Teaching - Winchester, TN

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was good. On Tuesday we had dinner with a family with six children and the evening was a lot of fun.  We then had a lesson with a part member family where the mom is less active and the dad is a baptist, I think.  These folks are super nice. Wednesday we had district meeting in Kimball which is near the Alabama border. It was a great drive as we went over the mountains.  The Jasper Building (which is located in the sister town of Kimball) has a modified LDS phased building/meetinghouse.

We had a dinner at this Italian restaurant and the pasta was okay just not in the A category. The memorial wall for Vietnam is in Winchester right now. The event was on the national news and included a skydiver crashing into some power lines. He survived and actually did not have any major or minor injuries.

I think I'm becoming more southern in that I keep saying words all wrong and my sentences are not grammatically correct (hmm). I guess it's all fun though. One of our investigators is going to be starting the stop smoking workshop this week. It is going to be really tough for him and I hope it all goes well. The night after talking with him, we went to the funeral home for a big funeral service for a local star. We helped fold pamphlets. The owners are very nice to us.  The place smelt like cigarettes, but it smelt like victory, ha. I am doing great and I hope y'all are safe and doing good too, love y'all.

5 But now, when they saw they believed, and fear came upon them lest all the judgments which Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore they did quake, and had fallen to the earth.

Love,

Elder Blazzard

Member Work - Winchester, TN

Dear Family and Friends,

This was a good week and member work and finding. We had informative zone conference on Wednesday about the atonement and planning. The drive to McMinnville, TN was great. The green landscape and curves in the roads made it fun. Sometime it feels like you are driving though caves of green and at those times I just know Jurassic Park is a real place :-|. The Branch (smaller than a Ward) here is slowly working together with increased unity.  This is very important to have because when the Branch is working together the missionary work increases.

We meet a cool lady who gave us a ton of gum because she works for Wrigley down in Chattanooga. She is not a member of the Church but basically ... she is and she has a lot of Mormon friends and just actually just gave up coffee. We met and had a great lesson with another lady in the area and we her a Book of Mormon and a plan of salvation pamphlet. What is really cool was she was looking for a church (hopefully the true church).

On Saturday we went to a member's house for lunch. They are 'Prepars' in that they are ready for the second coming and have read all these books about prophesies for the future. It was very interesting to talk with them. I am sure the Church is prepared and make sure you have your food storage. On Sunday we went to Cowan which is my first visit since arriving here. We had dinner with some members then we went with a member to a less active's house. They talked about the Vietnam War, a lot, I had to cut in and share a quick thought so we could get home on time, man some people can just talk and talk.

"And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe--that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power." (Where is this found?)

Love, Elder Blazzard

Mother's Day Special - Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Family and Friends,

It was transfer week and I was moved to Winchester, TN. I live in Decherd which is a neighboring town. We drive a red Toyota Corolla 2012. Our apartment is nice and clean. On Wednesday we had district meeting in Altamont which is west going up "the mountain." It is a good forty-five minute drive. For lunch we went to a local burger joint. It was good, but it reminded me of Spirit Lake.
We meet in a funeral home for church, yes, an actual funeral home. We had dinner at a member's home. They showed us all these sweet guns. The members here are very nice and neighborly. They are all hoping and working on getting their own actual building built in the area.
The weather is getting hot and it is humid and sticky. Our apartment is gross because all my clothing and sheets are always a little damp. It is a good thing we have a washer and dryer. I loved Skyping with the fambam. Thanks Mom and Dad for the encouraging  words.
A member here gives us free food at his gas station. I am going to get fatter. I guess I will just work harder to off set it.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11)

Love, Elder Blazzard

One Transfer Wonder - Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Friends and Family,

I had a week of exchanges. On Monday, after P-day, I went out with one of the zone leaders and Elder Powell went to their area. It was a fun exchange, doing the bus thing by myself. I made us walk a lot...the zone leader was not too happy:). I got to do some cooking this week; it was great and relaxing. We have been teaching this black couple like every other day, they are so wonderful. The wife is pregnant and will be baptized after she delivers in July.
On Friday, Elder Ashton came with Elder Powell and I. It was fun to be his companion again for a little bit. This less active we have been teaching is now fully reactivated.
So now the news...we got transfer calls and I am being transferred. So much fun to be moving again - not! Four weeks in Nashville is all I get I guess. It was an awesome transfer though, the branch was so good to me. I gave a little farewell testimony on Sunday.
Thanks for y'all's prayers and support.
10 ¶Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. - Isaiah 41:10

Love,

Elder Blazzard