Email. 11/25/13

Dear Family,

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Can you believe that it is already Thanksgiving again?! Where has this year gone? Soon everything will be changing again and life is going to keep getting better.

 

We are seeing so many miracles here in Staten Island. Families are committing to baptism, lives are changing through honest gospel living, and the ward is uniting together to help the Lord's work move forward! President and Sister Calderwood came to speak here in Staten Island yesterday and spoke on the great need for members and missionaries to work together to get this wonderful work hastening at the speed the Lord needs it to. Sister Calderwood said "what if our 80 thousand missionaries were able to join with all of our 15 million members to help this work progress?" That statement has stuck with me and made me think about how important it is going to be for me after I get home to really help the missionaries in this great work. 15 million would make a huge difference! So much work would get done! It would be so amazing to see the progression that we would see. I know that there are many members helping to progress the work now but I can't imagine what would happen if we all did! No wonder President Monson said "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together." Sister Calderwood also quoted Elder Nelson (!) from a Mission Presidents Conference when he said "Time is running out." The Hastening is happening. We are all a part of it, missionary, members, non-members, investigators, less-actives, we are all apart of this amazing work that is watched over by our Loving Heavenly Father. How cool is that?!

 

It has gotten very cold here in New York! "The Locals" say that it hasn't ever been this cold this early in the season. What a great time for online proselyting to come into effect here in New York. We are truly so blessed to be able to still do missionary work while still being safe and warm.

We had a Mega Zone Conference on Wednesday and some of the wards in Brooklyn provided a Thanksgiving dinner for al the of the missionaries! It was delicious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, veggies, and warm pumpkin pie! We felt like queens and kings! They also made cute placemats for us all to enjoy. They had turkeys cut out of construction paper with things they were grateful for on them. The thing that hit me about each placemat was their love for the missionaries. I realized that most of them are converts to the church. Missionaries have been a huge part of their lives. The take for their example of how to act in church meetings 18 and 19 year old missionaries who have grown up with the gospel in their lives. How grateful I am for their patience and sacrifice of having to watch us for their example. They are amazing men and women who have started to change Brooklyn and Staten Island by their wonderful examples.

 

I Love you all so much and hope you have the best Thanksgiving ever!

Love,

Sister Hamblin :)

Just thought you should know I climbed a tree in my skirt :)

Email 11/18/13

Dear Family, What an amazing week we've had! Sister Howard was able to go to her first area for a baptism of an entire family that was baptized! Their story is so incredible and I am so happy she was able to attend! She said the service was amazing and that the spirit was so strong. The father testified of the blessings of prayer and their determination to make it to the temple in a year! We are so excited for them and they have basically the entire mission praying for them! While she was there I was on an exchange with Sister Hopkins in Jamaica Queens! Can I just tell you that it was one of the coolest nights of my life! Sister Hopkins and I spent the night trying to contact as many people as possible to invite them to church yesterday and then making invitations for a Thanksgiving party they are gong to be having in two weeks. It was so fun and Sister Hopkins taught me a lot about how to stay happy and positive during tough times. Oh how could I forget! We received our I-pads this week! It has dramatically changed our missionary work and we are seeing so much organization come to us through these awesome devices! We are able to pull up "Mormon Messages" during our lessons to help us teach more powerfully (I mean how does having President Eyring testifying of the power of the Atonement in a lesson not bring the Spirit?!), and it allows us to use more resources to help teach the points we are teaching. Also members in our district are using them to skype lessons to friends and family members back home, teaching them with members from their hometowns and helping the missionaries in their hometowns hasten the work in their own areas. It has been such a blessing to see so much hastening going on!!! Yesterday at church we had some wonderful talks given. A sister in our ward combined all 5 of President Monson's talks from conference and spoke of our Fathers eternal love for us. She spoke about the importance turning to our Heavenly Father in times of trial as well as in times of success. She said that we should be sure to include our Heavenly Father in all aspects of our lives. I was reminded of 3 Nephi 18:18 which says "Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desires to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." I know that the Lord wants to hear from us because we are His children. He loves each one of us and wants us to return home to him. Satan is a jerk. He wants us to fail. He will do everything that he can to make it so that we do. Consistent prayer and scripture study, weekly attendance at church, and service help to guard us against Satan. I love you all! Have a fantastic week! Love, Sister Hamblin :)

Letters

Dear Family, 

We had another super crazy week! Last week our phone broke on Friday (18th) and we didn't have a working phone again until Wednesday. Plus our car needed an oil change and a new tire, so on Tuesday we were living the life of missionaries in the "old days". Without a phone, a car and no way to get around except by foot. It was AWESOME!! We didn't have any super awesome experiences that resulted in a baptism of thousands of our brothers and sisters, and we actually didn't even find anyone at home, but we did gain a realization of how amazing missionaries "Back in the day" really are. Getting to every person that needs to hear the gospel is difficult without a phone and a car, but without those things it is infinately more difficult. I am so thankful to be serving in a time and at a place where technology is so generously provided for us. We are so blessed! 

 We are seeing so many miracles in our mission from Facebook! (again a huge blessing from technology). We have missionaries teaching people all over the world! Two of my friends have been able to get missionaries to people in Chili and Hong Kong, a few other missionaries from this mission have taught Skype lessons with friends and family members at home who are interested in learning more. We really are able to teach so many people and help missionaries from all over find people to teach! It is truly amazing! We are SO blessed!!!

 We were told last week that we are going to be getting I pads and I phones on November 11th. We are so excited because everything we need will be on those. Our planner, area book, area organizer, ward lists, google maps, pamphlets, scriptures, videos, magazines, etc. EVERYTHING! You know me with technology though, yeah...not a good idea. Thankfully my companions are really good with it and said they will have patience with me. I am so blessed!

 Love, Sister Hamblin 

 11/4/13 

Dear Family, 

Well another crazy week has come and gone again. Sorry for the short email on Monday. I was just so excited about every good thing that is happening here in Staten Island. We are truly seeing a hastening happen and we are pumped about it! Our zone leaders called us together for a zone get-to-know you on Wednesday and established a zone of miracles for our zone. We are seeking to be obedient in every way that we an be so that the Lord can trust us with His sons and daughters in the Brooklyn Stake. We have already seen the power that obedience brings and we can't wait to step up our game and "kick Satan in the face" as we assist our Heavenly Father in bringing souls unto Him. 

 On Halloween we had to be in by 6:00 PM for safety. As we came home we saw some of the cutest costumes around! We live in a very family oriented community so there were literally hundreds of children running around our neighborhood. We live in a backside basement apartment so we didn't get any trick-or-treaters. 

 Saturday and Sunday were filled with look ups and miracles. We had a member set up some lessons for us that went really well. She visit teaches some sisters who are struggling and really needed an up lifting spiritual message which they received from this sweet sister. It is amazing to see missionary work being done by members! Well I'd better go! Love you all! 

 Love Sister Hamblin 

 11/11/13 

Dear family, 

I am so sorry I didn't get last weeks letter to you on time. I don't even have an excuse for you. Please forgive me :) This week has been really awesome. WE have seen many miracles in unexpected ways and we are excited about what this next week brings Ipads, ZTM, baptisms, etc.) On Tuesday we found out that one of the sisters in the ward passed away unexpectedly. Her husband is not a member and her son (12 years old) has recently been baptized. She is really the strength in her family and we are all very sad to see her go, however she did experience a lot of physical pain while here so we are glad she is free from those pains now. Bishop Glick asked us to do a musical number at her funeral and it turned out nicely. We have a very talented district and "I Am A Child Of God" was played on the piano and violin beautifully, and we had a nice quartet.

 We also were able to go to the temple with a recently re-activated less-active member to do baptisms. The Manhattan temple is so beautiful and I love being there as often as I can be. The sister that went said "I don't know why I've waited so long to come here. I feel heaven so close!" She is planning on going next week! 

 Tuesday night Sister Howard and I were invited to Bay Shore for a baptism! While I was in Bay Shore Sara was investigating the Church. She had come close to baptism while I had been there but she felt that she didn't agree with some of the questions in the baptismal interview questions so she decided to wait. Through the help of her member friend and many prayers in her behalf she decided to "Take a leap of faith" and step into the waters of Baptism. (Side note...Sara was one of the most prepared people I've ever met.) She studied our of Preach my Gospel, read the Book of Mormon, almost halfway downloaded the Gospel library onto her Iphone, and Ipad, and prayed openly with us often. She has said since that it was the best decision she ever made. We are so happy for her. 

 The rest of the week was filled with appointments and blood drives. (Yes I donated! My companion almost passed out!) And, yesterday there was another baptism in Bay Shore. Anibal Garcia is a man with an incredible story. Anibal has loved his wife florence since they were in middle school. "She has a light about her that no one else had". That light is of course the Gospel. Florence shared the Gospel with her friends in High School but it wasn't until years, and several marriages later that Anibal started listening. By this time Anibal and Florence had been married 1 year and Florences mom was insistent that Anibal get baptized. Alba (the mother) knew it would help them through their many challenges. Anibal started taking lessons from the missionaries back in January and he really started listening after a few wrong choices that landed him in Jail. His heart was softened, his marriage and courage strengthened. He decided to be baptized. He knew that the only way for him and Florence to be truly happy together forever is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings that are found in the temple. He is so awesome and is going to be such a strength to the ward in Bay Shore. 

 That's basically our week. Many great things have happened. Many changes are coming to New York, and the Gospel is changing lives left and right! I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!!! 

Love, Sister Hamblin

Email 11/11/13

Dear Family,

I am happy to report that I have written eight letters this week and they should be in the mail by the end of the day. I am so sorry about not getting a letter to you last week. It was a crazy week but I have included in this weeks envelope my letter from last week.

I really am not sure what to write to you all in this letter because I pretty much said it all in my letters.... We get I pads and I phones tomorrow and a family that my companion taught in Terryville is getting baptized on Saturday! Those were a few of the things that I kind-of mentioned but yeah...

Thank you for the updates on everyone in the Philippines. I have been praying so hard for them and I hope we hear about Sister Burnham and Sister Wilkins soon. We will keep praying for them.

Again we are seeing many miracles in our mission. The Lord has allowed us to come in contact with many whom we have never been able to come in contact with. They are amazing people and we are so blessed to have been able to meet with them.

Ok I better go. Sorry that I didn't write much,

Love,

Sister Hamblin :) 

Email 11/04/13

Dear Family,

What a crazy week it has been! From service in Brooklyn, to transfers, to the best sacrament meeting I have EVER been to, life is simply amazing! I know that everyone says that their mission is the best, but really, I have the best mission in the whole world! The missionaries here are truly dedicated to this work. When they have struggles they recognize that they are to help them grow and become better missionaries. They recognize when Satan is working on them to get them distracted from the work and "give place no more for the enemy of [their] souls (2 Nephi 4:28)." They want to be obedient and work their very hardest to be so.  Our example is President Calderwood. He doesn't ask us to do ANYTHING that he wouldn't do. He fearlesses people just like he asks us to, teaches short, powerful lessons, just like he asks us to, he is lovingly bold, and he serves "with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength" just like he asks us to.We as a mission understand that we are part of this wonderful hastening that is happening and that "we are the hasteners." We are truly working to make his words our words, his attributes our attributes, and his works our works. Needless to say, I love my mission so much!!!

Such wonderful things are happening here on Staten Island! If I had more time I would tell you all about how we had a really rough night Saturday night only to have the best Sunday EVER! But I only have three minutes left to finish this letter. I am so sorry!

Our Heavenly Father is so aware of each of our needs. He knows what makes each of us struggle and what makes each of us happy. Please know that you can turn to him for anything and everything!
I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Sister Hamblin :)