Email 9/09/13

Santa Rosa, California. That sounds like it could be a good place. Not quite like the Pacific Northwest, though. Sorry, Kale, that you missed out on that on, but I think that you will love it anyway. If you would have come to the Washington Vancouver Mission, then you would have really loved it, because it is the best/ most beautiful/ funnest/ coolest/ humbling/ exhausting/ satisfying/ interesting/ loving/ heart warming/ all-around-greatest place in the entire world (well maybe a close second to Eagar, AZ....but we are not counting that right now). Sorry to put the truth into everyone's heart that will read this, but just as Nephi, Lehi, and Jacob have all stated, the truth can sometimes be hard to swallow. I know how much you wanted to come to the Northwest, but looks like you will have to wait just a little longer!

Just as I mentioned, the Northwest is the BEST! Elder Ewell and I have been having a blast teaching people and walking in the "Vancouver Mist," as many missionaries call it. It is too light to be a rain, but too heavy to be a fog, so it is just a slight hanging by the water droplets in the thick air. It is perfect! You never get too hot walking around, and you never seem to get too wet either, it is the best!

Now that the talk about the weather is over, we had a very neat experience. With the church growing so much and the general authorities not being able to travel everywhere at once, they have been broadcasting much more. Yesterday we had stake conference for Longview and we had a broadcast with Elder Hales, Elder Perry, Elder Nash (of the 70), and Sis. McConkie (YW)! They were speaking to the entire state of Washington and Alaska, but it was an amazing experience nonetheless. The messages they shared were very specific about covenant, ordinances, FHE, and family prayers. We really tried to get some of our investigators there, because every word that proceeded out of their mouths was inspired by the Spirit tailored to what they needed to hear. We have been teaching a young single mother of 4 who has been wondering why life is so hard and where she can turn for peace, and everything we told her seems to have no avail. But with the promises from prophets' lips, I personally don't think that there would have been a doubt left in her mind of what she needed to do to find strength in the Lord Jesus Christ. I just pray that now I will be able to convey the same message to her that was so easily preached in my ears.

We have also been teaching a young couple whom the woman really wants to be baptized but won't keep any of the commitments; the man doesn't want anything to do with the church, yet he is trying to keep all the commitments that we give him. We have been really trying to help them and even took a whole evening to help them clean their yard. We have been at a loss of what to teach them, so we have just kept inviting them to do all they can to know that this is true. It really hurts to see them because of how much the gospel can help them, how close they really are to god, yet they have no idea, none, zero, nada, of HOW MUCH THEY ARE MISSING OUT ON!!!!! They know they want something better, and we keep offering it to them, but they won't take it. I guess it is like a kid eating vegetables--you know how good it will be for them, but they will eat everything else on the plate that you will give to them. But, eventually they will really figure out that they love to eat asparagus (because I do!).

Love you all and hope that the week goes well!!

Love,

Elder Hamblin