May 8-15

We worked on some family search at the Center on Friday.  I added some memories.  At 6:00 we started our self-reliance meeting.  By 8:30 we were home.
Saturday we went to the Center, ate lunch at home at 1:00, at 2:00 we went to Mandurriaos business graduation, then at 5:30 we went to Sister Cagapes 65th birthday celebration.  What a party.  There were probably 100 people there with tributes from grade school classmates, her children paid tributes and Ray and I gave a tribute.  She is a wonderful lady, an amazing mother, and a good business woman.  She grew up very poor.  When she was young, she didn't have shoes to wear to school.  But she is keeping her children at home in the Philippines by setting them up in businesses and in homes.  She had eight children, two live in the states with their husbands and children.  But she plans on bringing them home at some point.  Home at 9:30.
Sunday we spoke in Miag-ago Group, about 30 people, only about half understood us I think.  After church there, we went to Tigbuaun and gave them some business books and education books and six Foundations books.  It was what we had left.  We came home for lunch and then went to San Miguel group.  Happy Mothers Day! Received first from the man who made me a mother, Ray, then on text from Elder now Brother Ortiz.  Early home 5:00.
Monday, May 11 we went to Cozzens; they have Internet service and they were up at 5:30 am waiting for their missionary call and said we could come there.  We got on "hangouts" with Elder Andrew Robinson then Sister Charity joined in the last fifteen minutes and then we talked with her.  Two hours went by and we had the wonderful call from Nathan, Amy, and Cole Eldon from the hospital.  What a relief to have everything done.  Welcome Little Prince!  Then Raymond and family called with Eve's delightful laugh, laugh, laugh.  It was very fun to feast my eyes on everyone!  Sarah, April, and Rachael had nice, kind words for their mother on Facebook or email.  Thank you!  The next blessing was that the district was having a party at our bungalow after the phone calls so I went home to prepare food and was happy to have things to do because it is actually deflating when the calls are over and I'm just homesick.  The district missionaries came and we watched "Meet the Mormons".  After we dropped the missionaries off at Jalandoni, we stayed for about three hours before going home.
Tuesday we went to Mandurriao for district meeting but no one had a key to get in so we took everyone to the bungalow for the meeting.  It was a good meeting.  President Aquino showed up for the last half of the meeting.  And he used a room after to have an interview with Sister Serventes.  We hung up our wash to dry after that and went to Jalandoni, went home for lunch, and went back.  We learned of our grandson's name officially:  Cole Eldon Robinson. 9 lbs.  I showed everyone I could find of this cute boys' picture.  We cancelled our meeting for tonight since we had it last Friday.  Darlene, N. Stake R.S. President and Self Reliance Specialist, needed some assistance with groceries for North stake youth conference, so we drove to the Atrium and she fed us at McDonald's.  We came home at 8:00.
Wednesday we met with Boiser and three sisters from North stake at Diversion 21 Hotel to go to Goducate where the youth conference will be held starting today.  Boiser was the first presenter; he did a good job.  His title was "Who do I want to be?"  The second presenter was the wife of the Area Presidency secretary in Manila.  Her message was on "social media" not if, but how you use it---for Christ or for the devil.  What may seem small may change your life.  Something you casually or jokingly put on Facebook can be looked at by a would be employer and lose you a job before you can ever be hired.  You can get rid of what you put on for your book but once it goes out, it can be read by others, never to be removed.  We left around 4:30 so we wouldn't have to travel back in the dark.  We stopped at home before we went to Jalandoni for the Stake Presidency meeting about self-reliance job fair in connection with 23 government agencies to be held this Friday.  We gave Butch a ride home around 8:30.
Thursday we put in one load of wash, filled the water tank and went to Jalandoni.  Just before lunch time, we paid a bill, picked up about 8 items at the grocery store and returned to Jalandoni for a 2:00 appointment, that didn't show up until 5:30.  But at 5:00 two men came in, one from Mindanao, another island and one from Dumangas wanting some help with family search and Ray was able to assist them.  They were not LDS.  They had just met each other; they are relatives.  After Cooke, the government lady, came and showed us what she wanted done for the job fair, we set up a sample and then the janitor set it all up.  Afterward we watched Arevalo young men play Molo 2 young men in basketball.  Home at 7:30.
Friday we went to Jalandoni, which is the same place as formerly referred to as the Center, at 7:30 for the job fair.  We helped a few people with resumes and gave a quick tour of the church to a man from England who was one of the employers.  The fair was a great success: 119 people came and some were offered jobs on the spot.  At 3:00 we gave Julie, Iloilo stake specialist, a ride home as we went to mission office in Arevalo to clear up some questions about apartments and shared some pamahow with the elders there.
Ha long, Elder and Sister Robinson. We love you all!