Hello everybody. I'm back to update my blog on Immigration as promised. I'm lagging on my updates because of the many things we need to do while here in Manila before we head to Leyte. Anyhow, here's what we've learned from the processing of my husband's and son's immigration papers. After we secured the endorsement stamp on the passports from the Bureau of Quarantine Office the next stop is the Alien Registration Division, Bureau of Immigration Office in Intramuros, Manila. There were already hundreds lining up for their turn when we got there around 12 noon. We went directly to window 46 which is the Alien Registration counter. Requiring more copies of some of the documents, the agent directed us to a place where we could make copies and purchase folders for both of Michael and Judson's documents. Yes, we have to provide all those, unlike in the US where everything is taken care of wherever and whatever office you transact business. Not here in the Philippines, the government do not provide any of those. It is your responsibility to provide copies of whatever they require. So after everything was completed and the picture ID's taken, we end up paying for the following: ACR I-Card fee; Express Lane fee; ICR fee; A-Cert fee; Legal Research fee; Head tax (for adult) all came to a total of P10,222.00. Before you are issued an official receipt, the agent at window 46 gives you a print-out of the charges which you need to take to window 25. This is where you will pay. From the print-out we added all the charges and we came up with P6,000.00 but we were shocked when the cashier presented us with a total of P10,222.00. My advise to you is to look closely on the print-out from window 46, somehow there was a part that says there is an addition of 50% of a particular charge and that's what caught us by surprise. There was no explanation what that additional charge was for when I asked about it. Instead the cashier just shoved us his calculator with the amount through the window opening. We were told it will take about two weeks for the card to be available for pickup. And since we will not be staying in Manila that long we were advised to submit a letter requesting the office to send the cards to the Immigration Tacloban branch where we can pick up the ICR cards. We are finally done! Now on to the next task, that of finding a vehicle to drive down to Leyte. We'll keep you posted....thanks for following.

Quick update with some past due post to follow. After a failed attempt to head to Leyte in a bought vehicle, we are back in Manila. Bought vehicle Wednesday afternoon, took delivery Thursday about noon and loaded. We left Manila Thursday about 8:00 pm. After some unexpected difficulties we were back in Manila about 9:00 pm. Saturday we are to get our money back for the car and we have bus tickets bought for Sunday morning. (more on this to follow). We will have some time between now and Sunday morning to do some blog updating. Thank you for following.

QUARANTINE AND IMMIGRATION ISSUES - OH HERE WE GO!

As per instruction from the Consular of Chicago, the first thing we did once we got rested (well, sort of) was head to the Bureau of Quarantine located in Port Area. The weather was above 80's so we wore shorts - BIG MISTAKE. We were not allowed entry to the building, except for JJ. Apparently, anybody (10 years and above) who wish to transact business in any government offices cannot wear shorts or flip flops. I was wearing my favorite Talbot's above-the-knee khaki shorts so I guess that was acceptable because I was allowed in. Now Michael, however, cannot. Should we go back to the hotel to change or to a nearby clothing store to buy a pair of pants? Now here's the funny part: the security guard advised us to go a couple of doors down the side of the Quarantine building and go into the copy shop where Michael can "rent" a pair of pants. Really??? Will there be any size available for a 6'4" Americano? We tried, and lo and behold, the lady pulled out a pair of blue jogging pants from one of the boxes. I thought she must be an expert in this because the pants fitted Michael perfectly. We found out it doesn't matter what kind of pants you wear as long as they are not shorts. As much as Michael hates to wear ANY kind of jogging pants he didn't have a choice in the matter, so off we went to the Quarantine Office. Oh, the rent for the pants is 50 pesos. I wish I had the camera with me then, I would have shared a picture of not-so-happy Michael here but I left it charging at our hotel room. Now on to the important business. The Philippine Consulate in Chicago required, among others, physical exams: chest x-ray (the result should be submitted in CD); urinalysis, stool exam, blood test, etc., which was fully accomplished. You'd think that took care of it - NOT. The Philippines has almost the same requirements and some more: VDRL or Syphilis test and the Urinalysis and Stool exam should have been microscopic instead of just the regular exam. They preferred the Chest X-ray to be in film also, not CD. Having said that, Michael has to submit to urine, blood and stool exams according to Philippine requirements. Luckily everything is done in the same building and for all three exams it only cost us a total of P700.00 or $15.50. Think how much these would have cost us to do them again in the USA! I will be submitting a suggestion to the Philippine Consulate regarding these requirements. If only they have the same forms to avoid additional expenses and hassle on the part of the parties involved. I would advise getting into the Bureau of Quarantine's website at www.quarantinedoh.com to get details/updates. The staff at the Bureau of Quarantine were really nice and helpful so we had a positive experience there. The results came back in an hour and the passports were stamped and we were on our way to the Immigration Office. I found this at the back of the Bureau of Quarantine's Medical Examination for Foreigner's form. Thought I'd share it for a laugh - none of that political correctness nonsense of America:

So I have a warning for idiots who want to come to the Philippines, think twice. You are not allowed in this country. ICR card processing information to follow. Thank you for following.

THE FILIPINO WORD FOR WELCOME IS ...... MABUHAY!

MABUHAY MANOR, that is. I found this place while searching for a hotel close to the airport a while back. Since then, this has been my hotel of choice when coming to the Philippines. Nothing fancy, nothing luxurious, just plain, simple and down-to-earth place which fits perfectly for me and my family. When I first checked into this place with JJ in 2012, I felt a sense of kinship, a sense of family and most of all security. And that's what this place is, you are greeted with genuine people, friendly, smiling faces, eager to help and assist from the airport pick-up to the time you check out. I know most of my friends would rather stay at a glitzy, 4- or even 5-star hotels with lush carpeting, magnificent columns and fancy draperies. Well, you wont' find it here...instead you'll find yourself brought back to your ancestral-home-kind-of-feeling when you walk in your room. Unpretentious - that's what I love about this place. Everyone who work here have one thing in common - they all love the Lord! The building is tucked away from busy Roxas Boulevard so you cannot really hear the traffic noise. It is in close proximity to the Heritage Hotel and a few steps away from Baclaran. If you want to experience real life in Manila even for just an hour, just step out of the hotel's entrance and going either direction you will soon find yourself immersed in the daily grind Filipino style. But one of the many reasons I like Mabuhay Manor is their breakfast buffet that opens at 6am every day. If you are planning a trip to the Philippines and this is your first, Filipino breakfast is the best way of introducing yourself to Filipino hospitality and Mabuhay Manor somehow, have mastered that.

The smiling, friendly faces of the hosts greet you every morning. They have such servant hearts.

There was a JIL retreat going on during our stay so the breakfast buffet was moved to the hotel lobby. Check out for yourself and I'm sure you will agree that staying at Mabuhay Manor gives you a foretaste of what to expect when your first visit the Philippines. Some personal tips to share: 1. Bring some washcloths with you as most hotels do not provide them. 2. If you're like me, I like soft, cushy pillow to sleep on. Mabuhay Manor doesn't have that. They have extra firm and firm pillows but as stated before, I like mine soft so I brought my own. 3. Be prepared to sleep on an extra firm mattress. That is all I can think of right now. Thanks for following my blog and I hope you will share it with your friends too. Until then have a blessed day.

CHECK-IN, CHECK-OUT ------ TO "DECLARE" OR "NOT DECLARE"

The long and exhausting flight took a toll on us. Because of the time change, my mind's wide awake but my body is too exhausted to even think to write about our adventure. So here I am at 12AM Philippine time wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep. So I might as well write to make good use of my time. Anyway, let me rewind back to when we checked in for our flight to Minneapolis, St. Paul from Kansas City Airport. If you don't know it yet, it helps to check in online 24 hours before your flight. It is termed "International Verify Passport" which allows you to be TSA checked. You just shove everything in the conveyor without the hassle of taking some stuff out of your carry-on bags and placing them in the trays. And, my favorite part, I don't have to take my shoes off, yay! I hate to be barefoot at the airport even for just a short time. As we boarded, TSA personnel met us at the door to the tarmac and want to know how much money (currency) we are bringing out of the country. We thought that if it is less than $10,000 per person then we don't need to do that but the officer told us it's not "per person" but "per household" so we ended up reporting the combined amount we are bringing. Michael filled out a form and the money physically counted. They even have money counter machine stationed by the door to the tarmac to make the process quicker. So that was done in no time and we boarded - but keep reading because this part isn't over yet. Twenty-three hours later we landed NAIA-Manila. The flight was on-time all the time, thank you Lord! Here's a couple of pictures taken from the air as we approached Manila. The time was 9:00 PM, Wednesday, August 19. The forms you fill out an hour or two before the plane lands have changed. It must have been implemented less than two years since I flew. One is the "Health Advisory" form in yellow and the other is a 6X4 piece of paper that each passenger has to fill out which is the entry form. Department of Health personnel checks your yellow form before you can proceed to the immigration booth. We carried with us sealed envelopes from the Chicago Consulate Office. These were Michael's and JJ's immigration forms. Funny thing is that the immigration officer told us that they seldom get these envelopes so it took him a while to get everything processed. Good thing about it though is that we didn't have to fight the throng of people to claim our luggage at the carousel. Once we got all our luggage in the carts we proceeded to Customs - shall we "declare" or "not declare?" that was the question. We chose the right thing. Turns out we didn't need to declare how much money we're bringing because it was supposed to be "per person" not "per household" ---- hmmmm...government overreach??? I don't want to comment but what the hey, I must say it to get it out of my system, okay? We were picked up by our hotel's shuttle and dragged our exhausted bodies to our room. It had been 36 hours since we slept. Tomorrow is another day. Depending on where you are, goodnight or have a wonderful day and thank you for following.

green HINUNANGAN

The closer we are to our arrival, the more homesick I am. Can't wait to see you again, HINUNANGAN.

Just want to share this link on my blog post.  Enjoy!

AND THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

August 18 6:45 am. After saying tearful goodbyes to parents and older children we are checked in and waiting for 8:30 boarding for our flight.

There are many people we need to thank for their support and encouragement. First off will be parents, older children, sister and her family. Thank you for your love and support and for being there for us always.

. .... Who, I know are sad we are leaving, but happy for us for the change we are making. Then there are many others, too many to name, but we will touch on some: Thad Allen (at Edward Jones)who helped us get our money in line, talked with us about the move and prayed for us and with us. Midway Wholesale employees who did not want me to go, but were excited that we were making this change. John Osello who found out in March we were making the change and told me that I could work until the actual time came. Customers at Midway Wholesale who, when talking to, were excited for us. Friends at churches both in Wichita and Topeka. You are all invited to come see us when we get settled. Just have to get yourselves there. We promise we will provide room and accommodation and a tour of the beautiful beaches and islands the Philippines have and of course our world-famous roasted pig. Flor will probably add to this list when we layover in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Mike

-LESS AND DEBT-FREE

These past two weeks leading up to our flight to the Philippines is one of a revelation to Mike and I. In our 28 years of marriage, we have lived in 5 different cities and in three different states in this great United States of America. And all through those years, God has placed in our paths strangers who became friends. We didn't realize, until now, that the friendships we forged have made an impact in our lives whether positive or negative. Nevertheless they all help us become who we are and where we are today. Now we hope that we too have made an impact on others lives. Friday was when a friend came by to pick up our van...what a weird feeling when she drove it out of the driveway. The first time in 28 years we do not have a car. Not only are we homeless, now we are car-less, pet-less, jobless, key-less (nothing to open, nothing to start/drive). We are counting the days until we leave for the Philippines. Can't wait to start all over again - DEBT-FREE. Here is Michael burning our mortgage papers at the lake:

.....so we celebrated the mortgage burning ceremony with very close friends not with champagne but with hotdogs and beans,

ABBY, OUR BELOVED DOGGY

Our oldest son, Josh, wanted a dog one day so we encourage him to look for a "free dog" in the newspaper ad and luckily he found one.  The owner graciously gave us Abby, her bucket of dog food, her balls, her metal crate and her dog house. Abby was a year old when we got her. This was 2003 and Abby since became a part of our family.  Like all dogs she loves attention and lots of love which the boys readily gave her.  She also loves BALLS.  She loves to snuggle and sleep with anybody who would let her.

We got her in Omaha and moved with us to Kansas. She eagerly welcomed JJ when we adopted him as well and the two became inseparable.  JJ loved playing in the sprinkler but Abby hated the water.  Whenever JJ is out in the backyard Abby is right behind him.  It is always a delight to watch them together.  When the boys moved out it became JJ and Abby and Michael then.  My role is to give her food and water and occasionally play with her.  Abby knows she cannot set her foot on the living room carpet and the kitchen area because of the mean woman in the house (that's me) but sometimes she tries to push her right to be where she thinks she should be but I always win :).

When we decided to go on this journey, we thought of several options as to where Abby should go.  Both the boys can't take her in their apartments.  We've asked friends both near and far if they would be interested and finally it was getting close for us to move out.  Abby has to go to the shelter.  It was a hard decision and a struggle.  Abby is and will always be part of our family and giving her away like that is really hard and it hurts everyone in the family but we don't have a choice.  JJ cried for a while the day we have to take her to the shelter.  I cried with him and I know Michael was crying too. The only way I could comfort JJ was to assure him that he will get another dog JUST LIKE ABBY in the Philippines.  I told him to ask the intake person at the shelter for Abby's collar and leash so he can still use it for his future dog when we get to the Philippines.  That seemed to help the hurt.

A pet is another thing you need to deal with when moving out of the country.  We would have loved to take Abby with us but we believe the long flight will be too much for her.  If you can't find anybody to take care of a pet when moving, try calling your local pet shelter.  They will take your pet for a donation and although there is no guarantee that your pet gets adopted, they will do their best.  Moving is not easy for everyone when there is a pet involved.

If we would have decided to take her with us, we would have to have her papers, current vaccinations, an approved crate and according to the Consulate website, she would be quarantined in the Philippines before she's released to us.  So, with sad and heavy heart we parted with our beloved Abby. 

Please keep following our blog as we discover what God has in store for us in this exciting journey.  Thanks for following and God bless you and yours.

THE BIG EMPTY

August 1 is when the buyer took possession of the house, so we are officially homeless that day.  We took one last picture of our living room and the dining room that my husband calls "the big empty" hence, the title of the post.

My husband's parents graciously offered two options for our living arrangement: we can stay with them or we can stay in their camper.  We checked out two short-term apartments in town but none of them suited us so we moved in to my in-laws' camper.  This will be our "home" until we leave for the Philippines.  Our 6-year old has the bed to himself while my husband and I have the pull-out bed in the "living room."  Granted we are cramped in our quarters but I know the grandparents are happy we decided to "move in" with them.  They get the chance to spend plenty of time with our little boy and us while we wait for the day we fly out. 

The truck is sold and Michael took it to its new owner today and the only thing left to dispose of is the van which will go to its new owner next week. The utilities companies have all been notified to discontinue their services and will forward the final bills to our temporary address and once all that is settled we can shout at the top of our lungs ................."WE'RE DEBT FREE" wohoo!

Lord willing, the proceeds from the truck will be used to buy a van in Manila which we will use to travel to my mom's place in Leyte.  That van will also be used as a van for hire to generate income wherever we'll end up settling down.  Several of you are praying for us as we embark on this journey and we thank and appreciate all of you.  We've looked at several properties on-line and I know the Lord has already prepared a place for us.  We will know which place when we get there.  I just have that feeling...........................