October 21, 2012

Elder Hamblin has had a hankering for Breakfast Cereal and Milk.  We just had to indulge him.

Enjoy!!!  Elder Hamblin

Elder Rocaberte and Elder Hamblin shelter from the rain.

Elder Hamblin was envious of a picture of his family in the snow.  He said he would L-O-V-E to be cold for a little while.  All I have to say is...  "PUT THAT BLOCK OF ICE IN YOUR BED, ELDER".

Kay I got a lot to write you about! I am sending some pictures right now. One is just me and the awesome Elder Rocaberte.  Another is of my water bottle when the freezer over froze and we had to defrost it and the water bottle got stuck in it! The last is your awesome Package to me! I loved it! Of course the Oreos and the St. Judes tie. I like those ties. I put the non-St. Judes tie on right after I got it! It's stain resistant apparently! Pretty cool. My family is AWESOME! Let's not forget the 2nd place winner of best contents in the box. THE HUGE BAG OF MARSHMALLOW MATIES! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!! I've already eaten like two bowl fulls! I had to buy milk though but it was worth it! OH HOW I MISS COLD CEREAL IN THE MORNINGS! After I was done with the cereal I soaked Oreos in the left over milk for breakfast. I am such a horrible person! I felt fat but I was happy! We played sports and I got an email from my brother E. McGuffin who is now Brother McGuffin. I miss him. I hope he is doing well and hopefully being successful in the interesting life of an RM. Thank you SOOOOO much for all the love and support in the Package. But to tell you the truth my favorite part of each package really, is when I get your handwritten letters. That really is the best. I miss my family when you get a handwritten letter its just different than a regular old email ya know? Thanks so much for all of it.
           In other words we had our quarterly interviews with President Carlos and I got to say that this interview far surpasses the ones of the past. I was awkward at the first and didn't know what to say. The funny thing was President read my countenance and just KNEW what to say to help rekindle my missionary spirit and help me to just let go and be happy again. It's a struggle Devree to CHOOSE to be happy every single day but it is always worth it! Its one heck of a journey a mission takes you on.
          I have one big thing/chunk of news to tell you all. When President came to interview and speak a bit in our District Meeting, he told us about an email he had just recently got from church head quarters. It said the usual number of missionaries that send in paper work was around like 500 to 800 in like two weeks. In the last two weeks after General Conference an estimated 8000 worthy young adults have put their papers in and are waiting to enter the over stuffed MTC and become part of God's massive righteous army! 8000! Count them zeros! Can you believe that!? I can't! It means there is going to be a sudden surge of more missionaries in the field now and the work will be hastened. The field is white already to harvest! I'm excited! I may only see a little of the effects of this during the last months of my mission but this means younger, brighter missionaries into the field at an earlier time in their life. It's just so exciting that's all! It means I may have a hard time getting married if all the beautiful young ladies are saying, "NOPE, I'm staying ring-less! I have to serve the LORD first! WAIT FOR ME" UGH! Well I'll just stay positive about my dating future. Anyways tha'ts the gossip in the Philippines. Okay now for you!
     Dear Devree,
           Well, I refer you to the Dating portion of the paragraph above. I am definitely worried about dating when I get home. I don't think you'll have to worry about be getting married 2 months after I get home ya know? Basta, I'll wait so you can be there if you serve a mission. It would be a great opportunity if you served a mission. You would love it! You grow and learn a TON on your mission. It is a great learning experience. Do you want me to send you a reply to all your questions in your box letter or wait till your handwritten letter gets here and just respond to it that way? I think I'll just wait for the hand written letter than, I can take my time with how I respond.
           Anyways, WOW, you are a super duper flirt when you want to be. High school wasn't your game time... COLLEGE was! I am happy that you are happy. Be careful though little sister. Dating as you know, is a weird game with few rules. I know you're smart and you play smart. Just think before investing your heart in a dude who's still a boy. I don't know.  Just play safe. I've been burned and its not fun. Play safe with fire. Its beautiful and dangerous. Play smart. Words of advice for the week. That and boys mature slower than girls. The rest I'll save for your personal letter. Your movie Never Been Kissed. Here's my movie: "I bet she doesn't wrestle fight or box!" "Roar ferosiouly." LIVEN IT UP A BIT!" "I want you to strike fear into my heat!" "NO not you Wesely you're a rabbit! For heavens sake." "NO more mister Nice Guy that's not me!" Try that on for size! Love Elder Hamblin
     Dear Mom,
           Thanks for your letter in the package and for all the love. I love you all and I love what you said about Eternal Families. Really that's your goal for all your little kids right? To grow up one day and have great gospel discussions and such and go to the temple together. That's what it's all about right? I like your goals in life. They are good righteous desires. I want us to be an Eternal Family someday too. I guess its more of just staying an Eternal family.
            So  ya a lot of Adventure Times and we have been seeing the results from our labors. I hope to see the cute family with the disabled boy start to progress. We just had a TON of meetings this month I haven't really felt like we were able to get in the groove of missionary work this week because we were just so busy with the meetings and such. I'm just all conferenced out. (if you can count that as a term) a spiritual overload. I haven't had the proper time to search ponder and pray about what has been said. Before you know it I'm gonna get transferred again into a new area with a new companion and probably more pictures. I hope to talk with Ethan when I get back. Maybe help him find the right path.  
              Hey, You have gotten a lot of good blessings from me on a mission haven't you. Spiritual blessings and Temporal Blessings. (EX: Iphone) You know that good stuff!  I am soooooo happy for the package! But another package, already? I have no Idea what to wish for for Christmas. That's like light years away! All I can think of is like trunky things like a funny t-shirt or I don't know, Its hard since you're all so far away, and I'll just have to lug it back when I come home anyways. If you have an awesome idea for a gift you could just keep it at home waiting for me. At this stage of my mission I just figure that whatever I want can really wait so you don't all spend too much money on little old me. I'm stoked for Devree's quote "Irreplaceable gift". But that can wait. If I could go crazy with Christmas or Birthday wishes I would wish for....nah tha's crazy.....basta I would wish for a chance for either a really nice Laptop for school or a chance to build an awesome gaming computer with my tatay out of one of our many old extra computers. I'm excited to do that when I get home. That and Quading and making Peach Ice Cream with Mom and Pops. I want to go hiking and stuff as you all know. Give me a week to think about other stuff to put in the Christmas/Birthday package. I'm not thinking well right now I got a headache from all the karaoke singers and such. SO next week just remind me and I'll give you some ideas. Sorry, I'm just pooped this P-Day. What are you guys doing for NEVADA DAY! I want the details mama. Love ya, Elder Hamblin
         Dear Dad,
                You trunky Dad you! I would love to go explore the abandoned mines with you too Dad. Quad adventures are at the top of my list of things to do when I get home!
               I really don't know what I want for Christmas Pops. If I had to think about Video Games I would like for Christmas there was one called Portal. I never got around to playing Portal and apparently a new one has come out now called Portal 2 both for the PC. (You can see why I would be interested in building a gaming PC with my Pops and getting a laptop for College. Basta I'm still hopelessly in love with video gaming. I will probably beat all of Shay and Danes new games while they are at School. I just think A good PC for the apartment or my future house would just be an excellent investment and a fun source of entertainment. But enough, I also want to open the hood and have you teach me more about cars. I need to know more about cars and about building computers and if you can help me with that I will be a happy man. I've also made a goal to practice the piano more when I get home. I don't want to just waste away like before my mission. I want to develop my talents.
            K so so far I have written Manny like two letters and I sent off one before I got his Dear Elder which said that his address had changed. Turd. I also sent him a letter about the package and one to his Girlfriend as well. BOTH were sent together to his first address and that was long ago before he sent me the address change letter. Tell him I LOVED the package and the letters and everything! There is a letter floating in the world somewhere for him. I send him the letters and wait for a response. Next letter I'll talk about his package. Anyways, I miss him. Tell him that too! Snail mail is horrible and unreliable and very sketchy most times!
               SO you liked the BYU Idaho Campus huh? Ya really think my future wife is actually there waiting for me to enroll? My future wife, Dad, has probably just accepted her mission call. But that's negative thinking pops! Basta I Love the Philippines. I love the mission. It's frustrating at times but its really enjoyable at times as well. I'm excited for the future but I have to enjoy the journey now. I only have like 4 or 5 months left! Time goes by so fast! This cycle is like a blur right now. Anyways, love ya Dad, Love ELDER HAMBZ
       Dear Shay,
              I liked that you were Gambit for the party. I liked Gambit too. I think he should have gotten more attention in the X-Men movies. Anyways, I like Night crawler too but I could see how It would be very difficult for you to dress up like a blue tattooed man! Last week I taught the gospel to recent converts and less active people. We don't have a TON of investigators right now but we have one really good one that is progressing pretty well. I have high hopes for her. She still needs to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true or not. She comes to church each Sunday though! That is always a good sign. We have two other investigators that are not just getting the lessons right now. We're trying to help them out. I want to find a family to baptize. I am just waiting for us to stumble upon the Golden Family. Pray for me. Pray for my comp. I love ya little Bro. Stay strong read PMG (Preach My Gospel) and be the best example you can be to your friends! Love, Big Brudda
       Dear Dane,
                That's great that you are excelling in the Baritone. I hope you stay with the piano lessons as well so that you and me can play piano and stuff. I don't care what they say, playing piano gets you chicks. I miss ya Dane. I laughed when I thought of you as Nacho Libre. In your Stretchy pants. Just for fun. I love that movie. You're right I love that part where he farts and jumps on the guy! Gotta love Nacho Libre and with that Napolean Dynomite! Gotta love it. I'll watch it with you when I go home. I'll do pretty much whatever you guys like to do when I get home. How is school going for you? How are you doing in Scouts!? I saw the pics of you all! You are turning into a mature young scout. I hope to be like an adult when you go on a campout! Alright well I got to go but be a good boy for Mom and Dad and for me okay. Love Elder Hamblin
                         SO if I didn't answer any questions just let me know in the next email. My heads about to explode and we've been here for way too long. Love you all!
    Love,
 Elder Hamblin
Philippines Cauayan Mission