A Busy Week

Well this last week has been great. We started off with zone conference on Tuesday, which was interesting. I conducted the meeting which was stressful seeing as I have no idea what I am doing. We had put together a musical number with a bunch of the missionaries in the zone including myself, and afterwards I got up to continue with the meeting and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to thank myself for singing or what. It was a good learning experience and it's weird to be sitting on the stand at zone conference which really is two zones combined (about 50 missionaries). We learned a lot and I love President Felix more and more. Then through out the week we taught Helen a couple of times. She is set to be baptized on December 6th and is more than ready. She is really fun to teach, because she has been investigating for a while and knows a lot so she wants us to go more in depth about things which is like a missionaries dream come true. It is a lot harder to take the gospel and all that that consists of and teach it simple enough for someone with no background in the church to understand. There are also a couple other recent converts we are teaching the new member lessons to. Bella who was baptized November 1st and Jesse who she was baptized in September. They are both doing great and have callings in the church. There is also a guy named Gabriel who we had an appointment with, but he didn't show up. He did, however, go to SLO 1st ward on Sunday and stayed for all three hours. He is YSA age, but doesn't have a phone so we can't really contact him. I am not sure what to think of him yet, but hopefully we can contact him and find out more about him. I also did my first stake report which was fun, we gathered all the information from our zone for the month and presented it to the stake presidency. I really like the stake presidency, and it was a good meeting. I am feeling more and more comfortable with the area and with all of our responsibilities, it has been quite the learning and testimony building experience up here in SLO. I have a huge testimony in Proverbs 3:5-6 that when we trust in the Lord and in His plan and not in our own limited understanding, He really does direct our paths and we are simply happier that way. Thank you all for all of the love and support, it means a lot more than I think you realize. You are all in my prayers as well.

Elder Hamson

A Long Day

Everything is going great here in SLO. This last week has been a little crazy and I still don't know what I am doing most of the time. On Tuesday we had a lesson with Helen who is preparing for her baptismal date on December 6. She is doing great and is working on strengthening her testimony of the priesthood and Joseph Smith. She is great and we are excited about her. On Wednesday we drove up to Paso Robles and picked up one of the district leaders there then pick up the other two on the way back, then after we gathered everyone we set off on our little road trip to Mission Leadership Conference (MLC) in Ventura. This one was more like a mission leader ship training, because the district leaders were invited. Anyways we drove down the day before and stay the night with President and Sister Felix in the mission home. It was a fun time and we went to our meeting at 9:00am the next day. Some people from the MTC came and did a training and I learned a whole lot. The meeting ended around 4:00pm and we gathered all of our supplies and headed back to SLO. It was a long drive and after we dropped off all the district leaders we finally made it back at 10:23pm. It was a long day, and I felt disobedient but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. The next morning we had a zone meeting where we presented everything we had learned. Talk about going by the spirit, we had very little time to prepare that meeting. Everything turned out great and that night I went on an exchange with Elder Walker who is a district leader up in Paso Robles. That was a great day of learning and it was great to work with Elder Walker. On Sunday we spent most of our time at church in meeting, and preparing for zone conference on Tuesday and a report to the stake presidency about our zone on Wednesday. Needless to say there is a lot to do and I am still as happy and excited as ever. Thank you all for everything you are in my prayers. Also Happy birthday dad, I love you very much and you are all in my prayers.
Elder Hamson

A Red Truck

Hello everyone, I am doing great here in San Luis Obispo. I wish I could be there with you today, but I am sending my love and prayers. 

My first day last week was crazy. We went to transfer meeting and that was great. After that we had to make sure all the missionaries found their companion and that all of the luggage and bikes make it all the way up to their areas. We took a lot of the bikes and some luggage in our red truck (2012 Nissan Frontier). It was a long beautiful drive up there and we managed to get everyone their luggage and bikes and get home only to find out that I left my crate in Ventura. At least we remembered everyone else's stuff. Then later on I met one of our investigators Helen who is set to get baptized on December 6th. She is so awesome and ready, infact she already has a calling which I wasn't sure was possible, but I guess so. She will make for a great member. I am making a lot of adjustment with being a zone leader, serving in a YSA ward, driving a truck etc. but so far it has been a blast so I am really excited to be here. Thank you all for your prayers and support. You are all the best. 

Elder Hamson

The first one is Alan with his new companion, Elder Jack.  The other is with Elder McKinley.

Zone Leader

Well I am getting trasfered to San luis Obisbo. I'll be serving in the YSA ward and I guess that means I am a zone leader. I have never been up to the north end of the mission before, so everything will be very new, but that's what makes it exciting. Elder Hull and I had a good last week together and it is always a bitter sweet at transfers. I don't know the address to my new apartment yet, so if you send any mail send it to the mission office.

 I found out about uncle Karl and I find myself not knowing what to think sometimes, but I just want everyone to know that the things that I am teaching out here are very real. Life sucks, it's not fair, it's full of sadness, pain and grief. This is part of God's plan for all of us. He knows us and has given us the opportunity to have peace and comfort through the gospel. There is hope when we submit our will to his and accept his timing. I can't describe my feelings very well other than I have a deep sadness and my prayers go out to all of Karl's family. My testimony of the Plan of Salvation, Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the enabling power of His Atonement is helping me through. We can all make it through this together. I wish I could be there, but I am in the right place. Thank you all.

Elder Hamson

Editor's Note:

(David Hamson) My brother Karl passed away last Friday night.  Although he had been ill for a long time, his death was not expected.  I talked to President Felix, Alan's mission president on Saturday so that he could inform Alan of Karl's passing.  We had a good talk and President Felix told me of Alan's call to be a Zone  Leader and told me that Alan is doing a great job as a missionary and as an example to other missionaries.