Tullahomies Update

September 4, 2017: 

Familia,

I have been blessed with a fourth transfer in Tullahoma and a second with Elder Isaak to finish his training. Big things are happening here in Tullahoma with two baptisms scheduled for this Saturday. The first is Chris Gann. Chris was the first door Elder Isaak and I knocked on together. We taught him all the lessons in about a week and he is so excited to be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. The second is Savannah Owens. She is a young woman whose grandmother recently was baptized. She has been very hesitant and standoffish but we set a hesitant/hard baptismal date. She didn't really take it seriously until we kept reminding her and started planning her baptism. That's when she actually prayed asking whether she should or not and her answer was butterflies in her stomach and excitement she hadn't had before. It's going to be a busy week for us.

Elder Isaak is a combination of Fajo and Mason. He is sarcastic and doesn't express emotion but is absolutely hilarious and can Jimmy Rig practically anything. He keeps things light and fun and surprises me often with his random bits of knowledge. Elder Isaak is just the companion I needed. He is a hard worker and very easy to get along with.

I'm blessed with every increasing gospel knowledge but I am nowhere near that of Joanies Choanies. I've been blessed as I've strived to live the Word of Wisdom with more energy and better functioning physical abilities. Still haven't learned how to talk about my feelings. All the progress Julie made with me has gone out the window haha. Went fishing this morning with no success. I've been working harder at fishing men than being a fisherman.

Sure do love y'all!

Elder Hamblin

One Legged Elder?

August 21, 2017 Update: 

I am alive! Still kooky as ever, but I am alive, well and still kicking. The incident last week with the spider bite and stuff was a little scary because I went to the doctors and they said okay no problem it's just surface level stuff and we won't need to scoop out any rotten parts. They threw some pills at me and went on to the next person. All is fine and dandy for a couple days until I wake up covered all sorts of fun and exotic rashes and reactions. At the peak it covered me from toes to my neck line. I decide it's probably best to go to the hospital again and this time they say "okay well I guess you were allergic to the last stuff. Let's get the quality antibiotics and meds. Oh and a steroid shot to your bum for kicks and giggles." So now I'm loaded with meds and have a ripped glute. Honestly I am good and healthy, still some rashes dying down but I've still been out working for the Lord.

Other than that, we have been working hard and loving life and the mission! Not too many stories to tell. The result and blessings of the mission so far have been more interpersonal with coming to know my true self and my real desires and knowing how to be the person I am capable of being and becoming.

Sure do love y'all! 

Elder Hamblin

August 14, 2017 Update: 

Bit by brown recluse. Should be fine and keep my legs. Didn't give me right meds. Let you know when I'm good. Love y'all 

Falcons, Funerals, and Eternal Siblings

July 17, 2017 Update:

The first picture is what we call a "funeral" pic. Those two elders are "dying" or leaving the mission and we are celebrating their passing. 

To Bailey 

B,

Thank you for your email and the obvious concern and love expressed in it. I am fortunate to have an older sister that cares about me so much and has had such a profound effect on my view of others. The blessing it has been to have you in my life cannot be understated. There have been times while I've taught or have just been talking with someone and I am blessed to see them as you or Mason or Peyton and I believe that is a blessing and a confirmation from the Spirit that they are my eternal siblings. I also believe those tender mercies are gifts to me to help me feel that you, Mason and Peyton are okay and that my work is a blessing for each of you even when it isn't directed towards you. 

The mission, when lived right, always keeps you on your toes with a constant effort from all aspects. It is not easy and I doubt it ever will be because my hope is to always grow and develop and cultivate my being. This gardening of my soul is pure work and effort and I will always be capable of becoming more. It's a wonder to me how continual focus on others and losing yourself in service and charity leads to a discovery of one's true self. 

A lot of people don't like Mormons and especially missionaries here and I have had many experiences where that distaste is not hidden. It is my blessing to be apart of those peoples loves that need the hope that they need help and I am able to show them love, listen to their story, and care for them and their interests. I also have seen a lot of people become uncomfortable which is funny because either they are really awkward and uncomfortable and they try to run or they try to argue and debate and trap us in our words. These people do not know us but they very sight of servant of the Lord puts them under self distress.

But I love it out here. I am learning and bettering. No amount of corn bread, green beans, and BBQ can slow me down now! 

Love, 

Elder Hamblin 

July 10, 2017 Update:

Hola Family! Not much time for emails and such! It's Elder Wadsworth last week in the mission and he is doing all he can. But I am safe and alive and somewhat sane. I love you! 

Elder Beau the Dog

Familia! 

Hello and welcome to another peek into the life of a stranger in a strange land. Let's start with something cool that happened this week. President Stone recently had the Young Men's General Presidency reach out to him asking if there were any missionaries that had unique stories of getting on a mission. President Stone thought of me and I now am in contact with said individuals. I don't know to what extent they will use my story. We will have to see! On a humorous note, I was on exchanges (usually a day where two companionship flip companions) with Elder Basham and we decided for lunch we would not eat fast food and instead get a rotisserie chicken, some macaroni salad, and potato chips. I'm not sure if that's healthier, but we sure as heck got more food! Anyway, we were nowhere near our apartment and had no place to eat or any utensils to eat with. So we plopped down at a park, laid our plastic bags down as plates, grubbed down into some chicken bare handed, and used the bones to scoop out our macaroni salad. We then washed down with a park hose. Later that day, we were knocking on some doors in the some of the more "stick" parts of our area and we came across a no trespassing, beware of dog sign covered property. With what we considered courage, which could honestly be argued as stupidity we go to the front door. No answer but a big ole hound dog comes from the back and starts sniffing us. I think it smelt the chicken because it started following us as we knocked on other doors on the street. At one house there were two smaller dogs that were having a bad day or something and wouldn't let us go to the door. But good ole Beau the hound dog fights the dogs off and clears the way to the door. He even went after the cat that was just chilling on the porch haha. That's pretty much my week. Nothing too crazy, but I enjoy it. 

Sure do love y'all. 

Love,

Elder Hamblin 

Job in Beijing

FAM BAM,

They said I would receive blessings from coming on a mission, but I never expected this one: I got a job in Beijing. Here's the story. My companion and I were walking the neighborhoods, as we normally do, when we spotted a man. Like the persistent and diligent missionaries we can be, we pounced. He turns to greet us and after a couple of seconds he invites us in from the rain. After some small talk where we learned that he recently moved in, even though it was somewhat apparent when all he had was a chair with a rice cooker on top of it. We ask some basic questions to get to know him and he recently moved here from Beijing to work at a nearby university to help research fuel cells or something. He starts asking us questions like who are you and why are you dressed funny. Unlike his neighbors with heavily influenced Baptist backgrounds, he has no idea who Mormons are and very little knowledge about Jesus Christ. This is completely new because the vast majority of people we teach are active in a church of their own. When we come back for our return appointment, he is baffled by our timing, not uncommon with missionaries. As we walk in, I see he has a small TV set up with a show he had paused. In the corner it says the name of the TV show in English with all other subtitles in simplified Chinese. I comment on the show asking if it was "White Deer" or the only English words I can see. He exclaims "You watch White Deer?! It is incredible!" He continues on for a bit leaving no room for me to explain I don't watch White Deer, and all I could do is politely nod to his obvious joy. I still haven't told him, but we will see. Anyway, he is very impressed by me and says I must know a lot about Chinese history, yet again leaving no time for me to deny. He remembers me saying I studied engineering before my mission and says I have to come work for him and his family in Beijing as an engineer when I graduate. So now I have a job and a new friend haha. 

In all seriousness, I am extremely happy serving here in Nashville TN. I have begun to forget that I am dressed funny and that what I do is not the most common thing and can make people fairly uncomfortable. I have been enveloped by this work and this cause and have seen so many blessings for not only me, but also for the people who need and accept it. Keeping praying for me, cause I need it! I love all of you so much! Go VOLS!

Love,

Elder Hamblin  

Mid-June Update

To Dad

Fajo,

So the assignment of district leader for the McMinnville district has allowed me to stay in the Tullahoma area. The district includes McMinnville, Manchester, Tullahoma, and Winchester and a few of the surrounding small cities. Like Lynchburg with the Jack Daniel's distillery which is ironically a dry county. So I'm still in Tullahoma and now it's just me and Elder Wadsworth. I'm really thankful he stayed. He is a good missionary that I trust and know I can rely on.

Life as a missionary has been a little bit tough the last two weeks. We had a baptism canceled which led me to be a little bit sad and unfocused. That has transitioned into more frustration and anger. And I think it has shown a little bit with how I've treated our investigators and random people on the street. The discussions have been more about showing them the logical fallacies with their faith as opposed to teaching with the Spirit and lifting them up higher than where they are. My companion and I had a good chat about it and I plan to refocus on loving those I teach and allowing space for the Spirit to teach and testify to them.

I am still with a full time car thank goodness! Tell her to drive safe and be wary of the random storms. We have random storms like that about every other week. Heat bakes the humidity. It evaporates rapidly which leads to rapid collection of the liquid which leads to rapid dispersion of said liquid. And then it starts again. 

I don't know if I've lost any weight recently, but I have been eating a lot healthier and have a ton more energy. People here don't all like people from California, they are still considered Yanks, so I have been telling people I'm from Oregon and they like me a lot more now haha.


Thanks for all the love and support and prayers. I need it.

Love 
Elder Hamblin

New Assignment as District Leader

Dear Elder Hamblin, 

Thank you for accepting the new assignment to serve as a district leader in the McMinnville district. Heavenly Father has great trust in you. As a leader in the mission, please continue to earn His trust each day. 

District leaders have a huge impact on the success of our mission. You will have more direct contact with the missionaries than any other leader in the mission, besides their trainers. You will train the missionaries in your district, through exchanges with the elders and through district meetings. As our district leaders go, so goes the mission. 

Remember that President Monson has taught “whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” He has also taught that “when you are on the Lord’s errand, you are entitled to the Lord’s help.” Seek the Lord’s guidance, as you serve the missionaries in your district. He knows the missionaries, and He will help you to know what to do.

Being a successful district leader is far more about what you do than about what you say. Please lead by example. Find constantly, teach repentance from the Book of Mormon, and baptize converts. Be a Preach My Gospel missionary and a Missionary Handbook missionary, by striving to be exactly obedient. If you do these things, and if you teach others how to do that, then you will be a successful district leader. Remember that you are a keeper of the TNM Christ-centered culture of high expectations and charity.

I love you. Lift, build and inspire the best efforts of the missionaries in your district. Missionary work can be challenging. Always seek to encourage missionaries in their faith and joy. Let charity be your guiding motivation in all that you do as a district leader. I believe in you, and I know that with the Lord’s help you will be successful. You will be in my prayers daily.

Love,

Jared W. Stone
President, Tennessee Nashville Mission