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

MTC Week 3

What an awesome group of missionaries - 149th Branch

President Shallenberger                      Brother Slingerland                         Brother Dowdle

I am emailing you (Mom and Grandma both) because you both keep sending me spiritual things and I LOVE THEM!

I wish I had the time to respond to every quote, bear my testimony of every principle, share my experiences but thank heavens we have eternity to do that.

To let you know, every Sunday and Tuesday night's we have devotionals for the whole MTC. In the last 3 weeks, we have heard from:

L. Tom Perry

Russel M. Nelson

and 90 mins of Q and A with David A. Bednar

Rumor has it that because so many mission presidents are coming into the MTC in a week, the Devotional on June 10th is going to be something to remember...we'll see.

I have been deeply studying different people or groups of people in the LDM (Libro de Mormon) and have tried to be a missionary like a Strippling Warrior. I've been studying their characteristics these past 3 days, and have fallen in love with their levels of faith and EXACT obedience. Liken all scriptures to ourselves. ALSO, my deeper doctrinal studies have taken me to the nature, qualities, and characteristics of celestial living. "The Vision" given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigedon, recorded in D&C 76 is so rich... We should be living our life on Earth in practice for Celestial Living, but how do we know how to live if we don't learn about it?

Also, I have gained such a testimony of the Doctrine of Christ (commonly referenced in 2Nephi 31 but also in other parts of the LDM). Putting a few pieces of Doctrine together makes for very powerful revelation when trying to understand the significance of the Doctrine of Christ.

Any ways, there is an infinite amount of celestial knowledge to learn, I cannot wait to share my experiences with you both later on, or in 2 years.

I love you both

Adelante, siempre adelante,

Elder Devin G. Hampton

MTC Week #2

1. Living - I share an apartment with 3 other missionaries, Elders Bradley, Philpot, and Erickson. We all get along very well. We are all very good at singing and are very "Mormon Boy Band" when we get home from Teaching/Learning/Studying every day. All hymns in Spanish, All in 4 part harmony, All guys...You can let your imagination run with that one for a while...
2. Elder Bradley - Companion from Detroit, Michigan. He knows Nacho Libre better than I do. He quotes it more in one week than I have in my entire life. He is a phenomenal whistler. He also has a great voice, even better than mine........... I am trying to practice humility... He's clean. Farts a lot.... but so does everyone here. He and I whistle everywhere. We've started a signup sheet for a whistling choir. We as a choir will be performing a whistling rendition of "Count Your Blessings" for President Eyring next Sunday.
3. Teaching - You don't know how great The Lord is at humbling his people until you are the one under the rock. I thought I knew Spanish very well.... I still think that I know Spanish, but everytime E' Bradley and I teach (1 of our FOUR investigators) we are reminded that the Spirit will be the one who converts this guy because we don't know what the heck we are saying. However, as much as I don't think our lessons are going well AND have experienced such a blessing of the gift of tongues (Del don de languas), We committed one of our Investigators to be baptized on the 3rd of June...too bad he is already a member! Sneaky little pebble! 
4. Food - Everything here gives you gas. The breakfast, lunches, dinners, HECK! even the drinking fountains! Our apartment smells terrible day and night. There is a cereal bar, which is everyone's favorite, but I only eat cereal on "Special Occasions". Every Sunday they bring over pints of ice-cream from the creamery. I kind of blackout on Sundays... I don't know what's wrong with me... I need to see someone about this. I don't know what's happening and then all of a sudden 2 cartons of ice-cream are empty in front of me...
5. Scheduling - 3 - 3.5hr study blocks a day. 1 hour for gym (which is usually Volley Bally with our Zone, we have 4 people in our zone that played in College and 2 Tongans so Volley Ball games are the best. I love it). It is SO HARD to tell what day of the week it is! "Weekends" = Wednesday, "Sundays" = Sunday and Tuesday "Weekdays" = Thursday - Saturday + Monday... Thank goodness for the Daily Planner...
6. Mail - I love DearElder letters! It is like getting a text message from whoever is sending them. I am the District Leader so I collect the Mail 3 times a day, and everytime I get SO EXCITED when I see my name on anything! I could care less if the letter said "Hey Devin, Your not missed at all around here. Just though I'd let you know. Bye!" I am getting letters from people but I have no time ever to write back to them... Time is hard to balance...speaking of which, I am completely out of...

I love you with all my heart!

Elder Hampton