Bay Shore New York

 

 

Email 1/28/13

Dear Mom and family,

This week has been so wonderful! Although it has been very cold (thanks to Katie Christ I am not cold) it has been so great  to get out there and talk to people about the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. I seriously thought my heart was going to burst when we were talking with a lady this week. I knew that our Father in Heaven loved her so much I just didn't know how to tell her. Yes, of course I cried a little and made a fool out of myself but, I knew how much Heavenly Father loved that one lady in that one moment and I had to tell her somehow. It was an awesome experience! I don't think she is going to accept the gospel, she just wants friends, so we will love her into the gospel. I know it is what would fix everything that is wrong about life for her.

We have another lady who is simply amazing! I just don't know how to express my love for this woman. She is one of those people who missionaries refer to as "golden investigators." She has had questions about life after death, where people go if they are good people but never did what the/any church told them to do, how does we feel the spirit, does God accept my prayers even if I didn't say them in the right way before? and on and on. She truly wants to know these things and she acts on her answers. We taught her about keeping the Sabbath Day holy and she quit her second job so that she could do so. She is just the nicest lady and we love her so much!
Anyways life is wonderful her on the island! I love it here and I love the people. I love all of you too!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" Philippines 4:13
Love,
Sister Hamblin :)

P.S.
Elder Udall (from Blue Ridge, sorry I can't remember his first name) served in this area and I have met several of the people who he taught, met with, was friends with, etc. All have said really great things about him, weird because he is a Udall but whatever I am just glad that he and Elder Gregory left such a great name for AZ and the White Mountains!
P.S.S.
Please tell Shippa to email me so that I have her email, also dad and if Radd ever gets one, him too! Thanks!

Letter 1/24/13

Dearest Family,
I am so sorry I haven't written until now!  I have just been so busy!  Everyone has been so nice in writing me.  I have so many people to write to.  I am the most blessed missionary in the field.  Like I said in my last email, everything is so great!

We are teaching a lot of people and we are trying to meet all of the members.  The missionaries in the Bay Shore and Brentwood wards are so blessed.  The members truly love and take care of the missionaries.  Every member we meet invites us to have discussions in their home and tells us that we can eat in their home whenever we are hungry.  They are simply and totally Christ-like.

I am learning so much.  Sister Moreno Diaz is a wonderful missionary who knows a lot!  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful companion.  She has had a very tough life.  She is a saint.  I can't say enough good things about her.  Her testimony is strong and she wants to help everyone in ANY way she can.  She is amazing.

Okay, I've got to go.  I love you all!  Tell Chupes to get better!

Love,
Sister Hamblin

P.S.  I REALLY need Katie Christ's address.  (Katie, this is Mandy's mom, if you read this please email me your address, I can't find it anywhere, or write to Mandy and tell her.  Thanks!  my email is mindyhamster@gmail.com)

Please pray for these wonderful people.  They are praying for you!

If you want to send stamps I for sure won't be offended!  :)

Email 1/21/13

Dearest Family,

 Thank you all for the beautiful Birthday wishes! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family members! Thanks again!

Welp, here I am in NYC! Actually my first area is on Long Island! I am in the town of Bay Shore and the area covers several small cities in the area. It is a beautiful place with lots of trees, dirt, and ocean! We live about 2 minutes away from the coast. I can't see it from my window but I know it is very close because I can see where the tree and building line stops. There are however a lot of people! There are on average, three families living in each house we see. There are not so many apartment buildings but there are a lot of houses.

The people here are so awesome! I was warned by my wonderful companion that at first they seem a little hard but they are really nice. She was right, well kinda. I really haven't seen anyone that has been too grumpy. Everyone that I have talked to has been really nice! Yes, that's right, I talk to people. Sister Moreno Diaz (my companion) makes me talk to lots of people, and I do it. I am getting better at it but it is still very awkward sometimes, but that's life and I love it!

The members here are AMAZING!!! They all are super into missionary work! Sister Moreno Diaz and I were "blinded" into the area, which means that neither of us has ever worked in this area, and the members have been so helpful in helping us get to know the area, investigators, and everything we need to know. We have had several of them come up to us and tell us that if we ever need any help with anything that they would be more than happy to help us out. There are people from all over the world in the Bay Shore ward. South Africa, Trinidad, Guatemala, Porto Rico, and so many other places. It is so wonderful! They all have such strong testimonies and love to share them with everyone! The love that the people have for each other here is so awesome! The sisters who worked here left us with a lot of investigators to work with thought and they are all such amazing people. Some of them have had super rough lives. One of them is living in a house that was hit by the hurricane and there is black mold growing all over his house. We are trying to find some place for him to move but everyone else in the area has just as bad damage to their house if not worse. Poor people! The members are working really hard through to help everyone out. I hope we can keep doing a lot of service. It looks like there is a lot to be done.

Sister Moreno Diaz is an amazing missionary who has trained two other missionaries. She is from Porto Rico and loves to dance! She is super smart and is about to finish her mission. She goes home on the 2nd of April. She is going to be studying law when she gets home. She comes from a really harsh life and wants to help children who are in her same situation to have a better life. She is seriously such an amazing person! She likes to have control of things so being blinded into this area has been really stressful for her. She keeps saying "President is crazy for blinding me in here and have me train someone at the same time!" I think she is doing awesome! She is REALLY good at talking to people and she loves everyone she comes in contact with. I have a lot to learn from her and I already have.

We got to go to Manhattan last week because Sister Moreno Diaz had a doctors appointment there. She says that it is very lucky that I am her companion because usually people don't go to Manhattan until halfway through their missions. So I really am super lucky to have her as a companion! While we were there we got to ride on the subways!!! Ok that was seriously so cool! There were so many people trying to get onto them and so many people everywhere! It was quite the experience! The city is beautiful and I can't wait to go back so I can see more of it.

Well, I guess I'll go. I don't think I'll have anything else to write in my letter ha ha. I love you all! Please keep me updated on everyone! Tell Rad, he's fine, he just needs to walk it off :).

Love you all!
Love,
Sister Hamblin :)

Love everyone! They ALL deserve it!

Letter 1/7/13

Dear Family,
This will be short, time is precious, but I want you to know that I am honestly having a WONDERFUL  time here!  I am learning so much!  The Atonement is changing my life so much and I am happy here!

There are so many wonderful young kids here at the MTC and the world is blessed to have them.  They teach me so much every day! 

My sweet companion gave me her blanket to sleep with so I am VERY warm now.  Sorry to worry you.

One week from today I will be in NYC!  I am so nervous, but like I said before, "I can do all things through Christ"  (Phillipians 4:13)

Again, I love you~  Don't worry about me, I'm "toats fine", the Lord is on my side!  :)

Love,
Sister Hamblin

Email 01/07/13

Hi mom,

All of my weeks have kindof been running together so I really dont know what I have told you and what I haven't, so please don't judge me if I sat the same thing over and over again.

 

I am loveing my time here at the MTC! Our favorite district (besides our own of course) left today and we are all pretty sad about it. We are going to miss them but they will be doing more important things. The rest of my district is pretty ancey about being here an extra week. They can't wait to get out of here and "see the world." I however am, of course, terrified to leave this safe place. Here I feel as if there is nothing bad going on in the world. It really is a place that is in the world but definatley not of the world. We did however have a very bad flu bug run through here last week. New Years was not so happy for quite a few missionaries here. Half of my district had a yucky stomach ache but luckily me and my roommates were lucky and only got the head cold. There were busses taking missionaries out of the MTC to the hospital because they really didn't know what it was and the health clinic was closed for the Holidays. We have experienced a miracle however because it has completely cleared and everyone was healthy again three days later. We are so blessed.

 

On to happier things! My district has the most amazing teachers in the world! Brother Martin, Brother Starkey, and Sister De Arton! We have learned so much from them! Sadly they are being moved to another zone and I am really not happy about it! But I am not bitter and I am moving on: ) One of our teachers gave us a life changing lesson on the Atonement. I had always thought that the Atonement was something that was just for when we sinned... which it is but I never realized that if we are not progressing we are not using the Atonement to it's full potential. How sad it is that I have been so blind for so long! How grateful I am that I figured this out now, and that I can continually progress wit that constantly in mind. I have also been learning a lot about faith, but I will save that for another time because my time is running low and Elder Hamblin told me that I could only email him. He told me that I can't write letters anymore... so I am off to see what he has said this week!

 

I love you all! Stay strong, kiss granny, and continually progress!

 

LOVE,

Sister Hamblin :)

 

P.S.

I am so grateful for everyone who has written me! I am so blessed to have such great friends! I will write back as soon as I can!

Also,

sorry about the typo's :)

and

I will be calling home next monday morning between the hours of 5:30 and 7:00 before I fly out to NYC. I'm not sure exactly when but I hope it is before you all go to work and school. Ok I really have to go now I have less than a minute left. But I really do love you!!!

 

Thanks for all the prayers!

LOVE YOU

Letter 12/31/12

Dear family,

Happy New Year!!!

Although I really can't believe how fast this year has gone, I can't believe everything that has happened even more! A year ago I would have never pictured myself here at the MTC now. They say that days here will pass like weeks and weeks pass like days and it is true. We really have long days. I am grateful they are so long though because I feel like I have so much to learn. I continue learning more and more and growing more comfortable/confident in myself and with the preaching process. We had a teaching experience where rolls were switched from Sister Clemens talking the whole time to me talking the whole time. I think this is because I have applied the scripture "I can do all things through The Lord." To me and my experiences. Another example of this, our branch was short a piano player...yes I volunteered to play and prayed hard the whole time! It worked out just fine and I didn't embarrass myself or the Lord too much...I hope!

One thing our teachers keep telling us is to "teach the person, not the lesson". I think as missionaries we sometimes get so caught up in all that we think we have to know that we forget that we need to care first. It's like Brother Riley said before I left, "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care". Really all we need to know is our testimony. We need to know that what we are teaching is true and that "we can do all things through The Lord".

I hope we can all be friends to those seeking the truth, no more than that I hope we can see others as Christ sees them and be their friend no matter what, for surely that is what Christ did. You know that is something I need to and will work on, but I hope we all will.

I love you all so much! Great things are happening amongst the people of God!

Love, Sister Hamblin

P.S. I don't know if I've already asked for this, but I NEED a hoodie! Thanks! You're the best. Also I need brother Walker's email.