Home Again

A couple of days after leaving Topeka (see post Stranded Part II), we arrived in Manila about 4:30 am on Saturday 6/3/2017. The Mabuhay Manor had received our e-mail about being a day late and they had the shuttle waiting for us. Activities at the airport looked normal, Resorts World Manila across the street looked okay as if nothing terrible happened the night before (also in post Stranded Part II)

 Stranded Part II

We arrived at the hotel about 5:00 am and our friends, the Watsons from Wichita were in the lobby waiting for the shuttle to take them to the airport for their return flight to the United States. We had about 10 minutes of time together before they left.

We did an early check-in at the hotel so we can shower and take a nap before we head for the Cebu Pacific booking office. We could not contact Cebu Pacific Air from San Francisco to cancel our tickets for Tacloban. Due to our delayed flight in Dallas, we missed our connecting flight to Manila, which in turn made us miss our Cebu Pacific flight to Tacloban. We knew our tickets are already considered flown but we were still hoping they'll listen to our plea....NOT. So we booked and paid for another flight. JJ had to be in school that Tuesday.

Due to time change, we all slept from about 10 in the morning that day and didn't wake up until 4:00 am Sunday. That 2 hours from 4:00 am to 6:00 am was hard as the last meal we had was breakfast the previous day.

Later we met up with my sister Jane and her family at Market-Market at Bonifacio Global City and had dinner at the Seafood Island. In the Philippines, malls are always crowded no matter what day of the year. They are called mega malls with 4 or 5 stories of specialties shops and stores. Today, Sunday, it is even more crowded as it is the day before school opening and there were back-to-school sales going on.

On Monday, we went to the U.S. Embassy to surrender JJ's emergency passport and obtain his new permanent one. This was a smooth transaction with no problems. After the Embassy we went to the Mall of Asia, another mega mall, and had Shakey's Pizza for lunch.

We spent one more night in the hotel and at 2:30 Tuesday morning we were up again so we could catch the airport shuttle at 3:00 for our 5:30 flight to Tacloban. We arrived in Tacloban about 7:30 and had to tell several porters to leave our bags alone. At the regional airports, the porters are very aggressive trying to get your bags for a tip. Flor went ahead and had one porter help us find transportation back to Hinunangan. After about a 2 hour drive we arrived home.

We had the transportation driver stay around for a few minutes while we made sure our car would start. The battery was dead on our car and the driver was more than happy to give us a jump start.

We found out we were in a black out and had no electricity until about 6:00 pm. I turned the water back on (or so I thought), but we did not have water. Thinking we were in the dry season, we thought we might be back to only having water from 3:00 am – 5:00 am. A neighbor said they had water and we checked our valve again. Unlike America, the water pipes are not 3' below ground. Here the pipes are barely buried and sometimes even above ground. This leads to pipe breakage. So, before we left, I had turned off the water at the meter so we would not lose water. I went back to the meter and turned the valve again and we had water and started filling our water barrel. The only thing I can think of is someone turned our water on while we were gone. Not knowing this, I had turned it off when I thought I had turned it on.

Because we did not have enough water to run the washing machine yet, we went to the mountain stream to wash our curtains and bedding and heavier clothing items.

We are finally back into a normal day-to-day routine. We have the porch swing hung again. I did some repairs on the pig shed and goat shed. We sold all but 3 of the piglets. The people who took care of the animals while we were gone are going to raise the 3 remaining piglets. I have started planting the seeds that we brought from America (will let you know how that goes).

We drove to Talcoban on Thursday 6/15/17 so Flor could buy supplies to restock her store.

While in America, we bought a KU flag. We now have it flying on the porch of the house.

The people who took care of the animals while we were gone needed a new place to live. Flor and I decided to rent our shed to them. They will help take care of the store and take care of the maintenance on the shed. They will also continue to help with the animals and property.

Even though it was a stressful trip with many turns, it was nice seeing family and friends. Zachary, Joshua, Mom, Dad, Lynette, Rick, the Hicks, the Allens, Pat, Esther, David and Violet, Brenda, Dolores Wells, the Rojeros, Sunnyside Baptist family in Wichita, First Southern Baptist family in Topeka, the Midway family, the Carsons in Salina and many more. We enjoyed hot dogs and s'mores with mom and dad at the lake. We helped dad move a patio table made of cement, the top was about 400 pounds. Returning to Topeka from Wichita we stopped at the scenic overlook, cattle pens, near Cassoday on the Turnpike. Brenda Foster was very generous and bought JJ a build-your-own stuffed Sonic while we were at Towne East Mall in Wichita.

We were impressed with Philippine Airline (PAL). Even in economy class, there was enough leg room for me. Customer care was excellent and when we had our problems at the airport, PAL was very accommodating. When we make the trip again we will fly PAL for sure.

PAL

We have always like Mahbuay Manor in Manila. If you book on line, they have deals for round trip airport shuttle and continental breakfast. If you stay there a couple of days, they provide shuttles to the Mall of Asia. They will also help arrange transportation to other destinations.

Mahbuay Manor

We also want to thank the Midway Wholesale family (a premier construction and building supply house in the Topeka area) for being very generous with art supplies and shipping. Sunnyside Baptist church in Wichita for hygiene supplies and money. First Baptist church in Topeka for more supplies and money. June and Phillip Hicks of Wichita for hospitality and shipping. John and Gina Allen of Topeka for allowing Flor to help them in their time of grief. My sister Lynette Beebe of Kansas City for supplies and having JJ spend the night with her. And many others.

Midway Wholesale

Sunnyside Baptist Church

First Southern Baptist Church

Thank you for following.

Stranded, Part II - Update

Stranded, Part II
...and so it goes. Our flight from Dallas was delayed due to bad weather. Missed our connecting flight to Manila. So here we are at the San Francisco International Airport. We called to book a hotel, it turned out the guy on the line is from a call center in --- get this -- India!  And the room was going to cost $269.00.   We're all tired and hungry and grumpy so what the hey, we decided to flop down and claim a corner in the airport lobby. We even have a security guard watching over us tonight. Must I complain? Nahh

About 16 hours later, 3:00 pm on 06/02/17, we are still at the San Francisco Airport waiting to check into our 11:30 pm flight.  We then get the news that there has been a "terrorist" (not confirmed terrorist yet)  attack at the Resort in Manila.  The Resort is a area of hotels, restaurant and a casino that is right across the street from the Manila airport.  To exit the airport in Manila you have to go through this area.  It is probably a good thing we missed our flight last night as our plan would be arriving at the airport as this "terrorist"  attack continued.

Fox News Report

Our  plan is to upon check in to find out if Philippine Airlines (PAL) is even going to make the flight.  One option PAL may have is to route the flight to Cebu.  If this happens we could take a ferry then a bus back home avoiding the mess in Manila.  If (PAL) cancels the flight we will see about getting a credit for our tickets and head back to Kansas.

Update 06/04/17

The PAL flight left San Francisco on time to go to Manila.  We got to Manila about 4:30 am on 06/03/17.  On the hotel shuttle we found out that the incident at the Resort was probably a botched robbery.  Some dumb-dumb went into the casino, started shooting it up and started setting gaming tables on fire.  He was grabbing poker chips and had about 113,000,000 pesos ($2,250,000) worth of chips.  He then went to a room, poured gas on a blanket, wrapped himself up and set himself on fire.  It is unknown if this was a robbery or a dumb-dumb who lost a lot of money and went back to steal his money back.  This dumb-dumb caused the death of 38 people, most by smoke inhalation. 

Except for increased security at the airport, it did not appear that there was an increase of security in the rest of Manila.

On 06/03/17, after a nap, we obtained new tickets to home in Hinunangan for Tuesday.  On Monday we will go to the embassy and get JJ's new passport and head home on Tuesday.

Thank you for following.

"IN EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON..." -- AND A REASON

It truly is good to be back to see family and friends but at the same time it's been a heartbreaking season in our lives also.  How does a person move on when one's heart bleeds with sorrow? It's hard to accomplish something when you are just trying to "go with the flow."  That is why I did not feel too excited to blog about anything lately.  But it would not be fair to all of you followers to leave you hanging. Y'all have been with us through our journey.  So here it is but forgive me if occasionally you'll detect a "sigh" or a "sob" here and there.

We flew to Manila on April 5 for our April 7 flight to the US but since JJ's passport had expired (just found that out on our way to Manila - see our previous blog "To Grandma's House We Go"), we had to postpone our flight.  I am glad it happened that way because my mom had been admitted to the hospital in Tacloban, Leyte the same day we were supposed to fly to America.  Had we not have the passport problem, I would not had been there the days she was at the hospital until  her passing away.  Thank God for the "oopps" and mistakes in our plans.

My family buried my mom on April 21, the day we flew to the US.  This flight had already been rescheduled so there was no way I would reschedule it again for the third time.  I am pretty sure I will have my time of mourning when I come back and see our parents' house again without mom. I've spent the last two years spending time with her and taking care of her up until her passing and to go back knowing she's no longer there saddens me.  My only consolation is that I was there most of the time and the whole week she was at the hospital before she passed on (thanks to JJ's expired passport).  And my brother and my sisters all came home to be there and I was very glad.

I was glad I was able to sing her favorite gospel songs and recite favorite Bible verses at her bedside even though she was no longer responsive.  On April 12, I came to relieve my brother Edgar.  She hadn't woken up since yesterday I was told.  When I started singing to her I knew she heard every words even with all the tubes that were attached to her very frail body.  She opened her eyes and she was staring at me the whole time.  Whenever I move she'd follow me with her gaze.  So I kept singing to her and I know she tried to sing along with me especially when I sing one of her favorite songs "I Trust In God...(I know He cares for me)" and the Visayan song "Basta Ikaw Ginoo Ana-a" (which is translated as "As Long As You're Here My God").  It was a very tender moment for me that I will treasure for as long as I will live.

My sister, Annabella, watched her the evening of April 14th. Like me, she too sang songs to her and quoted Bible verses to her.  She told me that her prayer that evening was that if the Lord wants to call mom home that He would just "make" her go to sleep.  And He did, because the next morning, April 15, mom went quietly to be with her Lord.  Mike, JJ and I were on a van just 15 minutes away from the hospital when I received the call that mom passed on.  When we arrived at the hospital, the staff had just finished wrapping mom's body to be taken to the morgue while we contacted St. Peter's Mortuary.  It didn't take long for the representative to arrive and they took the body to be embalmed.  My sister Annabelle went with them to the mortuary to take care of more paper works.  Mike, JJ and I went to catch our 10AM bus to Manila.  We need to be in Manila for our April 17th appointment at the US Embassy for JJ's passport.


And then a week after our arrival, a very tragic incident happened to one of our closest Filipino friends here in Topeka, Kansas.  They, just like me, are from Leyte.  We used to be neighbors, just three houses down the street from us here in Topeka.  My husband kept saying this is another reason why our trip had been rearranged so that we are still here when the incident happened.  I didn't give it much thought but God, indeed, had planned all this.  I spent most of our 2nd week at our friend's house, just being there for her and her mom, trying to console them and to give them support even after the funeral.

So here we are, now on the 5th week of our 6-week vacation in the States.  Soon the 31st will be here and it will be time to go back to the Philippines.  We've visited and dined with some dear friends in Wichita and while there attended worship service at Sunnyside Baptist Church, the church we considered our home church.  The  boys grew up attending this church.  The dear friends who helped shape them spiritually in their growing up years, most of them are still there, although we miss some who are gone to be with our Lord.

Our original trip was April 7 through May 3.  I planned to be back to the Philippines for mother's 90th birthday, May 14,  but since all the above things happened (and I call them all God-ordained) we're here until the end of May.  On Mother's Day morning my mother-in-law greeted me "Happy Mother's Day, Flor.  I know this is hard for you since your mother had just passed away."   I started to choke up then I hugged her and tearfully I told her "it's okay because I have you, mom. Happy Mother's Day to you too."  So you see how God's plan fits so perfectly?  If I were back in the Philippines I would have been by myself without a mom to say "Happy Mother's Day" to.

We asked our FB friends in Kansas for donations of art supplies and personal hygiene items, blankets and towels to bring back to the Philippines for our ministry in our neighborhood.  The response is overwhelming!  Midway Wholesale, Michael's former employer, (www.midwaywholesale.com) have donated a bunch art supplies and also money for shipping.  Thank you, Kim L. for mobilizing the office ladies.  And thank you, Bruce Myers for paying for the shipping fee.  We truly appreciate your generosity.  The kids have more than enough art supplies to last for a long time.  Thank you also to Terri Conner of Sunnyside Baptist Church in Wichita who mobilized the church to donate toothpaste, toothbrushes, bath soaps, wash cloths, towels, and sheets.  I also want to thank Dolores Wells and Gary and Edna Barngrover, who graciously donated towels, wash cloths, bath soaps, toothpaste and toothbrushes.  Thank you also to Phil and June Hicks from Wichita and to my in-laws, Owen and Lenece Smith who donated money for shipping. So many households will be blessed.

Last week we had a packing party at the Rojeros. Thank you, Rojero and Abellon family for the donations and the yummy food provided.  To my sister-in-law, Lynette Beebe, who brought a bunch of art supplies plus cash to buy some more if I need to, thank you.  This Sunday we're getting more art supplies and personal hygiene items from First Southern Baptist Church - thank you, Brenda Lewis, for mobilizing the Sunday School class.  We also received cash for whatever else we will need for our ministry.  We will have 3 boxes full of stuff to ship by the time we get this done and I can imagine the delight the kids and our neighbors when they get them.  I will sure share the experience with y'all.  ETA for these boxes is three months from June.

In the book of Ecclesiastes is a passage that states:  "In everything there is a season.  A time for every purpose under heaven.  A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.  A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance."  Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)

We all go through the ups and downs in life but let us not also forget that there is a reason for everything...and through it all, God is still at work in all of us.  Thank you all for following.  We love you..........mwah!

STRANDED!!!!

The time to go back to for our appointment with the US Embassy is finally here. It's Black Saturday and things are getting back to normal. Buses started running, stores opening for business, etc.., after a two day lull. We were able to catch a 5:00 AM ride to Tacloban for our bus ride back to Manila. A week before (see my preceeding blog), I could not get a plane ticket to Manila but I was able to secure our seats on a DLTB Co. bus. And once again we have to go on another 24 hour bus ride to Manila for our April 17^th appointment.

That Good Friday, Michael made a comment about “storm brewing up.” The wind picked up pace and dark clouds hovered above us mostly all that day. When I turned in for the night, I received a text message from the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction....) alerting us that the low pressure spotted in the PAR (Philippine area of responsibility) by the PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric.....) has now become a typhoon to which they named “Cresing”. The phone kept dinging through early morning updating us of the storm. It's not affecting Leyte but it will affect Samar and the CALABARZON area – meaning the tip of Northern Samar island and the southernmost part of Luzon. Around 9:30 Saturday morning, while we were waiting for our Manila-bound bus to pull out of the terminal, I got another text message from NDRRMC. “Cresing” is expected to make a landfall on the island of Samar at noon that day. We made the 6-hour ride from Tacloban to Allen, Samar. The skies were cloudy but the sun shone brightly all the way. I managed to take pictures of San Juanico Bridge (the long bridge that connects Leyte and Samar) although I then realized that I am sitting on the wrong side of the bus to be able to get a nice picture of the bridge but this will do for now:

By the time we reached the town of Calbayog in Samar (about an hour and a half to Allen), I received another text from the NDRRMC. Signal No.1 had been raised in Northern Samar and Sorsogon but when we reached Allen, Samar it was sunny and warm, hardly any wind and no sign of typhoon. This is where we take the ferry, bus and all, to get to the southernmost tip of Luzon, about two hours at sea. As we pulled in the terminal, we noticed buses all neatly lined up inside the covered area and people milling about. Then the bus driver announced that there are no ferries available because the Coast Guard is not allowing any vessels to cross from Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar. It looks like we will be stuck here for however long. I overheard through passengers' conversations over the phone that Tacloban had been dumped with torrential rain and somewhere in Sorsogon heavy rain and wind. We all spent the night at the terminal. It did rain that night but not a lot.

 I tried to get a better picture of the buses that night but all the lighting makes it hard.

 Our little sleeping cherubim taking it all in stride.

At 2AM we boarded and were taken to the port for the ferry ride to Matnog. Inside the ticketing office was total chaos and it was a disaster! There was nobody in charge, no organization, no direction, no nothing. People were shoving and pushing to get tickets to the ferry. It took another 2 hours before we got out of that commotion. There were only two ferries that would take all the passengers and the buses. Some of us were told to get on the 2GO ferry as that's where our bus will be loaded while the others were told to get on the Montenegro ferry. We found out our bus was on the Montenegro ferry while we were on the 2GO. Well, our bus driver had to wait for all of us who boarded on the 2GO vessel which added to the delay.

Because of the “no go” order from the Philippine Coast Guard the day before, we noticed a long line of buses and cargo trucks parked on the highway waiting to get in the Matnog Port as we came out to continue our trip northbound. There might have been more or less 20 buses that crossed San Bernardino Strait and so it looked like we were in a caravan of buses going to Manila. 

Traffic was painfully slow from Legazpi City, Albay all the way to Manila. Easter Sunday afternoon is a bad time to be on the road as everybody wants to go back to Manila from the long Lenten weekend. We made it to our hotel room at 3am by taxi.

The 20-hour trip turned into a long 40-hour trip and after a hot shower we all flopped on our beds. But not for long...we need to be at the US Embassy for our 9AM appointment.

That's it for now.  I pray you all had a blessed Easter.  Our Lord has risen indeed!

TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE WE GO - BUT WAIT...........

EXPIRED PASSPORT – WHAT???

We have been looking forward to our trip back to the States since the beginning of the year. We have everything lined up -– people who would stay with Nanan and Marlon while we are gone. A couple who lives close to us are willing to take care of our animals, the house and the yard. We bought two sacks of pig feed to last until we come back. Tickets had been bought several months back. It had been constantly raining in the Visayas region for what seems like forever. It's already April and still the rain keep coming and everyone is getting tired of it. It was a good thing the rice got harvested, dried and stored when we had a break from the rain one weekend. And yes, the coconut got processed and sold too. The one pig we had got sold two weeks before we leave. The big “stuff” had been taken care of. Mike made a swinging bench that was hung on the porch.  The neighborhood kids love it and made our porch their hang-out almost everyday. We thought it might not be in one piece when we come back so Mike took it down and stored it inside.

We took a van to Tacloban and flew to Manila. Our favorite place to stay when we are in Manila is the Mabuhay Manor (www.mabuhaymanor.com.ph).  As usual the main complaint I have when I am in Manila is the traffic – horrible- but we made it safely to our hotel. While we were still on the road to Tacloban, I happen to check our passports making sure again that we have everything and that's when I discovered that JJ's had expired 3 months ago. How time flies! I can't believe it's been 5 years since his passport was issued. Michael suggested we play dumb when we get to the airport..I don't think so. Good thing we have scheduled an extra day in Manila so the next day we went to the US Embassy. (From Mabuhay Manor it costs us P110.00 by taxi to get there. Before you get in, ask the taxi driver you want the meter fare. Most drivers will tell you they will take you there for P500. Insist on the meter fare).

I did some researching the night before and found out that the Embassy can issue a “Limited Validity” passport so we inquired about that. “Limited Validity” passports are emergency passports that are only good for three months. You will need to surrender it to the Embassy before you get a new one. Just like renewing an expired passport, the cost is $105.00 We made an appointment for the 17^th right after the holy week. We need to go back to Hinunangan to get JJ's birth certificate and other supporting documents required to secure the new passport.

Catholicism is the predominant religion in the Philippines. Lenten season, the days leading to the Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday plays an important part in every Filipinos. Starting on Wednesday, things slow down a bit as we prepare for the long weekend, offices/banks and other establishments close at noon that day. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday means everything shuts down. Public transportation – buses, jeepneys and vans for hire stop their operations. And except for occasional tricycles and pedal cabs here and there, you are out of luck going places unless you have a vehicle.

On Friday, April 7, the day we were supposed to fly to the US, we took the bus back to Tacloban. I spent almost all day and night the day before trying to book a flight to Tacloban but every flight on all domestic airlines are booked. Buses are fully booked. We were able to secure a spot on Philtranco bus going to Ormoc and that means we have to get off in Tacloban and find another ride to Hinunangan. We took it. It was “ordinary fare” meaning, it's not airconditioned so the windows are open. Talk about wind constantly whipping your face for 25 hours. But we didn't have a choice.

Because a lot of people from Manila want to beat the crowd to get home to their families in the provinces for the Lenten season, buses are fully booked a week before. And unfortunately we were caught in the middle of the rush. Luggages are shoved under seats, overhead compartments and even on the aisle. When the bus stops for bathroom breaks or meal breaks, we have to do “acrobatic” moves, even climb over luggages and suitcases to get to the door of the bus and out...whew!

There are several bus stops along the way – restaurants with restrooms and filling stations. There is an entrance fee to use the bathroom – mostly 5 pesos. No toilet paper is provided but there are plenty of water. I bring a roll of toilet paper and baby wipes with me when we travel – it's a must when you're in the Philippines. Stops give passengers the chance to stretch and walk around or have a cup of coffee or hot soup. Then off we go again.  We arrived Hinunangan around supper time safely by the grace of God.

Well, I hope you find this blog interesting and informative. I hope we are able to give you a glimpse of life here in the Philippines. We thank you for following. We love you all.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY..

We have been living in this area for a little over two years now. It took me that long to realize that the rainy season (December-February) brings unemployment and scarcity of day jobs to the folks in the neighborhood. The majority of the men rely on construction works, rice planting/harvesting, coconut harvesting, coconut husking, fishing and other odd jobs to provide for the family's daily sustenance. Some who are lucky have permanent jobs in government offices, schools and other establishments but there's just a handful of them in my neighborhood.

When rainy season starts, construction work slows down, rice had been planted, coconut harvesting becomes hazardous due to the rain and the prevailing wind. It is not uncommon here to have someone approach you to inquire of any odd job you can offer them just so at the end of the day they can buy a kilo or two of rice so their family will have something to eat. My little store's sales are down mainly because there just isn't money to spend on even the basic things during these months. Which leads me to think about the boys and girls who pass by our place everyday when they go to school. I wonder in my heart if they even had breakfast that morning, will they have lunch or dinner? You can't really tell. Even in the midst of wants, these kids seem happy and content inspite of it all. On several occasions I've given away little snacks for the little ones. Not so much for the teen-agers though although I found out that they too are very grateful being the recipients.

I have been involved in our church's Saturday class in a little resettlement area by the beach in Bangcas B. Bangcas B is the barrio next to Talisay so it's not really that far from our place. The people who settled here cluster themselves. What I mean is, they built their houses close to each other. It reminds me of the pilgrims in early America, the pictures of early settlers living in close proximity to each other. I learned that in the late 80's/early 90's, the NPAs were menacing the people who live in remote areas specially those who are in the mountains. The government ordered them to come down to the plains. That's how these “clustered houses” came about. When I go there on Saturdays, the place is crawling with kids – JJ, the social butterfly, loves to go with me -- he loves playing with them. There are only 22 kids who regularly attend the Saturday class. Whoever is assigned that particular Saturday (the church assigns the women, by area, one Saturday a month), has to prepare to teach, lead, provide the snacks and conduct games with the children. I especially love the part where each child say their memory verses. They have learned to hide God's word in their young hearts – each memory verse said aloud earns them one piece of candy. They love to sing short choruses and be vocally involved in the Bible stories. But of course, the most awaited part is the snacks that we serve them after the lesson. To some of these children this is their lunch/dinner already. Feeding these children cost us around $25, depending on what is served. On some days we serve something different other than the usual “lugaw” which is softened rice sweetened with brown sugar. Sometimes they get something else to pair with the lugaw. The children normally bring their own bowls, spoon and drinking glass which works great for us workers – we don't have cleaning up to do. After the games we can just leave while the kids bring their bowls back to their homes. We spend almost three hours ministering to the children. There are a handful of residents there who attend our church so we hold the class in one of the member's home.

ART CLASSES

Here in the Philippines, most people cannot afford to buy anything in bulk. Most things (coffee, shampoo, creamer, powdered milk, powdered juices, etc..) are packed in sachets. They are colorful, shiny ones so I started cleaning the empty ones, dry them and have been saving them. I started saving toilet paper rolls, any shiny paper, plain colored paper, anything that can be used for art projects. I realized the need for art classes here so I am working on offering art sessions to the children here at home, well in our yard, during the summer. I know they would love that because since I started teaching Sunday School at our church that is one thing they look forward to. The first thing they ask me on Sundays is “what's our project today?” I can see by their faces that these activities excite them. We make do of what I have on hand although there is a lot of grumbling and arguing about who can use the glue or the scissors next (I only have 3 pairs of scissors and a couple of glues). I need to get some more art materials for my growing number of artists. The construction papers I brought with me from the States have been used up so I need to replenish them. So many needs...but I know that Lord will meet them.

….AND THEY CAME

I kept thinking about the children in our neighborhood, I know I need to do something for them. As I stated above December to March are lean months. I heard most families go with just one meal a day and I feel for the little ones. So I thought why not do the same thing we do on Saturdays by the beach in my yard? So last Saturday, March 4, I borrowed two huge kettles (each has 5-gallon capacity) and cooked champorado. It is a concoction of sticky rice cooked with cocoa and sweetened with brown sugar. I asked two children ,who came by my store that morning, to tell their friends to come around 3 in the afternoon. I also made sure that they need to bring with them their own bowls and spoon. I went ahead and made two huge kettles of the champorado in a make-shift stove beside our shed not knowing how many would be coming.

There were four little boys who showed up early. Through them I learned there were lots of kids playing in the community shed while waiting for 3 o'clock. And they told me they have bowls and spoons ready too. Good enough. By the time 3 o'clock rolled around the food was ready to be served. The boys who hung around ran to tell their friends that it is time. And they came, were served, had seconds or thirds, were filled. There was plenty to go around. Some sit by the roadside while eating, the teens huddled among themselves under the trees while others sat on the concrete section of our storefront. It was a perfect day to do it. It had been raining hard for weeks and everybody had been cooped up inside. That sunny Saturday afternoon was a welcome relief from the rain and a chance to talk to these little ones and play with them for a little bit. Before they headed home they asked if they could take some to share with their parents---how sweet.

I asked the children if they would like to come back again on Saturday, same time. And of course they said yes. I think we'll be doing this from now on :).

Thank you all for following.  We appreciate everyone of you and for all your prayers.  We love y'all.

Blessings.

 

Toyota Revo, AKA I miss auto parts stores

Living in the Philippines makes me appreciate all the conveniences we have in America. For instance, an auto parts store, O'Reilly, Auto Zone, Napa, etc. Only in Manila or Cebu can an auto part store be found and it would not be like an American store. Here in Southern Leyte there is no such stores even though there are “auto parts stores”. I have been looking for a turn signal light bulb for the Revo for about 3 months. I take the bulb every where we go and to any store that looks like it might have auto parts. No luck on the bulb.

About 4:00 pm on March 9, the hydraulic actuator on the clutch system of the Revo blew a seal. Luckily, it happened right in front of the house and we were able to get the Revo in the driveway. We did have to contact the school to put JJ on a trike to get him home. When he did get home, we made arrangements with the trike driver to take JJ to school and bring him home for the next week (just in case we could not find the part).   JJ will enjoy this.

On March 10 Flor went with our friend Abet on her motorcycle to look for the part. Flor had the part and a diagram I drew so they knew what we were looking for. They first went to a mechanic in the mountains who we thought may have a parted out Revo. He did not have the part.

They then went to a mechanic in Calag-itan who took the actuator apart and said it just needed new seals. He did not have the seals, but gave them the information for the seals and they went to a motorcycle part store in town.

After about 3 hours of running around, they got home with the part and new seals. We cleaned up the part and installed the new seals. With JJ's help (tool caddy), we re-installed the part. After some line bleeding and pumping of the clutch pedal the part started working. Took it for a short test drive and the clutch appeared to be working again.

On March 11 we took the Revo to town to run some errands and then to the mountains to get some spring water for drinking. The clutch was working as normal and did not give us any problem.  If the new seals would not have work, we would have contacted a friend in Tacloban who works in the automobile industry.  We would have to have him order the part and bus it to us.

About the biggest part of breaking down in the Philippines, is getting the vehicle somewhere to work on it. In America you have the convenience of going to an auto parts store (and most of the time), getting the part at that time.

If our Revo breakdown happened in America, we would have had it fixed by 6:00 – 7:00 that same evening. Missing my favorite auto part store, O'Reilly.

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