Wow! A lot of writing but it all went so fast April 18-April 24 2015

Saturday -yesterday I found an ant in my scriptures, today I found two, quote Ray, "sweet is the word."😄. I guess.  It is very hot now and it does not cool at night.--at least not enough to sleep well.  We went to Jalandoni at 10:00; Sister Cagape brought us lunch and at 1:00 a career counseling fireside was held with speakers from two government agencies, DOLE ( Department of Labor and Employment).  There were about 50 people who attended.  The lady from the government put her hand under my chin and told me, "You are so beautiful."  That felt great!  Usually everyone is calling Ray "guapo" meaning handsome.  At 3:00 there was a stake self reliance meeting.  At 4:00 there was choir practice.  They recruited me because there were no sopranos.  Today with me, there were three of us; four altos; 6 tenors; 4 basses; this is stake choir.  It was fun.  The two sopranos got on both sides of me so that they can keep in tune.  They think I'm good.😜. After choir, we went straight to Mandurriao for 3 baptisms!  7:30 home.  It has been a great week.
Sunday (3rd-fast) We went to Mandurriao for church then home to end our fast.  Next we went to LaPuz business class--they were so excited to have us come!  (It was like a double Perry Family welcome)!  They wanted me to tell stories to inspire them.😊. I told them about how I use to put eggs in 12 egg cartons and I was so careful not to break any but my dad must have thought I was too slow.  He told me to use both hands.  I would be twice as fast.  After the class, we hurried to Jalandoni for choir practice.  This time many sopranos showed up but only one alto and she was a first-timer so I moved to alto.  Late others came but still I was needed in the alto.  They served pamahow(snack) in the middle.  It was a hot ginger drink that they make and dip biscotti, a not too sweet dry cracker-like cookie.  It was good and healthy, I think.  I am going to learn how to do it so I can serve it to my family when I get home.  We finished at 6:30 and hurried to Arquolas where we were invited for a 7:00 pm farewell dinner for Sister Haun--last Sunday--leaves Monday afternoon.  They served shrimp, chicken, pork soaked in oyster juice.  I was taken by surprise after I ate two bites of pork.  I will have to more cautious .  My lip had a small swelling but not for long.  The Lord has truly protected me.  Home at 8:30.
Monday 8:45 we picked up Sister Haun and Sister Daroy.  Sister Daroy will meet her new companion today.  Sister Haun and Sister Smith fly out tomorrow for home in the United States so we took the for a buffet luncheon at the Promenade so they would experience a fancy restaurant in the Philippines.  We returned them to the mission office and let them use my iPad to write their last emails for the last time from the mission.  After all our business, we gather our things that we needed...s speaker, computer...to take to Cozzens for fhe.  We will show them "Meet the Mormons".  We were surprised when we arrived.  They had invited her sisters and brothers families also.  Dinner was had after.  They live all in the same corner of the baranguy.  Four families came to join to watch from the small Apple computer.  It turned out great and testimonies were born.
Tuesday we did the departing missionaries career workshop.  We returned all six missionaries to Arevalo for their departure to the airport.  We went back to Jalandoni and had pizza with Sister Cagape while we waited for Boiser to call to pick he and his wife up at the wharf.  After picking them up, we returned to Jalandoni to leave the church vehicle behind locked gates no the four of us took a taxi to Ortiz wharf going to Guimeras.  Cushiness picked us up there and we checked out three places to stay overnight but they were all full.  It is mango festival time, so we eventually found a fourth place and stayed there.  In our driving, we found TESDA and stopped and visited with them about schooling our members and partnering up with them for the benefit of all.  They were very eager.  Our hotel was nice because it was not far from where Cushings live and they are graciously driving us all around.  The six of us went to the Pit Stop for dinner along with the new District Presidency and their wives.  We had a private room where we could have a meeting and Boiser explained about  the "My Path" initiative.  He also talked about the poverty rates among Filipinos at large and the rates under members and active members.  It was 9:00  pm before we finished and returned to the hotel.
Wednesday Ray showered and I was exercising and when I went to shower, there was no water.  Ray went to check on the situation and they said they were working on it.  A agh!  I can't get dressed without a shower.  Good news:  it was fixed within about 15-20 minutes.  Yeah!  It is good to have reminders of the blessings from the Lord.  Cushings picked us all up at 7:30 and took us to their house to have a grand breakfast--make your own fruit bowls with watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple, coconut strings, banana, mango.  Plus boiled eggs, fried in coconut oil potatoes--it was a spread.  So nice of them.  After breakfast, we picked up Ren-Paul on our way to the boat ride  to the Marine Center.  There were fish that are male until three years old and they get big and turn into female.  And another fish that was just the opposite.  It was all very fascinating.  And a huge LaPu-lapu fish that we took a picture of as it put its face right at the top of the water.  After the boat trip back, we stopped at a monastery and then we stopped at a little shop for lunch.  Cushings took us back to the wharf for our return to Iloilo.  Boiser and Anne took a taxi to the wharf to Bacolod and we took a taxi to Jalandoni to get the mission truck that we drive.  We are worn out.  It is super hot.  Oh Wow!  The Sorillas are having us--the district for dinner at 7:00.  It is always delicious at their house.  And we so enjoyed their daughter, Kate.  She is a nurse.  She also studied in England for her MBA.  She is a really neat girl and we love to hear her talk about her experiences in England and the culture shock she experienced in coming home to the Philippines😊.  9:30 home.
Thursday we picked up our district leader, Elder Chapman.  He is very quiet and he has not been here for only one transfer, so he was a little uncomfortable about being transferred again.  But it turned out well.  He was transferred to Tigbuaun.  We took him to the mission office in Arevalo.  Transfers, 9 new missionaries...the excitement is always so fun.  Our zone leader, Eneja is going to Molo😓 but he will still be in our zone😃. Yeah!  We are a little attached to him!   He will be assigned a problem elder, but he is so fun.  Obedience feels fun with him.  He can do this challenge.  After leaving everyone at the mission office, we went to Jalandoni to work on our presentation for next week for the single adults on self reliance at a resort in Roxas.  Ray is not feeling well.  I ate.  The cleaning lady came.  It takes her about 1 1/2 hours and we pay her 200P which is usually a full days good pay.  It equals less than $5.  We returned to the center for a self reliance meeting.  Ray started the meeting with a song and a prayer and then a thought "Nay speak No Ill"-- one of the songs we will sing for stake conference.  It changed the mood of the meeting.  Whew...
Friday at 6:00am we arrived at the Plaza Libertad and had a csm (community service project).  Tomorrow is national service day.  I scraped all around the rods of a fence.  Ray painted them.  Plus many others were working.  There are two fences all around the plaza.  There were .many there from Iloilo stake and Elder Eneja was there and he started on one end and we met in the middle twice.  Three hours later with arms like rags, we came home, exercised, showered, and took a rest.  Then at 2:00 we went to Molo Ward to read to about 30 plus children and about six adults listened in.  I read Dr. Seuss:  Horton Hatches the Egg, The Sneetches and other stories, and Chrysanthemum.  It was very fun and they all loved it, especially me.  They asked me to come back next week but we are busy.  Next was Jalandoni and choir practice from 4-6:  "Nay Speak no Ill", "home Can Be a Heaven on Earth", and "How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord".  Today we ended up having 8 sopranos,5 altos, 8 tenors, and 7 basses.  We are tired.  I made some ginger tea.  Ray has had a fever flu for three days and I just started with some mild symptoms but I think the ginger tea really helped me.  It has cooled some today which made it really nice for the csm.  Today is probably between 80-90.  It is more comfortable.  It rained last night.  Perhaps the dry hot/hot season will soon be over.
What a great blessing to be part of the Lords army in these last days!  God be with you until we meet again, Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma