June 27-July 3 2015

Saturday we had another meeting with Iloilo stake leadership, bishops, branch presidents, relief society presidents--7 out of 8 units were represented(25present).  It was an effective meeting.  At 2:00 we took Boiser to the wharf for his return home to Bacolod.  Then we returned to the Center to write emails.  Home for an hour and back to Mandurriao for a baptism:  Maria Pamela Henson, 35ish.  Ray conducted, I led the rest music while she was getting dry dressed and I played prelude.  Yes, at baptisms they are desperate for help.  I was the best available.  I think I will practice when I get home.  8:10 retire to bed!
Sunday we attended Mandurriao.  Pamela was confirmed and after sacrament meeting, we met with the elders and Queenie and Brakie--kept the lesson to Sunsay School time only so they could attend mutual and relief society.  The lesson in relief society was on temples.  And the Bishop came in to review the interview questions.  Queenie really liked it.  After the block, we attended San Miguel group.  I was the chorister;  Ray gave the prayers.  It was very inspiring.  The talks were about "charity" (yes, I missed having Charity near to smile at or nudge).  It was all in Illongo but the Spirit carried the message to our hearts.
Monday we went to Arevalo and did English testing for 3 outgoing missionaries.  After that we went with Cushings to Promenade for lunch buffet.  It was American food because of the Fourth of July coming up.  Those who work there were even dressed up in cowboy clothes minus the boots.  We did some grocery shopping at the Atrium for Rays birthday meal and then took Cushings to Robinson Mall.  We stopped at SM Mall for about 5 items from the grocery store there.  Home.  We met with Queenie and Brakie and the missionaries for a lesson at our apartment on the Word of Wisdom and Chastity.  It was great.  Queenie said her skirt was too short.  She also committed to stop drinking coffee.  Her habit is four cups of black coffee a day, she will get headaches without it.  I fixed them all rice and jumbalaya and mango/pineapple/banana shortcake with whip cream.  (No Cajun spice here so the recipe is Philippines modified😄).
Tuesday was zone meeting and the spirit was great.  After the meeting, we stayed at Jalandoni in the office for a few hours and then went home where I fixed Ray a birthday meal--jello salad ( cranberry jello that was natural favors)
I jelled the jello the night before and then just cut it up is how they do it here and then added fresh pineapple and bananas and sour cream and stirred it up, also potatoe salad which I had already cooked the potatoes and eggs and cooled them so it was just putting it together with pickles ( it is very difficult to get dill pickles here and very expensive--only the Atrium has them and only sometimes), cucumber and tomatoe salad with thousand island dressing, chicken breast with a pineapple slice, avocado and melted cheese--(it was suppose to be bacon, not pineapple but I forgot to defrost the bacon--it would have tasted better with bacon), and mango, pineapple, banana short cake with whip cream for dessert.  No, it wasn't chocolate but I haven't found a chocolate mix here so the chiffon cake we were given in Roxas, (fresh made just for us).  It was delicious.  At 5:30 we picked up Queenie and Brakie and brought them to our apartment for another lesson on the "gospel of Jesus Christ".  We also went over the baptismal interview questions.  Brakie will be interviewed Saturday (Queenie requested to save time for her also but she is not ready to say yes yet to baptism).  She wants to read more of the Book of Mormon and be sure.  I fed them chips and 7-layer dip--they loved it.  And Queenie went without coffee all day and no headache but she thought she felt a little tired but said she would continue to not drink it.
Wednesday we did wash while the sun was shining, went to Iloilo Ford to make an appointment for the six month check on the mission truck, went to the Center, bought water, came home for lunch.  Not so much work for lunch today...leftovers from the birthday!  We brought the clothes back in before it started to sprinkle (yeah!), I laid down on some heat for my shoulder and back; after a rest, we returned to the Center.  Back home...we got the news from Queenie...She wants to be baptized May 11!!!  Woohoo!!!  Fantastic as Ray says.  We are so excited!  We felt confident she would be but "when" was the question.  When we started out with her, I asked when she discovered that the Church was true, would she be baptized?  She said, yes, but she needed to study its history and make sure, so maybe by December she would know.
It all kind of went like this until she was committed to reading the Book of Mormon.  Once she started reading, it has gone beautifully.  The Book of Mormon just carries a spirit of peace, of love, of truth.  I love the Book of Mormon.  It was great how in the last conference we were instructed to read it every day, every day, every day.  It was also mentioned that you don't have to be a missionary to do it😉.  I am jumping high!
Thursday we had the vehicle washed and picked up a few groceries across the street at the mall named Robinson.  It always brings smiles and comments because of our name tags matching the mall and grocery store name.  The rain came pouring down as it does here and I commented that it would stop raining when it was time for us to walk back across the street to get the truck.  Yes, that is just how it happened and then we headed to the Center until lunch.  After lunch, I took a little rest with heat on my shoulder, then we went and visited Cozzens.  I just love this family.  She is Filipino, he's American, their daughter is on a mission in Canada, her convert before she left from here, Nathan is also serving a mission in Davoe.  They are very impressive members.
Friday we are down to just a drizzle of rain this morning.  It has poured for two days.  We were wondering how much, as in inches has come down here in Iloilo.  We are enjoying our new apartment.  There was a brownout last night, meaning no electricity and we get such a nice breeze coming through with all the windows.  So nice.  Until next week, Love Siater Robinson III