November 2018 Updates

November 7, 2018 Update:

Hola Familia!

Stellar week here in Dickson. We went to the Nashville temple to do baptisms for the dead with our recent convert and his wife. I'll send some pictures of our trip. We also got to help out in another recent convert's industrial kitchen in her home. I was goofing around and trying to take pictures of Elder Shaw because he hates pictures of himself. I'll send some of those too.

See y'all in 36 days! Love ya! 

 Elder Hamblin

November 14, 2018 Update:

Familia!

I've got 3 big things this week!

1) We were doing some service at a food bank type place (counting potatoes, bagging broccoli, etc.) and like the second car that went through our line pulls out and gets slammed right in front of us. It was crunched in a V shape on its side. I was the first one on the scene. I was terrified! I wanted to help but I didn't know what to do. Fortunately, one of my companions had some emt type training and made a quick analysis that everybody was going to be fine but we shouldn't move them in case of spinal problems. So we just tried to talk them down.

2) I tried a pickle by itself for the first time in probably a couple years. And I love pickles now! I use to hate 'em, but now their my best friends.

3) In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in revelation, including revelation to help guide those under your stewardship. My mission president, President Stone is therfore allowed to receive revelation to help me. I was approached by President Stone this week with this proposition, to stay out until February 8th. He said it was completely my choice. Whatever I chose would be honorable and there was no "wrong" choice, but that he would personally pay any fees to have me stay out until February and that the mission needed me and he wanted me to stay but that it was my choice. What a hard decision! One side is starting school earlier and being home for Christmas. The other doing what I love for another 2 months, serving the people of Tennessee and the missionaries in the TNM, and following the counsel of my priesthood leader. I decided to stay until February 8th. That's a final decision. I hope yall won't be mad about Christmas. I will see you when I'm home in February. But I believe in this work and I love it. I can sacrifice one more Christmas at home if it means I can help someone here in Tennessee (missionary or Tennessean) feel loved. Christmas is about giving, so I'm going to give!

Sure do love yall,

Elder Hamblin

*A picture of the trio and the Dickson Bishop

**A picture of Elder Shaw's new favorite sleeping spot

November 21, 2018 Update:

Familia,

Great week! We had a baptism for 2 incredible people we've been teaching for the last couple months. The young boy, 9 years old, is very spiritually mature and just awesome to be around. I also was taught how to crochet just a tad. It's hard stuff! My little sausage fingers don't move that fast or well. The Granny that was teaching said it's good for arthritis though! Maybe I'll work on it when I get back home.

I had an exchange with Elder Titus, my MTC companion. We had an exchange our first transfer together because we were in the same district we had an exchange when I was his zone leader and when he was district leader. And now we had an exchange when he is an assistant to the president and I'm a zone leader. Funny little switch. He is also going to be my companion when we travel around the mission for the last 3 weeks and train future leadership. Fun stuff.

Sure do love yall!

Elder Hamblin

November 28, 2018 Update:

Familia!

Hey y'all! Good Thanksgiving week here in Dickson. Our Thanksgiving dinner that was scheduled with some members ended up getting canceled because they got caught in traffic, so we ended up having frozen pizzas instead haha! It was a little disappointing at first, but we made the best out of it. It probably would've been harder if I didn't have great companions. We went over to a recent convert family this week and we made some ornaments. While we were in the middle of it, the mom gets a call from the son. She starts screaming He got a deer! He got a deer! So we all run in the backyard (that's where people hunt in Tennessee) and go up to where he had his deer stand and he ended up missing and just stunning the deer for a second. We were all disappointed we weren't getting any venison. Transfers are in a week so I'll let you know next Wednesday whether I'm moving to a new area for my last transfer! Love yall!

Elder Hamblin

October 2018 Updates

October 3, 2018 Update:

Family!

Hey y'all! It's been a slow week. Elder Shaw and I have been cooped up for about a week trying to get over our cold/sinus infection stuff. I'm rocking some steroids I was prescribed and some Mucinex and Nyquil. The 3 hitter quitter! I think we actually got our investigator sick and when he was baptized this last Saturday, he and I were just congested, coughing and feverish in the baptismal font together. A cool mission experience that doesn't need a repeat haha. 

I've got 10 weeks and everyone around takes every opportunity to remind me. Missionaries around me saying I'm practically dead. Emails from past missionaries reminding me of the countdown. Church headquarters initiating the "MyPlan" course for my final 6 weeks. Time is still flying by though and I'm having a bunch of fun with Elder Shaw. 

Sure do love ya! 

Elder Hamblin 

October 8, 2018 Update:

Hey Y'all!

They changed our p-day to Monday this week because Elder Shayne M. Bowen will be visiting the mission on Wednesday and they want us to actually have a p-day, cause that's important to have time to do laundry haha. Well, we had quite the spiritual blast of revelation these last couple of days with General Conference. And President Nelson holds true to form with another big juicy change announced. 2 hour church! 

Elder Shaw and I did some serious preparing for ourselves and to help a person we are teaching. Her one hold up from being baptized was modern day apostles. So we fasted and prayed that she'd receive a witness from the Spirit of God that President Nelson was the Lord's prophet and she fasted an prayed for the same thing. Yesterday evening, she decided to be baptized. Her baptism is today at 6pm!

Other than the exciting news of the baptism today, our week has been very uneventful. I've been sick for the past week and a half or so and we've been quarantined in our apartment. I feel like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. I've started going stir crazy. But I've been feeling better and should be good to go very soon. 

Sure do love ya! 

Elder Hamblin

*pictures from a member who wanted to send pictures to our moms but I'm just gonna send them to everyone! 

October 17, 2018 Update:

Hey y'all!

Elder Shaw and I just got back from visiting Nashville. We stopped by there Tennessee State Museum and the Parthenon. The state museum was sweet. Saw some sweet fossils, ancient baskets, and a flintlock pistol or two. Also, Tennessee really cares about their civil war history apparently! We didn't get to see the giant gold Athena in the Parthenon, but on the drive up we drove on the street (I don't remember the name) near the predators' (hockey team) stadium. And the street was packed with people at 1:30 on a Wednesday because there are so many live music performances! We rolled down the windows and caught a little of it.

This week, the last of the Gunters was baptized. So the family of five all made it through the "narrow gate". I think they all wanted 1) not to intrude on anyone else's baptism and 2) to have their own special baptismal service. So we had 5 baptismal services for a family of 5, but I'm okay with it! I'm just glad it all worked out. The Gunter mom has a couple relatives that have really been ridiculing her for her decision. It's pretty sad to see her family treat her so poorly. But we've been trying to lift her spirits as much as possible!

We had Elder Shayne M. Bowen of the 70 come this week to train us and crack the whip a little. Our mission president really emphasized our preparation for Elder Bowen so I did everything I could to prepare. In my preparation, I found a training he had given to chaplains in the military and it was exactly what he trained us on. So I had all the answers to his questions about the gathering of Israel and the Abrahamic Covenant. It was pretty funny because he'd try to stump us on a loaded question and I already knew where he was going with it, so I would jump the gun a little and surprise him a little. I probably shouldn't be messing with General Authorities but oh well.

I won't know if I'm leaving Dickson until Saturday, but I'll let you know as soon as I can! 

Sure do love ya! 

Elder Hamblin

October 31, 2018 Update: 

Hey Family,

40ish days left.... That's kind of close haha.

Sorry for the lack of an email last week. P day was changed to Monday and Elder Shaw and I got a little confused. But Transfers happened and President decided to let me stay in Dickson for my last full transfer. I will be finishing Elder Shaw's training but Elder Swanton has arrived, putting us in trio! Elder Swanton will be my fellow zone leader and we will co-train Elder Shaw. Elder Swanton has served primarily in biggish cities his whole mission, so Dickson has been a culture shock.

I'm pretty tired, so I'm not going to write a lot, but that's okay I'll see you in month or so.

Love,

Elder Hamblin

September 2018 Updates

September 5, 2018 Update:

Family and Friends,

We had a baptism this Saturday. It was the very first all Spanish program the Dickson ward has ever had. I didn't know much of what was said in the talks, but Rosie (the lady getting baptized) was balling her eyes out the whole time. The ward was amazing a tons of people showed up even though only like 2 people speak Spanish. Rosie is amazing. She is from Mexico and has been through some stuff. Like when she was crossing the border from Mexico to USA, she had to go through this big ole desert. I've never crossed a desert without air conditioning or on foot, but it sounds like it's bit difficult. In fact, Rosie broke her ankle on the journey and her friend asked the group to leave her to die, but Rosie prayed with her and she said she saw a man in white clothes with her friend that night while they traveled. Rosie's guide after 3 days in the desert tells their little band that he has forgotten the way and didn't know what to do. Rosie said she prayed and saw a glowing light in the sand. She asked others around her if they saw it and they couldn't. She decided to follow the path and her little band followed her to safety. Rosie has the faith to attend a church where she doesn't understand the language, her translators are only half way decent, and it is way different from any other church she's attended. But she has always had the comforting feeling of the Holy Ghost and she said she knows this is where God wants her.

This whole journey with Rosie has been absolutely amazing and obvious evidence of God's hand in this work. Dickson has never had Spanish missionaries. But 2 Spanish missionaries get put into Dickson only days after her coming into any initial contact with the church. Rosie will also be leaving within the next couple weeks to help her daughter with a new born and will be moving into an all Spanish ward (in the Washington DC temple district) and she will only be 15 minutes from the church. This was the perfect window for her to be taught and baptized and she was. It was inspired for the Spanish missionaries to be here, which in my mind is a miracle. It's no red sea parting, but it is a personal and tender miracle for Rosie.

See y'all in about 100 days :) 

Love
Elder Hamblin

September 12, 2018 Update:

Familia and friends!

There goes another week and another transfer for Elder Hamblin. I will be starting the 2nd to last transfer of my mission (a transfer is a 6 week period)! Sheesh I'm an old missionary. Soon I'll be back in Rexburg, trudging through the snow, wearing regular clothes, and spelunking. 

We had a surprise baptism this week. We had a lesson on Wednesday and things worked out where the person agreed to be baptized this past Saturday. His name is Victor. He's 25 and super good at cooking chicken wings. He's a super cool guy that has been coming to church for 10 months and the ward loves. I was blessed enough that he asked me to baptize him! 

Unfortunately, the era of Spanish work for Elder Hamblin is over. Elder Murdock and Elder Doman are leaving and I'm receiving another brand new missionary (this will be #4). This missionary will not be Spanish speaking :( . Our one Spanish investigator was baptized and is moving to Baltimore and I'm sure gonna miss her and her bomb enchiladas and chilaquiles. But now there is no need for Spanish missionaries in Dickson!

Sure do love y'all! 

Love,
Elder Hamblin

September 19, 2018 Update:

Familia,

Well, I have been here in the South for 20ish months or so and I have yet to have gotten a tick. I'm rather disappointed. I mean really, the nurse spends an hour or so when you first get to Nashville drilling you with horror stories of ticks, bedbugs and chiggers and I have yet to have the opportunity to deal with one of those lil buggers! Nah just kidding, I'm thankful I've had a very healthy mission.

Well this week I got my new companion, Elder Shaw. He's a native of New Mexico. He doesn't talk much, but I'm cracking him open!

We just had a lesson last night where the dad of this family that's been investigating (3 of the 4 kids have been baptized) just straight up said he wanted to be baptized. I was flabbergasted. I was blown out of the water. We weren't even really teaching him. I had plans on working on the mom and then transitioning to him, but no, he just takes the initiative and make sit happen. That family never ceases to amaze me with the level of their faith. Sometimes all you have to do is do your best and God makes it work. Sure do love y'all, see you shortly .

Elder Hamblin

September 26, 2018 Update:

Familia!

There goes another 7 days. Time has really started to pick up speed here in Nashville Tennessee! It seems like yesterday I was giving my fair well talk with Z Lawson and Carter Blaise giving their homecoming. Another change in scheduling for coming home, they changed my departure date to December 12th again. Sorry for all the confusion.

Actually, looking back on my farewell talk and my departure and Monte Moser welcoming me into the Big Baby Club. I've realized I've been able to keep my emotions in check for most of my mission, but these last couple of weeks I've been a wreck! Haha. I don't know what it is. I was making an announcement in Relief Society asking them to join in on a fast for a person we are teaching (that person was also in the room) and I expressed my love for her and her family. I just started tearing up and choking up. It hit me like a load of bricks. I don't know where it came from. I hope I've changed for the better in many regards, but I don't think I've escaped the Big Baby Club yet! Haha.

I've heard from several missionaries, ward members, and Stake leaders that I just look so tired. I always respond "That's because I am!" haha. Truly I am exhausted. These comments on my exhausted look reminds me of a story about Bobbie the Wonder Dog that I feel I can relate to. If you don't recognize that reference, it's from the October 2017 General Conference talk "A Yearning for Home" by President Uchtdorf. In his talk, he relates a story of a family from Oregon that takes a trip to Indiana. While in Indiana this family loses their dog, Bobbie. Eventually, they decide to drive the 2,000 miles back home, dogless. 6 months later, a mangy and scrawny with feet worn to the bone dog shows up at the doorstep. The family was astonished to see their beloved Bobbie. Of course this story becomes very popular and that's where Bobbie earns the nickname Bobbie the Wonder Dog. President Uchtdorf goes on to show this as an example of our inner guidance system to lead us back home. I take hope from Bobbie because like him I may arrive back home rough, ragged, tired and maybe if I'm lucky a little skinnier haha. But it will all be worth it to be united with my incredible and loved family. However, it is even more worth it it me to have an experience that 1) has brought me to know with certainty that Jesus is the Christ. That He is my Friend, and my Savior. That He lives. That He knows me and He loves me. And 2) has allowed me to go through some portion of what He has been through. It's only a sliver. Only a tiny fraction. But that tiny offering I've given in comparison to His has linked my heart to His. And has given me purpose and identity. 
Sure do love y'all! 

See y'all soon!
Elder Hamblin 

August 2018 Updates

August 29, 2018 Update:

Familia,

How'dy y'all! It's been a good 'ole week. I was asked to perform a baptism this past Friday! That's not too shabby. There will be another baptism this Saturday for our one Spanish person being taught, Rosie. We actually had David Archuleta come to a lesson with her this week. David lives just North of Nashville and Elder Murdock knows him pretty well so Elder Murdock invited him to a lesson with us. He's pretty cool. He likes Studio Ghibli so David and I kinda geeked out over that for a bit. Oh! And I met some members of the Church that run a goat yoga thing! It's where you do yoga and these little goats play with you, jump on you and stand on you. And there is a ton of people and come out a do it! Mostly for the crazy experience and for pictures and social media, but they have a lot of people that come out and do it. Celebrities and work business retreats of bus loads of people. Crazy stuff but they say it's a fill time job and they love it. Well, sure do love y'all!

Elder Hamblin

August 22, 2018 Update: 

Familia,

Another week flies by here in Dickson. It's been quite a hoot trying to teach spanish with Elder Doman and Elder Murdock! It's seems like all I can remember is "puedo ir al bano?" Haha. I understand pretty well but when it comes to joining the conversation, I can't seem to untie my tongue. It seriously gives me a heart attack every time someone just makes eye contact during a lesson because I have to rack my brain for a possible response I can construct with the like 13 words I know. And there are not a lot of possible outcomes with only 13 words haha. We did just start teaching our spanish investigator Rosie how to speak English and it's pretty dang funny. Y's become j's. And she just can't make that th sound and the beginning of the. She's a sweetheart though and we've had a lot of fun. Sometimes my brain is fried and I just play with her grandson Dylan.

We went to the temple (for baptisms for the dead) on Friday with a recent convert for her first time. And they had a little extra space so we got to participate. And Elder Murdock and Elder Doman got to perform baptisms in Spanish. That was rad.

We have this awesome investigator, Victor. He's 20 something and married to a member. They are super cool and feed us wings occansionaly. Victor is practically a member but just hasn't got wet yet. They drove us down to the temple on Friday and Victor got to go into the temple visitor room and check that out for a bit and loved it. And on Sunday, Rosie (only speaks spanish) needed a translator in our Sunday school class so we asked Victor to do it and he was so excited! He came up after and said he was going to study the next lesson in Spanish and English so he would be better prepared. It's cool giving someone opportunities to serve can help them grow and strengthen their testimony.

Sure do love y'all,

Elder Hamblin

August 15, 2018 Update:

Familia,

There goes another week here in Dickson! The work here has been busy busy busy. I've never taught so much my entire mission. I love it! President Stone wants to put another set of missionaries here and that would be great for Dickson, but I kind of like teaching all these people and I don't really want to share haha. Oh well, we will see what happens in a couple of weeks.

My mission president has asked me to stay out an additional 2 days, something to do with flights or something, so I will be flying into Oakland on the 14th of December! (sorry mom, I know you just got the 12th off)

I think it was Thursday or Friday night last week when we got a knock on our door in the middle of the night. Well, it wasn't really the middle of the night, but it felt like it. It was 10pm, but we go to bed at like 9:30pm so it practically was the middle of the night. Elder Doman was already in bed, Elder Murdock was in the shower, so I answer the door. Standing there is a lower 20s guy holding a pizza box. I think "heck yeah, one of our moms ordered pizza!". I ask him if the pizza was ours, he said yes. I'm just getting more and more pumped for late night pizza. I ask is it payed for, he says yes. I am just so excited now! And then he says "by me."... All these thoughts go through my head like Well huh? What? That doesnt make sense. Who the heck are you? What kind of pizza is in there? I finally ask "who are you?". He says he is formally Elder Jorgensen. That name rings a bell. We have a poster that all the missionaries sign when they leave the area and I remember reading an elder Jorgensen on the poster. So I go oh I remember reading your name and I go to read the poster on the other side of the kitchen. When I find is name, I point at it and look back and now this formerly elder Jorgensen is standing in our kitchen just holding the pizza box. I freak out a little because missionary apartments are like sacred places. You do not go into a missionary apartment. That's major taboo. So I plant myself in front of the door way to the rest of the house so this formerly elder Jorgensen doesn't bum rush in and try to steal my companion or something weird. Formerly Elder Jorgensen and I awkwardly chat for a bit and he tells me he is here for a wedding and that he will pick us up for breakfast tomorrow at 7am. He then drops the pizza and leaves. Elder Murdock peaks his head out of the bathroom and asked who the heck that was. I related the story to him and while I cracked open the pizza box and to find that half the pizza was gone hahaha. Elder Murdock and I just sit down and laugh at what happened and ate that other half (it was the pull off crust pieces that were dippable, way good). And then formerly Elder Jorgensen took us to a Shoneys breakfast buffet the next morning.

Sure do love y'all,

Elder Hamblin

August 8, 2018 Update:

Hola Familia,

Just another week in paradise (Dickson). We have been having a heck of a time here in Dickson. Elder Murdock (blue tie in picture) and Elder Doman (green tie in picture) have come into Dickson with a fire! We had a baptism on Saturday and we had 10 people at church (roughly a fourth of the entire mission, 10/46). We are teaching people in Cumberland Furnace (30 minutes north), Kingston Springs (30 minutes east), Hickman County (30 minutes south), and Erin (45 minutes north east). We drive a lot and we teach a lot. And a lot is going on. President Stone has talked about bringing in another set of missionaries. Selfishly I'd like to keep all the work to myself, but if there is work to do, why not get the extra help. 

We have been doing some good Spanish work. I've been slowly dusting off the cobwebs and things are coming back to me. I can follow along with lessons and conversations but things move so fast that I can't formulate a sentence with my limited vocabulary to join in with the teaching. I do enjoy reading when we crack open that El Libro de Mormon though.

Love,

Elder Hamblin

August 1, 2018 Update:

Howdy howdy!

It is the end of the transfer and Elder Carlson will be leaving the area. He's going to travel around a little before going home and train some missionaries. It's been fun and we got a lot done! But this next transfer is going to be a little different. Here's some quick background info. July and August are ususally when big groups of new missionaries come into the mission field (usually kids that just come out of high school). It is also when big groups of missionaries go home. That creates kind of a vacuum of missionary leadership and trainers (the experienced are leaving and their is an influx of brand new). This transfer, President Stone had 3 new Spanish speaking missionaries that he didn't know what to do with. The Spanish missionaries that are already serving are either already training, or aren't responsible enough to train a new missionary. We then get a text from President Stones assistants asking us to figure out who's had the most Spanish education. I put my name in the running, bragging about my 5 years in middle school and high school (my last Spanish class was 7ish years ago haha, but I didn't tell them that!). I get a call from President Stone yesterday saying I'll be training one of the new Spanish missionaries! I'll actually be trio training the new missionary with another Spanish speaking missionary. I'm not officially a Spanish speaking missionary, but gosh dang it I'll do my best to speak like one! Our bishop and ward Mission leader are both very excited. The ward Mission leader was the Bishop of the one Spanish ward in our mission and him and bishop want to start a Spanish group here. We've also been trying our best to teach some Spanish speaking people (we've had some church tours and such), but it will be so nice to have some missionaries that actually know how to speak Spanish! President Stone anticipates that the Dickson ward will be the highest baptizing unit in the mission by the end of the year. And we've had a slow start so far, so we better get moving!

Sure do love y'all! 

Elder Hamblin