Hey mga americano!
So, I guess it was conference for you all this week. We don't get to see it until this weekend, I guess it gets delayed a week here in the Pinas. That's all good tho! I am excited to hear our general authorities speak!
Anyways, this week has been absolutely amazing in Balayan Batangas.. We have felt our prayers answered in so many ways here it's amazing!
I'll start from the beginning, the first prayer that was answered is that we got a new supermarket in Calaca (about 20 mins away) and they have SPAM!!!!!!! My new favorite food! WOOT and they have "Jiffy" Peanut Butter straight from the US and also Pringles... Oh, and Hunt's Tomato ketchup.. none of this Banana ketchup nonsense.. Let me tell you that I went on a shopping spree and we are eating good here in Balyan! My comp was a little weirded out at all of the american food but, I am determined on teaching him the ways of Americans... Snack, Snack, Snack.. that is the secret.. Who needs to spend 45 minutes cooking rice and nasty meat from the friggin' palenke (meat market). So, I have been munching on Pringles with a drop of Tabasco sauce. SO GOOD! You guys really take for granted all of the food in America. Anyways.. That was prayer number one! haha
Prayer number two has to do with the branch. First off, all we got a new Branch president, he is from Calaca and holy moly he is amazing!! Coming to church this week was like a breath of fresh air, it felt like church should feel... ORGANIZED lol.. Basically we had a fast and testimony meeting, and then the last 2 hours of church was our branch president instructing us on how to become organized. I'm not gonna lie, he kinda chastised us a little bit, but honestly the branch needed to hear that. Already this week all of our youth have an activity and every Saturday we are having branch activities. Not to mention, he is extending callings to all of the members. I am so grateful for that. Finally, we have someone who knows how to run a branch and AHH!! I am so happy, it truly is amazing to have your prayers answered like this. Honestly, it's been 4 months praying and working and it all seems to be coming together quite nicely! It kinda sucks tho cuz I think I might be getting transferred in another 3 weeks, so right when the branch gets organized I am gone.. lol Oh well.. lets just hope I stay here for another transfer. I really love Balayan and it's gonna be hard to leave.
Anyways now for experiences!
So, let me think..... Today for P-day we had a little hiking activity with our zone mates in the mountians. It was fun but friggin' hot up the yin yang.. Like I am pretty much burnt to a crisp. I woulda bought sunblock but it's like a million dollars here. Anyways we were supposed to hike to these "Falls".. And they were "Supposed" to be beautiful.. Needless to say, we hiked for like two hours through nasty trash-infested mountains to find yet another trash-infested, green pond with dried up falls lol.. It was pretty ugly. Not gonna lie. But right now, I'm here in Batangas we are sleeping over in the Big City with our zone mates.. Should be a good time!! oh and were going to SM later so mom.. Please don't hate me if I spend a little bit of money! I wanna buy MORE SPAM!!!! SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!
So, have I told you guys about my obsession with spam lately? It really is my new favorite food. I have been rekindled with my American roots this week as far as food goes and I have a new affinity for spam. It really is the universal food.. you can grind it up and mix it in eggs or you can fry it and make a hamburger, or you can eat it just plain cold as a snack. Oh, and put a little Tabasco sauce on it!! GRABBIE!! So delicious! Anyways.. I could go on all day about the pure amazement of spam, but I won't bore you..
So, yesterday was Easter, and for Easter my comp and I used that Egg-dying kit you sent and dyed some eggs.. It was amazing! lol.. the only thing is my egg was way pangit (ugly) lol.. I put too much dye in the little bag so all of the colors just mixed and my egg ended up being just dark purple lol.. Luckily my companion learned from my mistakes and made a beautiful yellowish, pinkish, bluish masterpiece.. Complete with the little sparkles. It was great fun!
So, as far as our investigators are concerned, we have 3 solid investigators that we are working on.. But we are mostly focused on organizing the branch first. One of our investigators, Din Din Balbarino, has a baptismal goal date for the last week in April.. which might be my last week in Batangas (tear).. So keep her in your prayers! But to be honest, work here in Balayan has just been a lot of busy work, visiting members and trying to get them to church.. Very tedious, and very hot.. Going house to house sharing TONS of spiritual thoughts! lol it's good fun!
But we did find one new investigator this week from Baclaran, the furthest Barangy in our area. At first she was very skeptical about listening to us, but then we asked if we could just share with her a little bit about our religion.. she agreed very hesitantly.. so we gave her the whole schpeel.. how the gospel blesses families, what we believe etc.. But in the middle of the lesson she looked at her Book of Mormon and said, "do you guys know a scripture that can help comfort me from my problems" (roughly translated lol).. Immediately Ether 12:27 popped in my head. So we shared with her how God gives us weaknesses so that we, through our faith, can make them become our strengths.. By the end of the lesson we were all in tears, the spirit really touched all of us that day and this woman (who's name escapes me, it's in my planner tho) went from being very hesitant about hearing the gospel to hungering for more! It was awesome! That was like my pinika-(thebest) experience this week!
Well anyways family, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who reads this.. The church is true! And I KNOW IT! I am ready to face any challenges that are foolish enough to face me.
Maraming Loves
Elder Hansen!
So, I guess it was conference for you all this week. We don't get to see it until this weekend, I guess it gets delayed a week here in the Pinas. That's all good tho! I am excited to hear our general authorities speak!
Anyways, this week has been absolutely amazing in Balayan Batangas.. We have felt our prayers answered in so many ways here it's amazing!
I'll start from the beginning, the first prayer that was answered is that we got a new supermarket in Calaca (about 20 mins away) and they have SPAM!!!!!!! My new favorite food! WOOT and they have "Jiffy" Peanut Butter straight from the US and also Pringles... Oh, and Hunt's Tomato ketchup.. none of this Banana ketchup nonsense.. Let me tell you that I went on a shopping spree and we are eating good here in Balyan! My comp was a little weirded out at all of the american food but, I am determined on teaching him the ways of Americans... Snack, Snack, Snack.. that is the secret.. Who needs to spend 45 minutes cooking rice and nasty meat from the friggin' palenke (meat market). So, I have been munching on Pringles with a drop of Tabasco sauce. SO GOOD! You guys really take for granted all of the food in America. Anyways.. That was prayer number one! haha
Prayer number two has to do with the branch. First off, all we got a new Branch president, he is from Calaca and holy moly he is amazing!! Coming to church this week was like a breath of fresh air, it felt like church should feel... ORGANIZED lol.. Basically we had a fast and testimony meeting, and then the last 2 hours of church was our branch president instructing us on how to become organized. I'm not gonna lie, he kinda chastised us a little bit, but honestly the branch needed to hear that. Already this week all of our youth have an activity and every Saturday we are having branch activities. Not to mention, he is extending callings to all of the members. I am so grateful for that. Finally, we have someone who knows how to run a branch and AHH!! I am so happy, it truly is amazing to have your prayers answered like this. Honestly, it's been 4 months praying and working and it all seems to be coming together quite nicely! It kinda sucks tho cuz I think I might be getting transferred in another 3 weeks, so right when the branch gets organized I am gone.. lol Oh well.. lets just hope I stay here for another transfer. I really love Balayan and it's gonna be hard to leave.
Anyways now for experiences!
So, let me think..... Today for P-day we had a little hiking activity with our zone mates in the mountians. It was fun but friggin' hot up the yin yang.. Like I am pretty much burnt to a crisp. I woulda bought sunblock but it's like a million dollars here. Anyways we were supposed to hike to these "Falls".. And they were "Supposed" to be beautiful.. Needless to say, we hiked for like two hours through nasty trash-infested mountains to find yet another trash-infested, green pond with dried up falls lol.. It was pretty ugly. Not gonna lie. But right now, I'm here in Batangas we are sleeping over in the Big City with our zone mates.. Should be a good time!! oh and were going to SM later so mom.. Please don't hate me if I spend a little bit of money! I wanna buy MORE SPAM!!!! SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!
So, have I told you guys about my obsession with spam lately? It really is my new favorite food. I have been rekindled with my American roots this week as far as food goes and I have a new affinity for spam. It really is the universal food.. you can grind it up and mix it in eggs or you can fry it and make a hamburger, or you can eat it just plain cold as a snack. Oh, and put a little Tabasco sauce on it!! GRABBIE!! So delicious! Anyways.. I could go on all day about the pure amazement of spam, but I won't bore you..
So, yesterday was Easter, and for Easter my comp and I used that Egg-dying kit you sent and dyed some eggs.. It was amazing! lol.. the only thing is my egg was way pangit (ugly) lol.. I put too much dye in the little bag so all of the colors just mixed and my egg ended up being just dark purple lol.. Luckily my companion learned from my mistakes and made a beautiful yellowish, pinkish, bluish masterpiece.. Complete with the little sparkles. It was great fun!
So, as far as our investigators are concerned, we have 3 solid investigators that we are working on.. But we are mostly focused on organizing the branch first. One of our investigators, Din Din Balbarino, has a baptismal goal date for the last week in April.. which might be my last week in Batangas (tear).. So keep her in your prayers! But to be honest, work here in Balayan has just been a lot of busy work, visiting members and trying to get them to church.. Very tedious, and very hot.. Going house to house sharing TONS of spiritual thoughts! lol it's good fun!
But we did find one new investigator this week from Baclaran, the furthest Barangy in our area. At first she was very skeptical about listening to us, but then we asked if we could just share with her a little bit about our religion.. she agreed very hesitantly.. so we gave her the whole schpeel.. how the gospel blesses families, what we believe etc.. But in the middle of the lesson she looked at her Book of Mormon and said, "do you guys know a scripture that can help comfort me from my problems" (roughly translated lol).. Immediately Ether 12:27 popped in my head. So we shared with her how God gives us weaknesses so that we, through our faith, can make them become our strengths.. By the end of the lesson we were all in tears, the spirit really touched all of us that day and this woman (who's name escapes me, it's in my planner tho) went from being very hesitant about hearing the gospel to hungering for more! It was awesome! That was like my pinika-(thebest) experience this week!
Well anyways family, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who reads this.. The church is true! And I KNOW IT! I am ready to face any challenges that are foolish enough to face me.
Maraming Loves
Elder Hansen!
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