Empenadas & A Baptism

Let The Sun Shine

Elder Vera (my trainer), Elder Murray, and Elder Jones say hello.

Argentina is very excited to be playing this Wednesday in the World Cup. I have a video of just the sound of the city after a goal and after the game. There are more fireworks during a football game than there are in the 4th of July fireworks in the whole Coachella valley.

Life is great. We made a desk out of a door and its like a throne for studying. In the picture below you can see Elder Vera studying this morning and the BEAUTIFUL view of our cerros to the West. The sun has only appeared 4 times in the total number of days I've been in Argentina so today being sunny is SUCH a blessing. Its 40-50 and sunny... BEAUTIFULLLL!

Our investigator, Carlos Almiron, is being baptized this Saturday! He is the golden investigator. I am so blessed to have been a part of his conversion process over the past 3 1/2 weeks. He is 16 and wants to serve a mission, but were trying to explain he need to be baptized first then go on a mission. He has made friends with all of the young men in the ward and goes to seminary now every week with them. (Seminary is a 1 night a week program in Argentina... maybe someone should talk to our seminary principle in the desert...)

The food here is very delicious... I wish I could explain every dish I´ve tried so you can make them at home, but I don´t have the time, or the blood in my fingers to type that fast (its freezing right now...)

On Friday we had a zone training in the chapel (4th of July). While waiting before the meeting, I sat down at the piano and played a few of the Patriotic hymns and sang with the other gringos in our zone. I would give anything for an ice cold slice of water melon and some spicy chips and salsa. HAMPTON PRIDE.

I don´t want everyone to think I'm on a vacation down here, so I will share one thing that has really made me appreciate the luxuries of the USA. We are advised to not share anything ¨personally sensitive or negative¨ for obvious reasons, but my attitude about this is defiantly not negative. I am extremely blessed down here - I sleep on a makeshift bunk bed. The mattress is similar to a trampoline that has lost its spring. I say makeshift because it´s just two beds staked on top of each other with the legs on the top bunk taped to the bed posts of the bottom bunk. I sleep next to the window that doesn´t shut all the way. When it rains... let's just say sleeping is difficult. My blanket used to be the rug for our shoes, but because I don´t have a blanket, we have repurposed them for a better cause.

Know that I AM TRULY TAKEN CARE OF DOWN HERE. I love my mission. I love Elder Vera. I love my life. I would not trade any of my difficulties for the comfort of the Desert. I know, with all the conviction of my heart, that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. It continues to change my life, and I have the privilege of watching it change the lives of the people of Argentina. I know my companion is MY companion. I have a testimony of divine revelation and inspiration.

I love you all, I miss you more, but I am not coming back... nothing could make me want to come back. I am a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The only church on the face of the earth that has the authority and keys of the priesthood power of God. I am forever in the debt of my Savior, but will someday be able to embrace his open arms and thank him for what he has given me.

Letters would be great from my family. They take a long time, but I will respond to them more than I will respond to an email.

I love the pictures in my inbox.

Keep the faith, and forever be a missionary.

 Elder Devin G. Hampton

Powdered Milk & Oatmeal

Our washer machine is a drum with a sick in the middle that rotates.

Our dryer is a spinning drum that rings out the water than then we hang dry our clothes in our kitchen in front of our space heater.

My breakfast every morning (i say every morning because I´m trying to get into a routine every morning and night to help keep some stability in the life of a missionary and they days will go by smoother) is hot powered milk, 1 scoop of oatmeal with a little chocolate milk powder for flavor. The left over tortilla is a special treat. I usually only have oatmeal and powdered milk.

Lunch is the only MEAL of the day so dinner is also something like powered milk and or a piece of bread. I eat a ton of food for lunch. Members feed us lunch and they don´t let you leave unless they know you have eaten 3 portion sizes.

​ I am learning to pick and choose my battles (internal and external) and This week has been much better than the last. I feel like I can actually do this for another 22 months.

I love you, 

Your son Elder Hampton

Argentina...My New Home

I arrived 6 days ago into what will be my home for the next 22 months. I LOVE IT.

I could take the last 10 mins I have to talk about food and arectecture or other various REALLY COOL things that I have been able to experience, but I want to share a story instead.

Missionaries teach, and talk, and if they're not teaching they're finding, and if we are not talking we are walking. We have met with a lot of very very special Argentineans this last week but my favorite lesson was with a 15 year old boy named ramon. Ramon just started ¨working the street¨last week. We were going to teach his mother but she wasn't home so we asked if he wanted to talk about the church with us - there is a difference teaching younger people. You can see it in their eyes. Ramon was exhausted physically and emotionally. you could tell it had been a long first week for him. He had made a fire in a bucket outside of his house and all i could see was his dirty callused hands and the sillouette of his face - we talked about the change we can experience when we repent and the power we can receive when call upon the saviors atonement. I said there is a difference when teaching young people and here it is. The still believe in hope. we were sitting by the fire but I could see the HOPE burning behind his eyes. I could see how  badly he wanted to change his life. Life without the challenges passed from generation to generation. I could touch the spirit of hope that was so prevalently abundant between us as we spoke.

I want to bear my testimony that this work is REAL. I don´t know how it works logistically or physically or chemically in our bodies and our spirits, but there is a REAL and powerful change that is available to those who repent. There is a power so real and so influential that can be accessed by anyone and everyone in the world.

Christ´s atonement is REAL, if you want to think of it as a superpower you can because it is very similar. I rely on it every day. I need it now more than ever if I want to teach with the Spirit.

I love my savior and I love his work.

I am his servant because he is my savior.

With all of the hope and love that I can express,

Elder Devin G. Hampton

​PS, I am sorry for the spelling and grammer, my focus is Spanish, not english... Chao.​

I need all the prayers and help from Heaven I can get.

Please pray for my humility to grow, my tounge to speak the language, and for my heart to soften towards the people.

Con amor y paz

Week #6

We received a few texts throughout the day of travel from people the Elders met along their way. 

After 10 hours from Atlanta to Buenos Aires and then a 16  hour bus ride to Salta, Elder Hampton has arrived!

Dear Hampton Family,

                We wanted to inform you that your missionary has arrived to our mission, has eaten dinner with us, has been trained, is with his trainer, and today is in his new area. We are very thankful to have him with us, now counting him among the Lord´s messengers. We know that you, like him, will receive great blessings because of his faithful service in this Work.

                We advise you to always send uplifting letters to help him and allow him to stay focused on his mission. When sending packages we advise that you do not let him know you are sending the package, because the missionaries become very anxious and the mail system may delay in sending the package.

                We have a group on facebook where we put photos of the Zone Conferences and other moments where when we have the opportunity to be together. You can access that group by sending a request with the last name of your missionary. The name of the group is Mision Argentina Salta 2011– 2014.

                We appreciate your prayers for this wonderful work of saving the souls of our Heavenly Father.

Cordially,

Elder Hymas|Secretario

       Misión Argentina Salta

              o. 0387.439.8119

              c. 0387.594.9900

MTC Week #5

Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke last night at the devotional last night, and I was just lit on fire inside... I love learning the Gospel, but I am just so ready to share it. I am ready to change people's lives.

I am so blessed to be a missionary. No joke... I am freaking crying right now because I know the Lord trusts me with so much. It's like having a best friend who you never say thank you to; never apologize to, never do anything nice for and they just still keep on loving you unconditionally... My Spanish is SO much better. I am thinking in Spanish. I hate it during the day when people talk to me in English because I have to keep my thoughts in Spanish in order to continue to progress at the rate I have been these past 2 weeks.

We have a principle "H.S.E." (Hable su idoma) which means you need to try with all your might to speak your language all that you can. Don't say "and" when you can say "y" don't say prayer when you can so easily say "oración". That is the key to being blessed with el don de languas.

Elder Devin G. Hampton

aqui esta my flight itinerary:

Delta Air Lines:

Flight 1912 LV: SLC - 11:05AM   AR: Atlanta, GA - 4:50pm (June 16th 2014)

Flight 101​   LV: Atlanta 9:10pm AR: Buenos Aires, ARG. 8:20am (June 16th - June 17th 2014)

I don't know if I fly to Salta or bus. I will know when I get to Buenos Aires, ARG.

MTC Week #4

As for my week:
Getting two packages was perfect! I love getting more mail than my comp. Every day is a competition.
I wrote parts for different hymns so we now have 3 harmonicas in our apartment and play hymns in 2-3 part harmony. It's pretty awesome.
Had a boat race after church on Sunday. Mine is the one that has a sail made out of 2 leaves.
I get my travel plans this Friday. I will have exact travel times and dates next Wednesday. (It is expected for me to leave on 16th though.)
Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. It does make a difference.
It's crazy. I don't think I know Spanish and then I'll go into a lesson with E' Bradley and we'll be teaching for over 1 hour in straight Spanish (lessons should not go that long...by the way). But the Spirit truly does "Bring ALL things to your remembrance"

I love you Love you LOVE YOU.
Elder Devin G. Hampton