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
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
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
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
