April 4, 2011

Dear Hamblin Gang,
I miss you all so much and thank you for all the support you have given me! I need to read your letters to lift my spirits and remind me who I affect by going on a mission. I hope you are all recieving the blessings of having a missionary out in the field! I know that I have recived strength here when I thought I had nothing left.
I need to get some more address's of people i know. The Jones, The Wheelers and Elder Remington. Even though they don't send me letters I want to let them know that i care about them. Also I really liked the OREOS in the last package and but my Kasama (Companion) and other Elders in my room ate alot of them last time. I would also like a pair of shorts and a white shirt in the next package because my one and only white shirt is getting sweaty and nasty! I bought an mtc shirt to switch out during gym but now that one is begining to get nasty also. So an extra set would mean alot. On a side note Elder Larson got some home made strawberry jam from his Grandma and some delicous home made bread! Ohhh he let me have some and I died and went to heaven. It was absoultley mahsarap. (delicous) I will try to incorporate more Tagalog in my letters if you all want me to! Its up to you. I just am able to write more in the hand written letters than in the emails.
I am glad to hear all the good news back at home! Makes me almost feel like I'm there! My Kasama was singing some pop songs the other day and the lyrics were kind of inappropriate. I had recently prayed for some sort of inspiration on how to help him be able to feel the spirit more in his life. As I was listening to him sing this song I decided rather than chastize him I would sing a song of my own! I started humming, "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today" and I got that song stuck in his head instead of the other song. It works wonders! I merely hum a hymn and I plant that tune in his head and he starts singing it! I believe it was an answer to my prayers and it taught me something very important. I need to be the example even when my kasama is not. I need to be extra good to make that impression. Your future is as bright as your faith!
Dad your Tagalog is comming along nicely. Maganda na Maganda very beautiful! I don't know if you have gotten my letter yet but I really did appreciate the story about going through the Refiners Fire. I definitely am not prepared nor am I fully aware of what I will be doing in the Philippines. I don't know how many lives I'll bless but I do know that this is the Lords work and he wants me there! I need to have the Spirit with me always and have my edges smoothed out a bit. The Lord wants me to be a bush so therefore I will be a bush.
Shay I loved your letter and I am very glad that you sent one back! You are a great example to your little brother and continue to be that good example always. Did you hear the talk about how we need to use the priesthood with joy? That one was very special to me because I had just had the opporunitiy to give a blessing to Sister Mc Kinley in our District. She was having trouble with her knees and so she asked me to give her a blessing. I scrambled to remember where I had left my Oil vile that had been consecrated for the blessing and healing of the sick. I tore the room apart and guess where it was? In my back pack! Me and my companion went and gave her a beautiful blessing of healing to her knees and of comfort so that she could sleep at night. I learned two important lessons that day. 1.) ALWAYS KEEP YOUR OIL ON YOU! and 2.) Feel the joy in doing priesthood work and be happy and grateful it is once again back on the earth!
Mom I am glad you enjoyed the pictures and personalized letters I sent. I did it to show my love for all of you and to give some advice. I did stay awake for all of conference and I listened carefully to all that they had to say. I thought it was funny that they addressed the young men so much about getting married! As missionaries we need not worry about marriage just yet even though it is the next step in our lives. It seems though, that after the talks the sisters here are looking and judging us more. We have to be on our best behavior and be the spouse we want to have. I liked what you said about how there's no more security grandmas roaming around! I hope she kept that kid in line! I also am glad you appericiated the Count of Monte Cristo joke. It is day 33 in the penn now and we just got our time out in the yard. (Temple Session) It was great and we took some awsome photos on the temple grounds and I hope you will be able to use one for my plaque photo! Elder Carrasco wrote in the snow Buhay na Siya which means "He Lives"
I want you all to know how much I love you and how often I miss you. The MTC has transformed for me. It used to be like boy scout camp for me but it is slowly evolving into my new home and I know that it will be wierd to leave it but eventually I will have to and then theres no turning back. I will always be serving the Lord and doing his work but theres no place like home. I miss you all and I never forget you in my prayers. Nagpapasalamat ako para sa pamilya ko. Mahal ko para sa pamilya ko! I love you all and keep continuing to grow in the gospel! Alam ko po na totoo and ebanghelyo si Jesucristo at buhay ni Pres. Thomas S Monson. Buhay na Siya our savior lives and loves every one of us. Mahal tayo ng Dios. God loves us he wants us to be happy. Mahalaga ang pamilya sa plano ng Dios. Important is the family in the plan of God. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo amen. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

With ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL my Love,

Elder Hamblin