FINAL SEPTEMBER UPDATE

This is the 12^th of September and we are still checking out parcels of land for sale. We have a constant calls from people who want to show us their properties for sale. It's amazing how word spread out so quickly around here. In spite of the many tours, as of today, we still haven't found one.

The first week of September we made a trip to Sogod where we opened an account with one of the big and stable banks in the Philippines. Everybody was helpful and the transaction was a breeze. Because Michael's I-card was not available yet, we opened the account in my name. We will add Michael's name to the account once immigration sends the card.

Since it was late in the afternoon and there was no van going to Hinunangan around that time, we took a 3-hour bus ride. It was already full so we have to stand halfway to our destination. After an hour of standing, we finally got a seat in the town of St. Bernard. Michael told me the bus was a 26 person seater (apparently he counted the seats) yet there were 60 of us (more or less) jammed in this bus, young and old, it didn't matter as long as they can squeeze you in. It was an exhausting ride to say the least. We definitely need to look for a vehicle so we don't have to make that kind of trip again.

The second week of September we decided to get our driver's licenses. LTO (Land Transportation Office) that issues driver's license is four towns away (about an hour bus ride). As long as you present your current, unexpired driver's license from the US, they only require you to submit a completed medical form signed by a physician. Each town has a Rural Health Unit where this medical form can be obtained. It only cost P50.00 per person. We opted for Foreign Driver's License Conversion because our licenses haven't expired yet. It didn't require any tests or exams, we only need to have our pictures taken and signatures and it cost us a little over 600 pesos each. Another requirement was a copy of the arrival date stamp page from our passports. I noticed that every government offices (whether Manila or the provinces) doesn't have copier and it is your responsibility to bring copies of the required documents when transacting business. We learned we will get our actual driver's license in three months so we will be carrying with us a temporary one in the meantime. Again, everyone was very polite and helpful, customer service with a friendly smile.

On September 18, we purchased a parcel of coco land up in the hills of Calag-itan, Southern Leyte. This is an income property that should give us cash flow every 3 months. We hiked up to the property one morning and we were treated with a breathtaking view of the ocean and the beautiful Hinunangan Bay. I regretted not taking my camera with us but we plan to go back next month so I should be able to share with you via pictures on my next blog what we saw. We retained the caretaker as he is very familiar with the land.

We planned to travel to Ormoc City September 23-24 to look for a vehicle, then head to Cebu City for a couple of days should we not find one in Ormoc. We might as well make this a sightseeing trip while we are at it.

We received word that there is a vehicle for sale in my mother's neighborhood. September 22 we test drove a 4-door Toyota Revo. This was not what we planned to get but after looking into it, and weighing our options, we decided to purchase it. It sat in the garage most of the time, hardly driven except for a couple of weeks once a year when the owner, who lives in California, comes home for a visit. Apparently since the parents passed on, they do not plan to visit yearly as they did before so they wanted to sell it. This is our new ride:

Our plan to go to Ormoc and Cebu is tabled for now. We will still go and visit these cities some other time.

Two exciting things happened this last week: 1) we found a farm that meets our needs and we plan to purchase it; 2) JJ was allowed to sit in at a nearby school everyday starting today, the 26^th. He is not officially enrolled but it didn't matter much to me since all I really wanted for him is language immersion. I will teach him at home with the basics just so he would not be left behind once he is enrolled next year. Here he is in his school uniform. Isn't he cute?

That is all for now. I pray you will continue to follow my blogs and journey with us for however long the Lord will let us in this adventure. Please pray for us as we are for you. Until then - MIZPAH!

GONE FISHING....

Months before we left for the Philippines we invested in a fish trap with the help of my cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Joven. With the money we sent, they bought the materials necessary to build the pen, hired workers from start to finish and then retained some of the hired hands to help them in the day-to-day operation. At first we just watched them harvest fish from the shore, but soon we were brave enough to get on a little dug-out and paddle to the center of the pen to watch.

I am sharing some of the pictures here:

We watched the guys haul the fish in with the nets into the boats.  There were people milling about ashore wanting to buy the day's catch including fish vendors.  We wanted to help but thought we were just in the way so we stood and watch them wheeling and dealing from a corner.  It's kind of being at an auction.

Yes, we have fish almost everyday. JJ one day opened the refrigerator and said (with a tone of dismay) “The only thing we have here is fish.” I don't mind that at all – a diet of fish, veggies and rice and ocassional red meat.

We are enjoying the weather here especially at the end of the day when we take a swim. Mike had been making progress reaching his goal of swimming to the edge of the fish pen and back. JJ has learned to swim and to float on his back.  Most of all I am enjoying our lifestyle here: no bills to pay except for electricity (P700-P800), cable (P360) and water (P10.00)

Thank you for following and I hope you will come back again for more updates.  Blessings.

September Update

So here we are exactly one month after we left the US.  We are enjoying the slow paced life here in Hinunangan.  We are still looking at different properties offered to us.  It's amazing how word flies around here.  We are constantly on the move....looking at properties here and there, big and small and in between.  Although we are not in a hurry, I am kind of feeling anxious also.  We have so much to consider as to where we should put our stakes down.  We have also decided, after much prayer and thoughts that closer to my mother is the ideal place so Cebu is crossed out of our list to check out.

As of today, we have 2 choices that we hope we could get.  But we will still keep looking for other properties. 

Yesterday we got our temporary driver's license (we'll get the real ones in about 3 months).   We have not found a vehicle to buy around here so next week we plan to go to Ormoc City to look for one there.  We also haven't received the ICR cards from the Immigration either although we were informed the cards should be ready in two weeks.  Things are really slow here, but it's okay, we are in no hurry.

We are still figuring out our internet issues.  We will upload pictures once we get that figured out.

JJ, by the way, is being homeschooled.  When we arrived here the schools had already done the first grading period so he cannot be accepted by the time we enrolled him.  I inquired about him just hanging out with the first graders so he could be immersed in the Pilipino language, but because of insurance issues the school would not allow that either.  It's funny how stumped I am sometimes as to how or what to teach him knowing that I have to teach him both in English and Visayan and Tagalog as well.  It was easier when I did the homeschooling with Josh and Zach because I didn't have to worry about other languages.  But I figured we will make it work.

We will head to San Pedro island tomorrow for a more relaxing day of swimming, eating, sleeping and just enjoying the beautiful views.

Please continue following us as we journey.  Thank you and God be with you and us until our next blog.

WE MADE IT TO LEYTE, YAY!

And we made it to Leyte. After being stuck in Manila traffic everyday, we are glad to be in the sleepy town of Hinunangan. We have been to the beach a lot just enjoying the clear waters of Leyte. Internet is really slow, spotty, iffy and I don't know what else to say but we thank the Lord that He brought us safely. We watched the guys work on the fish pen yesterday. I do have pictures but internet is not cooperating (sigh, sigh). I really love to post them here so those will surely follow. We've looked at two properties for sale and are still trying to find a vehicle after a failed attempt to drive one down to Leyte. Keep us in your prayers as we seek the Lord's guidance as to where we need to be. My sister (who is looking after my mother) is going back to Bulacan so that we need to be at my mother's place everyday until her hired help comes back from Cebu in 20 days. Michael will be doing yard work (the yard is in bad shape) and of course swimming at a nearby beach while I will be tending my mom's store. JJ will be enrolled at a Christian school so that should keep him busy other than going to the beach. Mike looks young with his new tan (smile). We will upload pictures as soon as we find a spot for our wifi. It is hard to find a spot when we are close to a mountain range. We are staying at a cute little house that my cousin readily let us use while we are looking for our new place. Until next blog, God bless.