September 11-September 18, 2015

Friday to finish.  We pattied 76 ground round patties for the party tonight.  About 60 people came plus Boiser and his family.  The group that Greens had worked with sang them a cute farewell song about if they had only one friend left, they would want it to be them.  The Greens have made a big impact, plus they started a call center and business here with 20 employees.  So for these 20, they have made a life change for them.  Sister Green has also taught piano lessons and ordered keyboards from the church.  It was late when everyone left.  We all dropped into bed tired.
Saturday I exercised; Ray rode a bike around the neighborhood; we had cold milk--cows milk, and cold cereal--first time in a year for me to have milk or cold cereal.  We visited and they took us to the wharf and we rode the Fast Cat back to Iloilo--they even gave us a senior discount P390 for two of us instead of P500.  It was so nice.  After our taxi ride from the wharf, we took care of our ham and hot dogs we had purchased in Bacolod.  We each ate a hot dog and chips and humus.  First hot dog in over a year and ham also.  We sliced and diced the ham so we can have slices tomorrow and Christmas.  We froze the four hot dogs that were not eaten.  This was the first we had seen that we dared to buy.  We went at 3:15 to LaPaz for North stake conference; it takes about 30 minutes to get there.  We saw Elder Fogavai at the conference.  That was fun.  We gave Sister Cagape a ride to SM from the conference and we came home.
Sunday North stake conference:  Bishop Gerardo spoke about our use of technology; Bishop Salimbot spoke about families; I spoke; Ray retold the conference story of Ben Carson and how teaching and learning self-reliance and all gospel principles happens in the home.  President Pagaduan asked, "How do you know?" Testimony.  --you must live it to know.  President Aquino said that fathers are the leaders--wives help fathers do better.  After stake conference, we went to Jaro church for "My Path" with Pavia Ward.  They served lunch first and took pictures.  --BYU beat BSU-- "My Path"-36 attended.  Home at 5:00.  I'm exhausted!  It's good.
Monday, a regular day ahead, p day, preparing for a busy week.  We did a load of wash, went to the center, met Roland and a newly returned missionary, and gave him a career workshop book to help him write a resume, back to the apartment for lunch. (Killed 3 lizards in the kitchen). Ray is having some pain with his back.  We returned to the center to prepare for the Institute lesson we will teach tomorrow night at 5:30-7:10--Book of Mormon, Alma 8-12 and Alma 13-16.  After we studied the lessons and made some preparations, we went for a walk on the Esplanade.  The weather was perfect until on the way back and people behind us came running.  We looked and it looked like a sheet of rain was coming up the river.  We ran and made it to the car before it reached us.  Exciting!  We made it back to the apartment before the sheet of rain reached there and unloaded--lightning, thunder, pouring rain, 5:45.  We will go to Sorilla's at 7:30 for fhe and dinner.  I gained 2 pounds in Bacolod😫.  In studying for the Institute class Alma 9:8-14 highlights about "remembering".  Make a short list of spiritual insights that you have been privileged to have.  Talk to parents and grandparents and make a similar list.  Review the lists and continually add to them.  Fasting:  Elder Wirthlin "Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly appetites and passions."  Alma 8:18 Alma was leaving Ammonihah after being rejected and spat upon and run out but an angel told him to go back.  He did not hesitate.  He "returned speedily".  Prompt obedience to the Lord is necessary to our spiritual well-being.  Pray mightily:  prayers that do not demand much of your thought will hardly merit much attention from our Father in Heaven.  Meditate for a while on the things for which you are really grateful.
Tuesday we received Charity's email.  It was such a lift for me; I forgot everything.  Explanation:  our pattern is that at night, I am the mouthpiece for our companion prayer.  In the morning, Ray is the mouthpiece.  In my joy of her email in this morning, I took Ray's turn and didn't even realize it.
Alma 5:45 in our reading:  Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? I do know that these things ... are true...and how do...I know of their surety? :46. ...they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God...fasted and prayed many days...this is the spirit of revelation...repent :53 will ye still persist ...in setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?  ...bring forth works...Alma 7:15 come...fear not...lay aside every sin, which doth easily beset you...Alma 7:23, 26.
We had district meeting.  After, we all went to McDonald's for apple pie and sundaes.  We dropped the missionaries off at their different places.  Sister Miggin opened the truck door just as a motorcyclist was passing on the right side of the truck and the door hit the drivers arm.  The driver was upset but my thought was how blessed she was not to have opened it sooner and to be standing there and be hit by the motorcyclist.  All was okay.  We went to the mission office and turned in our apartment checks.  We returned to the apartment and ate, rested, and went to Jalandoni to teach the Book of Mormon.  It was so fun.  REMEMBER is a key word and writing down our experiences will help us REMEMBER the great things the Lord has done for us.  8:00 o'clock home tired. (Killed two lizards in the kitchen)
Wednesday we attended the Roxas, Antique, and South zones mission conference with our area presidency general authority, Elder Shayne and Sister Lynette Bowen.  Testimonies were given.  Sister Aquino spoke about "fear" .  D&C 68:6. Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will still stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.  President Aquino said "miracles can happen every day". 1-have firm belief that you can baptize 2-pray and expect miracles daily. Sister Bowen asked, "What do we love about the gospel?"  Then she counseled us to become like-able: 1-make eye contact 2-put away cell phone 3-call people by name 4-smile 5-give a firm handshake 6-listen, we have two ears and one mouth.  Listen twice as much as we talk 7-actively listen. Elder Bowen. So kindly recognized us as covenant keepers, ones who listen to a prophet and responds because we are covenant keepers. He referred to D&C 43:8,9 "sanctified". What is that?  ..to make pure...11 Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you;sanctify yourselves before me. "Ye shall bind yourself to act".
Elder Bowen asked how many in the last 30 days have followed the first rule of the mission:  arise at 6:30.  Then he asked if there were any rules that were not as important as others?  NO.  1-OBEDIENCE plus Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ equals MIRACLES.  Arise, does that mean eyes open?  No.  It means upright.  Let's start.  Your mission lacks POWER if 1- is not happening.  If you are obedient, your confidence will wax strong in the presence of God.  Remember, "not my will, but thine be done".  2-PLAN 30 minutes every night.  God plans.  The earth and all therein was created twice, first spiritually planned, then created.  The 30 minute night planning is the spiritual creation of your day, then the physical creation of your day can happen.  This is an eternal principle. 3-Testifying contacts daily, as you travel, as you walk, as you purchase...have 30 testifying contacts daily.
It was an amazing spiritual feast.  I wish I could express all I heard and felt today.  Strengs came this afternoon for the meeting tomorrow and we spent some time visiting with them and then we returned home in a rain storm 5:00.
Thursday we gathered our district: 4 elders, 4 sisters and headed to LaPaz for Central, Kalibo, and Guimaras zones conference with Elder and Sister Bowen.  7:30 pictures by zone then at 8:00 everyone was given the opportunity to shake hands with the Bowens.  President Aquinos' message:  Be united with your companion.  Your days will be happy as you keep focused on Jesus Christ while you are in the mission here and as you are extended on your life's mission.  Sister Bowen began with giving us an assignment to write a history of people in the past, their work, their wars, God's revelations to them and it must coincide with the Bible; you must write 9 pages a day and finish in 65 days and it must hold up in the future.  Joseph Smith could not have done it and neither could any of us.  The Book of Mormon was written by God's prophets; it is true; and it was preserved by God to come forth through the Prophet Joseph Smith as he was called by God.  A serious study of the Book of Mormon will help you overcome addictions.  A story was told to us of President Hinckley whose friend who was addicted to tobacco asked him for help.  His reply was to study the Book of Mormon.  After 2 Nephi, his friend came back and said he hadn't found anything about tobacco so far.  President Hinckley responded, keep reading.  The friend came back a week later and said he still had not found anything about smoking.  President Hinckley replied, "keep reading".  His friend finished the book and found he had lost his desire for smoking.  President Bowen also talked about some kind of fleas in South America that jump, not fly, but jump.  If you catch them in a jar and put a lid on it, they bump the lid once but they never jump that high again even after you take the lid off, they will not jump higher than where the lid once was.    Even if you introduce new fleas, they will follow the ones who are already there.  We place on ourselves false limitations on ourselves, our district, our zones, our missions, our lives.  With God nothing is impossible.  Everything can be done.  When we don't PLAN, we are saying we can do this on our own.    But with God, everything can be done.  There are no limitations.  He referred to 1-2-3 from yesterday again and he said, if we would do those three things, it will change your mission.  If we walked out the church doors without a commitment to do 1-2-3, we will continue to lack the power for exaltation and be just like the fleas who won't jump out of the jar to freedom.  But when we repent, change and do 1-2-3, it will change our mission experience.
After returning the district missionaries to Mandurriao , we went to the center.  At 5:30 Sorilla's picked us up and we met President and Sister Aquino at the Riviera Spa.  We all had massages.  President wanted to unwind and relax.  I guess it is stressful for them to have general authorities come.  8:30 bed
(They sat us by the Bowens at the dinner table both days.  I felt badly because I thought others should get a chance to visit with them.  But now I think that they thought because we were Americans and speak the English language, it would be more comfortable for everyone and also relieve them of the stress of conversation.) Of course, we thought it a great honor to visit with them.
Friday 7:22 we headed to the wharf to pick up Boiser; we drove to Jalandoni where we parked the pickup and took a taxi to Ortiz wharf to go to Guimaras.  Cushings were so graciously waiting there for us at the Jordan wharf.  Guimaras District presidency called Boiser to have a meeting with them but only 16 came.  Disappointing.  His message, START.  We had a little lunch with Cushings and Boiser and headed back to the wharf.  We flagged down a taxi to Jalandoni and got the pickup to take Boiser to his hotel and on the way back to Jalandoni, Ray almost collided with a police car.  The policeman was pretty mad at us.  Ray waved to him.  We couldn't understand him.  Probably lucky for us.  We returned to Jalandoni to wait for the next meeting which we held at Promenade.  Sister Cagape bought us dinner and the meeting proceeded.  Ray was bothered some by the meeting and got up very early to distinguish his thoughts.  He discussed his concerns with Boiser Saturday morning.  Ha long, Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma