January 23, 2012 -Mug Root Beer

Beautiful view in San Mariano area.

A San Mariano corn field.

A muddy San Mariano corn field.

Beautiful San Mariano corn bukid. Bukid is the Tagalog word for field.


Elder Oyardo is pointing to the beautiful sunset.

Elder Hamblin is showing us a weird tree.

Now Elder Oyardo is showing us a beautiful San Mariano sunset.

Elder Hamblin has been missing his rootbeer. Elder Hamblin & Elder Oyardo went all the way to Ilagan to appease Noble's craving for root beer.


Wow!!!! The New myldsmail.net website is pretty snazzy and FAST! I hope all is well over in good old Dayton Nevada. Whenever the wind blows through town I think of home! You guys seem like you're busy as always and are out doing good stuff sharing the gospel and things! Things are going good here! We have had some nutty stories and experiences this past week so here’s a few:
So were out in the bukid (fields) and we find a little boy couldn't be older than Dane. He has a machete in one hand and a stalk of sugar cane in the other. He is using his machete to chop the sides of the sugar cane so that he can chew the soft white part in the center. We say hi ask what his name is where he’s from and what he’s doing! We said bye and didn't think anything of it. We visited a couple of less actives than came back. Now he was at his house with his little brother and his mom. We offered our message (OYM) his mom and gave her a pamphlet and the cute little brother, (4 or 5 years old) is holding two sticks of the sugar cane that his kuya must have chopped off for him. I say hi and he immediately hands me a stick of the sugar cane. I accept his unselfish offer and out of respect I take a nibble. The WHOLE THING is covered in sand... :) yummmmm! I tell him its soooo masharap and hand it back. Without skipping a beat he takes my stick and hands me the other half eaten stick in his hand! I said no thanks and he didn't seem to mind. He just started munching away on both of them! Philippinos are so unselfish. America could learn a thing or two from this little boy. If we just take and take and never give back where’s the love? We need to help each other out once and a while without thinking to ourselves, "Oh he’s just using me, or she just likes me because I give her food." We need to give unselfishly like that little boy. We all laughed our heads off when he handed over his other stick to me! That story is gonna stick with me for a long time... I love these people!!!
Tatay before I forget here’s some Tagalog songs I don't stop hearing over here!
"Maging Sino Ka Man"
"Pusong Bato"
"Ngiti"
Listen to the catch beat look up the lyrics and translate it! Study your Tagalog too mister! JK I also hear songs like "Teach me how to duggie" but I don't recommend that one! :)
Things are good. I find ways to stay happy even though the next few weeks are gonna either be super long or super short depending on my attitude. It’s almost definite that I will be transferred next Cycle in February so I got to give it my all. Elder Oyardo is a stud and teaches better than me! He will be a fine missionary and he has learned patience with me! He is gonna be a great missionary with a rock hard testimony. I love him. He’s a good Elder! I pray that I will learn and be a better Trainer for him every night along with praying for you all!
So now to answer some questions and respond!!!
Dear Devree,
Sorry your head is oozing stuff all the time. Keep washing it and doing what the Doctor wants you to do! Be a good Patient in St. Judes and bring me back a tie! JK I love you little sis! I forgot that you tend to blow away in the wind when you not anchored down to something. Helaman 5:12 should help! The foundation of Christ is the true and steady rock for everyone! Dear little sister your movie was Muppet Treasure Island! guys....DEAD TOMS DEAD!!!! I love that movie! Alright here’s mine: "If you don't know where you're going than it doesn't really matter which way you go!" or...."We're painting the roses red, 2x don't dare to stop or waste a drop so let the paint be spread! We’re painting the roses reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed, were painting the roses red"
Stay safe and healthy! Salamat sa lahat! Ingat kapitid! Kuya Elder Hamblin!
Dear Dane,
Sounds like the movie of the week was Muppet Treasure Island! I really do love that movie! "I look around here and I want to cry. (Me too) I feel like the world is passing me by."and I just can't help but wonder am I doomed to wash and dry and is it a curse I am to do it till I die! (Oh, I hope not)" The music really is what makes the Muppet movies! The B-Ball game sounded like fun. I'm not that good at B-Ball. But I like playing when people aren’t super serious! Don't you worry Dane I am well on the way to having a six pack. Every morning I pump my water and I do pushups! Someday I'll have that Six pack! Love ya Elder Hamblin
Dear Mom,
Okay so the pictures are fine Just Elder Oyardos holding two goats. That was when we were visiting a less active in Minanga. Everything else is pretty good!
No baptismal dates but were close o soo close. We were doing good with a couple of investigators. but no one came to church last Sunday! Gosh I feel like going to their houses ripping them out of bed and dragging them to church sometimes. It’s hard when you put your heart into the work and things don't work out like you planned. It’s hard for me to put my whole heart into any one thing. But we can't get Discouraged! That’s not a choice I can afford to make. The less active families are doing okay. We are trying to just focus on 15 families at 1st for this year. The ward is working with us which is a big help. Last Sunday we had 3 fellowshippers which was good. They were all over 50 years old I think which was good. The less actives we taught all were big Ilokano speakers and when people speak Ilokano I can't understand a thing! I am rendered useless....again....which is not a fun feeling. E. Oyardo can't speak it either but he understands where is connects in Tagalog which makes it easier for him to understand. I just feel completely helpless. :( It’s kinda been a rough week for the both of us. I have been getting frustrated and angry faster than before. I think that Satan is trying to work through what I once believed were my strengths and trying to make them my weaknesses. He’s doing everything he possibly can to slow down the work. But as long as were trying our hardest to bring souls unto Christ than that is enough in his eyes. It’s up to my investigators to accept the relentless invitations or throw them away. It’s just disappointing when I see them relapse into drinking alcohol or the countless Less Actives wallowing in the valley of Despair. This week has been a downer but that just means that next week will be all the more sweeter! I am glad you are still being a good missionary Mom. Sometimes I think to myself, "Wow Mom's doing a better job at home than I'm doing in the Field!" Which is a negative thought that I have to throw away. Not negative for you though. You’re doing great! Keep up the good work. I like hearing about your successes. Keep inviting that Less Active Sister to come to church and ask her to look for the blessings she will receive from going to church!
I love ya all and keep on keeping on! Love Elder Hamblin
Dear Shay,
You little turd you! Taping all the light switches. Not only are you a little Mastermind but you are driving the family insane while I’m gone. Nothing’s changed! :) Don't lose your wacky sense of humor. I'm afraid I'm losing mine! Philippino humor is very different than U.S.A. humor! I am learning a lot from my Philippino Companion. He is a good teacher on proper Philippino customs. I know all the superstitions now. For instance you are not allowed to drink things that are cold in the morning or it will mess with your Tiyan. (stomach) You can't shower before you eat or your stomach will hurt. I don't know why but thats the rule. AND if you go to bed with any part of your body wet you will wake up with Pneumonia. (which makes no since to me!) Anyways ya there are alot of super natural stuff here too. Like huge Ogers and little gnome men. Also a witch with a bat body that flies into your house at night and eats the embryo of a pregnant Mommy. Ya that ones my Favorite! There’s much much more but I’m running out of time so I'll tell you more next time! Love ya Kapatid, Kuya Elder Hambiln
Dear Tatay,
Kamusta po Tatay!? Kamusta an Trabajo mo? Kamusta ang Pamily mo? Anong pabritong ulam mo? Pasencha kung mali and grammar ko, pero alam ko paano magsulat sa Tagalog na Dahil maraming Texts sa akin araw araw galing sa mga members dito sa San Mariano at ang mga Elders sa Zone namin! Pasencha kung Tagalog overload ito para sa iyo! Ingat Tatay. Mahal Kita! Ang anak mo, Elder Hamblin
Ya have fun translating that mess! I kinda used English in there but all the words I used in English can be understood by most Philippinos. They understand English better than they give themselves credit for.
Dear Heavens Tatay I almost jumped out of my Chineles when I read about the 2TB External Hard Drive! How big is it? And the magic box that’s WAY better than what my idea was! I definitely want to play with that when I get home! Does it plug into the USB port on the External Hardrive? Sorry I'm just one nerdy mess! I long for things that are familiar as I’m sure everyone does and that is my passion. But I live in a very Low tech type of environment which sometimes is hard on me. I liked your "on a spiritual note..." and speaking of which I did have a good spiritual experience this week. I had to bear my Testimony to a strong going Catholic Tatay who said he would never change. He tore apart our Pamphlet and the Book of Mormon like trash. He tried to stay calm but his voice was loud and obnoxious and I was about to lose it. But then has I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith, the anger just melted away into love and strong conviction and when I was done I realized that he understood my testimony perfectly, no mistakes, and he returned with, oh well I’m Catholic and I was Catholic and I always will be Catholic...... But you could see that it did touch him. I don't want to say that all Catholic members are like this but I will say this that man felt the spirit confess to him that what I said must be true. I've never seen him again but he has a Restoration pamphlet, a Book of Mormon and my Testimony and that’s all he needs to find out if it’s true for himself. That’s my spiritual thought for the week.
I think that you might have misunderstood about the apartment situation. We are still pumping water in San Mariano. The couples missionaries didn't like the location of the new apartment and want to stay at the apartment we're at now. I am not upset with this. I like the apartment we are currently at IF we had water. Meanwhile they are not paying the rent until the owner makes up her mind on whether or not we're going to install a water pump. She is consistently checking up on me and Elder Oyardo making sure that we are asking the Mission President for rent even though we have been asking for running water for 5 months! Yes people this city boy's been pumping his water for a loooooong time and My body is getting bigger because of it. My arm muscles are more defined and my stomach is smaller. I try and do push ups also. Overall things are good. We are having a guy come in a check things out later today so that’s good. Hopefully I can see the construction of a water pump and a tank before I leave San Mariano.
Anyways thanks for everything and for the loooong email. You guys are great take care
your 3rd world Missionary..... ELDER HAMBLIN
PHILIPPINES CAUAYAN MISSION
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O the one picture with the corn I took on the side of the hill. I found it fascinating that they plant it everywhere and that it was growing out of the side of the hill. AND I found MUG rootbeer in Ilagan the BIG town next to our town where we go for District meeting and stuff! Enjoy!!