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