Sept. 23, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

Another report from Palmyra. Last night on the 22nd of Sept, it being the 181st year since Joseph got the plates from the Hill Cumorah, we went to the top of the Hill as a Family Home Evening group. There were 16 couples from the mission, 13 couples of Temple Missionaries, 3 couples of the Temple Presidency. Thirty two couples of Home Evening with a lesson the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Gold Plates. It was a real spiritual feast and a real special event to celebrate.

With the fall schedule the sites are closing an hour earlier and we use fewer couples. The sister missionaries can spend more time proselyting, so it still keeps us busy. The weather has already turned quite cool and the leaves are beginning to turn fall colors. Last week we got a spin off from hurricane Ike and had a terrific wind that uprooted trees, etc. We lost 6 trees in the Sacred Grove, the biggest damage to hit the Grove in 5 years.

At the pageant this year we got over 6000 referrals as compared to 500 the year before, so we had a lot of phone calling on referral cards and lots of work sending out Books of Mormon and DVD's and sending the missionaries to visit those who agreed to have them come. I have a hard time with my hearing aids and the phone, so Sister Hamblin did double time on the phone and we used the young Sisters and even Temple Missionaries to help us get through the many cards, but we are finally caught up. We meet hundreds of people and many of them know the Hamblin name and it doesn't take them long to check up and make sure I am striving to keep that name as a great missionary name. It keeps me very humble to know that great things are expected by those who bear that name, and I for one and my wife are trying to keep that name as great missionaries so we have our work cut out for us in the next 14 months. We need all the prayers and help we can get, but it is great to know that 13 million members are praying for the missionaries. We are getting new ones every month as many who have finished are going home.

We get to bear testimony every day that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He does live and He and God the Father appeared to Joseph who is the Prophet of the restoration,also that the Book of Mormon is true. We would like to bring all of that to your remembrance and bear our testimony to all of our family and friends, we also take that message to our enemies whenever we get that chance. We are both well and loving every minute of our mission here in upstate New York. We love all of you and pray every day for you and try to stay close enough to the Lord that our prayers will be heard and answered.

We have also been called to work in the Palmyra Temple on Saturday mornings which is our preparation day, so we are trying not to be lazy in our spare time. We only have about 13 couples on our shift at the Temple. We have only 6 veils and one initiatory room so we do keep busy with many marriages on Saturday morning. We are very blessed and it seems the Lord keeps blessing us every hour and every day.

Our Love, Elder and Sister Hamblin