Email 11/25/13

Well winter's greetings from the Wonderful Northwest! Many blessings are in store for this holiday season and I can't wait to see what is in store. If this holiday season is anything like the last, I believe that we are all in for a very special treat! This is a very grateful time (very appropriate for Thanksgiving) around Portland. People seem to be a little kinder and slightly more open, but still politically correct! I guess this is a very different experience for me since I have never been in the big city for the Holidays, but I am grateful to get such a marvelous experience! Too bad I can't share it all visibly with you all...I may or may not have lost my camera. It is yet to be determined, but I just haven't seen it in three weeks. I still haven't looked EVERYWHERE for it, just most of the places it would be. Sorry Mom...

Anyway, this past week has been amazing! Elder Barrett is working me to death! I have been working as hard as I can my whole mission, but now that I am with him, he has kicked it up to a whole new level! We cover an area with about 50,000 people in it, and I think that it is his goal to knock on every single door within our area's boundaries. I don't mind at all! We are working our tails off and are bound and determined that everyone is going to hear the gospel. We have also been working hand in hand with our WML and starting to work with the ward members here much more. It is just such an exciting time to be a missionary in the Alameda Ward! Did I tell you we got another set of missionaries in our ward? Now we have a set of Elders, a set of Spanish Elders, and another set of Sisters! The ward is doing their best to keep us busy, but our WML is really stepping it up. He is also the High Councilman over missionary work in the Stake, so he is trying to set the example for the rest of the WMLs in the Stake. Personally I think that he is doing more than a fantastic job at helping all six of us missionaries while doing a stake calling! I am pretty sure he is the best!

Well, I think this ol' brain has thought of everything that it can think of at the moment. Just one last thought. This morning in my personal study I had the impression to study inspired questions. I went to PMG and read from the Book of Mormon. As missionaries we are called to teach by the Spirit of the Lord and we must invite Him into our every thought, conversation, and action. As we are teaching we teach and testify all we can until we we have physically exhausted ourselves from trying to get the point across. That is not how the Savior taught. We must simply ask questions and let people answer the questions for themselves. Many times the questions that are asked are the questions that are on the mind of those to whom we are talking. It is not until we phrase the question for them that they are able to formulate an answer OR find out the means to which they can find their answer. A question is an invitation to act for yourself; the deeper the question, the more we are able to learn, and man have I learned a lot!

I love you all and hope that you all have a great week! Happy Thanksgiving! PLEASE go out and show someone that you are grateful for them, and not with words!

Love,

Elder Rex Hamblin 

Letter 11/12/13

Dear Family, Wow has this week flown by! We were extremely busy this week doing Stake reports, preparaing for Jacklyn's baptism, and getting Elder Olsen all ready to head for home. Add in an Elder's conference and our monthly MLC (Mission Leadership Council), and you have yourself a full week! I just channot believe that Elder Olsen is already going home, I honestly feel as if I need to go back to Milton-Freewater TO Elder Olsen once again. Ime feels like a running water in my hands or smoke from a flame, escaping. Well, enough about me. As I have already mentioned, this week was Jacklyn's baptism, a very special treat. Earlier, Saturday morning, Elder Rothwell (who is serving in my Zone/Stake) had 2 baptisms in the Tongan ward. We were privileged to attend the baptisms and watch the two wonderful converts make covenants with the Lord. The spirit was strong, although we could not tell what was being said. (The service was in Tongan). The Tongan's support each other very well and many people showed up and gave their support. It was an amazing experience to be a part of and to feel the love that they all have towards each other. Later in the evening was Jacklyn's baptism. The building was freezing as the heat did not work. But the spirits were bright as she prepared for the last minutes covenants with her Heavenly Father. She was slightly nervous, but she was more sure than ever. To hear their testimony afterwards was heart warming and touched everyone present. It was amazing and very humbling. I lvoe you all! (sorry this is SO sporadic, but I have been writing here and there over the last 4 days. I love you!) Love, Elder Hamblin

Email 11/18/13

Well hello there everyone! Portland is good, Portland is great, and Portland is the best! I just thought that everyone should know that, just in case anyone was wondering. This last week we had transfers, after I sent Elder Olsen home. That is a sad day to watch a missionary "die" but I think he will adjust well in the world again. He is too great of a man not to. Anyway I received my new companion Elder Barrett, and he is the man. I have been with many companions, and I don't think that I have had one yet who is as enthusiastic about the work as he is! He loves to knock on doors and there is not a single person whom we have passed by who has not been spoken to by Elder Barrett. This is going to be a short transfer (5 weeks because of Christmas) so I hope that we will be able to stay together for the next transfer too! We have seen many miracles, especially throughout the zone. Transfer weeks are always hard on finding new investigators and we expected that. Transfers are on Wednesday and Elder Barrett and I met with the District Leaders on Thursday. Up to this point in the week, we as a zone had found 2 new investigators. We talked with our DL's and discussed what we could do to help. We decided Friday we would find 5 new investigators, Saturday we would find 10, and Sunday we would find 5. We knew that this was a lofty goal, so we left it in the hands of our DL's to spread through the rest of their districts. I will let you know now that we have the BEST DL's in the whole church right here in our zone. Our phone from Friday to Sunday was flooded with texts from around the zone as the missionaries here in Portland put their trust in the Lord and almost exceeded our goals! Our DL's have the unique ability to really get the missionaries working and I am so grateful that they are so willing to work. Last night Elder Barrett and I were also able to contribute to our zone's goals. We were out tracting all day and had a little success. We just had an amazing lesson with one of our investigators with major heart problems. We talked with him about the Priesthood and asked if he would like a Priesthood blessing. He accepted and we were able to give him a powerful blessing. It was just after 8 when we got out of the lesson and we decided to go and try some former investigators. We had a big book full of them and decided that we would get started with some of them. Anyway, we were looking for 2 who were close together and missed their home. We kept driving and I realized that we were close to another's home. We parked the car and went up to his door and gave it a knock. When he opened the door, he asked if anyone had sent us. We told him no, and he said that a classmate of his was going to send us over! We just happened to be in the neighborhood! He let us right in and told us that he really wanted to know if there was a God or not. He asked us how we knew there was a God, and we were more than happy to share our testimonies of how we came to know God. It was an amazing experience to see the Hand of God in every detail of our lives! I love you all and hope you have a good week! Love, Elder Hamblin P.S. GO ELKS!! Don't worry, I still let everyone know where my hometown pride lies!

Letters

10/28/13 

 Dear Family, 

 I am currently in traffic, so if my handwriting goes bad, I am sorry. I hope what I ahve to write today will be of some use to you. Or at least enjoyable to you!

 I will begin with a story of one of our investigators of whom I have been telling you about, Jacklyn. We had two appointments set up with her this week, but she was sick for the 1st one. Our other appointment was set for Friday night at the church. Fridays are always busy, and due to several fortunate events, we ended up arriving a few minutes late. When we arrived with our member who came with us as fellowship, we found the building open (as the ward was setting up for the ward party the following evening). We found Jacklyn in the building, writing on the Relief Society chalkboard. She greeted us with a big smile, telling us she had already introduced herself to everyone setting up. When we all got settled in and started talking, Elder Olsen and I looked up at the board to see what she was writing. She drew out the ENTIRE Plan of Happiness; that is what we had planned to teach her! She began to describe to us what was to happen in each "phase" of His plan, and why it was so important. To me, this is proof of the charge that the Lord will hasten his work. 

 As a leader I get to see many missionaries on a personal level. How prepared are many of these young men and women! We are witnessing miracles on a much more personal level YET at a grander scale. I hope that each of you will do all you can to assist in the work! 

 Love you all!

 Love Elder Hamblin 

 11/4/13 

Dear Family,

 This past week has been particularly good, not only because we have seen the last Halloween of my mission, but because i was able to see the happy power of families. Those who have not quite recognized the sustaining power we feel and obtain only through families. Elder Perry stated a conference or two ago that the happiest we can be in this life WILL be found in a family unit bound by a legal marriage. Being sealed forever only adds to the happiness we are able to feel. There, I think I have exhausted that point! I was just overjoyed to see all the families out and about. This experience has been the source of my contemplations this week; how much the family plays an intricate role in our lives. Whether our family experiences have been good or bad, we learn MOST from the family setting. We learn what leads to unhappiness and what leads to happiness (even though other's vision may sometimes be obscured, and (in most cases) accountability in some degree, some lessons may be planned, others may be impromptu. What we learn in and from our families determines who we are and what we do. If we look deep enough, we can always find SOMETHING that relates back to our family life! 

 As I was pondering this relation between families, us, and God, my mind was turned (oddly enough) to revelation and reverence. As I saw these families on Halloween night and pondered what I saw, I realize that the parents who took their children out had the "Revelation" of Quality, wholesome recreational activities and their effect on the children. They, the parents, had the "reverence" to show their fellow Portlandians their family pride. Wow, I just re-read back through all of that and realized that it makes no sense. I'm sorry that you have to read all of that, but I am just exhausted! 

 Well, I love you all and hope you have a good night! (oops...I meant week!) 

 Love, Elder Hamblin

Email 11/11/13

WOW, where has the week gone to? Elder Olsen is prepping to go home here tomorrow and I have to drop him off at the Mission Home tonight. I have been put into many many rough situations through-out my mission, but I think that this will be the hardest and toughest one yet. I love Elder Olsen and don't want to see him leave! He has worked me literally to death these last 6 weeks and I love him for that. You may want to "friend" him on Facebook, Trever Olsen. Will you do that for me pretty please. I know that you will love him!

This week was Jaclyn's baptism! Sorry that I don't have the pictures right now, we have been super busy and don't have much time, and I completely forgot my camera. Sorry! It was a great baptism, but there were not many people there, which was a bummer. We tried to get many ward members there and anyone that we have been in contact with, but not very many people were able to attend. (Just a side note if there is a baptism in the stake, PLEASE attend.) Not only were there not many people there, but the building was freezing! But all this was frivolous as we witnessed the power of Godliness manifest in the ordinances (D&C 84:20-21). Then we were able to hear Jaclyn bear her testimony to us all which was well worth every effort that we have put forth thus far. I am grateful for the opportunity to have attended such an ordinance where the Spirit has never been so strong. I know this was a manifestation of miracles that are happening throughout the world because the Lord is calling His people for the last time.

Well, that was my week. I hope you all are doing well! I love each of you!

Love,

Elder Hamblin

Email 11/11/13

Hello everyone! If you have received a strange e-mail from me over the past few days, please ignore it. I am not trying to think deeply or lost any of my testimony, someone just hacked into my e-mail account and sent that message. I am sorry for any problems this may have caused. The last line in that e-mail is interesting, "Everything that I am taught to believe is a lie." Well, what I have learned since I have been out is that I KNOW, not just believe, that what I am doing here in the Washington Vancouver Mission is the most important work that I could be accomplishing now in my life. I KNOW that Joseph Smith is a The Prophet and has done more to bring me closer to my Savior than any other person. I love each one of you and hope you have a fantastic day!

-Elder Hamblin (for real...like the real person...)

Email

Here are a few more! I think some might need a little explanation...

The first is an "exchange lunch" (just use whatever you can find for lunch)

The next are pictures of some glasses Elder Olsen and I borrowed from another missionary.

Some missionaries in our zone made that cake for Elder Olsen's birthday. It was pretty awesome!

I don't know if I sent these before, but the rest are from the Longview Zone!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Hamblin

Pictures

Pictures

Pictures

Email 11/04/13

The rain has began in Portlandia! This past week we have been having many rain drops on our heads, but most of them leading to good and better things. We have been in a slight "drought" of finding new people to teach, and last week we were able to find some people who want to here the gospel! Plus, this morning before we went out for the day we had a potential investigator text us and ask if we could come over and teach her this morning! It really has been a flood of new miracles for the Elders in the Alameda ward here in Portland. I think that the mission is about to split our area and so we are trying to get everything ready for the new set of missionaries that MAY come in. We don't know for sure, but transfers are next week and we'll just have to wait and see then.

Anyway, Halloween in Portland was interesting. There is a very popular, local street in our area where many people in Portland like to "hang out" at. There is more than enough cafes, bistros, bars, and shops to keep there heads wet and their pockets dry. We had to do some Stake Reports on Thursday, and when we were heading back home from the church we took this street. I think that it will be the closest to a zombie apocalypse I will ever be to...! It is a good thing that we had to be home or else I would have slapped these people or died laughing (which I did anyhow). It is amazing how much wickedness is mistaken for happiness or even the slightest goodness. But it doesn't matter who you are, when you embarrass yourself like that, there has to be somebody out there laughing!

There was one aspect that thoroughly shocked me to the core. For the past five weeks that I have been here I have witnessed the literal destruction of self worth moral values which has been evident in the problems people present and confused state they subject themselves to. These problems have almost convinced me that there are just some places that will never accept the gospel. Yet as we made our travels upon Halloween, diligently performing our duties, I saw something that astonished me--families spending time together. I am not saying a lone mother with her kids, or an unmarried couple with kids. No, full families spending time together and enjoying perhaps one of the only nights of the year which they can all be together at once. Smiling faces and happy laughs filled the air as they (the families) went from shop to shop scaring the candy from the owners. My heart took pride in knowing that I have such a knowledge of the true happiness that can only be brought through living as a family.

Well, I think that is all for now. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Hamblin