Glimpses of Palmyra

Thought I'd better get something written about what's been going on here in the Mission. Everyone keeps asking for MORE BLOG. I'm sorry I am not really good at this stuff yet, but will try to do a little better.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant was a real success!! It ran for a full 7 days and was pretty full every night, although not all the 9,000 seats were taken each night. I'm sure the cost of gas and long vacation trips have slowed the crowds some, but it was MORE than successful when it came to sharing the gospel and referral cards from those who want to know more about the Church. We received over 6,000 referral cards from the Pageant and the Historic sites during this time. They said there were only about 500 referrals last year, so this was a BIG increase. Now there will be lots of time spent on calling people and following up on the many referrals. Also, we are doing a lot of data entry and will be mailing out promised DVD's by the truck load it seems. HA! About 500 of these referrals were within the boundary of our own mission, so our own Elders and missionary Sisters will probably get to deliver DVD's and get to teach them too.

It was so fun to have Karyl Lee and RaNae and also Roberta & Skip here as Pageant volunteers. It was like a fun family reunion!! That is, when we could find time to get together -- it was a very BUSY two weeks. Roberta and Skip worked with us down at the Peter Whitmer Farm, and that meant a 40-45 min. drive down and the same back each day, so it made for some long shifts. I think they really enjoyed it though, we rotated the volunteers at their posts and it gave each couple everyday a turn at giving pre-tour stories and information about the Whitmer Log Home as they organized people for the tours. Most of the volunteer people at the other sites just "guided people" through the scheduled tour area and got to answer questions occasionally. We had a fun time with the two of them on our rides down and back -- sometimes taking a quick trip to Sauders (a fun Menonnite store) or stopping at Jean-Jean's for ice cream. One day the Bennett's and Karyl Lee & RaNae came down and took a tour of the Whitmer Farm, then stayed until we finished our shift and we all went down to Seneca Lake and watched the sunset on the Lake.

Before they all went home, we took a cruise boat on a trip down the Erie Canal. It was so much fun! It was a real pleasant evening with a soft breeze and some fun music and songs. We had dinner aboard the boat and it was very good too. We got to go through the locks -- where they lower or raise the water level to accomodate the different levels of the Canal. Wouldn't you know, I forgot my camera on that trip. I guess that means I get to go again -- HA!

Some of you have already heard about our episode with the stolen license plates. Nearly all the cars around Linda & Gary's house (5 of them) got their plates stolen. We are pretty sure it was those hired "Anti-Mormon" protesters because the next night they stole all the Utah license plates at the Palmyra Inn motel. The one GOOD thing that happened in all of this was that Skip's special Purple Heart license plates were returned (probably by some veteran in the group that knew the value and meaning of those special plates). It was a real spiritual happening for Skip, because that night he had dreamed that his plates were returned to him, being placed on the front porch steps -- EXACTLY in the very spot where he found them the next morning. He was so emotional and touched by this that he could hardly relate the incident to all of us.

We had a few other unusual happenings too. Like one of the volunteers having a heart attack while at the Smith Farm (next door to Linda's), they brought him to Linda's and had to call 911 and someone to administer to him. Then the argument between the Police, the Dr. and the Sheriff (as to just WHO had jurisdiction) over the incident -- and in a blinding rain, to boot. Then there was the incident of Bridger and Alesha's little 1 yr. old getting locked in the car by mistake. The police were called again, and everything turned out OK. But the joke was that you just call and say it's the "Bennett's" and they know exactly where to come! HA!

The Pageant was a wonderful, beautiful experience -- hundreds of cast members and a hillside full of stages. The costumes and lighting effects were GRAND, and the pyro-techs fantastic! (Linda posted several pictures of the pageant on her blog -- and it's linked to mine) -- if you want to go to her's and see some of the staging.

We love viewing your blogs and love reading the letters from Jacob in the MTC . We love the missionary work we're privileged to do here -- such a beautiful place and a spiritual and sacred feeling. We love the Savior and are so grateful for the gospel in our lives -- and the marvelous things that transpired here in this wonderful place. Our prayers and love are with you always,

Elder and Sister Hamblin

It's All Relative!

I met my cousin's daughter at the Pittsford Ward where we go to Church. Her family moved into the Ward a couple of weeks after we got there. They are Chad and Gretchen Malone, they have a daughter and a son. We took this picture on July 20, 2008. Gretchen is Bob Robb's daughter and Aunt Mary's granddaughter.
From l. to r. -- Chad, Gretchen, Ray, Donna, Roberta and Skip.

This is one of our Sister Missionaries, Sister Smails and a young man from one of her tours at the Whitmer Farm. She is very short and he was very tall! Quite a contrast, huh?

Sunset on Seneca Lake, NY

Ray and Donna at Seneca Lake Excursion.

Linda and Gary enjoying the sunset at Seneca Lake.

RaNae and Karyl Lee...At first they thought it was a real snake!

It's Pageant Time

Family volunteers have arrived for the Pageant.  Skip is the breakfast cook!

Linda, Donna, Roberta, Karyl Lee, and RaNae...altogether...Look out New York!

Sunday July 6, 2008

We’ve been in Palmyra, NY for six weeks now – time flies when you’re having fun! It’s a real joy to work at the Historic Sites in this “Cradle of the Restoration.” The Joseph Smith Sr. Farm is where it all began, where young Joseph read that scripture in the book of James and went to the grove to pray. And in the Log house where the Angel Moroni appeared to him and told him about the hidden plates. It was here at the Hill Cumorah where Joseph was taught by Moroni and finally given the plates to translate the Book of Mormon. It was here in the city of Palmyra where Joseph went to find the Grandin Press to publish the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. It was here in nearby Fayette, NY where Joseph & Oliver Cowdery finished the translation and later organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on 6 April 1830. We are here, in the very midst of where the Restoration of Christ’s Church began – no wonder we feel great joy!!

The Hill Cumorah Pageant starts on July 11th & 12th then runs next week from July 15th to July 19th. They expect about 10,000 people a day to visit the sites (the pageant seats 9,000 per night). The Hill
Cumorah staging is all in place for the pageant and they have transformed it from a green, grassy hill to a beautiful staging area. On Fri. night there were hundreds of cast members practicing there for the pageant, it looked like an ant hill full of busy ants. They are also busy sewing costumes, they said they’d be turning out over 200 new costumes in the next few days. It’s an exciting time for this Palmyra area.

We are assigned to the Pittsford Ward for our Church attendance (about 25 miles away), and when we went today the attendance was really poor. Then they announced that they wanted to excuse all those Ward members that are associated with the Pageant for they had their own Church mtgs. today along with instructional mtgs. for pageant week. This is a BIG 2 weeks for all the Church members in the area. Excitement fills the air!

Life here is getting busier and busier or at least it will get really overwhelming in the next few days. The tour buses are scheduled one on top of the other, then a few come in without reservations, so we just manage to keep it going. We have 5 or 6 bus tours a day from Mass. , NC, VA, Las Vegas and all over UT, etc. – and the numbers grow and grow. We (senior couples) will be working 14 straight days without any P-days. These lovely young sister missionaries are working the full 14 days from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm every day. We have to be sure they get a “break” now and then and get some lunch and snacks to keep them going – the senior couples days are usually only 5 to 6 hrs. long. However we are assigned the Peter Whitmer site which is a 45 min. drive each way – every day, so it will lengthen our day quite substantially. Oh, well! That’s what we came here to do and we’re loving it. We just hope we’ve got the stamina to pull thru. HA

Ray loves his early morning walks – he walks in the Sacred Grove every morning, how cool is that? Everything here is green and beautiful. We do get lots of rain here, sometimes we get sunshine and rain in the same day. The past week or so the fireflies have been abundant – every night we can go out in our backyard about 9:30 and it’s a beautiful show of sparkling fireflies. They are also abundant and a beautiful sight down at the Sacred Grove and in the fields adjoining the grove.

This a beautiful place and gives us a spiritual renewing each day. We love the gospel of Jesus Christ and love bearing our testimonies. We send our love to all our family and friends.

Always, Elder & Sister Hamblin (Ray & Donna, Grandpa & Grandma, whichever fits.)