Week 100 (April 16, 2018)

So this week we were planning a baptism for Saturday. Then last minute the family went to the grandmas house so we weren't able to baptize him. We re-scheduled for this Saturday. 

This week I also had my last interview with the Mission President. We talked about a lot of good stuff and he told me his life story. He played baseball for the Dodgers. It was a great interview. I really learned a lot about how to use everything that I've learned here in panama and how to relate and utilize it back home. 

The pictures attached are from a district meeting we had. The photos really show how we are as companionship's. Me and my comp are definitely the most not serious. 

This will be my last week here in my area, then next Monday I'm in a hotel until Thursday. Wednesday we get to go to the temple and have lunch with president. Should be a great last week! 

Anyway i hope all is good at home!! Love and miss you all!! Ill write another email next week!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 99 (April 09, 2018)

This week was interesting and frustrating. We did a lot of work, and we didn't see whole lot of results. 

We spent most of the week preparing people to come to church. On Saturday night we had 9 people who were fijo to come to church. We were sure of it. We had plans to pick them up and everything. Sunday came and only 2 ended up coming. One of these 2 will be baptized this week however so I guess it worked out. 

Also this week on Saturday night my comp and I were walking to dinner and we found a man on a bridge who said a lot of words that didn't make sense and then said "call 911, I  need an ambulance." So we called the ambulance and it came. The man was having trouble breathing and just struggling to stay alive. We waited for the ambulance some 30 minutes and he kept losing consciousness. And then the ambulance showed up and took care of him. We learned while talking to him that he is homeless and that he smokes crack all day. That's all he does. We were pretty disappointed when what we saw as what could have been a good teaching situation after the fact really wasn't. But we did some good that day and helped the man get his ambulance. 

Also the picture I attached was a sweet blister that I had. I think I popped it every day for a week. It just never went away. But its doing better now. 

Anyway hope all is well at home! Love and miss you all!!

Elder Hamblin 

Week 98 (April 02, 2018)

Wow. I testify that the Prophet President Russel M. Nelson is a  prophet of god. He has received a lot of revelation in the last 2 months and has told us how to be better members and how to strengthen and care one member for another. Watching conference really just showed me that God really is at the head of this church and he will guide and care for us and reveal his secrets through his servants, the prophets. The change being made to combine the High Priests and the Elders Quorum will have a huge impact on the church here in panama. We have seen that the candidates for callings always have come form the high priests and that the quorum of elders just doesn't seem to progress or gain experience and that almost all of the less actives are from the elders and not the high priests. It will be great to combine them and get all of the added experience. Just last Sunday the bishop asked my companion and I if we could show more support to the elders quorum and not the young men, because we have been attending the young men and it works out perfect now because everyone will be supporting the elders. 

Also the change to the Home teachers and Visiting teachers will change the way we work here in panama. Usually there are only a few visits being made and the members always complain about having to fill out the information about the visit. So now it will be so much easier to do the visits. Also including the young women will help to have more people who will do the visits. Everyone knows the women always do their visits and the men are the ones who are slackers. 

I just want to end with my testimony that the changes that the church has made really do come from God. That he directs his church. He calls people to guide and council but he is the head of the church. I hope everyone was able to watch conference and hear the words of god. 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 97 (March 26th, 2018)

So this week was a good week. Its been 2 weeks and my ankle still hurts, but I ice it twice a day and that seems to make it a little better. 

This week on Thursday we did an activity in the church with some recent converts and some investigators. We had a soccer game. We played 4 on 4 on a small court and just messed around a lot. we played for like 2 hours and for the rest of the week all of those who went were there kept talking about it and asking when we were going to play again. The best part was that on Sunday the people who went to play soccer showed up to church. It was a successful activity if you ask me! 

Also this coming week we are super excited for general conference. The investigators who go to general conference always get baptized so we are working hard to make sure we get a lot of people there so they can listen to a prophets voice. Should be a solid week and we should have some baptisms here in the next few weeks. We have lots of good investigators, we just need a little more progression from them so they can be baptized. Should be great. 

Also last night I got a call from the zone leaders and we talked about the zone and how we are struggling to get more baptisms right now. I promised them that we would have 13 more before I went home. So now my comp and I have to work to baptize 13 more people in one month. It will be a lot of work but we know we can do it. 

As for that I think that's it. Sorry to keep it super short again, its been really hard lately for me to think things in english. Should be interesting when I get home. Anyways love you all!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 96 (March 19th, 2018)

This week was a little more rough than last. My comp is great. We get along really well. The problem is the on Monday I sprained my ankle playing basketball and from there it has all just been down hill. I had to rest for like 2 days and that really put us back on finding new investigators and preparing those that we have to be baptized. 

This week in sacrament meeting we were hoping to have 13 people, but only 1 showed up. It was tough, and we will have to push back all of the baptisms for another week, but we should be able to recuperate and go at it. This week we should be right back to business with lots of new investigators as well as some baptismal dates. Should be fine!! 

Also the picture attached is of the people I have trained. Its missing two. One who went home and my current companion. I think it still counts as a family photo!! 

Sorry its short!! Next week will be better!!!!

Elder Hamblin 

Week 95 (March 12th, 2018)

This week was absolutely great. 

It started out great because last Monday my comp and I went and played basketball with a member and some guys that play every Monday. They actually play decent but its fun to mess around. My comp plays surprisingly well. 

On Friday we had a way awesome experience. We had a mission conference with Elder Quentin L. Cook of the quorum of the 12 apostles. The spirit was absolutely palpable. He spoke with such power and authority. I will never forget the words he said while bearing his testimony. He said that "he knows the voice of the lord, and knows his face as well." He also stated that he had many other spiritual experiences that were too sacred to share, but he told us that so I imagine he has had some pretty awesome stuff happen. 

Also this week we were teaching the lady who lives in the pink house. Her name is Itza. We taught her the restoration of the gospel and she cried the entire lesson. She told us that she was born and raised catholic but every time that we come over we make her have so many questions that she feels like young Joseph Smith. We told her that she needed to do the same thing that Joseph did and pray to know the truth. So so did and she said that she felt a lot better after praying, but that she didn't think it was a full answer. We told her to keep praying and that she would know. So she promised to keep praying. 

Also yesterday we had changes. My comp left this morning for David, its a zone 10 hours away from here. He was pretty sad to leave but he will enjoy his new area. I've been assigned to be with another new elder. Well he has 6 weeks but he is still being trained. His name is Elder Martinez from Honduras. He's 18. He likes soccer.  This is my last change, so i know that I'm going to die here in my favorite area. I was actually really afraid of being taken out of the area but its a relief to know that I get to stay and finish my time here. Should be an excellent final 6 weeks. We have a lot planned to finish strong. Baptize, Baptize, Baptize!!! 

Anyways that's it. I didn't take any pictures this week. Or when someone else took one with me in it  they haven't sent it to me yet. Maybe next week. Hope all is well!! 

Elder Hamblin 

Week 94 (March 05, 2018)

This week was another solid week. We started out pretty well finding some sweet new families to teach on Tuesday, but then they went on vacation so we couldn't teach them the rest of the week. But one of them was way awesome! We were walking around trying to find new people to teach and weren't finding anything. So we decided to say a prayer and ask for guidance. So we prayed and after the prayer we thought about what door to know on. My comp said something and I just looked at him and said, "we need to knock on this pink house in front of us." So we knocked and a lady came out and let us in and we blessed the family and the woman cried and the spirit was strong and we put return appointment. When we went back we talked for a minute and the lady mentioned to us that she talked to her son about the visit we had. (side note, her son is very catholic, they have an entire wall in their tiny house dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus AKA divino niño.) So the lady said that her son asked why she let us in. The lady said she is receptive to all religions even the Jehovah Witness, but every time someone comes in she talks to them outside on the street. Nobody ever gets let in the house. But she let us in. And then she felt the spirit and she knew that we weren't just any church, we were something special. She also accepted a baptismal date in the first lesson. But then they went out of town so we lost contact for the week. But they get home tomorrow so we will see. 

On Saturday we had a baptism. We finally baptized the head of the house of the kids. The grandpa got baptized!! It was crazy awesome! He has been reading his Book of Mormon and learning all about the plan of salvation, I think he has read the pamphlet like 7 times. So he was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Now there are 9 in the family that are members and still a few to work with. This family is awesome!!!! Just this morning my comp and I woke up at 5 am to go help 2 of the youth in the family get to seminary. We showed up at 5:30 and they both were awake, showered, dressed, and ready to leave. They are way more dedicated than I ever was!!! Its been great to see them progress and learn an change. 

Also this week we had a zone conference. As a mission we have been baptizing a lot of people. Now the mission president says we need to slow down on the baptizing of people, and focus on the baptizing of complete families. So we have really put a focus on in the area of how we can find families that have non members, and how we can find, teach, and baptizing parents with their children. Its a drastic change but it needed to happen if we want to grow the church here in panama. 

Anyway I think that is it for the week. Hope all is well back home, its been cold here lately as well. And by cold its still hot I'm just accustomed to the heat. Love you all!! 

Elder Hamblin