September 30, 2012

Okay, you all!  Listen up you trunky family of mine! While you're busy gloating in the hard earned blessings from my mission I have been hard at work teaching the Chosen One! Here let me tell you a little bit about a man I like to call a Golden Investigator! His name is Tatay Jesus Castello and this is his story:
            Me and Elder Rocaberte are waiting to catch a trikey before going to a far out part of our area. When out of the clear blue a man on a motorcycle pulls up right in front of us. He stops his engine turns, over, looks directly into my eyes and asks, "Elder, when is my baptism?" Now as you might as  expect I was kinda taken off guard by that. We talked with him a bit and he expressed how he had been taught by the missionaries in the past and needed to be baptized NOW so he could visit the Manilla Temple before going back to work in L.A.! I thought he was crazy but Elder Rocaberte asked him what his name was. Turns out Jesus Castello was in our list of people we were going to contact the next day! He had been referred to us by the neighboring ward! We returned and talked with him and turns out he had already found where the Bishop lived and had asked for a temple recommend. Our Bishop kindly explained that he had to be baptized and stay worthy for a year before he could get a Temple Recommend. Bishop then texted us and told us we had an appointment with this man, NOW! We set up a more convenient time other than 8:30am and when we returned to teach him we felt like we were talking to a member. He knew his stuff! He had repented of past sins. He has no Word of Wisdom or Law of Chastity problems. He truly had been prepared for us. Everyday for the past 3 days we have been teaching him all he needs to know. It's basically a review bringing to memory the lessons of the missionaries that came before us. He is almost ready for his interview this next Friday and then the following Saturday he will be baptized! I will send pictures. I just want to let you know I am trying not to be trunky as I watch my dear beloved missionaries leave me and hear of my Sisters love life! I am busy in the work that has fell into my lap. Please pray for Tatay Castello. He needs all the help he can get! Thanks for the updates and letting me know that you all love me a lot! I love you too! Just in case you weren't feeling the love or you were unsure. I love ya all!
        Dear Tatay,
                Thanks for breaking the rules a bit for me! I love ya ya know? Pops, you gotta admit, our ancestors are pretty darn cool! Great great great great great Grandpa Hamblin. Jacob Hamblin! Come on, he is amazing! The stories will never die as long as we past them on! I want to hear all about it when I get home! I plan on signing up for the whole indexing thing when I get back so I can help Digitize the history only written on pages! You should look into that too!
                The quading, the movies the food, that all can wait. When I feel like I can't wait for something and it's making me anxious or sad I think about what Elder Shaner said to me once. He said that if you are always waiting impatiently for something that has to happen in the future then you will always be unhappy and unsatisfied. I would rather just choose to enjoy what the Lord has given me. He has given me today and if I don't enjoy it then I can waste a whole day being miserable. OR, I could enjoy it and make the most of the Lord's time and enjoy the memories in the years to come. I have a lot of decisions to make in the future. Ones I look forward to and ones I dread. Nevertheless they will come. I just want to be in the right mindset when that time comes! "I want to be happy, therefore, I am." - Elder Hamblin Keep up the good work and be a good Dad, pops. I know you are! Just hold down the fort for me while I am gone. I'll be home before you know it!              
 Love, Elder Hamblin
     
          Dear Mom,
                   I admire your hard work and your Faith. You all really have taken that step of Faith into the dark to prove your trust and Faith in the Lord to help pay for the mission. I am shocked, amazed and in awe of the E. Family who are not filthy rich but wish to help support me on my mission for the month of November. I will give November all that I got Mom! I'll send them a slew of letters if you wish. Do you want me to just send it to you and then have you send it to them? If you send their mailing address to me then I'll write it down and send it directly to them. Thanks for everything Mom and for your extra efforts not to make me trunky. I try to shut out the tired and depressed feelings when they come and keep my mind focused on the work still. The mission doesn't necessarily take the missionary out of the world. It attempts to take the world out of the missionary. That, in itself is a self mastery that I have yet to perfect. I'm not perfect. Sometimes I get talking about video games with the other missionaries after District Meeting. Especially the ones that go home soon. Gosh, but we knuckle down and do the work. Life is good. The work goes on, and I go on. Let me know when you get the old school letters!  I love you Mom. Pray that I can stay focused and on target. Pray that I will not lose sight of my goals. Pray for Elder Rocaberte to cheer up too. He goes home in January. I want him to really shine these last months! Thanks for the love. I know you all love me very much. Please stay safe and happy! SURRRRRRRRRE LOVE YA!   Elder Hamblin
     
             Dear Devree,
                   Gosh, you are just jumping right into the dating scene aren't you? Given me a heart attack! You marry a nice RM for me won't ya? Well, AFTER I get home! You keep giving me the updates okay? I love ya little sis. Play safe okay? Stay close to your room mates. I checked out your blog. I'm excited for you and for your new adventure. I am gonna have to wrap up soon. It's getting close to closing time! But I want you to keep me posted on your interesting suitors that come your way!
                  I was touched as well while singing in Sacrament meeting. I think music is one of the most powerful ways to tell the Lord how we feel. I love singing even though I don't have an amazing voice like yours. I loved singing in the ward choir and trying to help out all the other men stay on key! Even if that meant having to not eat lunch right after church. I loved singing with you! I love church now too. It's a great time to just think about the more important parts of life!
                   Hey, so your movie was Tarzan so here's mine:
  "I swim pretty girl, pretty good pretty good!"
  "One of them darn fire flies done bit me on my sit upon. One of you is gonna have to suck the poison out. Don't all get up at once!"
  "Then all of the sudden, BOOM! No more Chinese Laundry. I found myself in that explosion."  (He's my favorite character!)
                    Guess that! You should get it!
           I love ya sis and keep me posted. DON'T get too trunky for me! Love ya,   Elder Hamblin
      
             Dear Shay,
                     Ask your friend if her older sister is Tiffany Fukugawa. I knew here when I went to Dayton High. That would be weird if she is her younger sister. Anyway, so as usual you've got all the girls crawling over you! I am kinda nervous for you dude! I hope those girls don't get too close for comfort. You know how some of them can be a little too forward. Anyway, life is good and we are good as missionaries. How's your life going?  I'm sorry your letter kinda just cut out at the end there and I don't even think Dane sent me one! I hope to send you some pictures of the root beer can jack-o-lantern we made! I thought it looked pretty cool. Elder Rocaberte made it. He's a little excited for Halloween. Anyways I hope you like the pictures! I miss ya bro you know that right? I hope ya do. WE will do a lot when we get back. You know that I know that and that's all that's important right now. We'll party hardy! Right now I will try and focus hard on the work and send you some pictures. I love you Shay. I pray that you stay safe and protected and that you make good choices everyday! Love,    Elder Hambln

             Dear Dane,
                   You bet your biscuits that I am ready to watch some movies with you! Don't forget the popcorn! BUT, I'm a missionary remember? Can't do that just yet. When I get home don't worry. I plan on spending a lot of time with my brothers! Ya I remember Nacho Libre. That movie IS embarrassing! I like it when he's sneaking up on the skinny guy who ate his chips and before he pounces on him he toots! Ah, I laugh every time. HECK I'm smiling when I think of it! Nacho Libre is a funny movie. Well don't forget Napolean Dynomite. You'd laugh at that one too! Don't worry Dane. I will be pretty much down for anything you want to do when I get home. EXCEPT RISK! I DO NOT want to play RISK. AND MONOPOLY! OR CREATURE FEATURE! Besides that, go crazy! Love ya! Elder Hamblin

           Well, everyone, I have stayed a little long and I need to be on my way. But I love you all, ya know?  You now should have the pictures of us making dinner during the brown out after we got dumped on! I look so sexy without my shirt on but you should probably not put that on the blog ya know? We also have the pictures at the new part of our area that I haven't really explored yet. The baptism pictures from Jessica and Elizabeth's baptism. I might have already sent those to you? I think that's it! I love you! Enjoy the pictures and be safe. Play hard! Love Elder Hamblin

          P.S. Liahona September issue. Pages 48-50 Keeping your life in balance: By M. Russel Ballard. Read it, Study it, Use it! Love Elder Hamblin