October 17-October23

Saturday, made a buko shake at home last night:  2 c coconut water, 1/3 c coconut cream, 1/4 c coconut meat, 2 c ice, 2 T honey...yum!
9:30 Jalandoni after sending lots of messages for next week.  BYU 38-Cincinnati 24 on KSL!  Returned to the apartment for fajitas and start our fast.  We took a little rest.  Heard from Sister Jan Jones-- she and Sister Diana Chatterton are at the Holiday Inn for four days before they get into their apartment.  We walked the Esplanade, 1 1/2 miles briskly then 1 mile cool down and back to the apartment at 4:00-- great wind today and overcast--wonderful!  In the evening, we worked on making an inn door for the place where Mary and Joseph were turned away.
Sunday, Fasting is first, third and fifth Sundays here in the mission.  Ward conference was held in Mandurriao.  We sang in the Ward choir.  I mostly mouthed it, as I am having some asthma.  The chapel was full--all the San Miguel group was there (Geraldine, one year convert; Rudy, one arm, recent convert man...seven out of eight.  Also Queenie and Brakie and both boys.  Only sacrament meeting was held because of a typhoon threatening.  We came home and broke our fast with fish and chips and onion rings, sauce and vinegar.  Took a rest, visited Ray's drawers😉--meaning we talked, relistened to conference.  I'm still breaking out with shingles.
Monday 8:30 we went to the center but no Internet.  We did get news that a brother who was recently sustained as a counselor in the Jordan branch presidency on Guimaras drowned when his boat capsized.  Six others also didn't make it but 26 survived.  The wharf had been closed all morning but reopened at noon, so people thought it was safe but the wind from the typhoon just blows them over.  Once when we were in Guimaras for meetings, his wife, Lala had bought our tickets for the boat ride back.  She is the specialist in the branch.  They have six girls.  We are so sad.  She is a great lady.  At 10:00 we gave up on the Internet and went to Arevalo.  Got on the Internet there; at 1:00 we went to the apartment by way of McDonald's; ate and took a rest.  Stayed at the apartment the rest of the day.  I'm not feeling well.  A little asthmatic response to this infection that keeps spinning through my head.  Read.  Ray called the mission Dr. in Manila--09178694391, Thueson.  He sent pictures of my spots, reported my sore throat/ear ache/sinus--mild, oil slick on urine 3 months now, frequent night time urination.
Tuesday district meeting, went to SM for some stuff for missionary Christmas conference, ate lunch, took a rest, went to the center, worked on Christmas conference.  6:00 we are waiting for Butch, Darlene, and Sister Cagape to have a self reliance meeting.  Home 8:00 snack, bed.
Wednesday Fourth Nephi--at 10 years old Mormon was given instructions to observe (President Bednar gave a great talk some time back on "observe").  Mormon was a sober child, not light-minded.  Oh, be sober, my grandchildren--learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.  I liked what was said of Elder Hales as he was questioned by Elder Bednar something to the effect:  what he could accomplish, and his answer was so wise:  "I only do that which matters most." Learn to do that "which matters most" first--everything else will fall into place.  1-Read and "ponderize" scriptures daily 2-Pray morning and evening and in your heart all day long 3-treat your family members with charity, putting their wants first 4-Really focus on making Sunday a "delight".  That means preparation on Saturday.  Be so creative, bless those around you.  Oh, how I love my children and grandchildren.  We must not dwindle in unbelief!  Hang on and stay in the "Old Ship Zion".  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's only church on the earth that has the authority to seal upon you all the ordinances and to bless you to receive all the covenants the Lord has for those who will choose Him as their God.  As you do these 4 things, you will immediately experience more happy, joyful days. 9:16 left for the center.  While I was standing by the truck to get in, the wind blew a dead, brown leaf out from underneath the truck--I JUMPED, my heart skipped, but I didn't scream.  I should be use to the lizards and rats now.  No one else even notices or turns their heads as the rats boldly walk across the road or as the lizards crawl all over the walls.  We stayed at the center until 12:30, ate lunch, then went to Arevalo to visit with Sister Aquino about my health issues and then President Aquino about career workshop.  Then we walked the Esplanade, but not briskly.  Returned to the center until 5:30.  Ray took us to Mang Inasal for dinner.  It is my favorite.  I just eat the chicken with vinegar, oil, and calamansi.  I saved my rice.  I always find someone hungry to give it to.  I gave it away to 2 little children on a tricycle with their father.  They acted like I was "Santa Claus"--they waved and waved as we drove away.  We came home and Jan called from Manila.  It was so fun!  They started working at PEF on Monday.  Jan is very excited about her work as a missionary.
Thursday 6:00 am we went to Medicus for testing:  blood test for UA and LIPID, and a urine test.  We can pick up results at 11:30.  The area mission doctor recommended the tests.  We came home and exercised, showered, read scriptures.  It's a very sad time, Book of Mormon page 476.  It has been less than 200 years since God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ showed themselves to Joseph Smith.  Where are we?  Like Elder Ballard said, "Stay in the boat and hang on.  We can't get anywhere by jumping ship and trying to swim by ourselves."  No new shingles for two nights now--healing only now!  Tests came back fine.  So just feel better☺️.  We stopped at Arevalo to speak with Sister Aquino.  1:30 came home to eat.  3:25 we returned to Arevalo and went over the Christmas conference, December 9 and 10...3 zones one day, the other 4 zones the next day.  I thought of some games.  5:00 we tried to walk the Esplanade but I'm having some trouble breathing--another day, came home.  Interesting, Ray noticed that I cough more in air conditioning.
Friday struggling with breathing but managed to do many of my exercises--not the cardiovascular ones--stepped instead of jumped😉.  Shingles are healing.  Health is on the upswing.  Nice clean rain this morning.  Mormon 7:9. "If they believe the Bible, they will believe the Book of Mormon. " 8:39. "Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? "   The mouse has been found after 3 days "no show"!  We noticed a bad smell in the closet room.  The mouse was under Ray's bottom closet drawer.  He had to pull the drawer all the way out.  There it was; plus he found a small live lizard inside his drawer--dead now.  Ray is cleaning with bleach.  He found a dead cockroach behind the stove while he was cleaning.
We shouldn't get any more large animals; Ray put a large weather strip on the inside of the bottom of the door.  It's very tight.  I'm sorry to say:  I'm done with critters--now I'm ready for cold weather but none comes.  It rained the first two morning hours but now the sun is shining.  At 9:30 we left for SM to get pesos and the machine was working--the last three trips, it has been under maintenance.  We shopped after we got pesos.  There was a children's theme of some kind in the mall and It's a Small World was playing and these darling little children were dressed up in different countries costumes, waving different flags...yes, there was Uncle Sam with the U.S. flag.  We are fixing lunch now and then we will go to the center and send this off.  Sister Teresa Robinson