Friday, September 25-Friday, October 2 2015

Friday at 2:30 we ate at our apartment and took a rest.  At 6:45 we went to Smallville, had dinner, dancing, and karaoke with Sorilla's, Cozzens, Cordero's, Arquioloas and another family.  It was very fun.  I announced my 94 year young mother's wedding and we sang and danced to "Could I Have This Dance?" 10:45 home😆
Saturday we left at 6:00 am for Arevalo:  Family Fun Day 6:30 Zumba, 7:30 came to apartment to exercise, read scriptures, shower, did wash and hung it to dry outside, fixed lunch, ate, typed Christmas program for the mission Christmas party.  We returned to Arevalo for the continuation of Family Fun Day--more games.  It ended about 3:45 and then we returned water equipment back to Jalandoni and went on to Mandurriao for the baptisms at 5:00.  We were the first ones to show up, the font wasn't filled for another hour and a half--it finally started at 6:15. I spoke on baptism and the Holy Ghost (When I am Baptized, CSB 103). This is one of those experiences that I feel so full of the Spirit that I would like to cry.  A less active husband prepared himself to baptize his wife after the missionaries taught her the lessons.  They have two little girls--they will plan to go to the temple in a year.  The other baptism was a ten year old girl whose lollo(grandfather) returned to activity to baptize his granddaughter.  He was really moved by the experience.  After the baptisms, it was late; we went to McDonalds and purchased dinner: 1 Big n Tasty meal, 1 small fry, 2 apple pies.  We took it to the apartment and shared--1/4 for me and fries and pie.  It was delicious.  Prayer and bed.  I do appreciate having am and pm prayers together.
Sunday the "delight".  We are in Alma 37:33.." Teach them ...to be meek and lowly in heart; ... To withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ."  :34. ... For such shall find rest for their souls."  :36 "Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever."  Alma 37:36 ... Cry unto God for all thy support;...let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord;..." :37 " ...when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God...."  :41, 42. Because they were slothful (forgot, busy, lazy, procrastinate) they were afflicted, they did not progress or go in a straight or direct course or path.  TEMPORAL.  This really spoke to me.  We attended church in Mandurriao and Quennie brought her four year old to church for the first time.  It is fun to watch the Lord's Spirit work in her life as she grows in the gospel and he is blessing her in so many tangible ways.  Her ex husband petitioned her to return to the U.S. With the children.  We are all so happy about that.  In Sunday School Romans 12:19 Let love be real, :12 instant prayer, :21 overcome evil with good ( I remember my mother having some ornery neighbors and she won them over with kindnesses).  Then we were requested to sing with the choir for Ward conference so we attended practice.  At 1:00 we returned to the apartment, ate chili-type soup, and went to San Miguel group at 1:30.  I talked with Geraldine after and we gave her and her son a ride into town.  It is so important that we put aside our own desires and do all things the Lord's way.  Our information is so small and His so grand.  The world teaches us so many falsehoods, like if you're not happy, get out of your marriage or you must have fulfillment.  It seems smart at the time because we have been so taught by the world but the Lord's way is the only way of happiness.  Everything else is a fake and leads us to more misery.  Covenants are really our great blessing if we keep them no matter what. We returned home, ate popcorn, read, and it rained all night.
Monday it is still raining. Ray did a load of wash anyway.  The clothes will have to dry in the apartment with fans running.  My frozen shoulder is greatly improved.  I am still doing all the therapy, exercises but I am not in constant pain just very aware of my lack of movement but it is improving.  Alma 38:2. And now, my sons (and daughters) I trust that I shall have great joy in you because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord, your God ...I hope that you will continue in keeping His commandments ... :3 ... I have had great joy in thee already :5 ... remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions... :12 bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love...  ". Went to Arevalo at 8:45 to go over the Christmas program with Elder Craythorn.  We went grocery shopping from there for our district's buffet breakfast tomorrow.  Ate lunch, took a short rest, went to Jalandoni and listened to Women's conference.  Wow!  Visited Sister Timbus, 91 year old.  Her children that were living with her have now immigrated to the United States with their two children--total before the year is over, there will be five of her children there in Houston.  They have waited 22 years.
Tuesday we had district meeting in our apartment.  It's rewarding to watch our district leader mature--as he gets comfortable with himself and the Spirit.  After meeting, we served a buffet breakfast:  3" sourdough pancakes with mango syrup, 3-egg omelets to order, hash browns, rice, fruit (bananas, mangoes, lanzones, rambutan) and we had orange/pineapple juice.  At 11:40 we are on our way to Arevalo to administer an English test to a going home missionary.  Returned to the apartment, ate and rested, then went to Jalandoni and worked on mission Christmas conference.  6:00 we walked on the Esplanade, 6:20 returned to apartment, ate a snack (1/2 Apple, 8 rice crackers), read and bed.  Alma is one of my favorite books :41 plan of restoration :3 And here is hope...if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good....they should also at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.  :15 for that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored. :14 be merciful, deal justly...do good continually.  Alma 43:23. Alma the prophet inquired of the Lord and the word of the Lord came....conference is upon us and the Prophet and Apostles have inquired of the Lord and the word of the Lord will be coming to us--and their words can save our lives as we follow, just as it did the Nephites' lives at that time.  Can't wait for conference!
Wednesday --a little note for myself. I read a Deseret News article about a young husband and father who is dying.  I thought he had some great wisdom:  "Great things come from trials.  Depression, pity doesn't get me anywhere.  Please quit wasting time with negative thoughts.  Let your perspective change.  There is so much good around me.  Always tell the most inspirational story you can." Worked on Christmas program a little; went to Arevalo to deliver mail and words to songs.  We picked up President Villavert, wife, daughter Grace, son BJ, and friend from Los Angeles, Brother Mit.  We took them to our apartment.  We stopped on the street to purchase chicken, and fed them lunch (noodles, rice, chicken).  At 3:00 we dropped them off at SM Mall.  We returned home to pick up our phone and the empty water jug and we stopped to buy a water refill on the way to Arevalo.  We worked with the office elders on the Christmas conference.  Checked with the Villaverts at the mission home for airport transportation arrangements.  It had only been two hours since we had seen them.  They patted Ray on the back as if it had been years.  It felt really good.  It was amazing because we had done about all we could to avoid this service today but the Lord knew we needed to serve so He just led us into it.  No way out.  How good it felt, even to hesitant servants.   How grateful we are that the Lord didn't give up on us and give the opportunity to someone else.
Thursday we went to the mission home, President Aquino invited us in for breakfast(eggs, milo, bacon, raisin toast).  There was more but that's what we ate.  Villaverts came down and ate and at 7:20 we took them all to the airport--left Grace and Brother Mit at the airport and took Villaverts, after goodbyes to Molo station for a van ride back to Antique.  We returned to the apartment to exercise, shower. For the last three days, I've been getting spots.  At first I thought it was mosquito bites.  They are so itchy but it seemed strange that they were under my underwear and multiplying.  Now we think it's a light case of shingles--3x for my adult life.  We'll see how long they last.  We went to Jalandoni, came home and made tortillas for fajitas, took a rest, answered texts, looked for confectioners sugar--no luck, went to the Esplanade to walk and picked up sundaes and apple pies at McDonald's --home 7:30.
Friday I had a dream last night, in detail, about Sister Mitchell, an American we had taken to a hospital about six weeks ago.  We saw them yesterday and it is still red around the hole in her leg.  We cannot find "Epsom salts".  But I dreamt to use sea salt and hot drinking water and a cotton ball morning and evening and treat it with Melrose oil after so we will go to her apartment this morning.  Then we went to the Center.  Next to the Atrium for a few groceries.  Home to take care of groceries, ate, took a rest, then took a walk on the Esplanade 2.4k equals 1 1/2 miles, read, and went to Cordero's for dinner with the sisters--Sister Servezas birthday (28).  They sent us home with some leftovers.  8:15 we killed a lizard in the kitchen, went to bed.  It is a great life.
Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma