Email 9/09/13

Dear Family,

First off I just want to say... CONGRATULATIONS KALE!!!!! California is going to be a Celestial state by the time both she and Elder Hunter Hamblin leave! I am just so happy right now! 

Second, I want to apologize for not writing at all last week. There are no good excuses and I am so sorry. I hope it doesn't happen again. 

Third, I was able to go to the TEMPLE this week!!!! It was so awesome! The Manhattan New York Temple is so beautiful! I hope you all go inside some day because it is so beautiful! The people are so nice and the spirit is so strong especially after coming off the Subway and the busy street. It is amazing the difference between the peace the spirit brings and the idea of peace that the world has. I was describing the peace that is felt in the temple to and investigator and she said "I didn't realize that peace like that existed on earth." Of course I cried and told her that she is going be able to experience that peace when she makes up her mind about the church. 

We are busy getting ready for our musical celebration of families! We have made flyers/invitations that we are sending and handing out. We have amazing talent in our ward and we are practicing every Sunday to get ready for it. There will even be a dress rehearsal on the Tuesday before the big event! We are so excited about it! I wish we could record the whole thing and send it to you. We have members making refreshments, decorating for the big day and just as excited about it as we are. They keep asking us for more invitations to give to their friends and family members and they are just really great! The only thing thing that I am worried about with all of this is that we are holding this wonderful event on the 21st (for Aunt Kristi's birthday of course) and transfers are on the 17th. Kind of a crazy time for us to be having such a big event but it will be awesome because the ward is more in charge than we are. We are so blessed to be working with such an amazing ward! We love them so much!

Last Monday we were able to go to an Indian Pow Wow on the Shinnecock Indian reservation. It was so cool! The best part was that there were Hopi Indians there from Hopi Arizona! I of course was freaking out and just so happy to see fellow Arizonans! Although we have a few couples in our ward who are from that blessed state as well. Anyway, the Pow Wow was really cool. They had art and jewelry from all over the world there. They also have big dancing competitions where Indians from all over North and South America come to join in the dance. There were people there from Peru, Mexico and Brazil! They spoke of their traditions and how each dance meant something different and the different songs each had their own meanings. It was really quite interesting. I am just learning so much about everyone here!

Well I'd better go. Sorry again that I didn't write at all last week. I still love you all so much! 

Love, 

The Oldest Sister Hamblin :)

482- Sister Howard and I outside the Temple... yes there is a hot dog stand right outside the temple... There is no room in Manhattan for beautiful gardens... just beautiful children of our Heavenly Father

467- Sister Kapisi, Fran (our friend), and I at the Pow Wow

443- FEATHERS!!! This dance was a fire dance... it was so cool! Their costumes are so amazing!

449- A princess dancing for her Uncle who has passed away

461- This was part of the dancing competition, they were supposed to interpret the beat of the drum
446- The Hopis!