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 :)