:D

Me and Sister R with our ice cream from 2 transfers :)

August 26, 2013

Wow! It sure is hard to catch you up on 2 weeks especially since these two weeks were so action packed. SO first things first.  I left my beautiful ward family and apartment in Bayan 1st ward and transferred to.... drum roll.... Cavite 1st ward! So that keeps me at all 1st. haha :)  This area is more like my area on Palawan than in Bayan but yes, the whole mission (now cavite, since all of the city parts are in manila mission) is a lot the same with slight differences as to wealth and housing and shopping. My new companion is Sister M originally from Bicol, Philippines.  My new apartment while still quite nice is a downgrade. haha.  The fridge, which is brand new and doesn't have to be defrosted every week (first time on my mission for that) is AWESOME! Words can't express.  However our bathroom has no sink, or mirror, or shower. haha.  Also the toilet is one of those that has no back, no flush, just the pedestal in the ground, but no big deal since we weren't even using the flush in my last apartment. Our floor upstairs is wood painted a pretty mahogany color but if you kneel down to pray on a hot morning your legs will look like you got scrapped up in a car wreck. The paint definitely came off the floor easier than it came off my legs. hahaha. The houses in our neighborhood are way nice! Remind me of the states. :)

So my new area if you look at the map is a peninsula (I think, if I remember my geography terms right.) So we have... OCEAN! I'll get a picture of the view to you next week.  Its nice.  Sometimes you can really smell it and I feel like I'm in Monterey or something but trust me it never gets that cold! :)

So the day I arrived in the area we met that night with the bishop to split the area.  Cavite 1st now has one set of Elders and one set of Sisters. So we split it in the way everyone agreed was most fair.  And I agree it is the best way but it meant that we were left with 2/13 progressing investigators and 4/15 recent converts. haha. So it is back to planting season for us.  It was so sad to watch Sister M give up all of these people she loved and had taught.  It was hard on her but she is adjusting and we are excited to find many new investigators. One of the Elders in our ward is fresh from the Provo, MTC. I got to be there for his first Jeepney ride and it was so fun! haha.

Sister M in the flood

Now for the Bagio.  Im glad you weren't worried.  I prayed that you wouldn't be because there was really no reason to be. :)  SO monday we woke up early (5:30) to go to the palangke (wet market) But it was raining so we didnt.  But that was disappointing because since transfer day we had been living on the equivalent of Ramen noodles, crackers and eggs.  So we were excited to go grocery shopping.  During personal study we got a text that said we needed to wait to go out because of the Bagio that was now signal 3.  So we waited. Long story shorter.... we got permission to go out for food. SO we (4 sisters-- we all live in the same apt cavite 2nd is there ward. and the 2 elders in cavite 1st.) went to McDonalds and then walked through ankle deep water on the sidewalk (all the streets were flooded) to a very small grocery store where we ran around and bought food while the lights went on and off because they were on a generator that obviously was struggling. SO the power was out-- no email. :( So P-day was cancelled.  Later as we were trying to figure out what to eat (the grocery store had no vegetables, fruits or meats so we were still at canned goods, crakcers and ramen) I spotted a malugay tree outside our apartment. You have to understand I have been waiting/ trying my whole mission to try malungay.  IT is what they call a sustantia food.  It has lots of nutrients is what they say and I have wanted to eat it.  It grows wild everywhere but people use it so you can't just take it cause somebody probably "owns" the tree.  But this was totally ours.  You de-leave the branches and then boil the leaves.  I will send pics next week.  Lets just say I was THRILLED to de-branch the malungay by candle light and felt like a total Filipina. :)  We made omlet/sabou/malugay dish. :) That night I started Jesus the Christ by candlelight while thunder and lightning ragged.  I loved it.  

Me with Malungay

So I am out of time but I promise to continue next week.

Love you so much.  Know that I am safe and happy.  This is the Lord's work and I am so grateful to be a part of it! Love you so much!

Sister Hamm