We have rested a week since we returned from the Philippines. We will leave Alvin, TX (just south of Houston) tomorrow morning and drive about l/2 of the way to Jacksonville, FL. We will stay in an RV park in Jacksonville while Ron has medical check ups at the Mayo Clinic next week.
Leigh Ann, our daughter who lives in Clearwater, FL now, is planning to drive up to Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon and spend a few days with us, We have not seen her in over a year and really miss her. We look forward to having a little time with her even though it really is "camping" for her in a crowded RV.
I will post later as we get results of Ron's check up reports.
Thanks again for your interest in us and our work in Asia.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Arrived in Houston on June 10
We safely arrive back at our RV parked south of Houston, TX on Wednesday evening, June 10. We left the house in Tanjay, Philippines at 4:45 a.m. to arrive at the charter service in Dumaguete at 5:30. They wanted to leave at 6 a.m. We encouraged Ronald and Gigi to go on back because they later had another trip to Dumaguete to do banking and purchase supplies.
Ron booked a charter flight to Manila because we were never sure when the airport would open and allow commercial flights to leave the island. We went through a lot of government requirements to prepare paperwork to leave the island. If we waited longer, the dates on our quarantine, including a quick check up by the doctor at the health department would expire and we'd have to go through the process again.
We had boarding tickets issued on-line to leave on Monday, June 8. When we got up and checked email, the flight had been cancelled and a notice posted on Facebook by Ronald said the airport would continue to be shut down due to 19 new cases of the virus reported the week before.
The flight did not leave at 6 a.m. due to something not checking out on the small plane. They had to bring another flight in from Cebu (the next closest island) and it arrived at 9:15 and we left shortly after that. It is what we would call a "puddle jumper." It had only two seats behind the pilot and co-pilot. It was very old. The pilot was very young. In fact, he probably is still a student pilot because he had to take our picture when we landed (which is required for his proof of flying someone). He did not know which hangar to go into and said it was his first trip to Manila. The plane was slow at about 135 miles per hour. He didn't have radar and he did not have automatic pilot. In fact, Ron (who has about 6,000 flying hours) said the plane didn't even have minimum instrumentation. One radio went out while we were in the air. He dodged cloud build ups so it was not very bouncy. I can assure you, most women would not have gotten in that aircraft and if I had not flown so much with Ron in a single-engine, I would not have flown in it either. This time, I really had little choice.
We got to Manila airport about 1 p.m. We were not allowed into the terminal because of the Coronavirus. They let you in only 3 hours before your flight. There was one waiting room for passengers waiting for their flights but when we arrived, it was not full even though they blocked off every other seat. We got seats but had to wait until 8:30 p.m. The room keep filling up and by the time we were moved inside the terminal, there were approximately 500 people waiting outside in the heat. If we had not gotten there when we did, we would have had hours to wait without a seat. Someone came in every hour or so with trays of sandwiches, muffins and drinks to sell but nothing was open even in the airport. Once we were in line to go into the terminal, things went smoothly.
We left Manila about 12 p.m. to fly to Seoul, South Korea. Their time was one hour ahead of Philippine's time so the flight was 4 hours. The flight was full and no seats were blocked off. We arrived about 5 a.m. and after being processed at the airport, we went to the hotel inside the airport, still in a secure area. We got a room until 12 and got four good hours of sleep and a shower. I could not believe how good I felt. We checked into our flight to Los Angeles and got some chicken in the mall for breakfast. Almost everything was open in this airport and it is a super nice airport. They proudly say it is a virus-free airport but with so many passengers coming and going, I don't know how they can be so sure.
Ron asked for a wheelchair because his back was hurting and he didn't think he could manage the long walk in the airports. Actually, the one to our flight there was not very long but when we arrived in Los Angeles, there was a lot of walking. They had a wheelchair waiting for him when we landed in L.A. I had to walk at a fast pace, pushing the cart with our bags but I made it O.K. That flight was 10 hours. We had an empty seat between us but its not enough room to lie down so we got very little rest.
We had a couple of hours to wait in Los Angeles for the flight to Houston. We got the last two seats on the direct flight (which saved us landing in Las Vegas) but I had a child behind me that kicked and banged on the back of my seat the entire way. That flight was 5 hours.
One of the elders from the Westside church of Christ in Alvin, TX met us at the baggage area and brought us to the RV. We arrived here about 7 p.m. last night. We got to bed by 9:30 and slept until about 5:00 a.m.
We have done a lot today but feel really lousy today. I feel like I've been sick for a week. That's the way jetlag affects the body. It will take a few days (making sure we only sleep at night) to reset our bodies to the time zone. It is a gruesome few days.
We will rest here for at least a week before we begin to travel back east. I will continue to post as our summer unfolds back in the U.S.A.
Thank you for your prayers and concerns for us. We really appreciate it.
Ron booked a charter flight to Manila because we were never sure when the airport would open and allow commercial flights to leave the island. We went through a lot of government requirements to prepare paperwork to leave the island. If we waited longer, the dates on our quarantine, including a quick check up by the doctor at the health department would expire and we'd have to go through the process again.
We had boarding tickets issued on-line to leave on Monday, June 8. When we got up and checked email, the flight had been cancelled and a notice posted on Facebook by Ronald said the airport would continue to be shut down due to 19 new cases of the virus reported the week before.
The flight did not leave at 6 a.m. due to something not checking out on the small plane. They had to bring another flight in from Cebu (the next closest island) and it arrived at 9:15 and we left shortly after that. It is what we would call a "puddle jumper." It had only two seats behind the pilot and co-pilot. It was very old. The pilot was very young. In fact, he probably is still a student pilot because he had to take our picture when we landed (which is required for his proof of flying someone). He did not know which hangar to go into and said it was his first trip to Manila. The plane was slow at about 135 miles per hour. He didn't have radar and he did not have automatic pilot. In fact, Ron (who has about 6,000 flying hours) said the plane didn't even have minimum instrumentation. One radio went out while we were in the air. He dodged cloud build ups so it was not very bouncy. I can assure you, most women would not have gotten in that aircraft and if I had not flown so much with Ron in a single-engine, I would not have flown in it either. This time, I really had little choice.
We got to Manila airport about 1 p.m. We were not allowed into the terminal because of the Coronavirus. They let you in only 3 hours before your flight. There was one waiting room for passengers waiting for their flights but when we arrived, it was not full even though they blocked off every other seat. We got seats but had to wait until 8:30 p.m. The room keep filling up and by the time we were moved inside the terminal, there were approximately 500 people waiting outside in the heat. If we had not gotten there when we did, we would have had hours to wait without a seat. Someone came in every hour or so with trays of sandwiches, muffins and drinks to sell but nothing was open even in the airport. Once we were in line to go into the terminal, things went smoothly.
We left Manila about 12 p.m. to fly to Seoul, South Korea. Their time was one hour ahead of Philippine's time so the flight was 4 hours. The flight was full and no seats were blocked off. We arrived about 5 a.m. and after being processed at the airport, we went to the hotel inside the airport, still in a secure area. We got a room until 12 and got four good hours of sleep and a shower. I could not believe how good I felt. We checked into our flight to Los Angeles and got some chicken in the mall for breakfast. Almost everything was open in this airport and it is a super nice airport. They proudly say it is a virus-free airport but with so many passengers coming and going, I don't know how they can be so sure.
Ron asked for a wheelchair because his back was hurting and he didn't think he could manage the long walk in the airports. Actually, the one to our flight there was not very long but when we arrived in Los Angeles, there was a lot of walking. They had a wheelchair waiting for him when we landed in L.A. I had to walk at a fast pace, pushing the cart with our bags but I made it O.K. That flight was 10 hours. We had an empty seat between us but its not enough room to lie down so we got very little rest.
We had a couple of hours to wait in Los Angeles for the flight to Houston. We got the last two seats on the direct flight (which saved us landing in Las Vegas) but I had a child behind me that kicked and banged on the back of my seat the entire way. That flight was 5 hours.
One of the elders from the Westside church of Christ in Alvin, TX met us at the baggage area and brought us to the RV. We arrived here about 7 p.m. last night. We got to bed by 9:30 and slept until about 5:00 a.m. We have done a lot today but feel really lousy today. I feel like I've been sick for a week. That's the way jetlag affects the body. It will take a few days (making sure we only sleep at night) to reset our bodies to the time zone. It is a gruesome few days.
We will rest here for at least a week before we begin to travel back east. I will continue to post as our summer unfolds back in the U.S.A.
Thank you for your prayers and concerns for us. We really appreciate it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
The laugh is on me!
Remember the lines of an old song "leaving on a night train...?" Well, we are not leaving on a night train and may not be leaving at all. Our next projected date is coming up soon. We have boarding passes already from Cebu Pacific airlines to leave Dumaguete, Philippines on Monday morning, June 8th. But, that doesn't mean we won't get a cancellation notice on Sunday. Ron had to check that we are here on business (which we are to see the safe house being built on the Casa Esperanza of Angels' orphanage property). No pleasure passengers can fly just yet. We have to have a health certificate within 24 hours of flight so Gigi is checking with a cousin's wife who is a nurse about getting this paper for us.
Ronald sent a message last night that (after weeks of no cases here) there are 17 new cases of the virus on Negros Oriental. He suspects they are fishermen returning home but one is an 11-year old girl. The patients are supposedly "contained" but with this scare, the airlines may be shut down, as well as the entire island. We are hoping this is not the case and we can leave on Monday.
Since we arrived, I have been fascinated with a sound I hear every night at 5:30. As we are preparing dinner, this "creature" starts making a sound that I describe as Uh Oh but sometimes the Uh gets stuck and it is Uh Uh Uh with a deep throated growling. It is coming from a nearby tree or top of the storage room shed at the back porch. You can set your clock by the first time you hear it. It will be 5:30 p.m. I thought it was a large bird that was coming in to roost and I checked the internet and listened to birds of the Philippines on YouTube and came up with nothing. I asked Ronald and Gigi and they had no idea what it was but last week they delivered our groceries about 5:00 p.m. While we were in the dining room, my friend checked in with the Uh Oh. Ronald and Gigi started laughing.
My elusive friend is the Gecko Tuko (Americans spell it Tokay).
I've never seen one and after seeing the pictures and listening to it on YouTube, I can verify that this is my friend but I am happy for him to stay hidden under the edge of the roof of the storage shed. They are fascinating creatures but I don't want him for a pet. Geckos can be small as we have on the walls in the house but this kind can grow quite large. He is so loud, I think our friend is large because he makes his presence known with much growling and crooking. The internet says the sound is To-Kay To-Kay and that's where they get their name. Doesn't sound quite like that to me. According to what I've read, they hang on to trees or things and sleep during the day. They can be heard throughout the night hours. We have heard him as early as 5 a.m. but not after that during the daytime. They have no eye lids so they lick their eyes with their long tongues to keep them moist. Their eyes are 350 times more sensitive to light than ours. They can drop off their tail if they feel threatened and it will continue to wiggle around to distract an enemy. The tails stores fat but he can grow it back if it falls off. They can live a long time. As you can see, I'm getting a little bored of staying in when I am fascinated about reading about geckos.
I have work to do to help secure sponsors for the new children arriving at Casa Esperanza of Angels. I am waiting to get information about two little girls who are in danger where they are living and may arrive this morning to live at the orphanage. They are 4 and 6 years of age so the change may be difficult for these little girls. All the rest of their children have adjusted quickly and are very happy.
I will post again when I have news or more time. Maybe my next post will be that we have arrived safely in the U.S. But, don't count on it. In the meantime, I'll look forward to 5:30 p.m. to go talk to my gecko friend.
God bless you all.
Ronald sent a message last night that (after weeks of no cases here) there are 17 new cases of the virus on Negros Oriental. He suspects they are fishermen returning home but one is an 11-year old girl. The patients are supposedly "contained" but with this scare, the airlines may be shut down, as well as the entire island. We are hoping this is not the case and we can leave on Monday.
Since we arrived, I have been fascinated with a sound I hear every night at 5:30. As we are preparing dinner, this "creature" starts making a sound that I describe as Uh Oh but sometimes the Uh gets stuck and it is Uh Uh Uh with a deep throated growling. It is coming from a nearby tree or top of the storage room shed at the back porch. You can set your clock by the first time you hear it. It will be 5:30 p.m. I thought it was a large bird that was coming in to roost and I checked the internet and listened to birds of the Philippines on YouTube and came up with nothing. I asked Ronald and Gigi and they had no idea what it was but last week they delivered our groceries about 5:00 p.m. While we were in the dining room, my friend checked in with the Uh Oh. Ronald and Gigi started laughing.
My elusive friend is the Gecko Tuko (Americans spell it Tokay).I've never seen one and after seeing the pictures and listening to it on YouTube, I can verify that this is my friend but I am happy for him to stay hidden under the edge of the roof of the storage shed. They are fascinating creatures but I don't want him for a pet. Geckos can be small as we have on the walls in the house but this kind can grow quite large. He is so loud, I think our friend is large because he makes his presence known with much growling and crooking. The internet says the sound is To-Kay To-Kay and that's where they get their name. Doesn't sound quite like that to me. According to what I've read, they hang on to trees or things and sleep during the day. They can be heard throughout the night hours. We have heard him as early as 5 a.m. but not after that during the daytime. They have no eye lids so they lick their eyes with their long tongues to keep them moist. Their eyes are 350 times more sensitive to light than ours. They can drop off their tail if they feel threatened and it will continue to wiggle around to distract an enemy. The tails stores fat but he can grow it back if it falls off. They can live a long time. As you can see, I'm getting a little bored of staying in when I am fascinated about reading about geckos.
I have work to do to help secure sponsors for the new children arriving at Casa Esperanza of Angels. I am waiting to get information about two little girls who are in danger where they are living and may arrive this morning to live at the orphanage. They are 4 and 6 years of age so the change may be difficult for these little girls. All the rest of their children have adjusted quickly and are very happy.
I will post again when I have news or more time. Maybe my next post will be that we have arrived safely in the U.S. But, don't count on it. In the meantime, I'll look forward to 5:30 p.m. to go talk to my gecko friend.
God bless you all.
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