Last week of March-April 3

Last Friday, I reported a water problem in the house we were using.  It turned out that the pipe just needed to be tightened.
We took the Antique zone leaders their stuff they had left in our truck and then took a ride along the coast to find some beach.  We found a beach resort, drove in and I walked into the ocean up to mid thigh.  The ocean water was bath temperature.  Nice.  We drove back to the couple missionary house and washed the sand off my feet and shoes and watched some church videos:  Moses etc. and I fell asleep.  Later we read and then went to Gaisonos Mall and ate at Manf Inasal (teriyaki chicken), and outside the door, we got a Buko juice.  It was all great!
Saturday 9:00 am we had a meeting to attend but it started at 10:00.  It was graduation for 59 students of ACC. With PEF/ER (Advance Central College).  After the ceremony, the baking and cooking students had prepared lunch for us.  It was great!  This is really a good baking school.  At 2:00 all branches were there and we started "My Path" but only finished the middle of the budget part and Boiser ended it.  He told them to order the pamphlets and do it individually as a branch.  Then he answered questions about PEF.  At 4:30 we stopped for another Buko juice and headed home, 2 1/2 hour drive.  We arrived at 7:30 and I'm exhausted.
Sunday, a new fast day, the fifth Sunday.  I was up with leg cramps 2x in the night; I was short of water, I believe.  We are fasting for Amy and the baby.  Tigbauan branch is our target today.  We enjoyed combined priesthood/relief society, then Sunday school, and we spoke in sacrament meeting.  They fed their group and then we orchestrated "My Path" without books for 19 people.  It is draining and insufficient to do it without the pamphlets.  But for some reason this branch does not have any budget.  Two new members were confirmed today--adults.  It was great!  One, a man, is blind from birth and he does massage.  He is very self reliant.  The other new member is a young wife.  They thanked us for our inspiration.  We were the ones inspired. What wonderful people!
Monday---I just feel so grateful for an honorable companion who loves the Lord and is a covenant keeper.  I'm a blessed daughter of my Heavenly Father.  We went to the mission office and turned in our monthly car miles report, visited with the elders and then picked up Cushings at the wharf.  We all went to the bank, did some odds and ends shopping and the four of us went to lunch at the Promenade, then did some grocery shopping, went to Jalandoni where we showed them some video clips that we show during the missionary career workshop, we discussed. The English testing, visited and took them back to the wharf.  We picked up water and home.  We made a little something to eat and then relaxed.  Oh, by the way, they ate buffet.  I ate pumpkin soup.😀 Just knew you wanted to know.
Tuesday was zone conference at Jalandoni 8:00 am.  It was the best so far.  Elder Eenje did a great job; I cried.  The theme was "finish the race". We got a copy of the video clip he showed.  Consecrated missionaries never give up on the Lord's work.  They hunger and thirst for instruction, correction, chastisement.  Your life in the future will depend on the quality of your mission experience.  Elder Eenjes motto: "It is easier to go down the hill than up; but the view is on the top." President Hinckley would probably add:  "The joy is in the climb." I think that is right.  It is great to look back on out lives and enjoy our grandchildren, but the journey daily with our own children was where the trip was the hardest and the most rewarding because we were on the path together, experiencing...now we have a great view!  But feel very tender, longing for the trip.  After the meeting, we returned to bungalow, took a rest, and went to Jalandoni for self reliance meeting; just Ivan and Butch came. But Butch was so excited about his meeting with Iloilo Stake so it was fun to get his report.  He said the specialist, Julie, did a good job.  So I think this stake is getting on the self reliance train now.  After the meeting, I made muffins.
Wednesday I put in one load of wash and then we did central zone apartment checks. We took the zone leaders with us and took them to McDonald's for lunch, turned in the reports at Arevalo, then went to Jalandoni.  Darlene came in and Ray was able to help her report to Boiser.  We saw the south zone leaders, so we gave them a ride to their apartment so we could know where it is for next week apartment checks for that zone.  We got home around 8:00, made a coconut, banana, pineapple, yogurt shake and went to bed.
Thursday, April 2, I prepared the eggs for p-day with the Easter story for our district.  We did two loads of wash and went with the elders to Teresa's house where they invited us for lunch, a big spread.  We stayed until 3:00.  I showed them pictures of my family and my ancestors.  I also played them some of Andrew's cd.  We visited a lot.  We will go back again before ten days are up because her family will be returning to the United States.  I testified of the importance of families being together.  Then we went to Jalandoni to listen to Women's Conference before it is actually broadcast here.
Friday we went to the Center and I talked with Angela and April.  That was fun.  Everything is dead quiet around town.  Yesterday was Maundy Thursday, today is good Friday and every business is closed.  There are no vehicles on the streets except us.  They really reenact the crucifixion.  On Guimmeras they actually nail someone's hands to the cross.  They reopen everything on Sunday.  Well, anyway, we picked up Butch and went to Oton with 23 present for a PEF meeting for college bound people.  It was very productive and informative and we answered questions.  After we dropped Butch off and went to Arevalo to drop off some bills for the President from Antique proprietor and Ray put the license plates on the blue office truck with Elder Seeds.  They didn't have any tools to do it.  Here is my thought for the week:
          Six Characteristics of Real Servants---
1-real servants make themselves available to serve
2-real servants pay attention to needs
3-real servants do the best with what they have
4-real servants do every task with equal dedication
5-real servants are faithful to their ministry
6-real servants maintain a low profile
I'm trying to be like Jesus, the greatest real servant.  Love, Sister Robinson III, Mom