Rain and Bike - Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was good. We had zone meeting up in Sparta, TN, the name is cooler then the actual town. We went to Hardee's for lunch, then drove back, it was a long ride, including waiting for a train. Who knew there are still many trains running around the country. Fireworks have been going off for a while now ... no laws on that down here, I guess they don't think any fires will start.

We had many storms with week, a lot of rain and flooding, it was cool to see, though. I need to stop putting on sunscreen it reminds me to much of the lake cabin, haha. We rode our bikes quite a bit this past week and I enjoyed it.  On a hot day we had the car, but we saw the Sisters and gave the car to them ... and they gave us cookies. Our dinners with members has gone down, because of the sisters, so my pasta diet has gone back up.  Good thing this month is almost over and I will be getting more money. Since we have been riding our bikes more we have become a lot more famous in Winchester. A lot of people call out to us, some nice, but some mean, mainly the teenagers. We met a bunch of people this past week, and they are all so nice to us, we talked with a family, who took pity on us and is going to feed us this Wednesday.

My spiritual thought is the song "How Great Thou Art," many Southerners have wind chimes with that song on it. Love y'all, life is hard, but having Jesus it's not so bad.

Love, Elder Blazzard

Pink Washed - Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Friends and Family,

It was transfer week, the Spanish elders got pink washed, meaning we have Spanish sisters with us now. They took one of our cars away :-), a Corolla dark silver is now what we drive. So we share with the sisters, we are only allowed to ride with them to district meetings. So it is going to be fun coordinating the car. We rode the bikes a lot.  We have zone meeting tomorrow in Sparta which is a hour and a half car trip.

My district is made up of Altamont (Elders), Jasper (Elders), Winchester (Spanish Sisters) and us, Elder Weaver and I. It is fun. Elder Weaver has been getting mad at me for blowing through stops, but come on it's a small town.

The area book app has been updated, and it is really good now.  The people page is better and easier to look through and they built in the referral manger finally. Yay!

For the 4th of July we have to be in by 6pm, but maybe we will see some good fireworks on the 3rd of July. : ) This week was tough with all the changes made to the area, but we never had a better week number wise. It was great.

On Saturday we went to a restaurant that is owned by a local member in Fayetteville.  We did service early in the week and on Saturday he fed us and the food was excellent. These weeks we have been focusing on the atonement of Jesus Christ, I feel that it will help motivate the people we are teaching to change and become better people.

The church is growing down here and it is great.

1 Nephi 14:14  "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

Love,

Elder Blazzard

Plan of Salvation - Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was good. It was the last week of the transfer and it ends up that the Spanish speaking elders are being reassigned. I don't know if we will get sisters or elders this coming transfer. It will be interesting. On Tuesday we did some regular missionary work. We talked with a guy who had contact and discussions with missionaries back in 2007. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and the lesson went very well. On Wednesday we had district meeting in Jasper, TN. I followed the GPS on the drive over but it took us a weird way. We went through the back woods and down a mountain on a road called Stage Coach Road which was very steep. It was a little scary.

On Thursday we had a lesson with these cool African American people, however, they are really into and love ISIS, and think they are on the right track. hmmm. We talked about why we are here on earth with them and that discussion opened the door a bit for them to trust us given the truth of the message. The guy just took my Book of Mormon without even asking and my Jesus pictures. That night we went with a member into the country to meet a less active and this guy was cool. On Friday we meet with a investigator, I fixed his bloated malware computer and he was thankful. That night we played soccer with a ton of Hispanics. They were a little intimidating. I was goalie.

On Saturday we had lunch at a less-active's home and ate some good, homemade pizza. That day we tracted a ton and then met with a less-active family and they had no A/C in their house. A hot, hot and sweaty discussion. On Sunday we had the Wendy's investigator come again, it was great.

Congrats Derek and Gabby. Love y'all.

Alma 37:6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Elder Blazzard

Food and Spiritual Storage

Dear Family and Friends,

On Monday we attempted to visit a cave in the region but could never find the entrance. We walked down the side of the hill for a while but with no luck. That evening we had dinner with the usual members and it was good. On Tuesday we worked through the people on our various contact lists. It was a good work day overall. On Wednesday we had a district meeting in Altamont, TN. We had the pleasure of having President and Sister Andersen in attendance, Sister Andersen brought a treat. I went on exchanges with our district leader Elder Orr. He is Spanish speaking. The day went well as we met many new people. On Thursday we tracted a African American majority neighborhood and came away with some success. On Friday we tried a lot of people with out a lot of luck. Many of them slammed the door in our faces and a grandpa told us to move along ... ouch grandpa. On Saturday we worked and in the afternoon we played some soccer with some people it was fun. On Sunday we had a guy from Wendy's show up. Thank you frosty night. I think members here are starting to trust us a little bit more. One funny thing about this area is everyone talks about the last days and the second coming, I know way to many theories about what is going to happen. Mom and Dad, I hope you have food storage, Ha. Brace yourselves!

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Love, Elder Blazzard

Working Tennessee - Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Friends and Family,

On Monday we hiked a little at Tim Ford's State Park. It was fun and I hopefully took a few good pictures. We had dinner at a member's home that evening and then we taught a lesson with a less active. On Tuesday we did a lot of contacting and tracting. We did review our contacts and investigators from the area book and purged the list which was a good thing.  Now the list is a little easier to focus our work on people are that are interested. We had dinner with the Branch President. He has a hawk army to get rid of other birds for people on their properities. That evening we went with the Branch Mission Leader and taught a less active family. The husband actually came to church yesterday.

On Thursday we had great success with talking with everyone we met. We obtained three new investigators and they all are reading the Book of Mormon. That night we had a lesson with two progressing investigators and both of them are smokers. We went over the stop smoking workshop with them and gave them some stuff like grapefruit juice and vitamin C. We even got a member to come out with us to the lesson. After that lesson this member took us to one of his home teaching families. It was a good night.

On Friday was weekly planning and we helped out at the Funeral Home.  We went to their son's graduation party and then we had activities with the youth and less actives. On Saturday we went contacting and tracting. We had a lesson in Cowan and then drove back to Winchester to grab the other elders for dinner at a member's house. After dinner we went to the investigators that are smoking to check on them and teach them a lesson. Saturday was the day they started the challenge and they are still going strong.

On Sunday, an investigator to come to church as did many of the less-actives with whom we have been working. There was  a total of ninety-two. After dinner in Cowan, with some members, we had a lesson with another less active family.

Today we are going to a cave in the mountains, don't worry we will be safe. Much work to be done, but you can only go one day at a time. Love y'all.

 D&C 19:28 And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private.

Love,


Elder Blazzard