Sunday night General Conference weekend.  Bob and I watched the 1st session on the computer.  As we will not get it here until next weekend.  And they go to the stake center to watch it.  We will be going down to our gazebo where all the senior missionaries will watch the last two sessions together.  We will watch them all during the week online.  We hate to wait that long.  But we will watch them again with the group.  We have a potluck dinner also.  We enjoy the other missionaries.
March begins the summer months here in the Philippines.  It has become very hot.  March, April and May  they say are the hot months and then the rain starts.  They said that can be worse because of flooding.    School is out and it is a very busy time at the temple.  They come in buses and jeepney's.  They come from so far away that they spend the night in the patron house across the street.  And then spend the whole day in the temple.  They come with their whole family.  Children, grandparents, husbands, wives they all take turns watching the small children.  Teens do baptisms while parents are in sessions.  We had one couple that the husband went on the 8:00 am session and then his wife was going on the 10:00 am session, so they could take care of the small children.  I put him on the front row so he could get out in time for her to make her session.
We have sessions every half hour on Saturdays and on days when the temple is extra busy.  That really keeps us hopping as we are so short of workers.  Some of the workers live so far away that they don't always show up.  And some of them only come as they have the money for their buses.  We never really know how many will be there each day.  The temple President got up with tears in his eyes last week.  Pleading with the workers to not just take time off to do other things.  If they are assigned to be here.  And ask for more time if possible.  I can't explain what it can be like on busy days.  We have children running around in the Annex and around the grounds all day.  We have never seen anything like it.  They are very faithful people and the temple means a lot to them.  And they come as often as possible.  Many that come from the Providences are unable to come often,  and so when they do they stay all day.  Some are here two days and one night.
Many for their own endowments, and being sealed to their families. We have had many weddings this week.  April 6th was the day we had so many weddings.  People wanting to be married because of the starting of the church on that day.
We also have the MTC across the street and we have so many  missionaries to do their temple work before going on their mission.  It is wonderful to see. On those days the men may have to go work both the morning and the afternoon shifts.  That can be hard for them.  They may go over to the temple for 3 or 4 hours more than usual.
Our shifts are from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. on weekdays.  Saturday it is from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm and 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  So our days are long.  And we get pretty tired some days.
We have been trying to get some walking in.  As we need exercise.  Bob walks around the temple each night after it cools down.  He tries to do 11 laps.  And I go with another Philippino sister that is here on a mission with us.  We walk each day if possible for 1 and a half hours.  We sure feel better when we do.  All the senior missionaries have been trying to do some kind of exercise.  One of the sisters thought that we should start a competition between us.  Boy I push as hard as I can.  Sister Jones who I walk with is 20 years young than me and I couldn't make myself do anymore than I am doing.  We all said NO!  We just want to enjoy what we can do.
Life has gotten much better here as we have gotten to know the Philippino workers and as we get to know our fellow senior missionaries.  We become very close to each other. We have enjoyed the trips that we have taken with the missionaries.  And are looking forward to more.