Day 3 (Monday): Camayan and Hermosa - Jessica's first area

This was our first opportunity to really view the resort!  It's beautiful.  

Every morning we have a complimentary breakfast at the resort restaurant which is an open air restaurant right up along the beach line.

view from the entrance

this is the restaurant where we eat breakfast

my favorite picture

she's a natural beauty

I love the foot wash - so simple and no waste

After breakfast we headed back to the room to prepare for our "day's adventure."  I love this hotel/resort.  It's so tropical and beautiful.  Even with the cloud cover, I feel so free and alive.

After packing up the camera and other needed things for the day, we headed out.  We hadn't even been on the road 5 miles before we saw wild monkeys on the side of the road.  This guy wanted some food.  He came right up to the car.  Jessica stopped me from rolling down the window to get a photo, "NO!  He thinks you have food."

We also saw wild goats on the side of the road.  It was amazing!

I love the colorful rooftops

We drove a minivan around, but most people walk, get a ride on a tryke or on a jeepney.  Below is a tryke - it's a motorcycle/scooter with a seat attached.  The seat will hold up to two people.  A Jeepney is more like a Jeep engine with a bus behind.  Photos to follow.

behind a tryke.

Our first stop on our trip was to Hermosa.  We plan to be there for the day.  It's about a 45 minute drive from our hotel.  The traffic is slow but steady.  Driving to our first home we saw rice fields and all sorts of living styles.

houses across the street from Jessica's first apartment

Our first stop is at her first apartment.  Luckily the land lord was home and remembered Jessica.  There were big hugs!!!!

Jessica at her first apartment 

This is where Jessica was living the first time she passed out in the Philippines.  She passed out inside the house behind the door in the photo below.  The lady on the right in the photo is the person that drove Jessica for 40 minutes to the BayPointe Hospital in Olongapo.  She is an amazing women.

Jessica with the landlord and the neighbor that lived next door

They were all so happy to see Jessica and happy to meet us.  This was the first stop of many that offered us a sweet drink and something to eat.  Here she offered Mango juice and cookies.

rice fields

Our second stop was to see the Belleza family.  It just happened that Brother Dante Santos was there at that moment.  Another small tender mercy of the Lord.  Jessica was so happy to see her, and visa versa.

so happy to see Jessica

We were so blessed to see Brother Dante Santos at the house.  He was just there checking on Lorna because she had just had surgery.  What an amazing man of God.

Betsy, Sister Belleza, Jessica and Mark

Jessica shared with us how Brother Santos is a key reason the church is so strong in Hermosa.  He is a major missionary, bringing probably 60 people into the church.  He's such an inspiration.  Hermosa is the only WARD in the area.

Mark and Betsy with Brother Santos

Jessica with some children from her apartment complex

Jessica at her second apartment in Hermosa

From there we went to the Jaring Family.  Oh my goodness - they were so happy to see her.

Parking the car

One thing that was interesting about our trip, was driving a car in a country that primarily uses tryke transportation on residential roads.  There was room on most roads so we would park it and walk.  We sometimes worried if it would be safe there - but it was never a problem.  Yeah!

great big hugs

We were fed so much at this house - it was crazy.  They started by giving us birthday cake, then rice with shrimp and noodles, and more and more.  At one point I just had to tell them - no more room (in Tagolic).  They all laughed at my attempt to communicate in tagalic.  They have a beautiful family and love the gospel so much - just look at the walls of their home - you can see from the minute you walk in that they are committed to the gospel.

with the Jaring Family

Just down the street from the Jarings is the Cayanan family.  At first we just saw Nelia.  Jessica was so excited to see her.  She took us to the back of her shop - which is right by her house, and there her daughter was taking care of her brand new baby - only 2 weeks old.

with Nelia Cayanan

Soon after that Cesar came home so we got to meet the entire family.  It was such a delight.  They were so kind.

Jessica with the Cayanan family

From there we tried to visit some, but didn't find them home so we drove over to the DeGuzman's home.  This is by far the nicest home we've seen.  They have their own rice field and farming garden.  They are very well to do for Philippine's standards.  They offered us more food and we had to say we were full, even so she brought us out watermelon and water.  She is famous for her back rubs and Jessica was ever so happy to receive one from her.

While we were there, their daughter came by.  Jessica was so happy to see her.  These members are so strong in the church.  You can see everyone loved Jessica and the effort she gave to their ward.  You could also see how much they were impressed by the improvement in her language abilities.  

Mark, Betsy, Jessica, Lina and Benji DeGuzman

The next place we visited was down the road from where brother Santos lives so we parked our car at his house - visited with his family a little (he was working) and then continued walking.  This family only talked to us outside.