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 :)