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us more than we love ourselves.  I am grateful for this knowledge.  And Hope that we recognize ourselves as children of God before we say student, photographer, dentist, bishop or anything.  We are first and foremost Children of God.

1 Corinthians 3:23 and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

Photos!!!!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Good morning

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Mom,

We aren't taking pday this week but I have a second to write before I fly out the door with my compi... 

I would like a really good salad when I get home... I think that being here where we can't eat strawberries lettuce or well, almost anything has made me appreciate eating healthy. Today, for breakfast I ate an apple a giant carrot a jam sandwich and some cereal with yogurt.. With a little mate... i feel like I'm just getting off a diet..

 

I will try to get my letter sent off today but the most likely option is that I'll be sending the real one tomorrow... 

 

Love you mom have a good one!!!

 

My Pension's Son's "Meet my Family" presentation picture from school... haha i took this..

 

Hey everyone

Sunday April 10, 2016


Family, 

So, I assume (haha yes I know what that does to us…) that you got my message from yesterday. Man, I am tired...  (Note.  He's referring to an audio message he sent the day before after he had moved with the help of three zones.  They cleaned and set up 13 new bunk beds in the new missionary house.)

This week was slow and a little frustrating.  We are receiving help from one member (which is the norm)… a guy named Albertano he is about 65… He is awesome and I am so grateful for his help… Going through weeks like these make me think about what missionaries need from members… Members need to reach out. They need to act in faith and help out however they can. They need to introduce themselves to new people at church and talk about their beliefs with their friends and neighbors. Every member is a missionary or at least they should be. 

There are two ideas I have been thinking about lately 

1.  The mission is not the only place where our time is the Lord’s time.  I really liked when somebody is conference said, “for years Thomas S. Monson has been taking the long way home to say hi to, or visit someone in need.” He understands that his time is not his. 

2.  The mission isn’t the only time when we should be exactly obedient…  The other day somebody said, “God understands when I sin because I’m not an apostle or anything…” I couldn’t help but think God is no respecter of persons…  I was reading in 2 Nephi 9:40 which says, "O, my beloved Brethren, give ear to my words.  Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.  Do not say that I that I have spoken hard things against you for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker.  I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.” 

The righteous love the truth and are not shaken… In Spanish it says they are constant. I think God has the same expectations for all of us. That’s why Christ said, “be ye therefore perfect” to all of us. God Loves us and knows we can do this. Or that we can at least try really hard. 

All this has been on my mind lately. I hope that we can all try to be our best selves. I hope we can all love the truth and be not shaken. 

Sonriendo Siempre,

Elder Glassett

A few pictures from last week

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Hey Family,

I can't think of a whole bunch of cool stuff to tell this week.  It was transfers and that means trainings and being with the old elders and then with the new ones.

Right now we are getting ready to go to president house to watch it.  We have a few things to keep us busy during the break.  Like chess and cards.

We have the Zone leader conference on Tuesday so my comp and I are getting ready for that.  Man, time has gone by so quickly since the last one.  

UMMMM. I am thinking of things to tell you all.  I'll write later.