Week 89 (January 29, 2018)

So this week was a solid week. We really got out there and worked hard and saw a lot of miracles. While out finding people we were able to find people who have attended church before, or people who are receptive to our message of the restoration and are looking for the true church. 

This week my companion and I had to give talks in church. 15 minutes each. He talked about the need to open our mouths as members and talk about the church. He shared a story of how he found the church on his own after searching for a long time, but it turns out his best friend was a member his entire life and never said he attended a church. After he finished I talked about being friendly to the new members and the importance of members helping to retain converts. I planned on using a lot of notes and reading a lot of stories, but while I was talking I was directed to the scriptures and didn't end up reading anything that I had previously prepared. Both my companion and I ended up changing our talks at the last minute. It was good to know the spirit was there to help up. 

After church we had our baptismal service. 3 kids got baptized. The two sons of the bishop, who are 8 and don't count for the mission, as well as their cousin who we found a few weeks ago and have been working with. The bishop baptized the 3 and we confirmed them after the service. I directed the baptism, and let me just say it was the most support that we have had in a baptism ever! We had a lot of members there and the primary even sang a special musical number. It was great. 

Then last night we received word on our changes. Even though Elder Vasquez and I have only been together for one change we have changes. Elder Vasquez got changed to another area in the same zone, and I will be training again. Probably for the last time. I don't know if he is Gringo or Latino, I should find out tomorrow. This will be my 5th time training. I love training though so it works out. 

As for that I think that's it. We should have another baptism this week, and hopefully another one the week after. If everything works out perfect that is, I know the lord will help us. 

Pics: My comp and I, and the bishop

Week 88 (January 22, 2018)

This week we had to do a lot of follow up. We had planned to baptize 8 people for the 28th, and we knew who they were and we had dates put with all of them. None of them came to church this week though, which makes it very difficult to be baptized. We did however have 3 attend church who weren't part of that 8 so we will see what happens with them. Our zone leaders told us that we have to have a baptism this week. No questions asked. We should be able to figure it out if we are obedient with exactness and completely diligent. Also its the last week of the change so we need to have a baptism before we get split up as companions. 

This week we also went on divisions. I got put with the new guy in the district. He has 5 weeks in the mission and he is still pretty timid, even if hes a Latino. We talked a lot about how he could change and learn to talk and be courageous. I explained to him that before the mission i was too timid to ask for help at the grocery store, but now I can start a conversation about religion with anyone anywhere. It was strange to give advice on how to be more outgoing and not be shy or timid. I guess i really have put to use Ether 12:27"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me. For if the humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them". 

Also for my picture this week we found a bat in the church. It couldn't fly and was just crawling around on the ground so we swept it out of the church with a broom and flung it into the air and it started flying and it lived. So that was pretty cool. 

And that's it for the week. Pretty lame, but next week will be a lot better!! 

Hope all is well!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 87 (January 15, 2018)

So this week was pretty solid. Last week after we finished writing we went to play soccer with some youth, but we got bored of playing with them so we went to another field that is run by the police station. They have a huge complex with like 4 soccer fields and a baseball field and its 100 percent turf. So we went and sat down to change our shoes and I notice that a few people and a coach were taking an infield on the baseball field so I yelled to the first baseman who had an extra glove if I could use it and play. So I started taking grounders at 3rd, then moved to 2nd. They didn't think that I could play until I started making backhanded plays and I even dove for a ball and made the ball. Probably the best P-day I have had in the mission! 

As for teaching we had a pretty tough week. We only found 15 new people but we are looking to have some 8 baptisms in 2 weeks from the people we are finding. Everything so far is looking up. We were able to go on visits with the ex bishop of the ward and he took us to a family of less actives who have like 6 people who still haven't been baptized. So as my comp and I always say "ellos se van al agua" 

I finally finished and updated my goals for my last 2 changes and was able to share them with the mission president during interviews with him this week. They are as follows:

 1. Fast every Sunday

2. Find 70 new people every week.

3. Have more that 18 baptisms.

4. Wake up every day at 6.

5. Leave the house at 9:30 a.m. 

6. Start and finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish. 

7. Write in my journal every day. 

8. Take every meal to go. 

9. Do 2 hours of "Cosechas" every day. 

10. Not drink any soda. Excluding Malta. 

The mission president seemed pretty happy with my goals and I know if I focus on them that I can accomplish everything that I've listed. 

As for the week I think that's about it. I hope everyone at home is doing good! Love and miss you all!!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 86 (January 8th, 2018)

So this week was a bit more of a struggle. We found a lot of people last week, but we have dropped every single one because they don't want to commit to do anything. So we continue moving forward and finding new people to teach. 

As for my new years goals I am still revising them to be perfect, as well as many of them are personal goals so maybe I'll share a few next week. 

This week I had the opportunity to teach the Gospel Principles class at church. We only had 1 investigator there so we taught him, his girlfriend, and another member. I taught the class and used the normal manual. Week one, chapter one. Our loving Heavenly Father. I learned a lot from teaching the chapter. I probably learned more teaching the lesson than if I had been present for someone else to teach the lesson. One of the things that really stuck out to me was one: the commandment to love god with all of our heart. And the fact that we cant love someone that we don't know. So we must get to know god and who he is and what he expects of us. And if we love god we will keep his commandments. Knowing who god is will help us to become more like him. And that is the goal and purpose for us here. By connecting many scriptures, like "and this is life eternal, that they may know the the true and living God" And the words of Jesus when he says, " If he have seen me ye have seen the father." So what I learned in short is that as we study the life of Jesus Christ, and try to become more like him, we are also trying to become more like our Heavenly Father who is perfect. Now I know that it is hard to be perfect and only one person has ever done it, but as Elder Jefferey R. Holland says, We may become perfect... Eventually. Also while I was teaching the lesson the spirit taught me a powerful lesson. All it did was put a few words in my head and I have been trying to find out more about it. I found it and just want to share the words. 

"As man now is, God once was"
"As God now is, Man may become"

The words came to me in English while I was teaching and I didn't know where it was found. I asked my comp and the member and they had no idea. So just now I was able to search on lds.org and found that its from the teachings of Lorenzo Snow. A book that I have never read, but might have heard quoted maybe once or twice. But the scripture is true that the spirit can bring all things to remembrance.

I hope all of that made sense and that it didn't get lost in me trying to translate it in my head. That seems to happen a lot now. 

I hope all is well at home and all of you are enjoying the cold. Its hot here, rains occasionally. 

Love you all! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 85 (January 1st, 2018)

So this week was pretty great. Besides the parties and all of the hype for new years, which to me is not that great anyway, we had 3 baptisms! It was really great to be able to watch this family change in such a short amount of time. From the day we first found them to the day they were baptized was just 8 short days. And they attended church twice in those 8 days. It worked out perfect. they were some doubts along the way especially when they said that it was too fast and they weren't prepared, but we challenged them to ask the lord if it was time to be baptized and they said their prayers, received their answer and were baptized. The lord answers prayers when we ask. 

Apart from the baptism we struggled a bit in the work. We only found 30 new people to teach and we had to drop a lot of our investigators. The goal this week is to get back out and find and teach so we can baptize more people. We are planning on having 2 more baptisms this week, and hopefully putting 10 more baptismal dates with new investigators during the week. Should be solid. 

This week I got pink eye. That was great. But with medicine it went away. And so far my companion hasn't got it from me. 

This week I´ve also been focusing a lot in what I want out of the mission in this new year. I only have 4 months left and I intend to put everything that I have learned up to this point to work. I haven't exactly finished my list but so far it is solid and I know I can keep and meet every goal I have made so far. 

I think that is it for the week. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a great new years!!

Elder Hamblin