Living Waters Message Board to refresh the saints...

These search engines are in no way affiliated with Living Waters.
Bible Search Version: NIV NASB RSV KJV Darby YLT WE All Passage:	Word Search Search: Dictionary.com Thesaurus.com for

Follow Ups Post Followup cfry@livwat.com Living Waters Front Page

Philippines trip, August-September 2000 part 1 Posted by ABB - February 06, 2001 at 11:47:34am 1024x768x16 - Mozilla/4.76 [en] (Win95; U)

Philippines by Anita B. We arrived in Manila August 26 at 2200. We first saw our host and protector at 2300 after the process of obtaining our luggage and going through customs. Arriving in the Philippines was anxiety producing because we had never left the continent of North America before. We were asked to declare all food items we had with us in customs. Ning Decena's homemade jelly passed customs and my precious raisins did as well without so much as a raised eyebrow. Once released from customs we came into a large room where I thought we would find Roger Wanasen but no Roger. As we looked around bewildered, we were led outside to a waiting area that had the alphabet on signposts above our head. We were to stand under the letter of our last name. There was a crowd of people behind a fence across the street looking for their arriving family and friends. After standing for a little awhile near the letter B and being asked several times if we needed a taxi, I walked halfway across the street to scan the people behind the fence. I think Roger and I saw each other simultaneously. Relief washed across my features because we had gone to the Philippines on faith in God and in our Brother Roger. We didn't even know where he lived and had no phone number for him. Our brethren in the states with that information were a long distance phone call away if we had absolutely needed it. As we waited for Roger to get his vehicle, we spotted a highly decorated vehicle that was worthy of a picture. As Ariel flashed the picture I pointed towards our arriving transport because we were again asked if we needed a taxi. Three men piled out of Roger's van to help with our luggage. They piled our 4 large bags on the roof in a rack and the 2 smaller ones inside. We got an eyeful of Manila on our long trip home that night. We saw rows and rows of shipshody "homes" made out of scrap lumber and or scrap metal, those we were told were squatters homes. We also saw rows upon rows of open air businesses with roofs kind of like the flea markets in San Jose lined up along the roads with light and people sitting in the booths at midnight, sometimes a woman alone manning a single booth surrounded by darkened booths. Finally, we arrived at Roger's home. The first 24 hrs, many things were different: the presence of household servants who rushed out of the house on our arrival to help carry in our 6 pieces of luggage, the comfort room (bathroom) with a toilet but no female rim and no flush control, rather a barrel of water to manually flush it, shower plumbing with no running water, a wet bathroom floor because there is no shower stall, just a drain, cooking facilities outside of the main part of the house and dish washing in the same area, again with no running water, early morning honking horns of street sellers, some selling delicious fresh bread, other street sellers calling out incomprehensible sounds advertising their wares as they pass the house with buckets on either side like a balance scale and the sound of motorcycles with side cars called tricycles constantly taking people to work or school. We slept on comfortable mattresses in a private bedroom in each place we stayed but we observed beds of solid wood or slats of wood. In one home where we stayed the parents gave up their double bed and slept in their grown children's room, 2 young men and an 18 year old girl. The young men slept on a thin bamboo mat in the living room. At least one of those beds in the grown children's room had no mattress, only a hard board. The 4 pillows that were on the parent's bed were full and hard with no give. Ariel and I put them aside and used our sweatshirts as pillows, which was quite satisfactory. The days and nights were warm, even when it rained. Rotating fans was the air conditioning common to all homes to keep the sultry air moving. We used the fans at night also to help dry our clothes. Clothes tended to mildew easily. I decided the national shoe was slippers ( his time is spent behind the wheel maneuvering amazingly safely but just as closely as the Filipino jeepney and tricycle drivers. They do have fender benders there for good reason. We would not dare follow that close or cut in that close at the speeds we drive in the U.S. Driving to Angeles City and Pampanga was different. There are divided highways to those places and they are not very heavily traveled. I decided I did not like Manila, Angeles City was tolerable. Ning Decena's brother, who lives in Angeles City, got us to church on a Wednesday night in 15 minutes from his home, not like the 1 to 1 & 1/2 hr it takes to get to church in Quezon City from Roger's home and probably longer for some of the other brethren who live in Manila. All our hosts wanted to serve us the best they had. Personally, I loved the rice, fried fish, their wonderfully small and sweet bananas, sayote which is a vegetable, papayas, mangos and young coconut such that I had never known existed... I didn't like BAGOONG, (rotten fish sauce made by putting salt and fresh fish in a container and letting it sit for a month.). Because we stayed both with Ning's relatives and with Wanasens and also visited other areas, we were introduced to a variety of native fruits and vegetables and foods. For the most part between us we liked most everything especially vegetables and fruits. Buko pie and buko popsicles were both treats. Empanadas were a delicious meat pie served at Ning's sister's home for which we now have the recipe. The most wonderful food was served at the home of Roger's father, Hilario Wanasen. We were blessed in many ways by getting to go to Pangasinan where he lives and several of the Wanasen clan live. We were greeted with hugs and kisses by Roger's parents and sent off with tears. They truly touched our hearts. The second Sunday we were there we went to the home of the Carabbacans for a traditional 18th birthday party for their daughter Leah. Two things impressed me by our visit there. They were not afraid to have a large crowd for lunch at their home which is small compared to America's standards and they had simple entertainment for those who wanted to participate. I had a ball singing Karaoke to old songs in English. Ariel and I were both impressed by the amazing patience of these people, the long lines they endure, the long days they accept, the simpleness of their lives in their homes, the long skirts of all the uniforms for school girls and the smiles that were worn on the faces of most of the people. We were also impressed by the friendliness of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Philippines, their encouragement to one another, how they greeted us with love and acceptance, in many cases with hugs and kisses and the absolute be we walked a short distance to another checkpoint and waited in a short line for another x-ray scan of our carry-on luggage and our person and then we were off to the gate, All passengers were again stopped for a visual search in all one's carryon luggage and purse. One had to walk around the table and pick up his belongings on the other side and then the gate. Whew! We had a layover in Tokyo and a security check is required again of all layover passengers. About 10 hrs later from Tokyo we landed in San Francisco and were welcomed back to the U.S. by employees in customs. Because one has to wait for one's luggage before leaving customs, the whole process is about an hour. The long flights, customs at both ends, the 16 hour time difference with its associated adjustments of having one's days and nights majorly rearranged in 2 weeks is difficult for anyone. We handled it well at that end we were told. We noticed by about the fifth day there we were sleeping longer during their night time. Our adjustment on our return has been more challenging and interesting. Neither of us want to sleep when it is night. We say but it is really daytime. We have been

Follow Ups

• 282 - Tricycles: I want to know about them....how they are made, how they run, etc... Ray Zamora 3:40:14am 06/01/01 (1)
  • 285 - Re: Tricycles: I want to know about them....how they are made, how they run, etc... CFry 5:21:53pm 06/08/01 (0)
• 217 - Re: Philippines trip, August-September 2000 part 2 ABB 11:51:24am 02/06/01 (1)
  • 572 - Re: Philippines trip, August-September 2000 part 2 jai 3:27:12am 08/22/02 (0)

-

Post A Followup
Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
Comments: <blockquote>Philippines </blockquote> <blockquote>by Anita B. </blockquote> <blockquote> </blockquote> <blockquote> We arrived in Manila August 26 at 2200. We first saw our host and protector at 2300 after the process of obtaining our luggage and going through customs. Arriving in the Philippines was anxiety producing because we had never left the continent of North America before. We were asked to declare all food items we had with us in customs. Ning Decena's homemade jelly passed customs and my precious raisins did as well without so much as a raised eyebrow. Once released from customs we came into a large room where I thought we would find Roger Wanasen but no Roger. As we looked around bewildered, we were led outside to a waiting area that had the alphabet on signposts above our head. We were to stand under the letter of our last name. There was a crowd of people behind a fence across the street looking for their arriving family and friends. After standing for a little awhile near the letter B and being asked several times if we needed a taxi, I walked halfway across the street to scan the people behind the fence. I think Roger and I saw each other simultaneously. Relief washed across my features because we had gone to the Philippines on faith in God and in our Brother Roger. We didn't even know where he lived and had no phone number for him. Our brethren in the states with that information were a long distance phone call away if we had absolutely needed it. As we waited for Roger to get his vehicle, we spotted a highly decorated vehicle that was worthy of a picture. As Ariel flashed the picture I pointed towards our arriving transport because we were again asked if we needed a taxi. Three men piled out of Roger's van to help with our luggage. They piled our 4 large bags on the roof in a rack and the 2 smaller ones inside. We got an eyeful of Manila on our long trip home that night. We saw rows and rows of shipshody "homes" made out of scrap lumber and or scrap metal, those we were told were squatters homes. We also saw rows upon rows of open air businesses with roofs kind of like the flea markets in San Jose lined up along the roads with light and people sitting in the booths at midnight, sometimes a woman alone manning a single booth surrounded by darkened booths. Finally, we arrived at Roger's home. </blockquote> <blockquote> The first 24 hrs, many things were different: the presence of household servants who rushed out of the house on our arrival to help carry in our 6 pieces of luggage, the comfort room (bathroom) with a toilet but no female rim and no flush control, rather a barrel of water to manually flush it, shower plumbing with no running water, a wet bathroom floor because there is no shower stall, just a drain, cooking facilities outside of the main part of the house and dish washing in the same area, again with no running water, early morning honking horns of street sellers, some selling delicious fresh bread, other street sellers calling out incomprehensible sounds advertising their wares as they pass the house with buckets on either side like a balance scale and the sound of motorcycles with side cars called tricycles constantly taking people to work or school. We slept on comfortable mattresses in a private bedroom in each place we stayed but we observed beds of solid wood or slats of wood. In one home where we stayed the parents gave up their double bed and slept in their grown children's room, 2 young men and an 18 year old girl. The young men slept on a thin bamboo mat in the living room. At least one of those beds in the grown children's room had no mattress, only a hard board.</blockquote> <blockquote> The 4 pillows that were on the parent's bed were full and hard with no give. Ariel and I put them aside and used our sweatshirts as pillows, which was quite satisfactory. The days and nights were warm, even when it rained. Rotating fans was the air conditioning common to all homes to keep the sultry air moving. We used the fans at night also to help dry our clothes. Clothes tended to mildew easily. I decided the national shoe was slippers (flip flops also called thongs in America). We wore ours constantly, even to church. </blockquote> <blockquote> The daily life of the Filipino family is school or work, often work involves Saturdays as well. In Manila, much of their day is spent in getting to work or getting home. Doris, Roger's wife, works in Manila at the Dept. of Forestry, a highly skilled job for which she has a degree. She leaves with her family at 0600 in the family van. She transfers to a jeepney in Quezon City and finally arrives at work at 0800. She gets off work at 1700 and arrives home no earlier than 1900, sometimes later. Fortunately, the two women who live with them are there at all times to greet Roger's 9 yr old son, Tyson (Hilario) and 13 yr old daughter Samantha (Queenie) at 1700 when they arrive home either with dad or their brother-in-law John, Mae's husband, a taxi cab driver. Transportation time is a major factor in the lives of the people in the city of Manila because the population is in the millions. Private vehicles are few but there are hundreds of jeepneys and tricycles and also many buses. Traffic just from their home to Quezon City, a distance of 7 km is stop and go, more stop than go. It gives the many people selling things time to walk among the cars to sell their wares consisting of gum, cigarettes, bottled water, homemade placemats, dishrags etc. Drivers do a lot of maneuvering to get the best advantage, swerving out to the shoulder to gain some distance, driving in the lane that would normally be for oncoming traffic. During rush hour (more than an hour though) there are 3 lanes of traffic going to Quezon City, 2 which are unofficial and in America would be illegal. Wherever a driver can nose his vehicle into traffic, he gets the right-of-way for that brief moment. Crossing streets as a pedestrian takes on a new element of danger that Americans are unfamiliar with. If there are laws, they are very loosely followed. Generally there are lanes going in the same direction as in America. In Manila proper there are a few traffic lights but daily use of policeman with whistles and individual driver horn honking is the traffic control of the city. There are so many mazes of streets in Manila, one would not want to get lost at the pace of the clogged traffic. I think Roger must have the whole city map in his head. A lot of his time is spent behind the wheel maneuvering amazingly safely but just as closely as the Filipino jeepney and tricycle drivers. They do have fender benders there for good reason. We would not dare follow that close or cut in that close at the speeds we drive in the U.S. Driving to Angeles City and Pampanga was different. There are divided highways to those places and they are not very heavily traveled. I decided I did not like Manila, Angeles City was tolerable. Ning Decena's brother, who lives in Angeles City, got us to church on a Wednesday night in 15 minutes from his home, not like the 1 to 1 & 1/2 hr it takes to get to church in Quezon City from Roger's home and probably longer for some of the other brethren who live in Manila. </blockquote> <blockquote> All our hosts wanted to serve us the best they had. Personally, I loved the rice, fried fish, their wonderfully small and sweet bananas, sayote which is a vegetable, papayas, mangos and young coconut such that I had never known existed... I didn't like BAGOONG, (rotten fish sauce made by putting salt and fresh fish in a container and letting it sit for a month.). Because we stayed both with Ning's relatives and with Wanasens and also visited other areas, we were introduced to a variety of native fruits and vegetables and foods. For the most part between us we liked most everything especially vegetables and fruits. Buko pie and buko popsicles were both treats. Empanadas were a delicious meat pie served at Ning's sister's home for which we now have the recipe. The most wonderful food was served at the home of Roger's father, Hilario Wanasen. We were blessed in many ways by getting to go to Pangasinan where he lives and several of the Wanasen clan live. We were greeted with hugs and kisses by Roger's parents and sent off with tears. They truly touched our hearts. The second Sunday we were there we went to the home of the Carabbacans for a traditional 18th birthday party for their daughter Leah. Two things impressed me by our visit there. They were not afraid to have a large crowd for lunch at their home which is small compared to America's standards and they had simple entertainment for those who wanted to participate. I had a ball singing Karaoke to old songs in English.</blockquote> <blockquote> Ariel and I were both impressed by the amazing patience of these people, the long lines they endure, the long days they accept, the simpleness of their lives in their homes, the long skirts of all the uniforms for school girls and the smiles that were worn on the faces of most of the people. We were also impressed by the friendliness of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Philippines, their encouragement to one another, how they greeted us with love and acceptance, in many cases with hugs and kisses and the absolute best part was participating in the respect and honor shown by young people to parents, grandparents and other adults in their culture. </blockquote> <blockquote> This report says nothing about the "work" that was done by us in the Philippines. We found that what they gave back to us was far greater. Roger and I shared dreams and ideas about how to help the Filipino people help themselves. I hope to get all that down on paper as well very soon.</blockquote> <blockquote> The flight back home is similarly long as the flight to, for some reason one hour less with actual darkness for several hours before it gets light again. Going to the Philippines, we flew with constant light. Security checks out of Manila are repeated and involved. The lines are long like everywhere else in Manila. After the initial x-ray scan there was a very long snaked line that lead to another security checkpoint where they looked at our passport and put a sticker on it. Next, we checked our luggage but held onto it until they cleared our standby status. Once cleared we went onto the gate with several stops on the way. First we came to a booth to pay a departure fee of P550 or $13 and then another line where they stamped our passport, then we walked a short distance to another checkpoint and waited in a short line for another x-ray scan of our carry-on luggage and our person and then we were off to the gate, All passengers were again stopped for a visual search in all one's carryon luggage and purse. One had to walk around the table and pick up his belongings on the other side and then the gate. Whew! We had a layover in Tokyo and a security check is required again of all layover passengers. About 10 hrs later from Tokyo we landed in San Francisco and were welcomed back to the U.S. by employees in customs. Because one has to wait for one's luggage before leaving customs, the whole process is about an hour. The long flights, customs at both ends, the 16 hour time difference with its associated adjustments of having one's days and nights majorly rearranged in 2 weeks is difficult for anyone. We handled it well at that end we were told. We noticed by about the fifth day there we were sleeping longer during their night time. Our adjustment on our return has been more challenging and interesting. Neither of us want to sleep when it is night. We say but it is really daytime. We have been so tired during our day and have wanted to nap or go to bed early because we have been non-functional and then around 10 PM we are up wondering why we cannot sleep, wide awake. Today, Sunday, Sept 10th marks our fifth day home and we noticed last night we slept better with more normal hours though Ariel states she was up from 12 to 3 am. The visit to our loving brothers and sisters in Christ in the Philippines blessed us tremendously and turned our thoughts about our world upside down.</blockquote> <blockquote>Sister Anita </blockquote> Optional Link URL: Optional Link Title: Optional Image URL:

Follow Ups To the Top cfry@livwat.com Living Waters Front Page