Email 12/16/13

Crazy is the season, but we all still remember the reason! We have transfers this coming up on Wednesday and Elder Barrett is going to be transferred to Vancouver. I will be getting a missionary who is already in my zone, and has been in the zone for sometime, Elder Ehrenzeller. It is too bad, I was looking forward to spending Christmas together with Elder Barrett, but I know Elder Ehrenzeller pretty well and am super excited to spend this wonderful Christmas season with him! He is really funny and LOVES to work, so I don't think that I can go wrong with that! I will miss Elder Barrett, though. We have only been together for 5 weeks, but it feels like so much longer. He has really become one of my best friends and a man that I really look up to. Next transfer will be 7 weeks, to accommodate the week that we lost for our Christmas transfer. I don't think that I told you, but we lost a week so we wouldn't have transfers on Christmas day, and next transfer we will be making it up.

With all the commotion our zone saw much success. Elder Barrett and I were called up twice on Friday to do baptismal interviews for the next day! People are really beginning to feel the change that is coming in the world and will are responding positively. We are finding more and more people who are that much more interested in talking about their families, their religion, or something that they unknowingly know as a gospel principle. Sometimes I want to yell and shout for joy when they start on a topic like that, but then they would just get more freaked out, so I have to refrain myself.

Well, I told you last week that I would share some of my thoughts about the Savior this week (thanks for the subtle reminder;). In the introduction of the Book of Mormon there are two very intriguing topics. The first is found in the 3rd paragraph in saying: "It [The Book of Mormon]...tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come." Now this may not seem too special, but I see it as a blessing to the promise found in the last two paragraphs of the introduction. When one follows the instructions given in the introduction then we are promised that we come to know "that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world." This is the second of the two topics that I had mentioned. Both are highly intertwined into one promise-coming to know Jesus Christ is to have peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

There is nothing that I know to be more true. We have a loving Father in Heaven whose greatest gift to man is to dwell in His presence (D&C 88:4-5). One way that we take part in this is by having His Spirit to always be with us so we can live continually in His presence. As we know, though, that we sin in which we fall from the feelings that the Holy Ghost brings unto us. Our purpose here is to have joy (2 Nephi 2:25) and we are inherently seeking to imitate these feelings of the Spirit. Without the gospel perspective, we are lost, seeking for that which the natural man desires causing us to fall into deeper sin and self gratification. Therefore we needed a Savior, someone to teach us, either Himself or through His holy prophets, to bring us back into the presence of our Father, both in this life and in the life to come. His resurrection will bring us into the presence of our Heavenly Father after this life, and His Atonement allows us to return to the presence of the Father everyday. 

I know that I have drawn nearer to my Savior and how grateful I am to do so. This peace is so real, the presence of the Father through the Holy Ghost is only possible through my Savior, Jesus Christ. AND I LOVE HIM FOR THAT! How sweet is the passage in Luke "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Jesus Christ is my Savior and gave his life for me. That is the greatest knowledge that I can speak of.

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

Love,

Elder Hamblin

P.S. I am good with the packages I love you!

Email 12/09/13

I found my camera!! A missionary had it in his bag and didn't look in it for a few weeks, so here are some pics! I do have to make a request though--please do not post the baptismal photo anywhere. Th church has asked us not to post anything like that on Facebook or on any blogs and things like that. They want to keep the privacy of the individuals. Thanks!

 Today most of our zone went to Multnomah Falls and they were almost completely frozen over. We had a very good time there and that is why I am e-mailing a little later than normal. It was freezing there, but as we hiked the warm spirit from my fellow missionaries kept us all warm all the way to the top of the falls, and what an amazing time to be there.

I don't quite know when I will be able to Skype home. We have transfers on the 18th and I will find out a time for sure right after that. I think that it will most likely be around 3-4 your time, but I told Sister Hamblin to pick a time and I will make it work...I hope!

Well I don't have too much more time, there is much that I have to get done! Mother, let me think on my thoughts this week and I will get back to you next week. Just remind me, or else I will forget to write you my thoughts. I love you and hope that you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Hamblin

Letters

11/18/13
Dear Family,
This past week was a miracle in itself as it started slow, but ended with a bang.  As I described in my emails, we have the best missionaries in the mission.  Well, maybe in the world.  But hey, they are pretty good.  I am grateful to be surrounded by such good missionaries.  I know that this upcoming Holiday season will be a white one here in Portland because of all the hard work being put in here.

You know I just realized that this is all in blue ink.  hmmm

Anyway, I wrote most of the highlights of my week in my email.  Sorry about that.  I was very excited about our missionaries and my new companion that I could barely control myself!  I am filled with a new excitement each transfer.  I just become more and more excited! 

We have been making a big push here in the WVM to find 200 new investigators and putting a big emphasis on our DL's.  We are blessed to be in Portland where there are many people to find and where the DL's are the best.  Now when we can find our light and let it shine full time, we will grow more than ever.

This hit me a Sunday or two ago.  A member of our ward was talking about light and my mind was turned to an experience dad told me.  There is a plant which dad has owned for quite some time which he keeps in his office.  For quite sometime this plant has not grown.  For the past few years, a move of offices and some new found knowledge of the plant allowed this plant to grow.  Continuous light is needed to keep this plant growing.  Until this point it was merely surviving on 1/2 the light, but it grew with full light!  Think on that :)

Love you all!
Love,
Elder Rex Hamblin


11/27/13

Dear Family, 

Happy Thanksgiving!  You know, this one is going to be really short.  P-Day we got very busy running around, so I apologize for not writing.  I thought I would still do my best at writing you this week (and actually getting it in the mail!)  This past week was a good one.  Everyone in our zone has been working really hard to find 30 new investigators.  Last week as a zone we found 24, so we are almost there!  Elder Barrett & I are knocking and talking to everyone we meet!  We were promised by Elder Ballard that if we would talk to 10 people everyday, the number of our baptisms would double!  That may seem easy, but it is very challenging...and fun!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love,
Elder Hamblin

Email 12/03/13

Thanksgiving is always a special time of year. I think Sister Amanda Hamblin put it best when she stated that many of the people in the wards where she is serving are converts, and they love the missionaries! This love and gratitude was felt throughout this past week as we gathered together and remembered where we receive our blessings from. The members here are the best, and they show it! To be a member, especially here in Portland, you must be firmly grounded in what you truly know and allow that to literally dictate every decision that you make. The members here in the northeast section of Portland are some of the best people that I know. How grateful I am to have been able to spend such a wonderful holiday with these fine folks and friends.

This past week as we ate like kings, we still knew that we had a work to do. The missionaries in our zone are the best in the entire mission, and I am thoroughly convinced of that. We have been working hard to invite others to come unto Christ, and the missionaries are doing a fantastic job at doing so. They have been inviting many to come unto Christ a by being baptized and helping them receive the restored gospel through making commitments and covenants. I was particularly surprised to see how many people our zone has invited to be baptized and come into the gospel. This is the time of year when people are most focused on Christ, so why not invite them to come closer to Him?

Well, some missionaries MAY have found my camera, so I MAY send pictures next week. Don't be surprised if I don't, but I am just saying that it MAY happen. We will have to see if it really is my camera or not. It is great to hear from you every week and I love to hear all the festivities. I know that I could be better at describing what goes on up here, and it is guaranteed that as soon as I get off the computer that I will remember more to write. Writers block. Love you all!

Love,

Elder Rex Hamblin