Email 6/23/14

This is a girl from one of the families that we are teaching right now. She wanted to make me a bracelet and she asked me what colors I wanted and she was all excited to make it for me and I got it the other day while we were over there teaching them. She was all excited to give it to me. It was the cutest thing!

Hola Hola!! 

 I just love summer! It is probably my favorite time of the year :) The fourth of July is coming up and I can hardly believe it! As we were shopping today we saw all of the 4th of July decorations and I just got so excited! 4th of July is the best! :) 

 

We had exchanges on Tuesday and it was my turn to lead out our area with my STL. She was so great! We literally contacted everyone that was in sight! We had 20 contacts within a matter of an hour! It was beautiful. She is such a hard worker! I love contacting people. They are so fun to talk to and it is fun to hear about their mini life stories. You wouldn't believe how many people open up to us. We just have to be there to ask the right questions and try to not scare them away and if we are successful people will talk. It is so fun! She taught me to be fearless! I love exchanges!!

 Friday we had a funeral to attend. This lady was so sweet. The first time I met her I was on my very first splits with the ward and I had one of the YW with me and we were assigned to go see this sweet lady. She was really sick but she let us in and she talked with us and was so sweet to us. She had us laughing like that whole visit with her. She was so cute! I would say she was in her late 40s/ early 50s and her youngest daughter is 13 years old. I feel so bad for her daughter! I can't imagine what she must be going through. Me and a couple other Hermans were asked to sing at her funeral. We sang, "Abide With Me Tis Eventide" with Hermana Palmer playing a beautiful accompaniment on the piano. I just love that song! The first counselor in our branch presidency asked if we could sing that song in sacrament meeting as well! So I guess we did alright :) Except for we messed up a little in Sacrament Meeting! Haha oh my goodness. At the funeral we had 8 hermanas singing and yesterday we only had 3 so..haha it was interesting! But that is the good thing about our little branch, if you mess up its ok because they never get a special musical number so they are just grateful for the song :) 

 On Saturday night Hermana Palmer and I went on a double date! Literally! So what had happened is a couple of weeks back when I was in Winters and Hermana Palmer was leading out the area she and Hermana Vance were out doing our normal route for exercising and they ran into this Mexican guy and so of course Hermana Vance goes up and talk to him and sets up an appointment for us. So the other day this guy texts us and asks if we could meet at Dennys because he was just getting off of work and was hungry. We decided that that was a great idea because we wouldn't be able to meet with him at his house anyways because there isnt a girl living with him or anything. So we plan to meet at Dennys. Hermana Palmer and I got there and we were just waiting on him to get there--thinking that he would be all by himself. Well, he pulls up in his friends car and they both get out and they are dressed all nice and even smell pretty good! Hermana Palmer and I just kinda look at each other and we were like ok..well lets head on into Dennys! 

 The whole time we were there Edgar (the guy that we were originally supposed to meet) was only looking and talking to Hermana Palmer. Jose (classic right?) was only talking to me. We were able to start lesson one with them and give away a BOM which they said they were going to read #flirttoconvert #idontthinkthatisallowed. We invited them to come to Sacrament meeting afterwards and Hermana Palmer told them that we were doing a musical number so guess who showed up yesterday for Sacrament meeting. Our friends! Oh my goodness! It was so awkward! Jose wouldnt stop touching my arm and I was just like...! Jose! I am a missionary! Quit touching me! Haha. BTW he is 28 and Edgar is 25. We decided that every time we meet with them we are going to have a member present and it will be held in the church. Also they are our neighbors! Oh man. #missionarylife Gotta love it!

I hope you all had a great week! I love you so much and am grateful for all you do! 

Love, Hermana Hamblin

Email 6/09/14

Dear Family-

 I am back in the game! This week has whipped me back into the missionary life. Hermana Palmer and I worked so hard this past week. We were able to teach 15 lessons this week and that is the most I have ever taught in a week! Then on Saturday (our miracle day) we had dinner with Estela Fuentes! Every night wherever we eat we have a "power hour". Power hour is where we leave a message at the end of dinner (like normal) and then we tie that message into faith and ask the members to pray for us to have success that night. So from 6-7 is the hour that we work under the members faithful prayer and we call and report our miracles that we had during that hour of faith :) So Estela offered the prayer Saturday night and in one hour Hermana Palmer and I picked up two new investigators! It was beautiful! 

 Yesterday was kind of a different story. We found out that one of the members in the branch passed away. She had been in the hospital for about a week and a half. We went to visit her I think twice..she was not doing to good :( anyways so she passed away. The branch was pretty sad about that. Then one of the members kind of snapped at Hermana Palmer and I. We didn't really know what to do. It was so awkward! We had asked just a simple question about the dinner calender and she just let us have it! It was so crazy! Then at dinner I hardly was able to speak because for some reason I didn't know any spanish at all. It seriously went away for like the night! I could not remember anything! It was so hard. During contacting I felt so embarrassed. The only thing I knew was "Hola'. Oh my gosh. It was bad. I went home and just cried. But then I read this talk given by Elder Holland. Sweet Hermana Thompson gave me this talk in my first transfer. I was having a night kind of like last night only it was the people that we contacted were all so rude! I came home and cried to her. Anyways she pulled this talk out. Elder Holland gave this talk to the new mission presidents. It is perfect. It is exactly what every missionary needs to hear. He is talking about how missionaries will come to their mission presidents and they will ask these questions, "Why isn't it easier, President? Why do they reject us, President? Why do the people not understand, President? Can't they see?". He goes on to say that someone a long time ago asked those very same questions. The perfect missionary asked these very questions. Elder Holland explains that if it was hard for Jesus Christ, if the perfect missionary was rejected, spit upon and crucified why in the world would we think that it would be easier for us? He then hopes for all missionaries to realize that we are not alone. That there is someone who experienced the difficulties that I am facing right now. So why not go to him for comfort and peace? I am experiencing only but a tiny bit of what he went through, and I have the knowledge that my redeemer lives. Why not stand tall? Why not use the atonement and let the savior in my life to help me get thru these hard times. Elder Holland closes by saying, "The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane. The only victory is the victory at the summit of Calvary. Welcome to the journey of the Disciples of Christ." 

  Family, I just want you to know that I am all in. I am 100% into my missionary work. It is only a short 18 months and I cannot waste any of my time feeling sorry for myself. I am ready to get up and preach to all of those who need the gospel. I am sorry for the way I have been acting. I am ready to keep fighting the good fight. I am so thankful for you all and your prayers on my behalf. It means the world to me! I am grateful for your words of encouragement :) I am blessed beyond belief! 

  I am so sad to hear about the Sorensons! That is not right! They can't move! That is just heart breaking :( But at least they are not moving to the valley! When are they moving? 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you all so much!!    Love, Hermana Hamblin

  

Email 6/02/14

Hello family!

  Well first of all I just want to thank you for all of the pictures of Mandy coming home...family!! Come on! I need pictures! Riann! Girl, I thought you had my back! Here I am waiting all week for pictures and I get on today...nothing! What the heck!?! That is not ok! 

  Anyways..My week was crazy! Hermana Thompson and I had to say our goodbyes! It was sad, but I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to get to know her. She is so sweet and I have loved her! She has taught me a lot about how to be patient with myself and know that with time, blessings will come :). Patience is hard, but its good at the same time :). Anyways we will be friends forever. This is yet another thing that I love about missions, long lasting friendships :). So we spent most of Tuesday going around to our less actives, members and investigators saying goodbye.  Hermana Thompson left early on Wednesday morning while I stayed with one of the english sisters that I live with! We were able to get our apartment cleaned up and get everything ready for our new arrivals. We got a little contacting time in, and then it was time to meet my new companion. Her name is Hermana Palmer and I love her! She is so fun! I have already learned to much from her. She is one who loves to work hard and play hard. I know that this transfer we will get work done in our area and I am ready! I have been blessed with great companions. 

  Thursday we did our weekly planning. I love weekly planning. We get to just talk about our branch members, our less actives and our investigators and think about how we can help them come closer to Christ. We get to determine what lessons they need and we are able to receive revelation for specific people. I LOVE it. I was able to tell Hermana Palmer all about our area. Our area has a lot of work that needs to be done and I am so excited to continue the hard work where Hermana Thompson and I left off. Friday we had our district meeting and then we had studies. I am so excited because instead of four hours of studies it is now three! I am no longer a greenie! Yay! Yet it still feels like it and I have this feeling that I will always feel like a little greenie :).
 Saturday was a normal day for us! So it was kind of our first real day working together. I can't tell you how much my spanish has improved! It was a miracle. I was nervous that when I had to leave Hermana Thompson and get a new companion they would hate me because of the lack of spanish that I had. Well, we went into a lesson on Saturday night and it was a miracle! Out of nowhere the spanish just came to me. With every word that came from my mouth I kept thinking to myself..when did I learn that tense!? Where did that word come from? And it all just came to me and kept coming. I have realized how much love and patience Heavenly Father has for me. Ever since that lesson I have literally felt this overwhelming love from him. And it is everything to me. To know that I do have a heavenly father and to know that he does love me and wants the best for me and makes me learn and progress. Missions are the best! They are definitely not always easy, but once times get hard just pray. He is there and he is listening. Its just precious!! 

  Yesterday we were able to fast. Fasting is becoming one of my favorite things (I never thought that I would say that). Hermana Palmer was able to meet our branch! And we had two of our investigators show up and all of our less actives showed up except for two! It was awesome! Fast Sundays seem to be the days where we have the most progress at church with our area coming to church! It is awesome!! :) This week we are ready to work hard! We have interviews with President and Sister Alba this week as well. It is going to be so great!

   How was the trek and how is it having Mandy back home? Details family! I received a package from you all this week :) Thank you! I appreciated that. It came at the perfect time. I hope you al have a great week!!                     Love,  Hermana Hamblin

Email 5/26/14

Hello family!

  Just so you all know I tried the HOTTEST pepper in the world! And it wasn't even that bad. I was sweating like crazy but it wasn't horrible! #yolo. Here in Woodland the weather is getting HOT! We went for our morning walk and at 6:30 AM it was already 71 degrees! Crazy!! On Saturday the branch went on a hike and we were able to go! It was so fun! We had one of our investigators there!! Our investigator is so cute! She was supposed to get baptized on Saturday but a few things got in the way :( Thats ok. We will continue working with her and when its her time she will be ready. The hike lasted pretty much the whole day, and afterwards we had lunch with Juan and Estela, our recent converts! It was so fun! 

  I hope you all have a fun week!! :)    Love, Hermana Hamblin 

Email 5/19/14

Hi family!

  We had a great week!! Love you all!! And I am so excited for MANDY!!

Email 5/05/14

Hello Familia!!

  So every Friday one member in our branch ALWAYS feeds us hotdogs from Costco. We all meet together in Costco and have hotdogs and churros :) it is a great tradition. We call it Happy Hotdog Friday :) I love it! Anyways so this last Friday instead of meeting at Costco we met at his house to roast hotdogs and have a little fireside for the youth who are preparing for missions. It was so fun! The youth got to ask us missionaries questions and we would answer them. It was so fun to be the missionary this time :). Our sweet little branch hasn't been able to send a missionary out in fifteen years! This year they will hopefully be sending out 5! And these kids are great! One of them bore his testimony about the BOM and I was amazed. I was talking to him afterwards and he was telling me how he is reading the bible right now and wants to have it read by the time he goes on his mission! He should be submitting his papers this week! I am so happy for him. We asked him to come out with us and he was so excited! He did so well with the rejection that we got that night but he said that the rejection strengthens his testimony. I was like, RIGHT!?! It makes you want to keep going all night long! We have another girl who is graduating this year. She comes to church every Sunday with her two younger siblings. She is at every church activity and comes out on splits with us. She also just gave us a new investigator! She will be a great missionary! 

  We are teaching this nine year old right now and getting her ready for baptism. She and her two older sisters want the gospel in thier lives so badly. Her oldest sister who is 14 amazes me. She will find herself a ride to YW every Wednesday night and she gets ready for church every Sunday just incase her mom might be in the mood to go. Her mom is precious. She is a single mom with three girls and she can't find a job right now. I know that she is going through a hard time, i just wish that she would realize that being active in the church will help her in every way! I know its hard to come to church every Sunday. We think that she might not feel worthy enough to come which breaks my heart. She finally let us in to teach her daughter though. We have been trying since day one to get into her house to teach her daughter. Anyways yesterday the three girls called Hermana Thompson and I and asked if they could get a ride to church. We found them a ride and they came! They were all so happy. I was so impressed that a 14, 12 and 9 year old would come to church all by themselves! They are precious!

  Yesterday at church we had 2 investigators who attended, then Juan and Estela, our recent converts, brought their son to church and he stayed for all three hours and wants to meet with us again this week! And we had one of our less actives show up! It was the perfect day :). Yesterday I was able to bear my testimony. I felt that I needed to share my testimony with all of my investigators, new investigators and less actives that showed up :) I LOVE being a missionary and I LOVE the branch that I serve in! They are all awesome! Tonight we are eating with Juan and Estela! We are so excited to eat with our new members :) They are so fun!!

  

  Feliz cumpleanos to dad today!! Best dad in the world! I hope that you have a great day!! I love you all and am thankful for your support! You all are just the very best! -Hermana Hamblin

Email 4/28/14

Hello family!

  Man! Rough week! Oh my goodness! So it was Monday night and we were all eating with this nice family and it was time to give the dinner message and it was the other Hermanas turn to give the message and first of all they showed the new video "Because of Him" and I am literally obsessed with that video. It is so intense! #thechurchistrue! ( I am sorry but I have been obsessed with hashtags lately) and one of them were talking about how being away from families on holidays are a little tough but we wouldnt rather be anywhere else then right here in Woodland CA sharing this message that Because of Him we can have that comfort and peace and we can all be resurrected and see our loved ones again. Oh my goodness. We were all crying! I was trying so hard not to cry but even the family that we were eating with were all teary-eyed! So ever since then I would wake up and feel a little homesick but I was able to get up and go for a good walk and get that out of my mind but on Saturday we were doing service in the grave yard and there was a family there, and there was this little girl who was so mad at the world because she had to be there helping her family clean the grave yard. And her dad kept making her work hard even though she didn't want to and when ever the little girl wasn't looking the parents would just laugh at her because she was being so dramatic about it..and it just took me back to the good ol Saturdays in Luna where we had to go build fence and there seemed to be that same little girl and the same parents that were there in Luna :) It made me want to cry for the rest of the day! Weird I know! But it was hard to get that out of my head! I wanted to just call mom and just talk to her about life! But I guess thats what Mondays are for :) 

  Anyways my companion finally asked me what was going on because I had been so quiet all day and I just talked to her about it. I just needed a good listener and comforting words that kicked that homesickness out of my mind. I am so happy to be serving a mission. It is so fun! I know that the language and the homesickness will get to me every now and then but I know that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! I have learned so much from being on a mission. I am so happy that I decided to go. 

  I think it was Monday..we were out contacting in one of the apartment complexes and it was so funny because all of the sudden the ambulance comes racing into the apartment complex and I was anxious to see where it was going so we were trying to find it and we finally found it right outside of this house and all of these people were in front just being nosy trying to see what happened and me and Hermana Thompson come up and I SOOOO wanted to just walk in front of everyone and say, "Alright everyone just calm down! SOC (Servants of christ) coming through! Excuse us! We need to get to the problem there might be a blessing in need!" ...but we decided we probably shouldn't. It kinda looked a little too serious. But I want to do that! Kind of like on Miss. Congeniality when she is getting the coffee from everyone..anyways one day. :) 

  Family! I love you all. I am SOOOO excited about Jake and Brandis! Oh my goodness. Day made! Tell them congrats for me! They are so cute!! I will keep John and Kristi in my prayers. How exciting for them! You guys are the best for being #membermissionaries. Now that I am on a mission I look back and think about how good our ward is with the missionaries. Wards are a big deal to missionaries!! Our fun little branch takes such good care of us. Every member a missionary! :)

  Tesia!!! Oh my goodness! Tell me about your life! I miss you so much! PLEASE write me and update me on everything!! :) I love you!!!

Love, Hermana Hamblin