Technical Service

Dear friends and family,

     This week the weather was super cold. I am talking around -6 with the wind chill factor. On Tuesday we worked in Grand Rivers, then had dinner with a member, her nonmember husband, and her baptist friend. It was fun...she is the best. Wednesday was the coldest day this week and we tried to fill that day with less active visits. There are about two hundred less actives in this area. On Thursday, we had interviews with the mission president, and I played the piano for district meeting while the president and his assistants were there. Thanks for the simplified hymn book. It has been a life saver.

     We are teaching this couple with a kid and they asked for a blessing because they had some scary stuff happen to them. We went over and did the blessing...at the end they asked if we could give a blessing to their daughter who is one years old. We said we could, and during the blessing the little baby girl, who was sitting in her dad's lap, folded her arms and bowed her head during the whole blessing. This made the grandma (member) and the mother cry. On Friday, we had zone meeting and the assistants were in attendance. The meeting focused on reducing the clutter in our area books. One other thing I really got from it was doing the work (like tracting) even when it gets really hard...to just keep going because that means some huge miracle is about to happen. It happens ever time - I can attest to this because I've seen it time and time again. It is just like repairing a computer. It seems that the last thing you try fixes it, so don't stop trying until it is fixed ;).

     Later that day I was in Calvert City tracting. One house made me imagine that we were going to be kidnapped and our experience  made into a movie...that was the house that let us in and we taught the first lesson. In Calvert there are a lot of chemical factories that make weird stuff. One factory has a stack with flames shooting out of it because it is burning the waste. That stack makes a loud hum that you can hear and feel. It is a bit eerie. Sunday was branch conference and the branch is focusing on family history, missionary work, and bringing back the inactives. We were at a part member's house and we wanted to show them a Mormon message. Well, I asked if I could show it on their 80" flat screen. They were like, sure, but then I asked if it could connect to the internet...seeing the Sony player and knowing it already could, but I didn't want to touch their stuff without permission. They didn't know and only knew they had a blue ray player. So...I was like, yes, it can and do you have wifi? Again they didn't know, so I pulled out my iPad and checked...they did. So,I connected the TV to the wireless router using the "out of the box" password on the bottom of the router. After getting that setup,I got the Sony up in less then 5 minutes. I got the YouTube app up and running, and the video going...the whole process taking about 10 mins. We watched the video and they were amazed at what their TV could do!

     Scripture of the week:  And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. 1 Nephi 17:3 http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/17?

Love, Elder Blazzard

A New Year - Benton/Calvert City, Kentucky

Dear Friends and Family,

This past week I was responsible for the work in the Calvert City area. My new companion is Elder Nimmer (Elder Ammon Nimmer's sister plays for BYU Soccer). The work has been more difficult for me because I am the one they look to for all the answers, but I survived my first week.

On New Year's Day, I set up the projector and audio equipment for our movie session, which for some reason gave me a huge stress release. It was a great stress reliever because I was able to do something that I am really good at. At a member's home, they just installed a WiFi point and a Roku.  I helped them set it all up because they had no clue what they were doing. I finished their WiFi access and administration, updated the devices, and set up an account for them on the Roku. They were pleased with my service. I placed the Mormon channel on their Roku and showed them some awesome videos before we left.

The area branch is trying to help me transition from following Elder Ashton around to being the missionary they go to. I think I am doing a good job, I have to speak a lot in Branch Council meeting. I am glad I have this opportunity to grow with my speaking skills. Now I just need to work on writing better emails.

Love you all, and here is a good scripture to read.

Galatians 5:22-26

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering,gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Love,
Elder Blazzard

Christmas Week - Transfers - Elder Nimmer

Dear Family and Friends,

This Christmas week was great, being able to talk with family and be with members of the branch. The highlight of this week was transfer calls. I will be staying in Calvert City another transfer, Elder Ashton is going to Hopkinsville. I will be receiving Elder Nimmer. I am excited to start my third transfer of my mission. Yesterday, on Sunday Elder Ashton and I gave talks, his on humility and mine on charity. The branch will miss Elder Ashton, because he helped open the branch back (to ft missionaries) in July of this year. So on Tuesday we will go down to Nashville for transfer meeting. Thanks for the gifts and the support and prayers.

Love,

Elder Blazzard


1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends Sidney and Joseph, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

2 Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you.

3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land.

4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.
D&C 100:1-7

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/100?lang=eng

Christmas, Masonic history, and Contacting

Dear Friends and Family,

This past week in Kentucky was crazy. I went on exchanges in Murray. We talked to a guy about free masons, Masonic lodges, and about an island with pirate treasure on it. We then went to have dinner with a part member family, that was fun, I was questioning the safety of eating the food, but it turned out fine. The next day we helped out at a nursing home and played UNO with the elderly and they thought the game was fun saying that they never played this game before, haha. We also helped clean a hoarder's home. The fun part was cleaning and unclogging the vacuum.

On Saturday we walked into Benton (KY - population ~4500) as we live on the outskirts of town. I thought the day was going to be terrible, but it turned out to be a day of miracles. We found five new investigators and we ran into some inactive members who came to church on Sunday. So Sunday was a great day. The children's Christmas music program was also that day.

I am excited to Skype on Christmas, and sleep in a bit on Christmas Day. And on New Years we are probably going to watch Frozen. Sorry for the short email, but it is Christmas and a lot is on my mind, a lot of scheduling. Have a very merry Christmas.

Love,

Elder Blazzard

Christmas in Kentucky

Dear Friends and Family,


This week we attended a Zone Conference with Elder Renlund of the Seventies. He was very inspiring and motivating. Before the conference, I took over Calvert City on exchanges with Elder Snow. I would say it was a success. I took Elder Snow to see the lights at Mike Miller Park. The Branch Christmas party was on Friday. There was a ton of food; we tried biscuits with chocolate gravy and a grits breakfast casserole. The biscuits with chocolate gravy was good, but the grits in the casserole…gross and nasty. At a member’s home, I tried a mayo and banana sandwich which was surprisingly pretty good. My companion had a pickle and peanut butter sandwich.
On Saturday, we performed some service at a member’s home. We cut down trees and cleared the forest. We cut down the small, but like a foot in diameter, trees with axes. It was amusing. He then took us around his 25 acre property; he had a gun with him and was going to shot a deer. We were a little freaked because he wanted us to go and scare the deer out of the forest from the back.... we thought we were going to get shot. There were buffalo out there as well, which you have to be very careful around because they will actually charge.
My companion, who is the designated driver, hit a pup coming home last Saturday. We were driving (in the dark) and a huge black dog came running out of nowhere, directly into the beam of the headlights.  My companion misses the dog by a hair. Then I see the other dog in the corner of my eye, and it runs right into our car…we hear a loud thump. We turn around and see that it is a pup, and it is crying a little. We call a member and they tell us to call 911. We tell the 911 operator what has happened and they get someone to head our way. People start pulling over and finally the brother of the owner of the dog comes. The owner comes and puts the pup in his car. In the end, it all turned out okay: only the dog’s shoulder and mouth were hurt. But my poor companion had adrenaline going through him and was a little freaked. What a crazy night!
On Sunday, we went to a Baptist Christmas play. “There can’t be Christmas without the Jesus and the Cross” was the main song. We talked to a lot of people after the play—making it a worthwhile evening.

Merry Christmas…I love y'all,

Elder Blazzard

Working in Kentucky

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was crazy busy. On Tuesday, we went to the hospital to visit a member who's blood sugar went through the roof so he was stabilizing in the hospital. Then we went to the nursing home and visited two investigators; one was all dolled up because her family was coming that day.  She really likes me and my companion thinks it is hilarious. A member took us to "Hutchens", a small town restaurant. We will be going to to this member's home on the Kentucky Lake next Tuesday. She is super excited to show me around the lake. On Friday, we walked down HWY 68 in the dark and on the way back we started to run a little because my companion felt a dark feeling ... so we ran. We
made it back to the car safely; however, the car was stuck in a lot of mud so I had to push it out of the mud while getting mud all over my suit. That was a fun night.

We talked with a family ... their daughter claimed that she was an atheist at first and then bore her testimony of God.  The family was crying because her testimony was so strong. On Sunday night right before the First Presidency Christmas Devotional we hiked up to this house through a jungle of plants to get up the porch that had one light, We heard a creak and nothing else so we decided to leave. We passed by a trailer nestled in the forest with gross couches in the front yard. We left a pass along card on one of the couches.

Our Branch President is very dedicated to the work and is working with Church facilities on the branch building which has gone through many prior renovations. At first the building was owned by a baptist church.

There are so many blessings and miracles happening in Calvert City, Kentucky.

I love it. Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Garrett Blazzard

He is the Gift and food

At the beginning of this week we did exchanges and I went to Paducah, Kentucky with Elder Keys. We had dinner at the local bishop's house and his family was very nice. Wednesday was district meeting and I was back in Calvert City. At district meeting we talked about He is the Gift incentive (found on lds.org). This program during the Christmas season is so cool and the initiative will be seen worldwide.

Thanksgiving was great. First we had lunch with some members at a local buffet restaurant. We thanked the lady who served us for working on a holiday. She was so sad to be away from her family. We then had lunner at a members home, who had many nonmembers there. And finally we had dinner at another members home. The food was all good, but the best was all the dressing made with corn bread. The dressing seemed a little sweeter. Something weird was they had the innards with the turkey, mmmm. On Friday we had another thanksgiving dinner, and after the dinner we went and saw some lights. We had fried turkey, that was so good. We are sharing He is the Gift video with many and people love it along with the pass along cards which are very well designed.

The work is progressing nicely.

Love, Elder Blazzard