February 14-20

Saturday we went to the Center to run off leader guides and facilitator guides from the computer.  Then we went to Arevalo to check in with the business class---only two classes left and seven will be eligible for the certificate from LDS Business college in Salt Lake City!  We are so pleased with how the people have sacrificed to attend every class.  They will improve their lives for sure.  We went to Molo church to pick up Butch and Michele to take them out for Valentine's dinner.  Michele has hemmed all my dresses for free.  When we got to Molo, they were taking pictures so we got in on that.  A whole family was baptized; Mom, Dad, two girls, 13 and 16.  It was so exciting to be there with them.  The talks were given, the baptisms performed twice on each, and the newly baptized each bore their testimony.  After that, we went to Diversion 21 Hotel for our dinner reservations.  It was decorated so pretty with our name on the table and a special valentine menu. It was so nice to be with my own valentine on a date.  We got home around 8:00.  We begin missionary fast now.
Sunday we were up at 5:30 to catch the pump boat to Guimaras for church and "My Path" devotional.  Elder and Sister Cushing picked us up at the wharf and drove us to the Jordan branch.  They were so nice to us and wanted to know when we would come back:). Ray spoke, the elders quorum president and the district president, President Bisete.  Ray was also a deacon for the sacrament.  It felt like such a privilege to have him serve at the Lord's sacrament table.  We went to Sunday school and relief society/Priesthood and they served all who stayed for the devotional rice noodle/chicken soup.  I loved it.  The devotional was about 20 in number and after they stayed to visit with us.  It was so enjoyable.  Then Cushings took us to their house and served us watermelon and we visited until it was time to catch the boat back.  We took a taxi to and from the wharf in Iloilo because we need to have our mission vehicle behind gates when we leave.  At home, we had our Sunday popcorn and water.
Monday 5:30 am we were at the Esplanade by the river with our zone doing Zumba dancing.  We showered after and then picked up Cushings at our wharf for all of us to do English testing, also Sessions, for the outgoing Filipino missionaries.  After we went to lunch at the Atrium where I ordered a chef's salad and a green mango shake.  It is the best, a little sour with a lime taste...ooh.  I will miss the green mango shakes.  We picked up onions and peppers for tonight's pork sandwiches with our district and we watched "Meet the Mormons" on our little computer but it was still inspiring.  Then we drove the missionaries home.
Tuesday we got up at 4 am to be at the airport to Cebu Temple!  I hadn't realized how much I missed the temple.  We are sleeping at the patron house by the temple:  no towels, no soap, but sheets:). And we were able to be in the same room together.  We prepared some family names to take and that was nice.  I believe Charity was baptized for Mrs Torrece August 2 in Bountiful and Andrew performed the ordinance, so Tuesday I did her initiatory and received for her the endowment.  It was fun to think of Charity and Andrew as part of this process with me for an ancestor in 1640.  Sister Cagape made all the arrangements for us to fly and stay and eat.  She is so kind to us. Cuzzins were there also from Mandurreao as the daughter was doing her own work prior to going on a mission to Canada speaking Mandarin Chinese.  She is Japanese.
Her convert friend is here also; he will leave for his mission to Mindanao. I'm not sure how it is spelled but it is another island here.  Between the two days, I was able to participate in seven initiatories and five endowments.
Thursday I worked in family history cleaning up some family files and merging duplicates and triplicates.  I would like to get good at that.  Then we flew back to Iloilo and went to Arevalo to check in with the mission president.  Ray put license plates on the vehicle, actually changed them because we were given two sets and they had the wrong information on them, so now it is right and we will return the other set to the mission office.  We met so many people in Cebu and so many asked if we knew President and Sister Mortimer.  That was fun to be able to tell them yes, they were great friends with my sister and her husband and also that she had made my daughter who is serving a mission in California a blessing cap twenty one years ago.  Sister Cagape introduced us to one of her friends and she took us around Cebu in a small red jeepney to a S&R, like Costco in the states.  It was not as big, about 1/3 the size.  It was interesting.  Sister Cagape fed us all.  Today while waiting for the plane, she treated us to a sugar cane drink with calamansi in it, ooh.  It was fun to watch the sugar cane stalks go into the juicer and be squeezed.  It was very tasty.  We will try to go back in August or September, hopefully.  We will try to get other missionary couples to go with us.
Friday we are catching up on laundry.  And grocery shopping.  Today we will go to Jalandoni(the Center) and get ready for Sunday and go to a "Called to Serve" for a missionary going out that I referred to previously in this email.  It is a great blessing to serve a mission.  Yes, there are sacrifices...and I feel it as three babies will be born while we are here and I do not have the privilege to go to the homes and serve my own children's families but The Lord is prospering us and sending blessings and I am enjoying them.  Love and God will bless you, Sister Robinson, Mom
HAPPY VALENTINES,  MAY YOU ALL SERVE WHEREVER YOU ARE WITH YOUR SWEETHEARTS.