September 5, 2015-September 11

Why is it so long in between emails from our kids but so short between writing my weekly email?
Saturday we did South Zone apartment checks, after starting on Thursday with two apartments but we couldn't finish until Saturday but it was nice to end by 11:30 instead of 1:30.  We took the zone leaders, Elder Elkington and his split companion to check until we came to Elder Stewart, the other zone leader.  Then we finished the apartment checks and took them to eat at their pick:  Mang Inasal--chicken, unlimited rice and banana split which is a banana slice rolled in like spring roll and deep fried, two on the tray with 3 heaping Tablespoons of ice cream in between😆.  It was good though and the elders thanked us.  They had never had the banana split.  We came home around 3:00.  Read some and started our fast.  Listened to 2014 Sunday morning conference.  Interesting as I think about the factions in this Ward.  I think each of them should just let it go.  Others enjoy each group.  They have been counseled to let it go.  Stop it.  Push out bad thoughts with hymns or scripture memorization.  "Let us oft speak kind words of each other."  Count your blessings verse 3:  when you look at others with their lands and gold, think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold.
Sunday we attended Mandurriao Ward, broke our fast, picked up some young men in our Ward and took them with us to the San Miguel group--29 today in attendance, lots of testimonies.  I was blessed to lead the singing.  We gave 5 people rides home.  Just as we drove in front of the apartment, we could see a sheet of rain just two houses in front of us.  We watched it move towards us.  I jumped out and opened the gate for the truck and ran for cover.  At that moment it showered our apartment but I made it, Ray had an umbrella.  Crazy fun!
Monday as I was reading Mosiah 7:30-- the effect of covetousness, contention is poison.  Who would drink poison?  ...turn to the Lord with full purpose...trust and serve Him with all diligence of mind..  We did a load of wash, went to the Center;  President Hernaez came in to talk and thank us for substituting.  He got really sick at their I statute meetings in Cebu and when he returned, he ended up in the hospital dehydrated.  At 12:30 we went to the SM food shopping, home, lunch,back to Jalandoni, then took Sorilla's for dessert at the Plazuela and home at 9:00pm.
Tuesday zone meeting, all the missionaries, 4 sisters in the back seat and 4 elders in the pickup bed, 7:30 am we headed for Jalandoni.  It was our best zone meeting ever.  President Aquino said that the more time you spend in the field, the more you will feel the Spirits direction.  Jacob 4:6 "faith unshaken". Obedience will bring blessings.  Even obedience in the little things, such as being on time, excellent obedience, will bring blessings.  Continue To Rock. We studied Jacob 5 during training.  I can feel the goodness of this zone and the deep excitement of doing the Lords work, being submissive, the Lords way.  There is a change happening in this zone.  "A true servant is someone who follows the will of his master."  All that He asks is that I keep His commandments--His promise:  I will prosper in the land.  We returned to the apartment for lunch.  Ray scrubbed on the bathroom floor; I took a rest.  Then after we purchased water, we returned to the Center.  We returned to the apartment for the night at 5:15.  Opened my new toothbrush for the last six months of the mission,  it's purple😍.  Thanks Dr. Derek for the donation.  A new toothbrush feels so good here with must and moisture and mold everywhere-- a brand new unopened toothbrush!  It's Christmas.
Wednesday morning Ray checked early on his phone for emails and found Charitys.  The Lord is blessing all His missionaries.  I feel His arms around us and His coaxing me to move forward, let go of the world.  We wipe white mold out of my closet weekly and I'm still breathing.  Missionary life is amazing.  We did our regular routine this morning and a load of wash, hung it to dry, and went to the Center.  It rained off and on with the sun shining all day long so the wash stayed inside with an electric fan.  It will take all night to finish drying.  Elder and Sister Cushing came to the center around 11:00 and we visited there for about 45 minutes and then went to the Promenade for the buffet lunch.  I ate too much.  For about a month now I have been having oil slicks in my urine.  I thought it was weird but maybe just unloading extra fat.  Ray looked it up on the Internet.  As a precaution, he is having me drink coconut water, cranberry juice with fresh lime.  Anyway, after lunch, we brought Cushings to the apartment and played Rummicube--Sister Cushing won, then Ray won the next game.  We took them to the wharf and went back to Jalandoni.  Came home at 7:27 pm☺️.  It was a fun day.  Ray is ironing shirts and I am going to get ready for bed.
Thursday we did our morning routine and packed up to go to Bacolod.  We walked a little with our small but heavy bags down our street and took our first jeepney ride.  We went to SM where we got off and got a taxi from there to the wharf P100.  We got there at 9:00 am and the Weesam Express was leaving at 9:05 Perfect.  While Ray waited in line, I went to the cr(comfort room) and onto the boat. P250 each equals P500 one way.  The trip takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.  I can't wait to spend some time with Greens again.  They are through with their mission and will go to Cedar City, Utah after they go on a safari to Africa and then to Paris for more adventures.  They are meeting up with friends/relatives who are through with their mission also and will trip around together.  It will take them a month to go home.  In six months, there will be one scheduled detours for me.  I am ready to see my family now but six months will go fast as we do all we can to serve and lift others.  It's a great job!  Greens picked us up at 10:45 and we went to Mariano and Maria's Ruins.  Had a photo shoot there.  It was so much fun!  We went to lunch at the Mooon.  We had nachos, chicken fajitas, tostitos, and a chicken-cashew salad.  We went grocery shopping and then to Greens hotel/house where we made a bean salad, visited and later went to a Chinese place for dinner, Golden Fortune where we had sweet and sour pork, pineapple rice, lemon chicken, asparagus chicken soup.  They have many more nice eating places here in Bacolod.  Greens served us napoleons, which are like a thin pastry with  mango custard in between the layers and a light icing on top.  Yummy. I ate two!  No weight loss this week.😓. We played Rummicube and to bed.
Friday we exercised, went for a walk, read the scriptures, and ate onion, peppers, saboteurs 3 egg omelette with watermelon, mango, real milk from Holstein milk cows in Sagay, wheat toast with blackberry jam and apricot jam. Wow!  This is the best we have had it!  We went to The District, a most American grocery store.  It was huge and beautiful, not like Iloilo stores.  They bought food for two parties, one party tonight for about sixty people and one party on Sunday for the Ward after Sister Greens piano recital.  We came back to their beautiful house, unloaded groceries, and worked on boiling eggs, and potatoes for five cookie box size potatoe salads.  More next week.  It is interesting to come over here.  Each persons missionary experience is so different....the homes with live in or apartments, the islands are each so different, the facilities and equipment...even in just our mission--the other three couples live in nice homes with washer and dryer, dining rooms, etc.   We live in an apartment just like the single missionaries.  I think we are getting a "real" Filipino experience.  But like the temple missionaries in Cebu, all live in an apartment above the patron house and there are many of them that have the together etc.  Panay couples are all separated, one on an island, one way up north, and us in Iloilo.  It is nice that we get to travel the entire island and go to the separate island plus here in Bacolod. We get to see other couples every couple of weeks.  I need that.  I think the couples really feel isolated in our mission.  It is a great experience to realize how much we need each other. I am looking forward to working on Temple Square again and all the people😃. Love Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma