No Building Yet and GA visit

Dear Family and Friends,

This week went well. On Tuesday we had service in Trenton, Georgia so that was cool. On Wednesday we had district meeting in Winchester and I helped make a survival game to play.  The meeting went well and then a member took us out that night to work. We had a couple of good lessons with him. On Thursday we had a member take us out again after working and riding bikes all day. We met a lot of people and an investigator had us mow his lawn.  We taught with a member that night and the lesson went very well.. On Friday we had a lesson with a guy that is getting baptized this coming Saturday. Our discussion went well and he passed his interview on Sunday. This past Sunday was Branch Conference, in the funeral home :-), and all went well except that some of the members really want their own building. So there was a little tension.

Thanks for all the support and prayers. Love u'all
Love, Elder Blazzard

Funeral Home = Church Building

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was great. We ended up teaching over thirty lessons ... hard work pays off. Next Sunday is branch conference and we are hoping to convince the stake to buy the funeral home and make it into an actual church building. It is hard to hold church with funerals every other Sunday. We had a lot of great lessons on getting answers from God. Teaching this concept was great because my understanding now is a lot better. I sang at church this last Sunday. ... I know, what!! It went okay though. I guess I will do anything for the sister missionaries, ha. A future from Kansas went out with us Tuesday and Thursday this week and he drove us to district meeting in Jasper, Tennessee. We had a lesson Tuesday with a family, the dad is going to get baptized. He had been going to church for ten years now and thinks it is time he makes the plunge. This Monday the Jasper missionaries came up to our area because we gave the car to the sisters because one of the sisters is being emergency transferred. It has been a great summer. Hope you all are doing well, best wishes.

Love,  Elder Blazzard

Food for Thought

Dear Friends and Family,
 This was a good week. Monday's pday was boring however a member bought us some groceries. Be nice to the missionaries and you will be blessed. This week we went to the temple in Nashville. A member drove us missionaries and it was a great experience. Later that night while sleeping, I had a dream about the temple in that I was working in the temple throughout the night and I just felt great. It was sad to wake up.
On Thursday we had district meeting in Altamont and then went to the only restaurant in town, a Mexican one. I then started my exchange with Elder Tuita down in Jasper. That day was his birthday, so we ate and ate ... Pizza, Mexican food, fast food, and shakes, I was dying slowly, my stomach was hurting so bad. My companion was glad to have me back in Winchester. I know Winchester like the back of my hand. Church was good but it was just sacrament meeting again, so it was short. Thanks for the support and prayers! Oh, yea, our car got backed into but the accident just a dent.

 Love, Elder Blazzard

Tracting and Meetings - All for Experience

Dear Family and Friends, What a week ... it was great but a little slow. We had two road trips this week, but first let me start with Tuesday. On Tuesday we had the car and we had a good lesson with this investigator. We brought a young man with us and we contacted a ton of people. It was a good day. On Wednesday much of the same, but on Thursday we had zone conference up in McMinnville, TN it was a good meeting and lasagna for lunch so..., we didn't get home until 5:30 p.m. ... a long day. On Friday we biked all over, we got a lot of lessons in and the weather wasn't terrible but still super sweaty. On Saturday we tracted at 10:00am and it was fruitful. We met a nice old lady and she said her grandfather had the missionaries stay over on the weekends. It was interesting to hear about how long missionaries have been in the South and in these areas. On Sunday we had three hours of church, yay it has been awhile. We also had a Priesthood meeting up in Cookeville. It was a two hour drive in a cramped car. The the meeting was good. Remember why you are going all these hard things ... it is for the Lord. Thanks y'all for the prayers. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Love, Elder Blazzard

Building Character with Change

Dear Friends and Family,
This week was a whirlwind of changes including Tuesday which was transfers. I received Elder Brown. He has been out about 17 months out and is from the San Francisco, California area. A member took us to a nice deli and then when we got back to Winchester and this member took us to Walmart.  We had a meeting with our branch mission leader. On Wednesday we had district meeting here in Winchester. We have a new sister and her trainee in our district. We talked a lot of folks this week and came away with nine new investigators. It was great. Members here help us so much.
On Thursday we stopped by Taco Bell and the lady who took my order payed for my food. Her mother is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon :-). We talked to a old black guy that was super nice we taught him the restoration. He liked it and we invited him to get baptized he said he would if he received an answer. On Sunday we just had a hour of church. Unfortunately,  I developed a bad headache while tracting in the sun, probably because I was fasting. It was a good week and we saw many changes but change is good for building your character.

Thanks for all the love, love y'all

D&C 78:18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

Love, Elder Blazzard

Filled with Love - through Service

Dear Friends and Family,

 This week went well. On Tuesday we went contacting and that night a went with us. We had a good lesson with one of our investigators. He has a little trouble with the word of wisdom, but he is doing great. On Wednesday we had district meeting in Jasper, a member down there treated us to Cracker Barrel. Another member that night took us a little out of our mission we crossed the Lincoln County, and we told him we need to turn around, ha. On Thursday was a good day, we had many lessons, that night we took out a less active teen, we went to a lesson , then we played basketball with another less active teen, they both want to get back in church they just have difficult home lives. On Friday we had a great lesson with this guy as we talked about our church and answered some questions he had. On Sunday Elder Weaver and I gave talks, I spoke on the pure love of Christ, it went well. So Elder Weaver is leaving and I am receiving someone new. It will be exciting.

Moroni 7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.


Love,

Elder Blazzard

Week 10 in Winchester, Tennessee

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was good and we did a lot of work. It was fun but also stressful. We had fun trip up in Altamont last p-day as we hiked to Greeter Falls. It was very humid and hot, but it was worth the view. On Tuesday we got a less active member to take us around. We had a couple of lesson with him that night. Then a deeper lesson with a ex-Mormon. Those lessons are difficult

with the questions being stressful to answer. He wanted good answers you see, and I tried to keep it simple. The gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't have to be complex to be true.
On Wednesday we had district meeting in Jasper ... the trip was fun and the sisters drove. We ate at Arby's after the meeting and did some service at a member's house where they fed us afterwards.  We even had a lesson with their nonmember son, the lesson went well, it was about the Holy Ghost and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thursday was tough, we went everywhere, with nobody talking to us. We had a good lesson right before dinner and then a member took us out and we got two lessons with him. On Friday the member who owns the restaurant on the square had us for dinner again and I tried catfish, it wasn't bad. I had it with coleslaw and hushpuppies.
On Saturday we had a miracle, a less active recent convert who is 15 years old went out with us to a lesson, and he opened up about the gospel. Usually we try to teach him while he plays video games. Yesterday we had an investigator come to church.
1 Kings 19
 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Love,
Elder Blazzard