Feliz Navidad

Hola! We received a letter from the President today that our p-day is changing to Thursday and our dia de servicio to miércoles, I will try to skype at 2 I think I will be able to do it. Well this week we got back from Santa Rosa and went over to talk with the English Teacher and her family and share a Christmas message and at the end I showed a picture of the angel that depicted the shepherds the good news. I had this picture taped to my agenda and she gasps out loud and says that she has seen an angel just like that one before.  It just hit her hard and she cried a bit. It was a pretty touching experience. I wish I could say that the rest of the week was great to but no I was really sick ... the sickest I have ever been on my mission.  Missionaries here call it the 'dos cabeza dragón', no fun but I'm okay now.

See you Friday at two I hope, Elder Blazzard

Evangelical Buckets

We went to another evangelist church this week and I thought it was going to be calmer than the other one but, of course, it was not.  We went because we were teaching a lesson to a Colombian family and at the end of the lesson we invited them to go to church and they said OK, but we would have to go to their church first. Fine ... we went to their 'church' that day at 7 and I wish I can say they came to church yesterday, but they did not. We continue to find people to teach English and that helps get into a lot of places. We go to Santa Rosa tomorrow. I doing good, I also did my first divisions with a young member yesterday, it was fun to try to get him excited to go on a mission, I
think I succeeded.

Love,
Elder Brock Ford Blazzard

Santa Rosa Zone Conference

It was a good week that was full of fun and hard work. Last Tuesday, we went to Santa Rosa in the morning for zone conference meeting. We almost missed the bus because we left the phone in the house. I was in charge of the game at conference so we played scripture match. It was fun. That night I left with one of the zone leaders to get things done in preparation for the Zone Conference the next day, We went to a blind members house and he has written a book about his conversion from atheism to Mormonism. A great book. The conference was fun and we talked about mission success and our future courses as the President wants us to be preparing for comfortable lives. The hermana talked about having healthy lives. On Saturday we played water balloon battleship and it turned out good. We are going to Bahia the 23rd of Deciember, I should be in Acha for the skype and have the liberty to choose the time I do it.

Love,
Elder Blazzard

Evangelico Cosas

This week was a very busy week. On Tuesday,  we had a noche de hogar with m and m and their family (they are the only members in their family). We played 20 questions which is fairly difficult in Spanish. We ate torta frita and had a good lesson on building your life on gospel principles.
Wednesday we had lunch with a member and they gave us noodles with brains. Pretty good. We also went to an evangélico church because we were invited to go by one of our investigadores ( a son of
one of their apostles. I might of let the extra air come out of my nose when I heard that). Their church was very interesting being very loud and a little scary.

On Thursday we had a lesson with a reference we received and it went very well and she acts like a true investigator with lots of questions. That night we ran into the English teacher and she asked us
what we are doing for Thanksgiving and we said nothing much, maybe delivery. She didn't like that answer so she invited us over for a Thanksgiving cena the next night. We had steak and intestines, so
gross, but I put it down of course.

On Saturday we played soccer and football at the church with our friends. Yesterday we  had church and I played the piano.

Les quiero, Elder Blazzard

cuarenta tercera semana

Hola,

Things are going very well here in General Acha where a lot of our investigators are progressing and
attending church. My companion and I still continue to remind the members of our goals and the things they can do to help us the most. It was pretty stormy here at this point in the year and the normal thunder is very loud. At times I think the house will collapse.

This last week was also good. We were able to have a family home evening with the English teacher in the area and her family. They are very strong Catholics, however, they will listen and do like the focus the Gospel places on the family. For family home evening we went to a park outside of the city about 10 miles east. It was a nice place and then we went back to their home to eat.  It turned out great. We had to new investigators come to church yesterday and they liked the services, a lot.

Love,
Elder Blazzard

Pictures

I staying in General Acha another transfer with Elder Hand still. We had another baptism last Saturday and everything went well. We will probably have another 2 by the 28th. We heard that the whole mission is going to Bahia Blanca for Christmas and that there are going to be big changes and surprises, whatever that means. We continue to find really awesome people here and our lessons are getting really good. Elder Hand and I just teach really well together.

Thanks for the support, I feel your prayers daily.

Elder Blazzard

S and S

This week was a good one. We did service for one of our investigators moving a pile of dirt five feet then we moved it back (?). It was fun.  Then we taught the plan of salvation it went super bien. In addition, we tried to help him start his car by pouring gasoline directly into the engine. I thought that we would blow up, but no, the car just started. I got super burnt. We had 2 baptisms that went well on Saturday. That night I noticed something in my blanket so I cut it open and found a mouse. Don't worry it was dead pero casi vomité.

chaucito
Elder Blazzard

La General Acha Barrio

This week was good and the work is progressing. We should have a baptism this Saturday and the
following if everything goes to plan. One morning I discovered bug bites all over my body. I had a super bad case of bed bugs. I cleaned that problem up and I think I got it fixed for good. We had interviews with el Presidente after stake conference in Santa Rosa. I was good. We are to expect more changes coming to the mission in terms of hours.  We work in the morning instead of studying and then do our studying during the siesta around midday.  This is a very good adjustment which I like. Also starting in January we will not be able to eat at other people's homes, even members, so they
are going to double our money, which is awesome because I didn't even get feed in my last two areas.

Love
Elder Blazzard

D&C 123: 12 - 17

!Por Acha!

Hola Todos. At the beginning of this week, it was very hot and then it was very rainy. This weird weather is killing my ears. We met and had very good lessons with two families this week. They are very nice to us with food and drinks, and one of the families can speak English so that was fun. Yesterday was a weird day because after church we received a call from the Zone Leaders indicating that we were to stay in our apartment the rest of the day until this morning. They said it was for the elections that currently underway. I did hear a lot of honking and screaming last night, which was kind of scary, but of course nothing happened. I am doing great and we are really digging in here in Acha ¡POR ACHA! (it's all over the walls here) Elder Blazzard

La Obra en el Barrio

Hola! This week was good in that we did a lot of work with the active and inactive members of the barrio. For the most part is was positive. I am feeling more comfortable expressing my feelings about the Gospel with others. On Friday, I went on divisions with an Elder from Peru. It was fun. We played some basketball at the church with some investigators Saturday. The rims are like 8ft off the ground so I was able to dunk with ease, so that was awesome. We continue to push members to reach out to others with love and they are taking it well and all seem to want to work so that is good.

Love, Elder Blazzard

Gerenal Acha 16 X 16

Hola. We changed our p-day this week to Tuesday because there was a holiday yesterday and they thought everything would be closed, but no everything was open still, oh well. I'm in Gerenal Acha with Elder Hand from California, a very dedicated missionary that did a complete 180 with his life and now is serving with all that he has and it's very motivating for me. The town is about 16 by 16 blocks, so not very big, but I
have heard that there are about 400 members here, but only about 30 are active right now, so yeah we have a ton a work to do. We have
already committed a lot of members to do their home teaching and get them excited again. I will be playing the piano for the primary children as they perform on mother's day here. I am a little nervous for that and I will be playing very week for church as that I am the only person that can play in this "ward". The good thing is that everyone here loves the missionaries, which is normal in Argentina, but the challenge is to get the members to love each other. I feel blessed every day to be a missionary, doing something as important as this work. I also feel extremely blessed to have the family that I have.

les quiero
Elder Blazzard

Transferred to General Acha

Hey guys this week was good, We talked to one of our investigators with boldness about why it is so important to go to church and participate with the saints. I think it went well and I hope she comes this Sunday, but will only know by email because I have been transferred to the Santa Rosa stake and the General Acha ward (which is quite large geographically). I am in Bahia Blanca right now but I am not really sure why because Santa Rosa is just west of Trenque Lauquen and Carlos Casares. Not sure about the planning on that trip which could have been three hours versus all day but oh well. I leave for my new area at 5 PM today. I don't think that the Zone leaders knew that here was a bus from Trenque to Santa Rosa.

Well anyways besides all of that I am doing great, my Spanish is good, and my knowledge of the gospel continues to grow.

Con Amor
Elder Blazzard

En Espanol, por favor

Hola! This week went well and we worked with Richard a lot getting him prepared for baptism. He
feels that he still needs to wait a little to be baptized, so we will just keep working with him and not try to pressure anything. I got stabbed by a plant while walking, it caused me to bleed a little. I was bewildered that a plant could be that strong. Estamos en Tranque Lauquen ahora, y esta lloviendo y no tenemos plata, entonces yo tuve que sacar poco mas plata, lo siento. Siento que mi español esta
mejorando por que soy el mayor campanero ahora, y tengo que hablar mucho mas.

Con todo mi corazón Chaú

Elder Blazzard

Around the Zone

On Monday I was in Trenque Lauquen like normal and we played soccer at the church. We had district meeting and after a mini corn dog meal supplied by the Hermanas y fue rico. I went to Puehajo with Elder Mullisca, one of our Lideres de Zona, because we needed a baptismal interview in our area and they also needed a interview in their area, so we spilt. The visit was interesting because they had no power, so in the dark throughout the day and Elder Mullisca had to scare the crap out of me as I was coming out of a pitch dark bathroom, estaba teniendo problemas in the bathroom, so after calming down I thanked him for the help. We did get the power back on by going to the power box outside and just putting the wire back into the the right slot. I was back in Carlos Casares, for the day of Servicio. That evening, we had a noche de Jugar a la iglesia, and the lesson was on charity, and then we played that one game with chocolate and knifes and dice, you know the game we played with the Kartchners at their house. Saturday was supposed to be the bautismo de Richard but he was sick, so we gave him a blessing and he should be baptized this week. On Sunday in sacrament meeting I gave a talk on the Atonement. fue bueno.

 Con Amor, Elder Blazzard

Semana 33

Branch President

Hola. This week was a good one. Last Monday, as a zone, we went to a zoo not too far from Trenque Lauquen. It was really fun and relaxing. On Tuesday we worked all day like normal but we got up at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday to go to Bahia for a mission wide conference. The conference was really good and I was able to see Elder Way and Elder Tew from my MTC district. That was cool. We got back to our area Thursday and on Saturday I asked Richard from the old folk's home to be baptized on the 18th of September. He accepted! It was a pretty powerful moment. I played the piano again for sacrament meeting.  I have got to stop telling them that I can play songs that I can't really play, but oh well. Todo Bien

 Les Quiero, Elder Blazzard

un nuevo compañero ya

Hola! This week went well as we were able to do service for investigators. I experienced my first lawn mowing with an electric law mower. My companion was called to be the new pensionero, so I received a new companion, Elder Osorio from Utah. Yesterday I was able to give my testimony in Church, but during my testimony I said boata for boat, but boata means boot, the translation is actually boate. We went to our branch president's house last week. He works on a very large cow farm.  The farm was pretty cool and he fed us. This next week we will be meeting with Elder Teixeira from the Seventy in Bahia Blanca.

Con Amor, Elder Blazzard

Corto y dulce

Last Tuesday we stayed the night in Trenque Lauquen so that we could play soccer with the branch there and it was a lot of fun. A lot of people came out so we had three teams of six each. The game was stay and play. We continue to work with an investigator, an older gentleman that is in an assisted living center. He is progressing nicely. This Sunday we had a good turn out at church with 16.  It was awesome. I played the piano and my companion and I led the lesson. I am really glad that a have the ability to play the piano, it makes me feel useful. The work is going really well here. A member of the Seventy is coming next month, so we will go back to Bahia for a least a little bit.
Love
Elder Blazzard

La Ciudad de Carlos Casares

It was a good week here in my new area of Carlos Casares which is between Santa Rosa and Buenas Aires (which is not in the mission area). We were able to work with Hermano Toni this week with a good friend of his that is very close to being baptized and also we worked with la Heremana of the branch president, who isn't a member.  In the mission, there were a lot of changes this transfer, like 95 transfers, but do not worry, my transfer was last week and we are staying in Carlos Casares. My Spanish is getting a lot better, because I speak it all the time now. There were 9 people at church yesterday so that was good, including an investigator, yeah!

Con Amor Elder Blazzard