Another week, yes, but a new year!

2014 has been great!  I love the Facebook post of Eve Irene.  It is beautiful!
Saturday, December 27, we went to Arevalo where we attended one of the Business classes, then we sent emails and picked up a hamburger at McDonald's, we got $ at  BDO and purchased some plumbing materials because we have a water leak.  We visited Sister Timbas, our 90 year-old friend, went to our bungalow to fix the leak, ate dinner and relaxed.
Sunday we went to Manduriao Ward at 8:30, 10:30 we went to Jaro First Ward to deliver books, attended LaPuz sacrament meeting, and spoke at LaPaz sacrament meeting, attended Sunday school there and went to Jalandoni for Molo 1st Ward My Path from 4-7, dinner at bungalow and bed at 8:30.  Sundays are exhausting but profitable.  We need to have two Sundays a week:). It is not a typing error there are two different wards: LaPuz and LaPaz.
Monday, I prepared our calendar for the new year scripture reading.  I have a head cold but it is mild, not too miserable as they usually are.  We drove to Passi (1 1/2 hour drive one way) to deliver 44 workbooks for their ward.  We drove back to Iloilo, played Word for Word, had prayer and went to bed.  (we heard from Elder Mariano, our district leader before he returned home to Florida, he is now at BYU). Yeah!
Tuesday everything was cancelled--district meeting, self reliance meeting...the streets were empty.  It was a big rain fall and a typhoon, Seniang, was happening.  By 11:00 am the rain quit so we went to the Center, packed up books, took inventory and we are out of materials. We met a family from Bacolod, heard their conversion stories and their marriage and children miracles.  They are stuck here because of the typhoon, nothing (boats) are not running because of the rough waters. We reported to Boiser our inventory and hope he brings us some in two weeks.  We picked up 9 items at the store, had lunch, played Farkle, Uno, Word for Word, read more of Jesus the Christ, and watched some leadership videos from President Aquino from the Church on DVD on the computer.
Wednesday, had prayer, exercised, showered, read scriptures, had breakfast, did wash, made cornflake with toasted coconut bits treats covered on top with chocolate, cut up pineapple and papaya, set up crackers with cheese dip and gathered our games. We went to INJAP Hotel for New Years Eve, away from the smoke and noise.  President Insigne and Brother Hernaez and families both went also.  We took the truck to Jalandoni to be behind church-locked gate and took a taxi to the hotel.  Ray went swimming and I taught the Insigni females how to swim the back stroke from the side of the pool.  President Insigni brought pizza and we used our bed for a table and both families and us ate and played games Uno, Word for Word, and Farkle and watched fireworks from our sixteenth floor room window.  Everyone had fun.  They went to their own rooms around 10:00 and we continued to watch the fireworks.  We have never seen anything like it.  It was like the town's 4th of July going off in every neighborhood all over the city all at once for hours and at midnight it went crazy all night but really nuts for about an hour after midnight like 100x all over not just in one park and they were all huge bursts too.
Thursday Happy New Year!  We took a taxi to get the pickup at the church and returned to our bungalow after our usual routine.  One thing was different-- I had a warm shower for the first time in four months!  It felt so good.  We had breakfast at the hotel.  How can you ruin scrambled eggs?  It was still wet and not cooked:( but we ate and aren't sick yet.  The menu said western sausage...not..it was a chicken hot dog:( oh, well, I cook breakfast tomorrow:). We returned to our bungalow, finished some laundry, reading...   Now I know why missionaries are happy when the holidays are over.  You can't do anything because people are too busy with their own things.  It is good they use the time to be with family.  We will have one again in 14 months.  Now I know what missionaries at home need during the holidays.  So happy to be a missionary and to be growing in understanding and experience.  Of course, it isn't just holidays that shut things down but also typhoons and heavy rains.
Tomorrow we are going to Tiolas to see the branch presidents pig business and see if Ray can give some insight on how to expand and enlarge, one member at a time.  It is about an hour and a half drive one way, so it will take our day.  We are so aware of our dependence on The Lord and direct revelation for us and for each member.
Love, Sister Robinson III