Ang Mga Sagot

Me with my "trunky" letter :/

The wonderful District I left. :(

 So after we had left the computer shop last week... I was thinking... I don't think I told them where I am.  Haha.  Just keeping you in suspense. So--drum roll-- I am in Carissa Branch (B). Which is in Bagtas, Tanza.  Naic Zone.  So I am back in a branch and more of the "country" but here it's called province.  We walk by rice fields to get to church. So fun.  You know those little small towns in movies... kinda like Gilmore girls.  Yea... that's our town.   Especially when you walk past two barber shops right across from each other. :)  It is nice.  However our area is very dark at night.  Hardly any streetlights so we take flashlights with us now. :)

Our branch missionaries here are awesome and work with us all the time, which is great because we tried finding some places on our own one day this week for a couple of hours and it is WAY hard.

Part of our huge new apartment!
With my new companions, Sister T and Sister B

Sister T, me and Sister B are still a three-some and probably will be the rest of this transfer. (We are a three-some because Sister B was supposed to be in the other branch with a new comp from Tacloban but her comp went home instead because she was still stressed from what happened.) I thought a 3-some would be hard but I am actually loving it.  We are helping one another.  Sister T is doing great and seems to be the most sad that she had to leave the people (investigators, less actives and recent converts) she loved and other missionaries she knew. That would be really hard and I only know a piece of how that feels because of when the Manila mission split.  Both Sister T and Sister B have been out for about 4 months. They are both great missionaries and I am learning from them. As for my poor abandoned "anak"-- she is finishing her training with a Sister that also came from Tacloban. 

 

We have been so blessed this week.  After a couple of hard times--Wandering around in the heat of the afternoon with no ward missionaries, and wandering around during a "brown out" (Black out) at night with no one home-- We also received many miracles. Like when we went to teach a recent convert and her mother who seemed uninterested at first suddenly asked us what she needs to do to be baptized. Plus we got to hear a less active bear beautiful testimony about the church and tithing.  Saturday we got to have an FHE with a less active family that hopefully helps us get back in their door this week.  Also Sister T is great at making people let us serve them so we have done other peoples laundry and cut wood. So fun!  I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for the support He gives us and my opportunity to serve here.

As for spiritual thought: A quote from conference, "The victory in heaven was a victory for man's agency." Agency is one of the great gifts that God has given us.  We can choose good from evil, but we cannot choose the consequences.  A piece of my testimony that has been endlessly strengthened here on my mission is the fact that when we obey, we are blessed.  Over and over we see it.  Others try to explain it away that those who are "lucky" have an easier life so it's easier to follow the commandments (such as tithing).  But DO NOT BE FOOLED.  They have it backwards.  The truth of the matter is when you serve God with your heart by following His commandments- He blesses you and life just gets easier. Promise.  Even when it's hard, it's easier than it would've been. I know this is true!  Have a great week!

Love

Sister Hamm

Pancit Pusit. Noodles with Squid. The ink gives it the
blackish color! :) Masarap! (Delicious)

I ate balot. Well... part of it.  It wasn't bad really.

Lumipat na ako

Dear Family,

So the big news for this week is....I'm not emailing from Cavite.  I bet you thought I was... Or at least that is where I thought I would email you up until Friday afternoon!  So storytime:  Wednesday we got a text from President saying that the Tacloban mission was being closed and that missionaries were from that mission were being reassigned to 11 of the other Philippine misisons.  Our Cavite mission would be getting 16-20 missionaries, they would arrive on Saturday and that we needed to wait for more updates. So Sister H says no one is coming to our district, I say we are getting one to become a three-some. Then we continue with our work and don't think about it for 2 days.  I start thinking maybe nothing will happen….  

Then Friday at 2:45 Right as we are about to close weekly planning the Zone Leaders call and tells me I am transferring!!!  I was so shocked.  I asked him three times if he was joking! My mind literally would not catch up. I just didn't see it coming at all!  And then sister H hears me starts freaking out because we hadn't even finished the 12 week training. :(  Well lets just say-- so many emotions. We both held it together while talking with our district. But as we knelt to pray and close planning we both shed some tears.  Prayer is just such a wonderful gift and amidst all the emotions and stress and unknown it was so wonderful to talk to the one in charge of EVERYTHING, the one who has ALL power to do ANYTHING. And to have the gift of feeling His love and care as we prayed.  Just knowing we were in His watchful care, that no matter what was coming He cared and He would help us!  He is so merciful and I am so grateful for all that he gives us.

So long story short it was a crazy 3 days with packing and praying.  We got to the mission office. My companion is Sister T a Filipina coming from the Tacloban mission. She is so wonderful and we are going to have a great time in our new area!  We are shotgunning.  We split the area on Sunday with our ward mission leader.  Our apartment is right across from the couple missionaries and is nicer than I thought existed in the Philippines.  I feel like I walked into Ashburn.  It is so nice, it feels like a hotel... and sometimes smells like one when the neighbor starts smoking his cigar. haha.

But anyhow, we are doing wonderful here!  Pictures will have to wait till next week.  I will also answer questions and give more information.  Right now things are still quite unknown (we are currently a three-some) but wonderful because of the peace that comes when you strive to live in accordance with God's will.  Things won't always be perfect but I know that as we turn to the scriptures, trust in God and pray we will be blessed with peace and support!  Thank you so much for all your prayers.  We definitely feel them.  Have a great week like we will here!

Love
Sister Hamm

Bawi

Dear Family,

Thanks for all the concern with the Typhoon.  I was hopping you wouldn't worry. :) Glad you had peace and the news which we don't get any of.  They do keep us very safe.  We are in housing that is matibay-- uhhh-- won't fall down easily (stink in english haha) and we even were told to stay in on Friday just in case the wind got too strong or brought down power lines. We didn't lose power.  We got nothing more than a little strong wind and rain here but our prayers are with those that are more affected in other areas of the Philippines. We all wanted to go out and work but it left me time to make tacos which was really fun and such an experiment here. :) Success!  

Wow!! Yummy filipino food from the S Family for you.  Sometimes I have turron for breakfast.. but I want to know how Sister S did that cause I am pretty sure the bananas I use here don't exist in the states.  I will love to talk to them when I get back.  I am sure I will be homesick for the Philippines sometimes. haha. So funny that you said menudo or kaldareta.. cause yea.. it's like no one knows what the difference is.. but you may remember..it is one of my favorites!  

This week was good but also difficult.  We walked around a lot with not many people home, but it was still good. This Sunday was Fiesta (a catholic tradition but the whole city celebrates) so our Sacrament attendance was down but some of our less actives still came which was thrilling!

For the Sacrament they use normal white bread. mmm. And they use purified water for the sacrament.  The church has to buy the blue plastic jugs of water for the sacrament water.

Candies aren't very varied here. I haven't noticed any real difference for holidays BUT the desserts do change. Ube is more in season in the ber months so those are popular here around Christmas and on Sunday for the fiesta. Masarap! 

Loved your thoughts on everything being okay because of Jesus Christ.  If I were to die I know it wouldn't feel okay to anyone at first but eventually its true, it all comes down to the perfect plan of salvation. God's will is best. Always. No questions. SO we push forward with faith until we reach the celestial kingdom and live together forever in eternal happiness with our Heavenly Parents.

NO time for the spiritual thought! eek! sorry.  Next week I'll make up for it. 

Love you so much!

Sister Hamm

Opportunity to Change

Hello Family,

Well first off, thanks so much for the Halloween package! :)  So yummy.  And way more sweet than the chocolate here! That kit kat almost sent me into a coma! haha jk

So this week has been good.  It has felt more like...well Christmas! :) Because the temperature went from 89- 80.  I don't know if that is really what it was but it feels cooler and its so nice!  Also this Sunday is Fiesta--where the whole town (Cavite) will be partying.  SO the street are now all decorated with sparkly streamer things. :)  And Sunday everyone will prepare party food and then eat. We've already been invited by a lot of people to stop by so we may be really full and tired from running around all day and eating.  We will see. haha!

Halloween was good. Mostly uneventful because most people here did not trick or treat but we ran into a preschool group doing trick or treating and their costumes looked great!  Mostly witches and vampires and things done from home with makeup and paint.

Okay-- I am outta time.  More info and answers to questions next time.

So spiritual thought this week comes from a talk by Lawrence E Cambridge. The fourth missionary is the name of the talk and it is aimed for just missionaries but has a lot of good stuff for life.  One thing I really liked was his addressing that fact that we are always changing and can always change. In it he says, "To believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the Plan of Salvation." I love this line.  It brings to mind "born this way" and tells us that that is not an excuse for our actions. We may very well be born with certain characteristics.  As mortal children of God here on earth we know that we have inborn weaknesses and tendancies.  But the natural man is and always will be an enemy to God and thus.. "The purpose and central blessing of this life is change. It is to be changed to become more like Christ.  It is to realize our full divine potential."  This whole life is about us changing to be less "natural" and more like Christ.  It is not an easy process but because of Jesus Christ it is possible. (Ether 12:27) And worth it.  SO if you are struggling with a weaknesses or many... don't get discouraged... we ALL are.  But take your problems to God (Ether 12:27) and He will help you overcome them and become the disciple of Christ the son or daughter of God you are meant to become.  It is a life long journey but I'm so grateful that we have this opportunity to change!  Have a great week!

Love

Sister Hamm