Philippine Mission Trip April-May 2013

Philippine Mission Trip

Don, Jamie Walker and Chris Gerber

April 25-May 14, 2013

Urdaneta, Pangasinan, Philippines

THURSDAY, APRIL 25 (all times local)

6:40 AM Chris and Karen Gerber picked up Don and Jamie Walker at their house in Trenton and headed for the Chattanooga Airport.  Sister Karen dropped us off at the gate and we checked in.  Don and Jamie had one of the benevolence suitcases that was 2 pounds too heavy but had another that was 3 pounds under weight so the Delta employee helped us shift that around to avoid any fees. We then cleared security and at about 8:00 AM and a few minutes before 9:00 were seated and departed Lovell Field on time on Delta 5533 in a Canadair Regional Jet that carried about 50 people and it was full as most all flights are these days.

9:45 AM After a very short flight, we landed in Atlanta and found our gate for Korean Air 36 set to depart at 1:15 PM. 

1:15 PM We were on board and the KAL 777-300ER departed on time for the 14 hour and 40 minute scheduled flight to Incheon, South Korea.  We had prayed for the conflict between North Korea and the world to calm down so we would not be delayed or rerouted and thankfully we were not. The flight was very calm and uneventful and we arrived in South Korea a little before 4:50 PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2013

4:50 PM Since we crossed the International Date Line, when we landed in Korea, it was Friday afternoon, local time, which was just before 4 AM Friday morning in Trenton. In the Incheon airport they have a wide variety of food and stores, so we had a very pleasant 4 hour layover that included coffee and shopping for Jamie.  After looking at a lot of things priced in Korean Won (which the exchange rate is currently 1091W to the dollar) and a couple of cups of coffee and a short nap for Jamie, we were back on the plane at about 9:15 PM for the final leg of flying. 

9:40 PM We had boarded Jin Air 3 on a 737 for the nearly 3 hour flight from South Korea to Clark Air Base in the Philippines.  Since the US pulled most of its military operations out of the Philippines, Clark has now been converted to a civilian international airport and for us could not be nicer.  After an easy flight that included our 4^th dinner since leaving Atlanta, we arrived in the Philippines just after midnight on Saturday morning.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013

12:30 AM We got off the plane and walked down stairs and across the tarmac to the terminal in a warm but breezy Philippine night.  We cleared customs and got all our bags in the baggage area and were out of the terminal at about 1:00 AM.  For those who have been through customs and baggage claim in Manila, imagine it just 10x smaller.  Ours was the only plane to arrive and there were 5 customs agents checking papers and we were though customs and waiting on our bags in less than 20 minutes after landing.  Our bags were all there, which is always a blessing.  This one was even better since we had to have our bags checked (without having to handle them) in Atlanta but it went off without a hitch.

1:30 PM We walked out of the terminal and were met by Susan Boniel, Celina Gallardo, Nico and our van driver, Carlos. After getting out of minor congestion around the airport, we headed to the Lisland Rainforest Resort in Urdaneta.

3:15 AM (3:15 PM Friday EDT) We arrived after a 97 km ride (about 65 miles) at the hotel and after waking the desk clerk from his apartment, we got checked in and settled at about 4:00 AM.  This was about 33 hours after we left our house in Trenton.  That sounds like a long time, and it is a long day, but for coming here, that is about as good of connections as you can make.  I would certainly recommend to other missionaries working in Luzon to consider flying in to Clark or Disopapa Magacapal, as the Filipinos call it.  It is very convenient and it avoids the inevitable delays in Manila traffic, besides being over 120 km closer.  At the end of a long day of flying from the US, it is nice to eliminate 3 or more hours in a van!

4:15 AM We had checked in and immediately went to sleep, thankful to be here safely and excited about the next three weeks.

11:00 AM Jamie and I woke up in our cabana (a duplex) after a very restful 7 hours! After getting ready, we met Chris and Nico in the restaurant. Chris had already been out with Nico walked to the mall and got some pants and did a little shopping.

 After a good lunch of cheeseburgers and chips with a mango and cantaloupe shake (don’t knock it if you haven’t tried itJ) the clerk gave us a tour of the newly refurbished hotel on the other side of the pool. They are very nice rooms with two twin beds and will be very effective for us as our group increases in size as the cabanas only have a double bed.  

1:00 PM Susan B. took us to the Magic Mall in Urdaneta and Jamie and went to CBS Salon, which is owned by one of the elders in the Urdaneta congregation, Arnold Zambrano.  While Chris waited and visited with Susan, Celina and Bennie, Jamie got a haircut and treatment with a massage and I got a haircut and a massage! I have had a lot of good haircuts in the States but none ever included a massage! After we finished there, Chris, Nico and Arnold went to a Bible study with some unfaithful members at the home of sister Vickie Lee.  As normal, Chris went expecting a private study and there were 24 present!  They had a good study and joined us at the hotel about 7:00 PM.

7:00 PM Jamie and I had made arrangements and had a private room reserved for a dozen and that’s what we had to arrive. Chris, Jamie and I were joined by Dana and Arnold Zambrano with their son Daniel, Susan and Butch Boniel, Celina and Bennie Gallardo, Mico and then Jake Zambrano.  Nico and Jake completed their studies at PTC and now are employed as the ministers at the Asingan church of Christ.  After a very good couple of hours in the meeting, we adjourned about 9:30 and headed to bed.