Saturday morning came all too quick and all too late at the same time, so many mixed emotions about going home. I loved being in the Philippines and getting to know the people. I enjoyed seeing their servant heart. I loved having the special time with my husband with no needy children. I enjoyed getting to order food at a restaurant that I wanted and not what I thought my children could share. I love the spirit and attitude of the people around. I enjoyed being in a different place, experiencing different things. At the same time, I wanted to be home around people I already know. I missed my boys and just wanted to sit in a restaurant with them by my side no matter what we were eating. I was tired of living out of a suitcase and not being in my own home. And, even though I’m not a fan of my mattress, I just wanted to be in my own bed.
We went to breakfast and then quickly finished packing the hygiene items for our long trip home. We got to the lobby and piled our luggage with everyone else’s by 7:45 am. Within a few short minutes, the bus was waiting for us outside and we got in the long line out of the lobby. We were instructed to leave our luggage in the lobby and come outside. As we started outdoors, we heard singing. Several of the people we had met throughout the week, were standing at the bottom of the hotel steps singing, “Thank You for Giving to the Lord”. It was an emotional parting. While we listened to them sing, most of our luggage was loaded under the bus. We said our good-byes, took lots of pictures, and loaded the bus. We got to the airport before they even had the terminal open. It only took a few minutes and the doors were opened but because there were so many of us in line it took almost 45 minutes before we were able to go through security back to our gate.
We boarded the plane around noon for our short flight to Hong Kong. We got into Hong Kong and it took no time to get through immigration and customs. We exited the secure area where we were met by our missionaries, Doug and LuJean Stone and one of their local friends, Joyce. Immediately we could smell a difference in the air. It was cleaner and crisp. Mr. and Mrs. Stone chartered a bus for us and took us downtown to a street market. We were given an hour and a half which was not enough time, but all we had. I really wanted a leather notebook bag and found one for about $32. I probably could have bargained more, but didn’t know how much bargaining they would do and I knew it was a better price than I could get in the states for what I got. Chris purchased a rolling backpack, I got a purse, we bought the boys some t-shirts, and a couple other souvenir items. But, I probably could have spent an entire day there and bought so much more. We left the market and went down to the harbor. I could never imagine the amount of high-rise buildings until I saw it for myself. It doesn’t even compare to big cities like Chicago or Los Angeles. There wasn’t a single-story building anywhere. Most apartment buildings would no less than 100 stories high. Can you imagine what would happen if the electricity went out and the elevators didn’t work? The harbor was beautiful. We got there as the sun was going down. We stayed until the famous light show. It wasn’t as glamorous as others had made it out to be, but definitely worth the experience. There were several laser lights at the tops and on the sides of the buildings that flashed to the sound of music. Hong Kong is a definite “want to revisit” on my list. After the show, we were taken back to the airport.
We had a couple hours in the airport before our flight left so we ate at a restaurant and had some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream before we boarded. I got on the plane, got situated and before we even got on the runway to take off, I was asleep. When I woke up, there was just a little over 3 hours left in flight. I think that means I slept about 9 hours. We got to LAX and got through immigration and customs much quicker than I anticipated. We had to re-check our luggage and change terminals, but that left us plenty of time to eat at Burger King and check voice mail and texts for the last couple weeks. It was great to finally be back on American soil. Unfortunately, that also comes with a price. The bathrooms were disgusting. I barely wanted to touch the faucet at the sink it was so horrible. We flew from there to Dallas. In Dallas, we were asked to join Mr. Konnerup in the Admirals Club. We ate delicious muffins, had juice, and my first apple in 2 weeks. I love my apples and typically eat one a day so I had really missed having apples. It tasted so sweet and juicy. I checked my e-mail and sat in a comfortable chair before we took the long walk to our terminal and gate. It was nice to have the exercise so we avoided getting on the Skylink. Only one flight left and we were home in Springfield.
Since it was 10:30 when we landed and 10:45 when we got out of the airport, we decided to go home to shower before going to get the boys. Les had left his truck in the parking lot for us. The boys were in church and there was no reason to disturb that. We met Dad at the Wal-mart parking lot to get the boys. Unfortunately, my boys had gotten my Mom sick and she was unable to come. We hugged and kissed on the boys and then Les and Nicole met us with our car. We decided to go eat lunch and invited them to come with us. Of all things, my husband wanted to eat Chinese food. Really? I obliged even though I could have really gone for a big salad or cheeseburger right about that time. We ate lunch and went home with our boys. We had a great afternoon with the boys even though it was very hard to stay awake. We went outside to play just so the wind and sun would help keep our minds in the right mode. We fed the boys dinner about 6:30, but I was too tired to eat. We had the boys in bed by 7 and Chris barely even made it across the house before he fell into bed and was asleep. I finished a load of laundry, washed my face, and brushed my teeth crawling into bed by 7:45. The storm woke me up a couple times and then I was awake again at 5 with some pains and cramps. I took some muscle relaxers and dozed until the alarm went off at 6:15. It is so great to be home.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Time's Up
Friday morning was a little more relaxing. We didn’t get up to an alarm and our bodies actually let us sleep until 7. We were kind of lazy getting around to eat breakfast. We found JP after breakfast and asked him to put a tour together for us. Five other Mission Office people and five others that traveled with our group rented a van. JP’s roommate, Mar, came with us. Several of us had certain places we wanted to go or things to see. JP also had a few recommendations.
Our first stop was on the edge of the island. We could see some small islands off shore but not too far. Mark said one was where they take their lepers. They have some nurses and small hospitals on the island for them. Another is where they take pick-pockets and thieves during festivals or other special events. Of course, they can’t gather them all, but they try. We then went to Fort San Pedro. It was a place where they fought against the Spanish. There were old cannons on top of the wall. The center courtyard was beautiful with green grass, lots of tall trees, and plenty of flowers and bushes. Mark said it was a great place to bring a date ;)
We then went to Magellan’s Cross. Since Chris and I had been earlier in the week, we chose to stay in the van. When the other part of the group returned, there were several children following them. They were begging for money. They were also trying to block the group from getting back into the van. Several of the kids finally left but a few were persistent. One in particular wouldn’t get out of the way of the door so we could close it. Mark finally got him pulled away and we got the door closes only for a few seconds before the child reopened it again and again and again. We were eventually able to lock the door and he began to knock on the side of the van. As the van started to move he ran along side of the van knocking harder and harder on the door begging for money. As we gained speed, he stopped and just yelled. The biggest heart break for me was seeing the man sitting on the wall on the back side of the sidewalk and knocking he was probably in charge of the group of kids taking everything they had gained in the day. None of those kids were wearing shoes. Some only had shirts and no pants or shorts. They were all filthy from head to toe as if they had never experienced a bath or shower. They were somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10. We had many beggars approach in our time there, but this was the most persistent, most life-impacting.
We had another stop or two that were Cebu City historical sites. Our last tourist stop was the Taoist Temple. It was everything I expected and more. There were signs everywhere to observe silence and respect for their gods. Idols were incased in glass. Special idols had their own hut while others were grouped together. In each hut were small kneeling benches so you could say your prayers or ask for blessings. There was incense and candles burning in several spots. Proper attire was required to enter a hut; no sleeveless tops, no shorts. All tourists were asked not to video or take pictures of their gods as that was disrespectful. One posted sign especially caught my eye. It said something to the effect that if you asked a god for something you had to be prepared for his answer. If he says yes or no, you accept it. If he says wait, then you may have to return another day. If he says maybe, then you may need to simplify your question. I’m so glad my God doesn’t need me to simplify my questions. My God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think. My God knows what I’m thinking before I even ask. What a great God we serve. The view of the town and surrounding mountains from the top of the temple was beautiful. I had never visited a temple of that kind before. I had only seen them on TV and read about them in books. The feeling I had there was like no other.
We left the temple and went for lunch back at the SM Mall where most of us chose to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had fettuccini alfredo and a slice of pizza that was quite good. We got back to the hotel with just enough time to do the Sky Experience at the top of our hotel.
We did the edge roller coaster together. I thought I would be really scared, but because you are strapped in so tight from the waist down there’s no possibility of moving. It was another beautiful view of the town and just a great time to enjoy being alone with my husband. Chris also did the Sky Walk which he said was not scary. Basically, you put on a space-looking suit and are strapped to a harness that hooks to some bars above your head and then you are able to walk along the edge of the hotel looking several hundred feet down. We finished a few minutes later than we thought and ran to the elevator and to our room quickly to change clothes.
We met the Mission Office group in the lobby where Pastor Jun escorted us to a local Filipino restaurant. The whole way, I was thinking to myself. I’m already sick. It can’t get any worse but I’m not sure I can eat anything that looks weird. Then, I thought, well that’s rude, I have to eat. My thoughts transferred between being rude and well, at least I can eat the rice. I finally just set my mind on giving everything a chance. No one knew what to order so Pastor Jun just ordered for everyone. They brought out individual empty plates for us all and then sat the foot in the middle. We had garlic shrimp, grilled tuna, stuffed crab, two kinds of beef soup, chicken, pork egg rolls, and rice. He also ordered each of us a mango shake…delicious! I tried everything except the chicken. When the chicken came out, it was the last thing. I had already stuffed myself with everything else and the chicken was so dark, when they sat it on the table I honestly thought it was beef. I decided that would be the one thing I would “chicken” out eating. I guess I wasn’t the only one because there was a whole plate of it on the table when we left the restaurant. Pastor Jun and his wife, Ma’am Judy, were wonderful hosts and we had great discussion at the table over the meeting and the possibility of another global meeting in five years.
We got back to the hotel and Chris was responsible for calling all traveling with us the next day. He had to tell each about the terminal fees, check-out time, departure information, and other stuff. He stayed in the lobby while I headed to the room to begin the chore of re-packing. I quickly learned that I had to lay dirty clothes flat or actually fold them to get them to fit back into the suitcases easily. I had almost everything finished when Chris got to the room. We finished a few things together and crawled into bed at a decent time. Again, I think we both slept well.
Our first stop was on the edge of the island. We could see some small islands off shore but not too far. Mark said one was where they take their lepers. They have some nurses and small hospitals on the island for them. Another is where they take pick-pockets and thieves during festivals or other special events. Of course, they can’t gather them all, but they try. We then went to Fort San Pedro. It was a place where they fought against the Spanish. There were old cannons on top of the wall. The center courtyard was beautiful with green grass, lots of tall trees, and plenty of flowers and bushes. Mark said it was a great place to bring a date ;)
We then went to Magellan’s Cross. Since Chris and I had been earlier in the week, we chose to stay in the van. When the other part of the group returned, there were several children following them. They were begging for money. They were also trying to block the group from getting back into the van. Several of the kids finally left but a few were persistent. One in particular wouldn’t get out of the way of the door so we could close it. Mark finally got him pulled away and we got the door closes only for a few seconds before the child reopened it again and again and again. We were eventually able to lock the door and he began to knock on the side of the van. As the van started to move he ran along side of the van knocking harder and harder on the door begging for money. As we gained speed, he stopped and just yelled. The biggest heart break for me was seeing the man sitting on the wall on the back side of the sidewalk and knocking he was probably in charge of the group of kids taking everything they had gained in the day. None of those kids were wearing shoes. Some only had shirts and no pants or shorts. They were all filthy from head to toe as if they had never experienced a bath or shower. They were somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10. We had many beggars approach in our time there, but this was the most persistent, most life-impacting.
We had another stop or two that were Cebu City historical sites. Our last tourist stop was the Taoist Temple. It was everything I expected and more. There were signs everywhere to observe silence and respect for their gods. Idols were incased in glass. Special idols had their own hut while others were grouped together. In each hut were small kneeling benches so you could say your prayers or ask for blessings. There was incense and candles burning in several spots. Proper attire was required to enter a hut; no sleeveless tops, no shorts. All tourists were asked not to video or take pictures of their gods as that was disrespectful. One posted sign especially caught my eye. It said something to the effect that if you asked a god for something you had to be prepared for his answer. If he says yes or no, you accept it. If he says wait, then you may have to return another day. If he says maybe, then you may need to simplify your question. I’m so glad my God doesn’t need me to simplify my questions. My God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think. My God knows what I’m thinking before I even ask. What a great God we serve. The view of the town and surrounding mountains from the top of the temple was beautiful. I had never visited a temple of that kind before. I had only seen them on TV and read about them in books. The feeling I had there was like no other.
We left the temple and went for lunch back at the SM Mall where most of us chose to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had fettuccini alfredo and a slice of pizza that was quite good. We got back to the hotel with just enough time to do the Sky Experience at the top of our hotel.
We did the edge roller coaster together. I thought I would be really scared, but because you are strapped in so tight from the waist down there’s no possibility of moving. It was another beautiful view of the town and just a great time to enjoy being alone with my husband. Chris also did the Sky Walk which he said was not scary. Basically, you put on a space-looking suit and are strapped to a harness that hooks to some bars above your head and then you are able to walk along the edge of the hotel looking several hundred feet down. We finished a few minutes later than we thought and ran to the elevator and to our room quickly to change clothes.
We met the Mission Office group in the lobby where Pastor Jun escorted us to a local Filipino restaurant. The whole way, I was thinking to myself. I’m already sick. It can’t get any worse but I’m not sure I can eat anything that looks weird. Then, I thought, well that’s rude, I have to eat. My thoughts transferred between being rude and well, at least I can eat the rice. I finally just set my mind on giving everything a chance. No one knew what to order so Pastor Jun just ordered for everyone. They brought out individual empty plates for us all and then sat the foot in the middle. We had garlic shrimp, grilled tuna, stuffed crab, two kinds of beef soup, chicken, pork egg rolls, and rice. He also ordered each of us a mango shake…delicious! I tried everything except the chicken. When the chicken came out, it was the last thing. I had already stuffed myself with everything else and the chicken was so dark, when they sat it on the table I honestly thought it was beef. I decided that would be the one thing I would “chicken” out eating. I guess I wasn’t the only one because there was a whole plate of it on the table when we left the restaurant. Pastor Jun and his wife, Ma’am Judy, were wonderful hosts and we had great discussion at the table over the meeting and the possibility of another global meeting in five years.
We got back to the hotel and Chris was responsible for calling all traveling with us the next day. He had to tell each about the terminal fees, check-out time, departure information, and other stuff. He stayed in the lobby while I headed to the room to begin the chore of re-packing. I quickly learned that I had to lay dirty clothes flat or actually fold them to get them to fit back into the suitcases easily. I had almost everything finished when Chris got to the room. We finished a few things together and crawled into bed at a decent time. Again, I think we both slept well.
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