Saturday, January 2, 2016 -Friday, January 8, 2016

Saturday routine, cleaned fans, cleaned floor, purchased water on our way to Arevalo to turn in the car report and get apartment check papers run off 9:30, 10:30 center--no Internet.  There was a brownout last night about six hours.  So we went back to Arevalo.  1:30 to apartment, eat, rest.  Walked Esplanade. 4:30.  Office missionaries delivered 12 boxes of Books of Mormon to our apartment.
Sunday we took two sisters and two elders with us to church at Mandurriao.  Fast Sunday.  Home, ate.  San Miguel group.  They now have a group leader, Brother Freddie from Mandurriao Ward.  He is a taxi driver, a return missionary and has experience in the church, great man.  He was sustained.  Also a new member from Europe came today.  He's Filipino but lives in Europe but will be here for six months.  He will be a great boost to the group and the missionaries.  Geraldine is moving to her husbands family's place in Molo so she will be going there to church.  I think it is all good.  We gave some group members rides back home.  Visited Cozzens.  Home and bed.
Monday routine.  Jalandoni. SM to get 2x2 pictures and ate at a new place in the new mall addition:  Zark's.  Hamburgers of all kinds.  But it was the first hamburger that we didn't pull out gristle when we ate it.  No need to go back though.  Brought in wash.  Made brownie cookies and chocolate pudding. Kyle Sorilla went with us to Garcia's house.  Gloria Garcia fell and broke her toe.  Her right ring toe.😃. She will see the orthopedic doctor on January 6.  She is the one who gave me the child hammocks.  Her husband is a lawyer and her daughter is a single adult, darling rm and she has another daughter who has been a friend also.  She is an ob/gym and her husband is a seaman and they have a little boy.  We sent pictures of his blast off first birthday.  Home.
Tuesday routine.  Arevalo.  Turned in apartment papers and pictures for our return home travel.  Then to Jalandoni.  Nina is back from Manila.  Happy to see her.  Her son is back with his girlfriend from Idaho.  Marriage is supposed to be June.  We shopped at Atrium (no chips), apartment, Back to Arevalo to discuss departure, then to Jalandoni for Self Reliance meeting. (Boiser came, President Cagape came, Bishop from Arevalo, Howard PEF stake specialist came and Julie plus the regulars, Butch, Sister Cagape, Darlene, and us.)  Home 10:00.
Wednesday zone training:  consider your area home-serve, love like Christ.  He served one and masses followed.  "Love is the very essence of the gospel".  Fruits of labor will come.  It reminded me of being a mother:  feed, change, clean, teach, serve your little ones, love constant, consistent, not distracted, full-time, then they grow up and we see the fruits.  Weave children, one at a time, we teach, we testify, we love, we serve, we give our all; we pray together, read scriptures together, we attend church together, we do activities together:  solid converts.  We separated sisters from elders.  The sisters watched a video called "LIFTING", Kathy's story.  Service changes us and heals us; it makes substance of our souls.  In the Philippines the saying is, "I will be the one" to carry, to open, to do...  Mosiah 2 was referred to.  Lunch at apartment.  Back to Jalandoni to train stake PEF specialist 1-3.  Taught Institute class 3-4:30:  "Developing our talents and abilities".  It was great.  We had four.  We just love these people.  Walked the Esplanade.  Full day.  Home 5:30.
Thursday.  Routine.  Some excitement among our zone leaders and the assistants!  SM to shop then to Jalandoni.  Lunch 2:00.  Back to Jalandoni to teach Institute, substituting Book of Mormon, Butch didn't feel well.  3 Nephi 12-17.  It was great.  6 students.  Home 8:00.
Friday routine.  Wash.  Arevalo for Central Zone interviews with the President (we visited with the missionaries).  Lunch.  2:00 Center.  We got our email tickets from the office for our flight from Iloilo to Manila (6:20 am). That means we will leave our apartment at 4:00 am probably by taxi.  We will be on the same flight as April, since she is coming to visit for our last week!  So excited to share a bit of our experience with her!  Love, Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma