Week 63 (July 31, 2017)

This week was a great one. We had a lot of progress with some families and are moving towards baptism, the only problem now, and always, is getting them to church. Nobody wants to come to church. But that's alright, we are here to baptize the elect and chosen of God and those who fall into that category will not harden their hearts, but will do the will of God, which is come to church. 

I really want to talk about the P-day we had today. So we have a member here in our ward, that is a member of the stake presidency, and is one of my favorite people in all of Panama. He lives on a mountain called Cerro Azul, or Blue Hill. So today he took us up to the top, and to see a bunch of other great things around there. ​​​​​​So there were tons of waterfalls and ponds and in the ponds we saw ducks, and turtles. There were like 10 different waterfalls, people go swimming in them all the time. Wish we could have. There were some sweet bugs out there, i saw a blue ant. An eagle, there's a nest of a bird on there that is way cool looking. But the best part was the top. We could see everything in panama from there. Both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean at the same time. It was so awesome! We were above everything! We took a few pics and that was about it, but it was so awesome! The pictures definitely don't do it justice but it was absolutely beautiful!! The hike took like 3 hours but we drove in his car from time to time to find different spots to walk. We went to the local country club, they have a pool!! It was great there!! Just look at the pics. 

Anyway love you all!! 

Elder Hamblin 

                         

Week 62 (July 24, 2017)

This week was a long one. We had all of the same problems as last week and more. It was a tough one. But we did have some positive moments. On Thursday we had a ward activity, put on by the missionaries. It was so great! We had a cooking contest because food is always so great to bring people together. We invited everyone! In the end we had about 8 investigators who came to the activity. 2 of them even helped us judge the food for the competition. My companion and I made some Kraft mac and cheese to represent my heritage of gringolandia. We were the only ones that didn't win an award... but it was fine because we still got to get the members to come out and participate and it was just a huge success. 

On Saturday we spent the day in the hospital. My companion and I are both sick, along with the rest of the mission. They decided that we are working too hard and are malnourished. We have to eat more protein and vitamins here. That's really hard in Panama. But since then we have been focusing on that and seem to be feeling a little better. 

On Sunday we had a zone reunion to talk about the challenges that we are having in the zone. The major one was finding new investigators, but we have a set of sisters assigned to take care of that. So they came and talked to us. That helped. Then when they finished it was my turn to talk. I shared 5 scriptures with them. They are as follows: 

Doctrine and Covenants 10:43- Which says that no matter what the adversary does the work of God can not be stopped. 

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7- That the pains and struggles would be just a brief moment. 

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7- That everything that is happening right now will be for our good, and help us with having experience. 

So I shared those 3 and then asked what were the things that the people in the zone has learned from their trials in the mission. They shared some good things then I took a minute and shared what I learned, which is... 

In Moses 1:39 it says "Now behold this is MY work and MY glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." As a missionary I have always thought that I shared that work with the Lord. To help people receive that immortality and eternal life. But i learned not long ago that that is not my purpose. My purpose is found in Doctrine and Covenants 11:20 "Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind, and strength." In the mission we always talk about mission rules as commandments. Anything that comes from president must also be obeyed with exactness. So that is our purpose. And when we fulfill and complete and strive to do all of that, then the lord will bless us with the success that we want. Then the lords purpose will be fulfilled, and we will simply be the instruments in his hands. That's what the mission has taught me. That when I do my part the lord will bless me. 

I love and miss all of you!! Have a great 24 of July!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 61 (July 17, 2017)

This week has been really tough. Not just in our area, or even our zone but in the entire mission. Everybody is sick, even the mission president. We all worked so hard in June for those 367 baptisms, but now the adversary is working to make sure we don't do it again. That's why I love the scripture in Joseph Smith history 1:15-17. "I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction- not to an imaginary ruin but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being- just at this moment of great alarm, I was a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound." This to me is clear evidence that the power of God is much more powerful that the adversary, and more than that that God will deliver us from our doom and from the devil. The mission has been under attack from Satan, but I know that is we put our trust in the same God that appeared to Joseph Smith, then we will be delivered from our enemy. The devil can fight us all he wants, but the will of the lord will go forth. 

As for me and my companion we are both sick. I'm just exhausted all the time and can't do much, and he has a fever and is just dying, but we still worked our butts of this week. We had a fast in our zone last Wednesday, and it seems to be working. The difficulties that we had are gone, but now we have others. Its been a tough time working out here, but we still seem to find good people to teach. the miracles come when we are out in the streets, not in our house. Just this week we have seen them. 

One came from looking for people to teach. We prayed and asked the lord to guide us to the house of a guy who was aged 18 to 26, lived alone, and would listen to us and eventually be baptized. We finished the prayer, followed the spirit and went right to the house. Neither of us had been there before but the guy we found was everything we were looking for. He has a baptismal date in 2 weeks. 

Later that night we had did it again. In the mission conference Elder Johhny Ruiz of the area presidency was talking about his time as a mission president and how he had a girl find a family of 11 people. So my companion and I asked the Lord for a family of 5. But both of us had the idea of 11 in our heads. We asked that we could find the family by just walking around and waiting for someone to talk to us. So we did. first street lady said hello. We talked and she was all alone with one kid. So we said a prayer and kept going, still looking for the family. On the second street we passed a man who also said hello while passing us by. He was just getting home from work and passed us right in front of his house, so we obviously we had to talk to him. He let us in and we invited the family to come and listen to our prayer for the familiy. After everyone came into the kitchen we had 11 people. It was perfect. It was all in the lords timing for the first lady to talk to us so he could position the other guy perfectly in front of his house so we could find the family of 11. If we would have been 20 second earlier or later it wouldnt have happened, but by following the spirit we were led the right place at the right time worthy to do the thing we needed to do. Couldnt have been any more perfect. 

I think thats it for the week. Love and miss you all! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 60 (July 10, 2017)

Wow this week was crazy! Between changes and having to learn a new area and having so many new people in the zone and having to wake up early it was a crazy week! I'm exhausted and still and I took a nap from 8 until 2 today. Both my companion and I are dead. But that's no excuse not to work our butts off, which we did. We found 23 new investigators this week which is great. Its great to have an experienced companion who wants to work hard. This week we have a ton planned. Between conferences and divisions and invasions it will be a very tough, very productive week and I cant wait!! There's not a whole ton to write this week, sorry. Hopefully next week will be a bit better. 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 59 (July 3rd, 2017)

Elder...we need to talk...

Alright so this week was actually a decent week. Not a ton of work but lots of learning and progressing.

First off on Tuesday my companion and I finished our Reading competition, I won. He bought me my pizza but I decided to share because we didn't have dinner. We both read like maniacs and it was great! I learned so much about the Book of Mormon and have already used so many of the scriptures that I read in lessons and with other missionaries. I invite everyone reading this to read the Book of Mormon! Its an incredible book that will bring a man closer to Christ by abiding by its precepts than any other book. I love it. My new goal is to finish it in 14 days. But we will see how that goes, we have been really busy lately.

This week at church I made a great realization. In the last 6 weeks, one change, we have had 4 baptisms. This Sunday we were able to witness all 4 of those baptisms come to church and partake of the sacrament. Even better is one a convert from 8 weeks ago passed the sacrament. The Ward has really been great lately to be friendly and help people feel welcome at church. It really is a true blessing and helps so much with the retention of converts.  

Lastly has to do with the subject of this email. It happened last night when I got a call from the zone leaders. We were teaching a lesson so I denied the call 5 times but when I finally answered all they said was,"Hey Elder we need to talk, you need to be at our house before 9:30 and plan on spending the night." This call was at like 8:30pm and they live 45 minutes away. It also just happened to be the night of changes but as a trainer, changes usually last 12 weeks. So, we booked it down there and showed up to a quiet house, I had no idea what was happening. We started talking about changes and it turns out that I have been Split up from training my companion. President decided that I could serve better as a Zone Leader in the same zone. So now I'm a zone leader in Tocumen but I have to move houses and change areas and I don't get to finish training my comp, which is kind of sad but it will be fun to be a Zone Leader I guess, new learning experiences and responsibilities. The assistants told me this morning that the calling came because we need to keep baptizing out here in our zone and President has the trust that I can help keep us going. Its a really humbling experience but I know with the lords help I can fulfill my task.

Anyway that's it for the week. Love you all!!! Read the Book Of Mormon!!

Elder Hamblin 

Jayden getting his packages from home.  Some much needed shoes, sandals, belt  and some snacks.