April 2nd, 2012

Elena was finally baptized. She has been waiting months. Her father started the lessons but quit but he gave her permission to be baptized.
Elder Hamblin is a little uncomfortable because Elena is standing too close. She is leaning into him and he told us that is why his face is looking like he is going to burst out in a hysterical giggle because he feels uncomfortable.


Some of the items being hauled on top of a Jeepney including a bucket of fish!
YEAH! A new toilet seat and it is PADDED!
Luxury meets the Philippines in the bathroom!
Do you notice there is no tank on the back to flush the water, etc down. That is why the blue bucket is there. It is one step up from an outhouse! Ha! Ha!

Where is your companion? You look so sad and lonely.



Dear Hamblin Gang,
O I miss you all sooooo much! I miss all the fun times we've had and Dane YOU better watch out when I get home! You pick the game and I'll SMOKE YA! I love you little bro.
Ok time to get serious folks. Way to RUIN General Conference for me! Just Kidding! :) You guys know I still haven't seen it yet right? General Conference here is a week late so I will see it next week and comment on it in the next email home. Gosh you guys ruin GC for me. You don't know how excited I am to watch it. REALLY WATCH IT! I remember in the MTC we really had uncomfortable seats but I loved every second of Conference. Being a missionary the feel is just different ya know? I guess you would have to be a RM to really get what I mean. Conference just seems more important when you spend every week telling people to listen to the Prophet of God and then you get to hear him speak, everything gets INTENSE!
ANYWAY, I got some HLARIOUS stories that you just gotta hear so sit back and get ready to have your minds blown!!!
SO we had a wonderful baptism last Saturday. Elena Pagulayan has been waiting MONTHS for that day to happen. I baptized her and got her all the way under in one try! I have said those words many times: "Bilang Nataasan ni Jesucristo, Binibinyagan kita sa pangalan ng Ama at ng Anak at ng Espiritu Santo, Amen." I have NEVER said the Baptism prayer in English. Every time I baptize I do it in Tagalog. I don't know why it's just a part of me now. I don't even think I remember it in English now! Anyway it was a great experience for all who attended. I will continue to help her get on the right path and be a full fledged member as soon as possible. She is a great person. Her parents need to get on the ball though. Tatay was taking the lessons then ditched but gave permission for us to baptize her. Mom's never been in the picture. Filippinos are just so nice but they won't tell you no! They'll just hide or not commit to anything because they don't want to hurt your feelings! GOSH why ya all so nice!!? WE WILL get another lesson with Tatay eventually but until then we'll keep trying to play nice with her family. GOSH!
2nd order of business, I NEED ADVIL! My companion has been having some rough times with head aches. (Hopefully not because of me!) SO my ADVIL is gone. I'm a nice guy! So whenever you decide to send another package can you send me some ADVIL and mabe some TYLENOL? That would mean the WORLD to us! After walking and walking and walking its hard to go to bed sometimes! ADVIL helps me fall asleep. I don't want to sound like a Drug Addict but if you could send me the American Drugs that would be SWEET!
3rd funny story: (you knew it was coming!)
SO we are walking down one of those little roads that's like two feet wide and super muddy all the time! It short cuts to one of the Less Active families that we visit. As we are taking the short cut, the unthinkable happens! Out from the right comes FLYING a black cat and it really just shot itself out of the fence at us! It's tail brushed Elder Makilings nose! I just kinda watched it fly past me in a surreal kinda way then land on the ground an inch or two from me and dash into the fence on the opposite side and disappear! You know I can take the spiders and the cockroaches and even the Komodo Dragon, but FLYING CATS! REALLY?!!? I can't help but laugh. WHAT will the Devil literally throw at me next? "No unhallowed hand can stop the work of God" If I wasn't doing God's will I would have died a long time ago! I love being a missionary! ITS DA BEST JOB EVER!
So we also had an amazing lesson with one of our new investigators. RJ UCI thats pronounces Usi! He loves the message and his very curious. Especially when he figured out that Joseph Smith didn't make this church, God and Jesus Christ did! He told us that was a BIG mistake that their church had made! He went searching to find a book store that sold that little blue book! He saw the picture of the Book of Mormon on the back of our pamphlets and was very curious about it. We gave him a copy. That blew his mind. On top of that, it was free. EVERYONE'S Favorite word! He just may show up for General Conference too. (At the local LDS church) If the Prophet of God is talking to us we better listen!
Okay so now for your emails!
MAMA!!!
I hope you all loved general Conference! I'm sure I will! You guys always have so much fun with the family! I WANT ICE CREAM TOO! Gosh I miss REAL Ice cream. I miss REAL pizza and I miss my mama.
I think that all of us going to General Conference LIVE when I get home would be AMAZING and I would love it! I also want to go camping and see my cousins and such! Mom, If you could send that list of the Birthdays that would be great! I understand about having to reply to an email that you read a week ago so I bolded it this time so that you wouldn't forget. Thanks!
Hey I miss you Mom! I miss all the funny mannerisms that we have in our family. My companion doesn't understand when I say, "I got to go Pods!" but you do! I miss how my family understands me! I miss it all! Oh and you're doing a fantastic job with the blog. I love the comments on the pictures. I'm glad that you enjoyed the sock one. That's an older one that I for- got to send a long time ago. Thanks for changing the names to ELDER MAKILING! Now I can sleep at night! JK
Hey, were there tons of people protesting at General Conference? Yea I thought so! I think that they are wasting their breath really. WELL I'll give you more info when I watch General Conference and tell you all my favorite parts! I love you!! Elder Hamblin!
Dear Devree,
Awesome, You're going to prom! DANG you're all old now! You're growing up WAY too fast for my taste! I miss all the good times we've had. You will have to put pictures of you and this Zac on the blog and I can see my little sis all dolled up and ready to go for prom! HOPEFULLY this date will go a little better than the other date you had! He he! I don't know if you see the animation but its hilarious. Two smiley boxes hugging each other! I thought it was appropriate!
Anyway, Yes I have puked here in the Philippines and it was not a pleasant experience. Have you ever had rice forcefully extruding from your nasal passage? Yeah I didn't think so. It's disgusting and it burns! BUT I know you take the 1st place prize for the pain endurance in the family. You're WAY tougher than me! Tell Mike I say HI too! Tell Monica the Puking experience was just being sick with the flu. No reason with the food. I'm okay with the food here. Just the flu got me last November!
Your movie was the INCREDIBLE'S! That's a good one! Alright here's mine:
A bird may love a fish but where would they live?
Then I shall have to make you wings!
I'm pretty sure you can get that one! You love that movie. I just picked the cheesiest line ever!
Hey Devree, My companion had a question about Final Fantasy the other day. He heard there were plenty of movies out about the games and he loves the animation. My question is, do you still have the Advent Children one or was that your friend's copy? Just a curious Filippino question. I love you little sis and try to stay safe and happy. DON'T GO and give Mom and Pops a heart attack and stay out till 2 am on prom night! I love you and be a good little sis for me! LOVE ELDER HAMBLIN!
Dear Shay,
We don't actually eat the rice straight off the street. The golden brick road that you saw in the picture is actually when the rice is still in it's husk! So when they take off the husk in the mill it comes to me all white and I wash it three times, cook it in a rice cooker and then eat it with my Ulam! And YES IT IS DELICIOUS!
I am proud of you getting up to 8 feet on the pole vaulting. You should have someone take a video of you. That would be sweet! I would like seeing you pole vault live though! I love you little bro. Hey I'm having tons of fun here in the Philippines. I wish you were here though. You would enjoy it too! Stay safe and in school you crazy boy! Your big bro, Elder Hamblin
Dear Dane,
How's it going buddy! I hope you are enjoying soccer with Mr. Bro. Evans! I love that guy! He'll be a great coach for you! Hey if you work real hard and train hard your team will do great. SO play hard and love the game.
No six pack yet but I am slimming down quite a bit. My pants practically fall right off me! I am really proud of you and of all the things that you do Dane. Thanks for being a good missionary and inspiring your friends! It's a bummer that the friends Mom gave back the Book of Mormon but we can't get discouraged just keep on trying and everything will be alright! I Love ya little bro. Elder Hamblin
DEAR TATAY,
Gosh it's been great to hear from you guys. A little bit about the photos: So you got me in the bukid the fish in the Jeepney and the NEW TOILET SEAT! YEA!!! It's Cushiony! Then the baptism pictures which are great. She's a little too close for my taste and you can tell by my face in the pictures!
I hope I'm not a Laman or a Lemuel when It comes to preaching the gospel. I am A Laman when it comes to waking up at 6:30 every morning though! JK! I love the mornings but as my follow up trainer said, "You are just slow in the mornings aren't you Hamblin?" I really look like a zombie but I do it! I love my job it's the best ever. You know Dad, being a Psychologist is great and all but What you suggested as a Screen Player writer or an author would be a fun job for me. I just have to get famous and sometimes that's hard! I could make bank though and pick my own hours! We'll just have to see when I go to college mister! SLOW DOWN DAD! Next email you'll talk about my Eternal Companion and, "I'm just not ready for that kind of a commitment!" So just wait a little longer Tatay. I'll be home before you know it!
I love you all and wish you all the best and I hope that you are all fine and well and doing what you can to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and be a good example to all!
I love you take care and be safe!
Elder Hamblin