huli

So my subject has double meaning-- take it as you will. :)

So I hope you didn't worry too much with no email yesterday. I spent the day at the mission home learning about applying for a job and getting fingerprinted.

Well this week I could just see Satan with his feet up on a chair poppin' bon bons and laughing while people misused their agency, I mean it seriously felt like he didn't even need to try... BUT it's okay cause this week is gonna be that part in Hercules when he comes back from fighting the monster with lots of heads and Hades freaks out! Yea. Something like that. :)

Plus even with the hardships we got to teach this great new family and the Spirit was totally there AND they came to church for the first time on Sunday! Best thing ever! And we had other little miracles whispering God's love to us.

I think my spiritual experience from this week (beside the lesson with the new family) was just realizing that as much as I was sad for these people choosing not to follow God, He hurt more than I.  And it made me realize how much He loves me and all of us. And how much I have hurt Him with some of my choices and it gave me a renewed desire to choose the right in order to cause my Heavenly Father joy instead of sorrow and pain.

The questions will have to wait for next week even though I am excited to answer them. 

Love you so much!

Sister Hamm

Ang Mga Himala

Dear Family,

So I think this title may be a repeat but that is because the mga himala never stop.  Heavenly father is so wonderful but before I get into that I will start with something else.  One thing I learned this week..... is that I am in big trouble when I get back to the states and I am praying for a warm March.  This week has been (as I mentioned last week) winter for the Pinas. Which means---what 65-70 degrees?  But it feels so cold! It seriously felt like it could have snowed last night as we were walking in the dark to our last appointment.  My toes have been cold every morning this week and my jacket has gotten more use than it has had in the past 14 months combined. haha But it's all just funny because I have been SOO hot for SOO long that it's weird to not sweat. :)

So Tuesday night I get a text that on Thursday I would be getting my going home TB chest x-ray on Thursday.  What?  That was a surprise.... and lets just say mixed emotions.  I think I'll just stay here for the rest of my life. :) Joke lang. It was fun being around medical stuff again so that was exciting.  Definitely picked the right profession. :) yay.

Questions:What was your high and your low yesterday? Low- None of our investigators came to church. High- We gave our investigator a baptismal date and she was dissapointed that it had been delayed.  It was sad but also good to see how excited and ready she is for baptism. :) I love her so much so I am glad she is preparing to partake of this important ordinance. 

Tell me about an experience you had this week when you felt the spirit strongly? One time this week we were teaching a less active who is struggling with doubts and family objections to the church.  And as we sat there working with him my heart just hurt for him and for his struggle. We bore testimony that this is the only true church of God on the earth today and it was a powerful experience.  It was wonderful to just feel the Spirit testify of the truth of our words.  It was wonderful to bear testimony and not have a single doubt in this gospel and in God's church.  This man is gonna make it back... it just is gonna take time and effort on his part. 

What do you eat for a bedtime snack? I think my favorite is popcorn.  We pop the kernels on the stove with a little oil and then salt it. It's heaven in a bowl!

We had lots of great experiences this week.  Just little things that make the all the difference.  And then big ones too. One that I will be forever grateful for is one family that opened up to us about their concern. Tatay's catholic boss was probably going to fire him if he joined the church or even came to church. So we decided to do a fast with him and his wife and me and Sister V. We set the fast for Friday to Saturday lunch. (we had just finished the lesson on fasting when they brought up their concern.) Well when we returned on Saturday afternoon, nanay was just finishing her fast. She said, "Good news-tatay got a job!! :) We were sooo excited. Turns out he got the job before they even fasted but tatay told her with tears in his eyes, "this is God's plan for us. And he gave us the blessing before we even fasted." Nanay told us she studied about fasting all week so she could be ready and they did the fast still in gratitude for the blessing. So grateful for the blessings of God and the miracles he works for his children when they are ready to obey.  I know that He will work miracles for each of us if we just have faith first and show Him we are willing to obey.

Love

Sister Hamm

mamadali

Dear Family,

So this week has been great! We had a great first lesson with this new investigator and we were able to find some other new people to teach too.  I am so grateful for second chances and the Spirit to guide us.  Also the weather finally decided to change into "winter" or at least the cooler season here.  Last year I seem to think it came more in December and I was complaining a little bit about it last week, but I got to get out my jacket one night this week! and I heated up water for my shower on Sunday.  So life is GREAT! and less hot.

Shout out for referrals this week.  Most of the people we taught this week were referrals at some point from members and it really does make all the difference.  So hopefully you can prayerfully find someone to invite to listen to the missionaries so we can all do our part in this great work! 

Just wanted to share my testimony real quick of the Sacrament and just express how grateful I am for the Spirit.  It is such a wonderful gift Heavenly Father has given us.  It can help us to taste a piece of the joy that we can have for eternity if we live to qualify for the celestial kingdom.  I sat in sacrament meeting this week watching the deacons pass the sacrament just completely overwhelmed by the love our Heavenly Father has for each of us. I mean seriously I couldn't stop smiling and I felt like my heart was gonna burst with all the happiness!  I know Heavenly Father loves us beyond what we can understand and I know He has a plan for all of us!

As for questions:

What would you say has been most surprising about a mission?

Ummm... a lot of things have been surprising.  I think the most surprising thing at the beginning was how inadequate I felt.  Also surprising is how sometimes you do just have to do your best and realize that is being successful.  I read in the Joseph Feilding Smith manual this week that he served his entire mission in England and never had a single baptism but planted lots of seeds.  It surprises me that that can be God's plan for some of His missionaries but it's true that everything we do benefits someone...even if that someone is ourselves! haha.  And lastly everyone will tell you you will be surprised at how deeply you can love the people you serve but you really can't understand until you experience it.  I have been surprised at the love I feel for the people we teach and even more surprised at the sorrow I feel when they don't choose the right.  It is the best feeling and worst and I wouldn't trade my mission for ANYTHING.

What, if anything, would you have done differently in terms of preparation?

I would've done a lot different...  Mostly I wish I had done more practice teaching.  That would have been a huge help to me. It helps to better understand how to teach and prepare for questions.  I should have attended mission prep class.  I think that is mostly the only things I would have done different as far as preparation. 

When you have been most successful on your mission, is there anything that the success can be attributed to?

Well of course the success is always attributed to God. :P haha.  But um.... I think sometimes no matter what you do right, things aren't gonna look successful. And sometimes you have success when nothing seems different.  But I know that companionship unity does REALLY help in the success.  Also I think I would say how effective personal and companionship study are. There are days when I feel the Spirit more strongly or get much more testimony and knowledge out of my studies than other days and I know it makes a difference in my attitude and faith for the whole day. And of course being obedient.

So for spiritual thought: Satan's power is real. I read in Corinthians this week about how we should not be ignorant of him and his power because he does have power. Plus on top of his power we are fighting the natural man who is also an enemy to God.  It is so easy for Satan to place negative thoughts in our minds.  He can easily play on our weakness and lead us to lower self-esteem, doubt the gospel and God's power, doubt ourselves.  He can make us feel not good enough. BUT we can't listen.  That is simply a tool that he uses.  We must turn to the one who made us, turn to the one who KNOWS we are good enough to overcome Satan.  He loves us the way we are.  We of course need to continue to improve and change but it doesn't have to feel bad. We don't need to be negative.  Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we all have hope.  SO hope and change and tell Satan to go away because you are a child of God. You have unlimited potential and the power to access that potential if we can just press forward with a perfect brightness of hope. So whatever your worries, don't let Satan get you down!  Look up and move forward.

Love

Sister Hamm

Happy New Year's!

Me and my comp in our lava lava!  She gave
me it her first night here. 

Dear Family,

Well this week was great!  Although realizing that I haven't written you since New Years makes this week seem like a month long!! But it didn't feel that way going along so its all good. :)  So let's see.

New Years Eve I got your package! :) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! It was so wonderful.  Full of perfect love and traditions and gifts. You totally spoil me! But don't worry I'm sharing. :) 

So the West's (missionary couple) had us over on New Years Eve and we actually stayed up to watch the fireworks. (Yes, I disobeyed mission rules... don't worry... the consequences story is coming.)  It was fun.. I ate way too much chocolate licorice (and too much other food too)! Shared the licorice, fruit snacks were a huge hit too. :)  Then on the 1st we got up on time but turns out my companion had a horrible headache so she rested for a bit.  We hardly ate breakfast because here the New Year is celebrated with a big meal and then all day on the first people feed you the left overs and new food that they cook on the 1st. So I was feeling... not hungry.. but not sick as we went to the first house... and then the 2nd... Okay lets skip to long story shorter. We finally went to the last appointment of the night with the Elders.  It was to our branch presidency members house. And on the walk over I told them there was no way I could eat.. because I now had stomach cramps and could feel a fever coming on... Well at the house I felt so bad not eating and the family tried so hard to get me to.. finally I settled for some coke but couldn't take 2 sips without intense stomach pain so that was it. Well later that night I ended up getting a priesthood blessing and throwing up.  The next morning I had a fever but according to the blessing I was able to go out and work and was fine the rest of the day. So it all works out.. but disobedience always has consequences.

The rest of the week was also great! Like talking with my favorite less active in the underneath the stars out on their porch all about the gospel and how she wants to be able to say that this is the only true church but she isn't there yet. And having our branch missionary totally feel the Spirit and us not  be confounded while answering question after question of a new investigator. Topped of by Sunday where an 11 year old unbaptized girl (family is less active) woke up and got herself and her 10 yr old neighbor ready for church and they want to come again next week.  And their were 4 people who were found worthy to receive the priesthood.  One of which is the son of the my favorite less active sister.  So much awesome in one week!

And Spiritual thought: 1 Corinthians 6:Last 2 verses 16 and 17 maybe... "What? Know ye not... that ye are bought with a price and ye are not your own."  I always love this scripture and this morning in personal study it hit me with the Spirit again. We were bought with a price.  Someone saw us and said I want that and when they saw the price tag it wasn't "uh.. that's expensive... maybe I'll just get a different, cheaper one...."  No, Jesus Christ  saw the price-- Suffering and Death and said She is worth it.  Heavenly Father saw the price-- His most beloved, only begotten Son and said She is worth it.  And then They bought us. And now we are not our own.. but not as slaves.  They bought us AND gave us freedom.  We all have free agency and we can choose to do WHATEVER we want. No restrictions. But we are not our own... We are owned by Someone who loved us enough to pay the ultimate price.  And He asks us to follow His commandments because He gave us a spirit and a body and He loves us the way we are in our perfect state. So just like a puppy let loose in the yard can wander into barb wire or holes (much to the sorrow and dismay of the loving owner), we can wander and fall but Heavenly Father gives us rules and asks us to follow them so that we won't ruin the beauty (inside and out) that He paid for. So let us be obedient- to thank the Two that loved us enough that no price was too high and who will ALWAYS welcome us back and fix us up if we fall short.

Love you,

Sister Hamm

My new outfit!  Thanks!