Halloween

Hello everyone!

                Happy Halloween! It seems so crazy that it's already Halloween. But the good news is that it means that we are almost in the month of Thanksgiving! Oh ya! And we'll be going trick-or-treating tonight. I'm thinking about dressing up as a missionary again, I know it's the same as last year, but everyone seemed to think it was really scary last time, so I think I'll try it again. :) haha. This week was really awesome. Plus it was my companion's birthday, so we had some sick parties!!!

                But first of all, we've had some good success this week. We found Mikaele who is 18-years-old, and her Tia (aunt) and her little sister and cousin. But we hope that Mikaela will be receptive. She seems really good, and her little sister and cousin wanted to come to church with us, so a member went with us to go to church so we all went together! :) Haha. It was kind of hilarious. They sure did love Primary, though!

                We also found Nestor! He's an Ecuadorian and he was really receptive, he had really good answers and understood the lesson well. The only challenge with him is that he just got baptized less than a year ago into a different Christian church, which is awesome, and we tried to really congratulate him about that, but the next time we visit with him we'll get to teach him about the priesthood authority that God bestows upon man to act in His name.

                Also, a member stopped by the office to bring my companion pizza and Coca-Cola for his birthday, so that was pretty sweet. And then later, the Silva Morales family threw him a surprise birthday party, and it was way fun. Not to mention that the President invited us to have a birthday lunch with him and the rest of the office staff, and then here at the office, they also had some more cake that a missionary couple here made for us. Haha. It was a day full of parties.

                This week Elder Jaen (who lives in the house with us and goes home in December) gave us some really good advice, and it comes from Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9 which says, "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me." And so we have started applying that to our daily and weekly planning. It's been working out really well so far, we tried it and it worked just like it said. We had some adjustments to make, we made them, and we felt good about it. I invite you guys all to apply it to your lives as well. I hope and plan to apply it to my life forever. In verse 7 it says, "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me." Sounds like it's a no-brainer to me! :)

                I love you guys a ton, and I hope you have a fantastic Halloween and Fast Sunday!

Con mucho amor y cariño,

                Elder Robinson

P.S. Here's a picture of us after my companion's birthday lunch with President Arrington and his wife. 

October 31

Hi All, Happy Halloween.
Halloween here is not really much. The stores have some decorations and stuff but they don't go trick or treating. Sunday is All Saints Day, which is kind of like our Memorial Day where people buy flowers to put on the graves.
We went to a funeral today, for a boat captain who died in a boating accident in the typhoon a couple of weeks ago. We traveled to a neighboring island on the same kind of boat he was driving. We mostly knew his wife and daughters because we have met them and worked with them in our Self Reliance assignment. It was sad for his wife and his six daughters (the youngest one is 7 years old). His wife and one of his daughters spoke at the funeral and they sang a song as a family. There was a lot of people there and a lot of non-members from his work. The father had been less active for some years but had come back into activity and was serving as a counselor to the Branch President for the past two months.
The gospel of Jesus Christ brings a lot of hope and faith into people's life. I think that outside of the Church, we would not see the kind of faith and hope as we were able to see from this family, at such a difficult time.
I am thankful for the Church and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to know where we came from, why we are here and what becomes of us when we depart this earth life. It is a blessing to know in whom we have trusted and to have a reason for that hope that is in Jesus Christ.
I love you all,
Dad

October 23-October 30

Friday we returned to the apartment, ate, went to the center.  We looked up holiday games, watched Krueger's Christmas.  Home and cooked and prepared our lunch for Sunday as we will be on a road trip.
Saturday we left at 7:00 am taking the coastal route to Dao for our first apartment check at 8:00😟whoops we didn't arrive until 9:00.  The drive was longer than we thought.  We finished the apartment checks--the missionaries loved the donuts we brought.  All had "celestial" apartments.  We really appreciate their efforts.  The apartments improve every time.  It makes our job more fun when we don't need to make huge corrections.  We went to Gaisanos, a grocery mall and purchased buko shakes and Greenwich pizza.  We checked in at the Pinnacle Hotel, 1900P with cash discount, then went back to Hamtic to do the last apartment check.  How much better we do in cleanliness when we consider the desire to have the Lord's Spirit dwell there.  We returned to the hotel to relax until Villaverts, Grace and Mother, came to show us how to get to their house.  We had dinner with them and visited.  The father is District President; the son, BJ leaves on his mission December 4.  He'll be a great missionary.  Only daughter, Grace, 30 years old, served her mission in Los Angeles, California.  She is very Americanized.  She has returned to the US at least twice and was the one who recently flew to LA only to have her visa rejected and she was sent back to the Philippines.  When Filipinos come to the US, they have to have a round trip ticket.  I guess that is why, so they can send them back.  We returned to the hotel at 8:45 and went to bed.  Yesterday I had a new shingle show up on the left side this time😁.  I hope that will be all.
Sunday breakfast at the hotel.  Internet is really poor but we did get some wonderful Jerome news from Sarah.  I was Maxine Bell's visiting teaching when we lived in her Ward.  Her husband is getting baptized today after all these years.  She is such a great woman, having been involved in politics, doing all the good she could for the country.  I understand that she fell and broke her leg and her husband knew how much it meant to her to go to church so he started taking her and in the course of staying there for her, he was converted.  We drove an hour to church to the Bugasong branch today. Ray, I and Elder Wardle spoke (he is a missionary from Boise).  After the block of meetings, the members share their lunch with us--rice, pork adobo, and pork fat with tamarind and vegetables...kangkong and green beans.  Then they had the 5th lesson in SGMB.  First they had us lead the Foundations lesson - Work: Taking Responsibility and then three left and went to the Education for Better Work class and there were 15 left in the business class.  They led and we watched until Ray felt moved to explain about keeping records and separating personal from business.  They hadn't caught onto that yet and lights in their heads went on as he showed and explained on the board.  They were so excited and filled with hope.  They thanked us and thanked us.  How amazing that the Lord blessed us to be a part of this growth step.  We feel so full and so greatly blessed.  We want to continue having these feelings of an "enlarged heart".  On the way home, we saw Brother Johnny (Miag-ago group leader), the missionaries, and some members.  We were able to give them a ride to the next town square--it gave us just enough energy boost to get home.  Arrived home around 6:30, cleaned up, ate popcorn and went to bed.  Yea!  Traveling is a little tiring.
Monday I have four new shingles on my left side now😓.  I was able to do most of my exercises, still having some asthmatic affects from whatever bacteria or virus is roaming around my system.  Have a load of wash to do today and he got out to dry.  We will go to do English testing at Arevalo this morning for the outgoing missionaries.  The missionaries had fun doing the test.  At 10:30 they finished and we went to the bamboo shop to take Cushings to clear up some business with them.  Then we went to eat at the Promenade and visit.  After we took Cushings to the wharf, we went to Jalandoni and watched some of the piano guys face2face on lds.org.  It was inspiring.  5:00 we left and went and walked the Esplanade a little fast and all the way--no breathing trouble.  Yea!  I am getting more shingles on my left side now😖. Hopefully it will be less than the right.  So fun today we heard from April and Mike; Sandy and Sarah Perry, Rachael and Andrew's mission president, President Arrington.  Andrew will train a new historidor and he will be supply manager.  And we heard from Angela last Saturday!  Thanks for the mail!  Just four and a half more months, keep it up!  😃
Tuesday did a load of wash and hung it to dry before leaving at 7:50 for district meeting with all the missionaries inside and outside the truck.  Wonderful email from Charity!  Elder Robertson gave a great lesson about how to teach the first lesson.  He used Ammon as an example.  Service and Love.  He went through the story and pointed out what he did.  I remember a little quote from primary trainings, "They don't care how much you   K n o w.  Until they know how much you  C a r e."  It was excellent to dissect this scripture story and apply it to today's missionary work.  Went to Jalandoni, back to apartment for lunch, returned to Jalandoni and we were able to help with a resume and some assistance with interviewing.  6:00 meeting with Brother Boiser and the self-reliance volunteer group.  Meeting was just talk.  8:00 took Boiser to his hotel and Butch to his neighborhood.  Ray's not feeling well but a little ginger ale helped.  Sister Streng fell when a chair she was sitting on broke.  She went to the hospital but they can't help.  She is on pain meds and she can't sit or stand for long.  Oh, we are so sad for them.  They are serving in Kalibo and Roxas and have helped us in the "My Path."
Wednesday we were to meet at Jalandoni at 9:00 with Boiser but at 10:00, he is not there yet.  10:30 Boiser came and we discussed ideas for the last four months.  Ray will begin making some business presentations of Lessons 4 & 5 from SGMB to those facilitators or participants who haven't quite understood.  We had lunch buffet at the Promenade with Boiser hosting and Butch and Michele attended, along with Darlene Cases and husband, Sister Cagape, and Brother and Sister Cadiz and us.  Boiser isn't feeling well.  He thinks he got sick from brushing his teeth and gargling with the hotel water.  It smelled like sewer.
We returned to Jalandoni --Ray is working on his presentation.  Home 6:00. I gave Ray a hair cut.
Thursday before we left for apartment checks the water in the apartment wouldn't get warm so I was taking a cold shower😓 then it turned into a drizzle--no water.  Ray checked all the power sources, then climbed up on the two story roof, the floater in the water tank was stuck and so it didn't give the message for water to come into the tank.  Tomorrow I will get a warm shower.  There is renewed hope.  South Zone apartment checks.  We visited the Oton sisters first then picked up the zone leaders.  Stopped for the zone leaders to purchase an iron for some missionaries at Gaisanos then went back to the Arevalo office to pick up boxes of Books of Mormon and pamphlets to take to the missionaries.  Tigbuaun-Guimbal-Miag-so-Tiolas; we will do checks for the office elders tomorrow with Central Zone.  Finished at 3:15 and picked up two more boxes of candy bars for the missionaries tomorrow.  Returned to the apartment at 4:00.  At 5:00 we were requested to pick up 3-8gb USB drive (computer language for a stick that goes into the side of a computer) and arrived at Jalandoni to meet with the stake president and the stake self reliance committee with Brother Boiser.  We got "punted".  At 5:55 President Insigne texted Boiser that he was in Jaro, maybe we could do it tomorrow morning.😓. I guess Boiser will move forward with North Stake.  Home 8:20.  Bed.  I took a theophylline for the first time in 15 years probably, so I could breathe.  Just too much of a struggle.  But I will get well soon.

Friday started at 7:30 am with Central Zone sisters apartment check, then zone leaders, apartment above us, then to the office elders to finish up South Zone, (they couldn't be checked yesterday).  Then to the office to pick up books and supplies to take to Central Zone missionaries.  One set of missionaries "punted us"😟. That was a surprise.  They left their apartment early but we just moved on.  We finished around 12:30.  I was starving.  We took our zone leaders to McDonald's for a Big and Tasty Meal and apple pie.  They were happy.  We took them home, I drank a bunch of water and we laid down for a bit, stopped at SM to get some fruit to take to Sorilla's tonight for their farewell party and Kyles birthday.  He turns 21 today.  He will be taking care of business while his parents serve in Manila as executive secretary to the area presidency and his mom serves as a nurse.  We then came to Jalandoni to work.  Met with Sister Eulene Sotero, who I had thought about yesterday and had written her a note with a scripture that reminded me of her and left it with Nina, the Institute secretary to give to her.  Well, as the Lord would have it, she got the note today as she came in having a bad day--the school would not accept the church's PEF payment for her schooling because they had changed their school name and the check had the old name on it.  She was in tears, so the note really warmed her and took care of her.  I am so grateful for the times that I respond, unknowingly, to a prompting and it blesses someones life as Jesus means it to.  Anyway, she was leaving just as we came in the parking lot, so I was able to give her a hug and hear her story.  Hopefully, it will get fixed quickly because school starts November 9.  We will leave soon to prepare the fruit and go to Sorilla's party at 6:30.  We will miss them.  They feed all of us missionaries about twice a month and we always have such a nice visit.  Love, Mom, Grandma, Teresa

The highlight of my week

Hello my favorite people!

This week was pretty good! It felt weird kind of because usually the first week of the transfer is kind of crazy but since nothing changed for us it just feels like a continuation of the past two. It surprises me that it's only been a week of the transfer but at the same time I'm shocked there's only five weeks left! It's going to be a busy one, we have interviews and a mission tour where Elder Hamula is coming to our
Zone Conferences. It's going to be great! Plus Halloween and Thanksgiving. So this transfer will fly by. For some reason I just wanted to give details on how I feel like I'm in a time warp. haha anyway...

Lately I have just had this really strong desire to help specifically two families, and I just don't know what to do for them. They just need to live the gospel! But they won't. They're just not ready yet but I want to help them so badly. One of them I mentioned from my first week here. The mom and dad are foster parents to 3 (now 4) boys. The mom and dad got baptized several years ago and now the dad
is completely inactive. Talking to him you can tell he didn't really get it to begin with. He just doesn't understand what the gospel is all about or how it applies to him. The mom is active and the two older sons were baptized when they were kids because their grandparents are members (though completely inactive also). They don't even have the slightest clue what it means that they've been baptized. The 3rd son is a recent convert and he is 12. We've been teaching him the new member lessons. He's a good kid, but he's been struggling lately because his abusive mom is trying to get her act together so she's been seeing him a lot, but she's still abusive it seems like. They recently took in a little eight year old. He's cute, we're hoping to teach him. He came to church on Sunday with the mom. Anyway, they're really cool people. I just love them and I know their home would be so much better if they  truly understood and lived the gospel. I just don't know how to help them understand! But I have absolutely no power to convert anyway, Heavenly Father leads them along and when they're ready the spirit helps them understand. I just have to be in tune to know my part. I just know how much more joyful their lives would be! According to the mom though, our visits make a difference.  Apparently the dad goes and brushes his teeth when we come over so we can't smell the smoke haha. He doesn't try to hide the fact he's smoking, but he does try to clean up I guess. Cracks me up. So I guess if nothing else we make him think a little about what he does.

The other family it's really mainly the dad. Russell Trau is his name, pray for him. He is not a member but he has a lot of faith and really relies on Heavenly Father. He is such an awesome person, and he and his member wife divorced about 2 years ago. He is clearly still in a lot of pain from it. It's been really hard for him, and he felt like all his member friends turned on him through the divorce. He's going to need a lot of outreach from the ward to feel comfortable regularly attending church. Again I just want so badly for him to have the fulness of the gospel! I hope I can be inspired to know  how to help him along. We talked to him this week and committed him to watch a mormon message. He isn't interested in meeting with us, he says he's not ready. But he'll talk whenever we go over and he doesn't mind talking spiritual, so baby steps for him.

Dominik was at church yesterday. He came a little late so there was no way for us to sit by him. He sat in the row right ahead of us though. No one came to sit by him. It made me sad. People were pretty preoccupied though, we got a new bishopric yesterday. Anyway he looked exhausted. He had bags under his eyes. I asked if he was tired and he said, "Oh, I didn't sleep very much last night.  Church is the highlight of my week. I was so excited I couldn't sleep!" My goodness. He is just so cute, I love teaching him! I need to love church that much.

In ward council yesterday the young women's president shared something her 19 year old daughter said, "Families are eternal. They aren't designed to be apart. For our growth, we have to be apart for a time. Then we come back together and we share what we've learned and how we've grown, and we are together in our eternal family." That's actually not an exact quote, but that was the idea. Anyway I just loved it. That's why I miss you all so much! We aren't made to be away from each other. Families are eternal and separation feels wrong! But for a mission it's worth it, because the rest of our eternal family is out here. We are all separated from Heavenly Father for a time so that we can grow, but we grow a lot more when we learn from Him. I'm grateful to help people make that connection to their Father. Love you all so much!

Sister Robinson

The highlight of my week

Hello my favorite people!

This week was pretty good! It felt weird kind of because usually the first week of the transfer is kind of crazy but since nothing changed for us it just feels like a continuation of the past two. It surprises me that it's only been a week of the transfer but at the same time I'm shocked there's only five weeks left! It's going to be a busy one, we have interviews and a mission tour where Elder Hamula is coming to our
Zone Conferences. It's going to be great! Plus Halloween and Thanksgiving. So this transfer will fly by. For some reason I just wanted to give details on how I feel like I'm in a time warp. haha anyway...

Lately I have just had this really strong desire to help specifically two families, and I just don't know what to do for them. They just need to live the gospel! But they won't. They're just not ready yet but I want to help them so badly. One of them I mentioned from my first week here. The mom and dad are foster parents to 3 (now 4) boys. The mom and dad got baptized several years ago and now the dad
is completely inactive. Talking to him you can tell he didn't really get it to begin with. He just doesn't understand what the gospel is all about or how it applies to him. The mom is active and the two older sons were baptized when they were kids because their grandparents are members (though completely inactive also). They don't even have the slightest clue what it means that they've been baptized. The 3rd son is a recent convert and he is 12. We've been teaching him the new member lessons. He's a good kid, but he's been struggling lately because his abusive mom is trying to get her act together so she's been seeing him a lot, but she's still abusive it seems like. They recently took in a little eight year old. He's cute, we're hoping to teach him. He came to church on Sunday with the mom. Anyway, they're really cool people. I just love them and I know their home would be so much better if they  truly understood and lived the gospel. I just don't know how to help them understand! But I have absolutely no power to convert anyway, Heavenly Father leads them along and when they're ready the spirit helps them understand. I just have to be in tune to know my part. I just know how much more joyful their lives would be! According to the mom though, our visits make a difference.  Apparently the dad goes and brushes his teeth when we come over so we can't smell the smoke haha. He doesn't try to hide the fact he's smoking, but he does try to clean up I guess. Cracks me up. So I guess if nothing else we make him think a little about what he does.

The other family it's really mainly the dad. Russell Trau is his name, pray for him. He is not a member but he has a lot of faith and really relies on Heavenly Father. He is such an awesome person, and he and his member wife divorced about 2 years ago. He is clearly still in a lot of pain from it. It's been really hard for him, and he felt like all his member friends turned on him through the divorce. He's going to need a lot of outreach from the ward to feel comfortable regularly attending church. Again I just want so badly for him to have the fulness of the gospel! I hope I can be inspired to know  how to help him along. We talked to him this week and committed him to watch a mormon message. He isn't interested in meeting with us, he says he's not ready. But he'll talk whenever we go over and he doesn't mind talking spiritual, so baby steps for him.

Dominik was at church yesterday. He came a little late so there was no way for us to sit by him. He sat in the row right ahead of us though. No one came to sit by him. It made me sad. People were pretty preoccupied though, we got a new bishopric yesterday. Anyway he looked exhausted. He had bags under his eyes. I asked if he was tired and he said, "Oh, I didn't sleep very much last night.  Church is the highlight of my week. I was so excited I couldn't sleep!" My goodness. He is just so cute, I love teaching him! I need to love church that much.

In ward council yesterday the young women's president shared something her 19 year old daughter said, "Families are eternal. They aren't designed to be apart. For our growth, we have to be apart for a time. Then we come back together and we share what we've learned and how we've grown, and we are together in our eternal family." That's actually not an exact quote, but that was the idea. Anyway I just loved it. That's why I miss you all so much! We aren't made to be away from each other. Families are eternal and separation feels wrong! But for a mission it's worth it, because the rest of our eternal family is out here. We are all separated from Heavenly Father for a time so that we can grow, but we grow a lot more when we learn from Him. I'm grateful to help people make that connection to their Father. Love you all so much!

Sister Robinson

Traslado 10

My friends and family!

                This was such a crazy week. It was awesome, though. I got my new companion, Elder Quinn, and he's sick. He's from Heber City, but he grew up in Georgia, and he went to college at BYU-Idaho. So I've been teaching him everything I know about what we do in the office, and he's doing great. And I've been buying flights and taking care of cell phones for all of the missionaries. It's some good times. And I got to drive a ton this week. Just saying. I'm basically pro at driving manual, now. But anyway…

                The first week of transfers is always kind of slow as far as the work goes, but we went to all of the recent converts so that Elder Quinn could meet them, and he already gained their trust pretty well I feel like. We're making some sweet plans for this week to encourage and get the members pumped to join in on the missionary work. We don't have it all planned yet, but it's going to be something about "Catching the wave" of missionary work. I don't know if you remember that talk, but we're gonna do an activity that's based on that because we're in the summer! Woo hoo!

                Also, this last week I've felt really strongly the physical and mental strength that God grants to those who are in His service as well, because all of the sudden there was a lot of new responsibilities just dumped on me, and it was pretty stressful, but with God's help and the much needed support of my companion as well, it made it seem, still stressful, but everything ran smoothly.

                I can't believe next week is Halloween! That's crazy. I feel like Halloween wasn't too long ago. But, whoops, it's been a year. How exciting! Hopefully you all do trunk or treating! I don't think my ward down here is gonna do it, I tried to explain it to the Bishop but he didn't get it much. The scripture that's been rolling around my mind a lot this week is one that is found in Doctrine and Covenants. It says, "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work," which means that all that is required to be part of the work of salvation is that we have desires. That really impressed me that He is not only looking for scholars or wise men to do the work, but anyone that has the desires to do it. Do you have desires? Then… you're called. (Don't you wish all job applications were that easy?)

                :) I love you guys! I hope you have a fantastic week! And here are some more pictures of the groundbreaking! And a picture of me and my companion as well. Have a Happy Halloween!

                Con mucho cariño,

Elder Robinson

Us 4 last week!!!!

And Elder Quinn!!!

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