Dear Family,
I am truly sorry that these letters are coming later and later, but time seems to be shorter and shorter; but true to my promise to President Hunt, here I present my YEAR mark letter! Can you all believe that?! I, Elder Rex Hamblin, entered the Missionary Training Center one year ago today, it being the 29th Day of August. I still have not hit my half way point, which will be the 31st of August (I return home on the 2nd of September). I can honestly be true and faithful in saying that I have written you all every week for an entire year! Some have been shorter than others, but it has been weekly.
With every week that passes, I have been attempting to look past the monotonous and into some highlights which differ from week to week. As more experience is put under my belt, more knowledge I obtain, and the more the Lord has opened my eyes. He has blessed me with a broad gamut of vision and I am doing all I can to help it increase, and when I find myself employed in the Lord's work, I receive the Lord's pay.
One such payment was the opportunity to listen to the testimony of an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Holland. I have already written of the immense testimony builder this was for me, but I would simply like to reiterate this foundation as experience this was. I can with many questions, and received more answers than what I came with. God truly does work through "His servants, the prophets" (Amos 3:7).
How great this opportunity was and how sweet the words from his mouth, but yet there is one experience from last week to top it, at least in my mind.
We have been doing much street contacting over the past few days yielding quite a bit of success. We passed a man and began to talk with him about His religious life; we were pressed for time so we wrote down his address and gave our word to stop back by. As Sunday evening rolled around Elder Ewell and I decided to stop by this gentleman's home and continue our discussion and hopefully teach him of the restored gospel of Christ.
When we knocked, he flew open the door and readily bade us to come in. On one of his walls was a painting done by some Christian artist of a pathway resembling the story found in 1 Nephi 8 and 11. We could see this man was very religious and had a firm faith in Christ. As we started asking questions, he began to open up to us, telling us of his past life. This gentleman, about 50 years old, has had some very interesting experiences that have brought him closer to God, and his family was a major factor in his life.
We had been talking for about 10 minutes when the door opened and his parents stepped in. They just returned home and were shocked to find two young men in their home, discussing religion. They sat down and began to listen to what the Spirit was saying. The questioning was soon passed from our mantle as they wanted to know more about the Church that Christ built. As we passed through each point of the restoration, the Spirit flooded the room as their questions/concerns increased. Thoroughly we covered the Apostasy (wherein most of their questions lay).
Elder Ewell and I used scriptures which we both had neglected for many months and were telling them of these precious truths straight from our hearts. The need for the Restoration was made manifest right before their Spiritual eyes. There was at one point when the lady looked at me and said "You guys are pretty big on this priesthood thing, Huh?' "OF COURSE WE ARE!" I wanted to yell at her, not in anger but in pure joy and love.
As we began to tell them of the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Spirit pressed strongly upon my heart as I testified of this great man. How sweet the peace that was felt! They could not deny the feelings they had, no matter what they had been told. The man kept trying to come up with a rebuttal, but the Spirit relieved his heart.
We told them of the Book of Mormon and the truth therein. Now here, I make my juncture,, never before had I received a more powerful, a more overwhelming sense of peace and joy than in this family's home. Pure charity was distilled upon the points of my testimony, and was manifest through the Spirit with which we bore.
Satan works quickly upon the children of men. As soon as I had finished testifying of my love for the Book of Mormon, this gentleman looked me straight in the eye and told me everything I had just said was false! A lie! Untrue! I wished sincerely to change his thoughts, because I had been changed forever. I know it and I know that he knew it, but that was a test for me to go through (1 Nephi 20:8-11).
I love you all and pray for you always! And Kale is going to the WVM! (Or India)
Love,
Elder Rex Hamblin
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