1 Nephi 17:3. And if it so be that the children of men keep the
commandments of God he doth nourish them and strengthen them, and
provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has
commanded them
Friday, May 1st after we did the car wash etc., we went to Arevalo to
have a referral sent to Texas. A Filipino girl, who was born and raised
here is a nurse and works in the Houston area. She needs some young
single adults to fellowship her. Her mother has been taking the
missionary lessons but has not been baptized yet. Also we went to
Jalandoni and visited with Hazel Garcia. She is 25 returned missionary,
has a nursing degree and is going for a law degree. She would just
like to get married and have a family and she is darling. Anyway, the
single adults just returned from conference where we presented. We
locked up the church and went home when all were gone.
Saturday I made muffins, banana,pineapple,carrot. Ray and I cut up watermelon and pineapple--we are prepared for Sunday night after the fast. We also went to Iloilo Market to get what I needed for a Sunday bag for Geraldine and her three year old. Then to Jalandoni to cool.☺️. Oh it is Labor Day here. We went home at 1:30. Between 2:30-4:00 there was a crazy rain/wind/thunder storm. It cooled things off to probably 85.
Sunday Ray is wearing his fast-tie from Pinegars that tie us to Andrew
on fast Sundays😇 We have increased our scripture study now to also
include the Book of Mormon for 30 minutes a day. I figured it out for
me if I read five pages a day, I will be finished and ready to start
again with the schedule in October. It feels good to be regularly
reading in the Book of Mormon also. There is comfort and peace and love
in that book, a spirit that I like in my life every day, every day,
every day.😃
Sunday has been fast and testimony meeting and we attended Mandurriao ward at 8:30. We broke the fast at 1:00 and then went to San Miguel group meetings at 2:00.
(Elder) brother Baccai, our past district leader, returned here for a
visit and business. We gave him a ride after church to the jeepney stop
in Jaro. Hazel and Chesca, 25,22, respectively, came over and we
played rummicube and visited. They are both darling! They left at 9:30.
Monday I put one load of wash in and we had an appointment at 10:00
in Jalandoni. It was for PEF. After, we came home, cooked fish and
vegetables, ate took a nap, and returned to Jalandoni. At 5:30
we watched Arevalo and Leganes young men play basketball. Leganes came
back from a 7 point deficit to win it by 3 points! We bought apple pie
and ice cream at McDonalds. F.h.e. Was Foundations number 4 Manage
Money.
Tuesday
was district meeting. The lesson was on inviting others to be
baptized. I did the closing song and prayer and taught them how to lead
the song "How Gentle Gods Commands." They know how to swing their arms
but not on the beat. They generally don't know that part. We went to
McDonalds with them and took them back to work. We challenged them to
keep up with their scripture reading and we will have a district
breakfast and movie "Meet the Mormons" on p day. How are our children
and grandchildren doing in keeping up with us on your scripture
reading? May 8 is page 896. Because missionaries change so often, we
can just repeat the same activities. Then we went to the Center, at 5:00
games started: girls volleyball and then ym basketball and older men
basketball. So we watched and cheered. We gave Sisters Cozzens and
four youth a ride home before we returned home.
Wednesday was triple zone conference: North zone, central zone, Guimeras. We picked up our district missionaries @ 7:40
and went to LaPaz for the conference. The meeting was great. The
theme was "What Think Ye of Christ?" TODAY I WIL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. To
do this memorize scriptures, memorize hymns, 1-testify more often of
Christ 2-teach of Christ from the scriptures 3-use the words of Christ
4-apply the questions of Christ to yourself. "I will not let past
failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I will
not rummage through my trash heaps of failures. I will admit them. I
will correct them. I will press on, victoriously. No failure is
fatal. It's OK to stumble. I will get up. It's OK to fail. I will
rise again. TODAY I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Then he, President Aquino
wrote his own daily psalm. (It might make a great f.h.e. Activity). My
Daily Psalm: today I begin a new life
I will greet the day with love and a smile in my heart
I will persist until I succeed
I am natures greatest miracle
I will laugh at the world
Today I will value a 100-fold
I will act now
I will pray for guidance"
Just a side note, if you remember at the beginning of our mission, the
president was gone and we were called to visit the four sisters. One
was crunched up in a fetal position and wouldn't open her eyes. I
thought maybe she was hallucinating? Well, anyway, I won't retell the
story but she gave part of the training on being a consecrated
missionary and she was amazing! She has grown exponentially! It is so
rewarding to see. She gave me a note along with a painted wooden
strawberry key ring. The Lord is amazing--the love and support He gives
us.After zone conference at 3:00,
we delivered 8 missionaries to their areas and picked up President
Sorillas, a counselor in the mission presidency. We went to Iloilo DRS.
Hospital. What a difference. It is a private hospital and is almost
as nice as some in the USA. Ray and President Sorillas administered to
Sister Tupas. She was visiting from Norway and got pneumonia. Her
father was the first stake president in Iloilo but he is dead. She
lives in Norway with her husband. We also met her brother who is a U.S.
Citizen getting his nursing degree here and then he will return to the
states. He was in the Army and served in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The
mother lives in New York. Then we left President Sorillas at home and
visited Mel Cozzens. We were there just in time for Ray to help his
relative resubmit her PEF loan papers. It was great timing.
Thursday
we threw in some wash, went shopping and went to the Center. Ray took
me to the Promenade for dinner, for Mothers Day. I had salad and
brought home pumpkin soup. For the two of us the equivalent of $14-15.
It is the nicest restaurant herein Iloilo, or on the island.
Friday I am writing emails and looking forward to calls on Monday from the missionaries, Elder Robinson and Sister RobinsonIV!
Happy Mothers Day!
07 May 2015
Happy May Day - May 8
05 May 2015
Hallo
Hallo
04 May 2015
uhhh
Here we are with our mini missionaries! Mine's in the back! and you can see him in the other one. :)
Also, it's pretty much freaking cold here now. :) Much love!
Happy Star wars day!
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
01 May 2015
May 2
Hello everyone!
This week we were invited to attend and give a presentation at a YSA
conference for our area. This included the whole island and a
neighboring island. there were around 500 attending. The conference was
held at a “resort” which was about a four hour drive from Iloilo and we
followed the busses that came from our area. We got separated from the
busses and I discovered that the resort was not where I thought it was.
After driving around for a while we found the busses and then followed
them again.
when we arrived at the resort I was tired and somewhat anxious because I
was worried about our presentation and if the media things we had
prepared were going to work in this facility. When we arrived and the
young people were arriving too many of them greeted us and seemed so
happy to see us and shake our hands. The experience was so delightful
that I was I was immediately energized and felt great. I think that our
presentation went well and the people seemed to enjoy it and were
inspired by some of our media presentations.
Our presentation was on Self-Reliance but we broaden our interpretation
of what is included in “Self Reliance”. Ours is really more of a
“fullness of the gospel” message. The other missionary couple, who had
been asked to present on “Family History” said to Sister Robinson, “I
thought that you were going to present your Self-Reliance program." I
took that as a complement because if you could identify our message as
“Self Reliance”, I think that it would be pretty boring. Besides, many
of the people have been involved in the “program” already because they
are students.
Some of the other presentations were about preparing for marriage,(done
separately for men and women), and missionary preparation, and school
opportunities (BYU Hawaii). I felt kind of sorry for the young people.
It seems like such a stressful time of life. Too many things to think
about. The young people seemed to be interested and having fun with it
but I am glad that I am past all of that. The age group of the YSA’s is
18 to 30 years but they all seem so young to me. The Philippino people
all look young to me. Often a new sister missionary comes into the
mission and they look like they are about 14 years old.
This past week I was in a priesthood meeting and we were discussing
about the Book of Mormon from the Teachings of the Prophets, (Pres.
Benson) and I expressed a thought that seems pretty amazing to me and
that is that The Book of Mormon contains a promise that I believe has a
100% success rate ( all of Heavenly Father’s promises are 100%
guaranteed) but this one seems such a great invitation to try. Moroni
10:4. People can gain a testimony in other ways and come to the waters
of Baptism but everyone really needs, at some time to apply this
invitation to receive and ask with real intent, having faith in Christ.
We can extend that promise with full confidence of fulfillment.
I am thankful for the blessings of the gospel in my life.
I love you all.
Dad
How is it that another week, another month has passed? Saturday, April 26, 2015
Saturday we purchased a few groceries at Iloilo Market(it is about the
size of our store in Jerome but not as clean or as nice); it is close
and easier to get to when it is not busy, in the morning. We went home
and then to Arevalo. This church is bigger than Jalandoni and is also
the mission office, so stake conference is held there. Ray sang at the
priesthood leadership conference and I went to another room and visited
with Amy and Nathan on the phone. It was delightful and felt so good to
hear their voices. Then we had the Saturday afternoon adult session
where we both sang in the choir. We had a visiting authority, Elder and
Sister Meim of the seventy.
Sunday
was another conference and the choir, which included us again sang two
more songs. The theme was families. It was told that President
Insignes son always texted him when he returned home from school or
whatever saying, "I am home". He said his son loved to be home. He is
on his mission now but will be home sometime this summer. I thought it
was so sweet. We were told to make home a heaven. Don't just talk
about it. "Walk the talk"☺️. Sister Meim talked about reverence and
said that Reverence invites Revelation. It is a sacred principle and
covenant that we take in sacrament meeting. And too many of us are
violating the covenant in the very meeting we are making it( by texting,
messaging etc). Elder Meim talked also about Gethsemane and how the
Savior asked His disciples to wait with Him one hour? And he related
that one hour to the sacrament meeting hour. Can we not wait (be
reverent and remember Him, ponder) one hour and ten minutes in His
sacrament meeting?
Monday
we had off. We did two loads of wash and other p-day stuff and then
spent some time at the Center reviewing and practicing our plan for the
hour we have to present self-reliance for the Young Single Adult
Conference.
Tuesday
was zone meeting. Which now I understand happens after every
transfer. It is all new missionaries again, well not all but mostly.
Elder Kei from American Samoa is a new zone leader. He's great! Elder
Watkins is still with us as the other zone leader. The leader sisters,
Sister Daroy and her companion and the zone leaders did training on
"welcoming each day with joy, how we have been called of God to serve,
and He knows we Can Do It. A testimony was also given of the Book of
Mormon. We ate lunch, just Ray and I, at the Promenade--I had fish and
chips. We went back to Jalandoni for an appointment we had with a
family from Oton. Then we went to Arevalo to take some flyers we had to
the A.P.s to be given to the Cushing couple for the Guimeras units
about a "Job Fair". We also visited with President Aquino about our car
payments which the Church has changed a month ago but we just received
notice and we have already paid two months in advance. Well, I know
that is nonsense to anyone but us. And we discussed our move in June to
an apartment underneath the zone leaders apartment. It is smaller than
where we are now but there is room for the vehicle behind high gates
which is more desirable than on the street.
Wednesday
I cut Rays hair and we went to the mall for the second time to try a
Filipino hair cut. It looks better. We also paid the phone bill, got
gas in the truck, picked up cash from the BDO(an ATM machine outside the
bank. The bank will not do the transaction inside). We picked up a
few groceries, made lunch and a casserole (gluten-free😃) and took to
the neighbor whose mother just died on Saturday.
The father died in December. Alvin and his brother are older but have
never married or left home. This is very hard on them. Anyway after
taking the carbonara with sausage casserole over to the boys, we went
to Jalandoni to practice our presentation for tomorrow.
It looks like 45 minutes. Ray is going to redo his part. We went
home, had a snack and I prepared some breakfast sandwiches for us to
take since we are to be at Jalandoni by 5:00 am.
Thursday
we met the buses at the appointed time and an hour later, the kids were
there ready to go. We caravan end with three big buses, Insignes and
Hernaezs in their van with their three children between them and us in
the pickup behind. It was a four hour trip to get to the Merimert
Resort which could accommodate 500 plus young single adults for a
mission-wide conference. It started at 10:00 am with orientation, lunch at 11:00, 12:10
was a presentation on family history by the Streng couple assigned in
Kalibo member/leadership support. She ended with a family history story
of her father who died last year. She had not known him, maybe saw him
3-4 times in her whole life, her parents divorced while she was very
young. She is a convert to the Church. Anyway, when he died, she did
his work over here with her husband at the Cebu Temple and she heard him
say, "thank you, Baby Girl". She feels like she knows him better in
death than she did in life. It was very touching. Our presentation on
self-reliance was next from 1:10-2:00.
I used the second half of Corner of the Sky to begin the second
half of our one hour presentation to the single adults conference.
There were 500 plus in attendance. Our topic was, of course, self
reliance. But what the Spirit wanted them to know about self reliance
was that eagles are born to fly and we are born to become like our
Father in Heaven. He is not poor; he created the heaven and the earth
and all things therein are His. He has prepared Mansions for us. He is
rich.
How do we become like Him? This is life eternal
that we might know Him, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom Thou
hast sent. We must read His words every day, every day, every day. Seek
Him in prayer...constant "may my heart be turned to pray, pray in
secret day by day, that this boon (help, assistance) to mortals given
may unite my soul with heaven."
D&C 59:3 those who obey the gospel, receive the good things of the earth....
Sacrifice what you are for what you want to become.
Who do you want to become? Fix it. Keep moving forward.
You have everything you need to become like God. Jesus Christ made it possible for all of us.
We
told the scripture story of Nephi building a boat. Also of the
Jaredites building 8 barges and the different ways the Lord answered
their inquiries. As in given complete instructions, waiting for them to
ask; letting them figure out and do things and taking their ideas or
stones to the Lord and asking Him to touch the stones. The Lord honored
their requests after they put forth their best efforts.
Because
of faith, The brother of Jared saw Jesus Christ before He was born in
the flesh. Because of our faith, we can also see the hand of the Lord
in our lives.
We put our own lives on the path of success or failure.
1-we must know God, read His words every day, every day, every day
2-unite your soul with heaven through constant prayer
3-return missionaries find a temple worthy partner
4-make a plan and go to work, inquiring of the Lord at every point
You were born to become like your Father in Heaven. You can do it.
Of course, this was an hour presentation, so these are the highlights.
Dad
told about "paying his tithing" and how that gave him power to go to
the Lord for a job when he got let go when we were in our first year of
marriage and how the Lord honored him in helping him get a job within
less than 24 hours. There is power in obeying the Lord's commandments.
It
was a fun experience even though we're petrified of the large group and
also concerned about our ability to keep the attention for that long.
We also had no idea if our technical video clips would work, having
never been to the facility before but two worked, one didn't and dad
just told the story which I thought it turned about more engaging than
the clip.
They had a room for us at the resort but I wanted to go home. There
were teeny spiders crawling on me every time I sat on the bed. I set my
water bottle down and when I picked it up, I killed 5 plus spiders from
the bottom of it and some went crawling up my arms. They were teeny
and fast. I just couldn't sleep there. So we let some who were short
of accommodations have our room and we took a young man who needed to
get back to his school(he was texted by his teacher that he was to give a
report next morning), Syril is his name. We took him back with us and
he kept us enjoying the whole trip. It went by very fast. He was great
in English, in conversation, in just enjoyment. There are nine
siblings in this family. They live in Lapaz. Super neat family! We
dropped him off at a jeepney stop, traveled on to McDonalds and picked
up Big and Tasty and went home. The conference gave us a bamboo/palm
and coconut tree/Nepa hut picture with an easel as a "thank you". It
was very nice. Here is the funny thing. I had seen one that the
Cushing couple had and they told me where to get one because we both
really liked theirs. And now we were given our own. We were thrilled.
We were sorry to miss the dinner that night and dancing and the
testimonies the next morning but we were glad to be in our own bed😊.
Friday we had the car washed, shopped while it was being done, and went
to the Center to write and send emails. We had to unlock the gate, the
outside doors and the inside. Everyone is still at the Resort. Make
each day joyful, love Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma
P.S. Elder Gustillo was baptized one year before he left on his mission in February. He
spoke in sacrament meeting and he sounded like a rm already. He had a
girl he liked in the ward and she left for a mission in Canada after he
left by two weeks.
He is golden. His parents and family are Catholic and they are not writing him so I'm next best.
