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

Letter 10/21/13

Dear Family, I think that I should start by apologizing to mom. Sorry I forgot your birthday. Happy late birthday! I guess I just wasn't paying attention to the dates and I just got all caught up in the time. I hope you had a good one. This past week was busy, but productive. We had interviews with President Taylor, a treat to rare to pass up. This is always such an opportune time to ask questions about anything and everything about life and the work. IN a leadership position President Taylor asks you about the people you are over. Although you are talking about other people, we learn much about your self. What you need to change and how you can help is wrought upon you as focus on others. This, I believe, derives from the economy of Heaven. As you focus on others, you learn more about yourself. Once again this doctrine affirms true, as I, for myself, learned about what I can do better. God has set up the organization of the church for several reasons. one of them being for the men and women of the church to learn HOW to learn about themselves through other people. That doesn't make much sense, but it all makes sense in my head. I have learned leadership skills as I have dealt with those in my zone. I have seen how I gain revelation as I have sought help for the problems we are asked to help in. I have learned how to see spiritual wounds as I go on exchanges. How grateful I am for this divine help! Well, I have run out of words in my pen...and my head. Sorry mom, but I just can't think anymore! Love you, Love Elder Hamblin