Published via Ecency

Hello everyone!

Hope all are safe and well!

Yesterday, we encountered a lot of challenges and struggles as we escape Cebu City from the disaster we've been experiencing. So much struggles of purchasing of tickets, of having reliable communication, transportations, traffics, hot weather and a lot more. With all those challenges and struggles, we are much grateful for God's grace and love. ❤️🙏

I wasn't able to update you all yesterday due to the busy and tiring journey we had. Now, I gonna share to you all what happened to me yesterday.

We wake early dawn yesterday. My brother leave the boarding house around 3am to go to the terminal pier to line up early and purchase tickets for us to go home. I've been praying for the positive news from my brother that he can purchase tickets for our trip to escape Cebu City. While my nephew, his mother and I prepares our selves to travel to pier. I am very much thankful that our dear friend workmate offered us free van service going to the pier. When the van service arrived past 7am, we are already prepared. We bring all our things because it seems that we won't go back to Cebu or it will takes us long before we go back Cebu. We also fetch my friend and her daughter that is going home too together with us.

I have picture with my nephew and her mother together with the daughter of my dear friend when we are riding the van. And also our baggages.

While we are at the van, my brother called me that he wasn't able to buy tickets because the ship we are about to ride rescued the other ship. My brother told me that we need to go back in our boarding house because he is not sure if he can find another shipping line that have available slots for passengers. I told him to do his very best for us to travel back home in the day. So, we go back in our boarding house. All our things were unloaded and we waited for the calls from my brother. But, the van already leaves because it has scheduled trip at 12 noon. And my friend and her daughter just stayed in our boarding house waiting for the good news from my brother.

After almost an hour my brother called back. He told me that there is available slot for passengers but only sitting. I told my brother to buy it even it is via Hilongos not via Ormoc. We have no choice but to get Hilongos trip for us to be home yesterday. The communication is the big problem we are experiencing. I only texted my brother and hoping that he gonna received my messages. I texted him that we gonna make a way to find a vehicle that will drop us to terminal pier. We are running out of time because the scheduled trip is 11am. We are in a hurry finding vehicles. I called first my friend who is about to drop us in the pier. Sad to say, they are in the middle of the traffic. They can't turn back to get us again due to heavy traffic. Luckily one of our coworker was still at our boarding who have known a person with multicab. He accompany me to go the house of the possible person with multicab for hire. Gladly, we are able to rent a multicab for about 1,000 pesos or $20.00 and we pay the driver 500 pesos or $10.00 only. It's already 9am when we got the vehicle to use. Every seconds counts and precious as we need to be at the pier before 11am. Oh my! The battery needs to be installed first and it will takes another minutes. I am not losing hope and I've been praying that we can go home at same day. When installing the battery of the multicab was done, we go hurry going to the boarding the loading our baggages at the back. The kids - my nephew and my goddaughter with her mom seats at the front. The three adults including me seats at the back together with the baggages. We leave the boarding house past 9am already. We told the driver to find ways that has less traffic and will lead us to arrive pier before 11am. We are very fortunate that the driver did his best to find roads with lesser traffics. As we are travelling to the pier, there are roads with heavy traffics. I feel pity to the kids because it is so hot. I even told myself that it is okay even if my skin will be burnt from the heat of the sun as long as we can arrive the pier before 11am. I've been praying for us to get there and praying that my brother is just at the entrance gate waiting for us. I've been praying that the ship won't left us. 🙏

Few minutes left before 11am, my heart is rejoicing because we are at the pier before 11am and my brother is at the entrance waiting for us. I've been waving to my brother that we already arrived. Thanks be to God for all the grace despite all the challenges and struggles we encountered just to arrive the pier. Upon arrival at the pier, we hired porters to carry out things. There are five porters who helps us carry the things to the bus that will bring us to the ship. My brother paid 500 pesos for their service. When the bus drop us at the ship, we again hire porter to carry our things to the ship.Then, my brother paid another 300 pesos to only one porter as he go up and down thrice to get our baggages.

I take some photos before I go up the ship.

When we go up at the ship, I saw a lot of passengers. Oh my! We are over loaded. But, my heart is so much grateful that we are already at the ship. Yehey! At last we can be home! 🙏❤️ Then, I contacted my sister and ask favor from her to fetch us using the van owned of her husband's family. I also told my sister that we gonna wait them at the pier when we arrived if ever they are not yet there because there is no signal at Hilongos and she can't contact me if we arrives at Hilongos.

While we are at the ship, we saw a friend from Carigara. She's grateful that she saw us because she can join us going home. We are at the ship for about 6 hours. We have a lot of chitchats about our life and the recent situation we are experiencing now. We are grateful that finally after a week we escape Cebu and the tragic situation that is currently happening.

When we arrived at Hilongos pier past 6pm, we are hoping that my sister and the van that will fetch us is there already waiting for us. Sad to say, they are not yet around. So, we hire again a porter to carry out things from the ship to down the ship. Since the van that gonna pick us is not yet around, the porter advised us to just stay at the waiting area outside. The porter carry again our things to the waiting area. He go back and forth 3 times. I do not know how much would I pay his service. So, I ask him how much. He said any amount that comes from your heart. Then I give him 500 pesos. He was grateful to receive the amount. I am glad to see him happy when he receive the money.

We spend much with to the porters in hiring their services. But, thinking that we were able to help other people by means of paying them with their services being offered I am very grateful that we helped them earn for a living. Their kind of work is hard and sometimes they don't get customer in a day. God bless the porters and may God bless their works! 🙏🙏

We waited at the waiting area and eat dinner as my brother buy grilled pork for our dish to be partnered to the cooked rice we handed. I eat a lot because I am very hungry.

After eating dinner, we waited for more than 3 hours until the service van arrived. We are already tired most especially the kids because they are already sleepy and wanted to rest.

After few hours of waiting, they already arrived. Yey! Just a little more hours we will be home. While riding in the van back home, the wife of my brother vomits along the way. She don't feel good riding a van. Along the way, in just few minutes before we arrived home my nephew vomits too! I feel pity to my nephew. I just wish it is me who vomits not her.

By the way, we drop my goddaughter and her mother at their place. While the person I saw at the ship go with us home. She sleep overnight at home.

When we are at home, my nephew still vomiting. Thankfully, my mother already prepared a hot water for us to drink or have a milk and coffee. We arrived home almost 1am today. We are so tired of the long journey we had.

My family are very happy to see us home and safe but worried about my nephew that continue to vomits. They help my nephew to feel better. Thanks God my nephew feels better after he drink warm water and was able to sleep after changing his clothes.

Even though we encountered a lot of challenges and struggles we are much grateful that we are home for good! 🙏❤️

Thanks be to God we are home safe and sound now! 🙏

Have a Blessed Thursday everyone! 😀😀😀💖💖💖