Week 54 (May 29th, 2017)

Alright so I think I need to start with talking about last p-day. So it started last week but I got a slight cold but it was no big deal. We kept working and doing everything normal then on P-day we went and played soccer with some locals like always but that's when things started to go down hill. I started getting sicker and having some trouble breathing so that night was a tough one but I thought I would get better. I didn't, I was up all night just hurting trying to breath. My chest was all tight and my lungs hurt so bad. Tuesday nothing was getting better so I called the mission nurse and we talked for a second and she just told me to go to the hospital. So I spent all day Tuesday just on oxygen and saline and getting all sorts of blood work and x-rays and everything just trying to figure out why my lungs locked up. So, after all the tests, no results so they gave me an inhaler and sent me on my way. Everything has been fine since then though. Pictures attached. 

Wednesday I got my new companion. His name is Elder B. He is from Idaho, the part by Canada. He doesn't speak much Spanish but that isn't holding us back from working our butts of out here. Its really fun. On his first day we were teaching a lesson and it was going really well and I felt impressed to extend a baptismal invitation, so rather than me doing it I told my companion to do it. He memorized how to do it in the MTC so he did and she said yes. Her and her sister will be baptized this Sunday!!! It was so great!! 

Other than that we have just been looking for new people to teach and trying to involve lots of members. Its great to have a new companion though. He is obedient and he does what I tell him to. He trusts me and I love it! It is a bit weird to speak English with him though. Also it was raining all week so I didn't have my camera with me but I will send a picture next week. 

Anyways love you all!! Miss you!! 

Elder Hamblin 

 

Week 53 (May 22nd 2017)

Alright so this week was good. 

On Saturday we had a baptism. E. Madrid was baptized by immersion and she chose me to do the ordinance. It was a great baptism!! On Sunday she was confirmed and now she is a member and has the Gift of the Holy Ghost. 

On Wednesday we had another all out day. That was really good. We were able to go on divisions with some members and get more done. We ended up finding 13 new people and taught 7 lessons and we put 1 baptismal date. It was a really good day!! 

Sunday we received our change notices. I will be training once again. My third time in the mission. Should be pretty good, I have no idea who my comp is yet tho he will get here Tuesday morning, so I'm just hanging out with some other elders and its pretty good. I'm pretty glad I got the changes tho, my patience was really being stretched last change. 

Anyway, that's it for the week.  Love you all!!!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 52 (May 15th, 2017)

So this week was just a huge week of learning. 

On Tuesday the zone leaders came to our district meeting. (I'm still district leader) and just evaluated how I taught and how the others learned, it was really good. After the meeting they gave me some tips that really changed the way I teach in district meetings and how I teach in lessons. I love the assistants in the mission!!! 

On Wednesday we had divisions with the other elders in our district. It showed me a lot of what I have learned here as well as what I still lack. I need to study the scriptures a lot more and find ways to apply them in my life and in the lessons. It was a great learning experience. 

Thursday we had divisions with our zone leaders, I went with the junior of the two. It was great, pretty much all of the plans fell through so we just did a ton of cosechas and finding people. It was really good to see how they work as zone leaders and how I can apply their teaching and finding ways into my area. I think I am the only Elder in our district that likes the Zone leaders. 

Then the rest of the week was applying what I have learned. Then on Sunday we had a miracle, three of the people we invited to church actually came!!! That means that we will have a baptism this Saturday, and another one on the 28th. It is so good! The second one will be sealed in the temple in a year and part of it was a reactivation of an inactive elder. So the ward is very happy with us for that one!! 

Another thing that I learned this week is that companion study helps build a better companionship. It gives us the opportunity to work out our differences and become better teachers together. 

Also Sunday was mother day!! It was great to talk and see everybody!! Glad I could see he extended family too!! Everybody looks so great!!! Miss you all!!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 51 (May 8th, 2017)

Alright so we had some pretty good steps happen out here in the ward of Mañanitas. It was a big process of moving along and helping the mission work! I loved it. Here's the roll out:

1. On Saturday we had a baptism! A 13 year old kid got baptized. The ordinance was performed by the first councilor in the bishopric, he is great, we had all of the lessons in this guys house. It was pretty solid. So we baptized him Saturday and confirmed him Saturday. 

2. We had ward council on Sunday for the third time this year. To me that's a miracle if you ask me. Although we did show up a little late and our empanga bishop didn't give us much time to talk we did get a couple words in and the members showed support, minus the bishop. 

3. We had 2 more baptisms Sunday after the reunions, it was great. 2 kids, whose mother and sister are members got baptized. Its funny because my companion told me they worked with these kids twice a week and could not interest them in the gospel, but when I showed up we taught them a lesson and put a baptismal date with them the first day. And now they are baptized. It was a great service, fast, and the spirit was strong. 

4. After the baptism and the ward council we met with our ward mission leader and a member to discuss how we could have more ward activities, while still including members who live far from the chapel. Its a good plan and we will but it in to place hopefully this Thursday with a Group Night in the church, and then we will move around the area working with active families and including less active families. Its a great plan and we already have some member support so we should baptize like everybody. 

5. My companion is starting to figure out obedience. Its been 4 weeks, but things are finally beginning to click a little bit. 

And that would be it for the week. Pretty much we killed it. And mothers day is next week and I cant wait to talk to everyone!! Love you all!!! 

Elder Hamblin 

My Comps Radio I smashed with a Machete!

Our Hammocks, mines the Blue one.

Where we played soccer on P-Day.

Bapisms

Week 50 (May 1, 2017)

Alright, so this week we didn't do a whole lot of work, but we sure did talk about it. We had interviews with the president, (he told me he had a lot of trust in me and that's why I am in the disobedient zone, to make them obedient) and that I need to baptize, so we are. Also as a mission we have a goal of 200 baptisms for the month of JUNE. So in May we are going to be working extra hard and with all of the members to really push for more baptisms. It should be great! 

This week we worked more with the active members than with our investigators just preparing them for the work we are about to do. That being said we have 3 baptisms this week. All of them should go as planned! Its great! 

Also in my interview the mission president talked to me about not letting my companion be disobedient, we talked about a radio that my comp uses and President C. told me to destroy it, so I did......with a machete. (I will send the video and other pictures from my camera when I get WiFi.)

Also me and my companion now sleep in hammocks, its pretty great. A gift from the Rivera family, just another reason that I love them!! 

Also this morning we ate McDonalds for breakfast. Like McDonalds has a breakfast menu here!!! I think that counts as a mission miracle!! 

I think that's it for the week. Pretty boring, we really just set ourselves up to have a great week next/this week. Next weeks email will be a lot more interesting!!

Love you!! 

Elder Hamblin