Finished, Lah!

UPDATE: Sister Hamner is home!!!

There has been a slight improvement with my health since coming home in August, but we haven't found any solid answers yet. After much prayer and fasting, I have decided to complete my mission early to continue searching for help and answers. I want to take a minute to express my gratitude for the 13 months I had as a missionary. In just a short amount of time, the Lord has blessed me richly with so many things:

-Loving and supportive parents, family, and friends

-An amazing MTC district and teachers

-Wonderful companions

-Crocs for Malaysian rain storms

-New friends to meet, teach, and grow to love

-A beautiful language(s) to learn

-Beautiful countries and states to serve in

-Beautiful cultures to experience

-Welcoming branch and ward members

-Sunrises and sunsets

-TONS of pictures

-Weather (heat, haze, rain, wind, tornadoes, hail)

-Delicious new foods and dishes

-Difficulty adjusting to missionary life

-Exhausting days, weeks, and months

-Answered prayers

-Miracles (tangan tuhan!)

-Great, loving leaders, Mission Presidents, and Mission President's wives

-Funny tan lines

-Bikes

-Quarentine

-Better social media habits

-A broken heart and a contrite spirit

-Scriptural knowledge

-A strengthened testimony

-Added faith

-Greater eternal perspective

There is much more to be grateful for, and everyday another blessing is manifest.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and it is written by God's prophets for our day. We learn about Christ in it's pages and that there is peace in Christ, even in the darkest of times. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that God and Jesus Christ appeared to him to restore the gospel to the earth. I know that Heavenly Father lives, that He loves each of His children, and that He has a plan for me and for you. He will answer your prayers. I know that Christ, my brother and friend, knows and loves me. Nothing can take that love away, and when I fall, I can ask for forgiveness, and change, all because of His Atoning sacrifice (Alma 7:13-15).

I want to thank you for reading these little snippets from my experiences in Singapore, Malaysia, Texas, and Oklahoma. I hope that some of the things you read or saw helped you to feel the love of God and Jesus Christ in some way. Keep the faith and know They are always with you.

-Sister Hamner

Back Home in Indiana

Aug. 17, 2020

Just an FYI, Sis. Hamner is back home again due to some health issues. She arrived home last Monday evening and will be home until we figure things out. Hopefully, she will be back in Oklahoma in no time, continuing her mission. She is in good spirits and staying strong in the faith. 

Pictures...saying hello to grandparents at the airport.

Aug. 3, 2020

     Sis. Hamner is loving Anadarko, Oklahoma...her companion, the people she teaches, and being a missionary!  Here are some pictures for this week...

Gannon and his sick (awesome) drawings.

Snowcones.

Goodbye to Hermana Lott :(

Some Okie panoramas for ya...

Our friends that live in the trash can...yuck!

Painting of the Sacred Grove

 (see Joseph Smith in the back; the three trees on the left represent the 

Godhead:  Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.)

Staying Another Transfer in Anadarko, OK

July 27, 2020
     Transfers are this week, but Sis. Hamner will be staying in Anadarko with Sis. Silversmith. Sis. Lott will be heading to a new area...breaking up their little musical band. LOL! (See pic below.)  The trio is still teaching Gannon, who is scheduled to be baptized in August.  They also had a new friend, Frances, meet them at church this Sunday.  They really like her.
     Sis. Hamner is doing very well and happy to be staying in Anadarko, as well as just be serving the Lord in Oklahoma!  She sends her love.

     This week's scripture from Sis. Hamner is 1 John 4:7-21..."Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
     "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
     "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
     "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
     "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
     "No man hath seen God at any time.  If we love another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
     "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
     "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
     "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
     "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
     "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:  because as he is, so are we in this world.
     "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:  because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
     "We love him, because he first loved us.
     "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:  for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
     "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

Making phone calls.

Our new friend, Frances, and her uncle.

The Sisters and Gannon sporting his Book of Mormon.

Sis. Silversmith's hair makes a good stache! LOL ;)

Our Lawton District (meetings are held online).

Panoramic view of beautiful Oklahoma

Our band's official album cover.

 (Let me know if you'd like to become an honorary critter.)

July 20, 2020

*Sis. Hamner's weekly pictures: 

Beautiful Sister Missionaries!

Beautiful Peacocks!

Beautiful Anadarko, OK!

Week with 2 Miracles

July 13, 2020
Selamat pagi, keluarga dan kawan-kawan saya! (Good morning, my family and friends!)

Here are 2 marvelous mukjizat-mukjizat (miracles) from these past few weeks...

1. A friend of ours here in Anadarko, Gannon, accepted the invitation to be baptized!!! He said his first out-loud prayer too, which was way neat to be a part of. There's no way to describe the joy of hearing someone speak to their Father in Heaven who is coming to know Him and realize they are His child.
2. Also, we had the opportunity to zoom in on the baptism of a lady that my previous companion and I taught in Wichita Falls! She was super happy, and it was a beautiful moment. Probably the most rewarding zoom call I've been a part of ever.

There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that stood out to me this week. In Mosiah 2:41, King Benjamin tells his people to "consider the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God." The key word is 'state.' God isn't necessarily promising that those who keep the commandments with never be subject to sadness, disease, loneliness, hunger, rejection, abandonment, or pain. There will inevitably be fleeting moments of negativity or trial in life, but joy is deeper and long-lasting. We have every reason to hope that doing the things God asks of us, though they may seem difficult or unpopular -  honesty, charity, kindness, going to church, serving, not being idle, praying, etc. - we will be given the strength to move forward no matter what is going on around us. We can smile and remember that these things are for our good, and that it will all work out in the end. So keep smiling and following Him, He won't let you down.

Have a great week, jumpa nanti semua (see you all later)!
Sister Hamner

- Volunteering at the food bank:

- Trix yogurt-vibe sunset from our back yard.

- Our morning run view. Beautiful!

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸

July 6, 2020

     Sis. Hamner is doing very well. Her and her companions have finally been able to start doing some service the last couple of weeks. She says hello to everyone. 🙋‍♀️

- Happy 4th from us and our grilled chicken:)

- Serving at the local Anadarko food bank.

- Sunset in Anadarko. 

- Mini Sister Hamner 

(Hermana Lott's sister is way talented!)

- My bike ate my skirt. 😕

Anadarko, Oklahoma...Week 2

                                                 June 22, 2020
Selamat malam! (Good evening!)

     Last week, I said goodbye to Wichita Falls, TX and all the lovely folks there and headed up to Ooooklahoma, the small town of Anadarko! This time, there's 3 of us in our companionship and we've been blessed with the best: Hermana Lott (who was reassigned from Guatamala) and Sister Silversmith (our greenie from Utah). We've already been welcomed with all kinds of yummy food and crazy wind (it's seriously windy here), and we're excited to work here with these awesome people!

     Quick spiritual thought for you, and it comes from the Book of Mormon in Jacob 5 (the chapter is a bit of a doozy, but worth reading, so go and study it sometime):

(from verse 22) "I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit."

     We may see ourselves as the "poor spot of ground," with broken hearts, weak hands, or other feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. Christ will stay with and nourish us, little by little every day, until we "bring forth much fruit l" and become who he sees we can become. Trust His timing. He has a plan and knows what we can be.

     Love you guys, hope it's a minggu yang bagus (great week)!

     Selamat tinggal (goodbye)
               Sister Hamner


 P.S. If you ever need anything or feel like sending a hello...I'm not halfway across the world right now, so postage is cheaper! or email is always wonderful :)

rachel.hamner@missionary.org

Sister Hamner
607 Mission Pl
Anadarko, OK 73005

Hermana Lott (who was reassigned from Guatamala), Sister Silversmith (greenie from Utah), and Sister Hamner.

Girl's night/wearing a new kind of face mask...LOL!

Weeding a garden for Sis. Whitehorn.

Getting to go out and do service again

 feels great!

Love these masked faces! 

Happy Father's Day to the best dad!

I love you! :)

Transfer Week

June 16, 2020
    Sis. Hamner was transferred last week from Wichita Falls, TX to Anadarko, OK. (See her new address below.) She is part of a threesome and doing great! Today she got two new companions. She loves the area...it has a large Native American population. 
     This week's scripture of the week from Sis. Hamner:  2 Nephi 2:24-25...
    "But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
     "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."
     Sis. Hamner wishes you all well and says hello!

New address:

Sis. Rachel Hamner 

607 Mission Pl.

Anadarko, OK 73005

A cool wall mural at the local Anadarko post office lobby.

Sister training leaders and Sis. Hamner.

The side of a building in Anadarko.

A beautiful picture that Sis. Hamner

 found and loves.