Who Is With You Matters in Travels

In my previous article I had mentioned about the purposes of the travels I had in.my life starting from my childhood days , teen age days, young adult days till my adulthood and got married.

All my previous travels were only within Central Luzon . But this time I will be sharing my travel going to the Visayas Region.

My husband mother's hometown is Negros Occidental. But they lived permanently in Tondo, Manila. When I married my husband we lived in their house after giving birth to our firstborn daughter. We occupied the room for rent downstairs when the occupant left.

We had already three children that time, the youngest was 9 months old. My mother in law convinced my husband to go to Negros to live there and take care of his grandfather. Telling that being the first born, he should be the one to inherit what was to be inherited by her mother. My husband's grandfather was still alive that time and was bedridden because of old age. My husband doesn't want to leave us behind so he decided to take as along with him.

We travelled by sea, bringing all our stuffs, having my mind set living there for good. In my heart, as long as a family we are all together and God being with us everywhere we go to settle to live , we will be protected and provided with what we need.

It was my first time to travel by sea in a ship going to Negros Occidental not for a vacation , or for fun , but to live there, having no idea how long it how short will our stay be. My husband manage to make all our stuffs to be in the ship with the help of porters to be paid, while I stay with my three young kids: 6 yrs. old , 5 yrs. Old and the youngest 9 months.

It was MV Don Juan , the biggest ship available at that time. We entered the big ship and settled in a cabin. I am not aware what time the ship left the Manila port. I am not worried of anything but enjoying the trip. I watch over my youngest child who was the last one to sleep. He roamed around the place walking and I a following him . I feel the movement of the ship as it sail. From the window glass I saw the moving water. I learned that we are in the lower deck of the ship. The ship were in smooth sailing . We don't encountered storm at sea nor big waves to disturb the ship from sailing. We can eat well in a cabin and sleep well. I don't know if I am excited or not that I forgot how many days did it take our sailing before arriving at the shore. We all passangers were safe bound to the shore, thanked God.

When we arrived at the port in Bacolod. Having all our stuffs out from the ship. We waited for the persons who will take us from the port to our destined place in Negros Occidental. Not long came my husband's cousin. I knew him, for I met him in Tondo, when he came to visit my in laws. He was a seaman and went to Manila to follow up his papers. I remember I was the one who accompanied him when he went to Camp Crame in Cubao and in NAPOLCOM .

They had a vehicle to put all our stuffs , while we as a family rode on a bus going to Old Sagay, Negros Occidental. It was still a long trip, I think it took us two hours trip.

We arrived safe in the place. We stayed in an extension place of the house of his uncle , who is an attorney and his wife a teacher in Elementary school. They had three children but are not staying with them. They were in Bacolod, a city in Negros Occidental.

We lived with them , taking care of my husband's grandfather. And when he died we lived separately with them. At first we rented the room somewhere in the vicinity. And when we had the money , we out up a nipa hut near the seashore, with the permission of the owner of the place, with the help of a Christian friend , we met in GIWU Baptist Church. They also lived in the same place and we were neighbors there.

We lived in Negros for almost two years. My first born graduated her Grade 2 there and my second child graduated from kindergarten in the church's school. We survived the difficulties in life there. Actually I do not want to go back to Manila. I was only convinced when it was my mother who insisted my husband to convince me to go back to Manila.

Finally we decided to go back home to Manila. I gave other stuffs to the parents of my daughter classmate who lived in the same place so as to lessen our baggage back home. My mother gave some amount of money to my husband when my husband visited them.

It was my neighbor Christian friend who helped us in selling our nipa hut, as well as in booking us in ship and helped us to find someone to help carry our baggage to the port, while we as a family rode in a bus going to the port.

There are lots of good and bad memories living in Old Sagay, Negros Occidental.i saw God's hand in every situation we faced there. The people He used to helped us in small or big matters , I know He favored us in their sight to lend their helping hands to us.

The time came we have to leave Negros Occidental. Riding a vehicle towards the town where to find s bus going to Bacolod and to the port. Our baggages were waiting there for us when we arrived the port. The person who had our baggage will also take the ship we are going to board.

I forgot the name of the ship but it was not the one we were on board before. It's a very different sailing experience for us , as a family. It is month of July I think when we board the ship. We were on the top deck of the ship not in a cabin, lower deck. From the port towards the middle of the sea the ship was smooth sailing. It was midnight and we were all asleep. We were awakened by the swaying movement of the ship. There was a storm.in the middle of the sea on that midnight. The waves was tossing the ship because of the strong wind and rain. The engine of the ship stopped and the ship was continually tossed by the waves. We can feel it. All of us as a family feel so dizzy that very moment. We vomitted one after another. I remember I took our pitcher to use to vomit there. We heard from the sound system in the ship they were all praying the memorized prayers. But of course my husband and I prayed silently in our hearts to the True and Living God we believed in to keep us safe back home to our loved ones. Our minds and hearts were calmed by the faith , trust, and hope we have in God at that time that the sea was so restless because of the waves brought about by the storm.

Then after hours that the ship was tossed to and fro by the waves and the wind it ceased. The typhoon is gone, the sea became calm and the engine start functioning and we stopped vomitting. Praise God and thanked God. We all survived the beating of the waves, that tossed to and fro the ship and all who boards the ship. We all see the sunrise of another new day full of hope because God had been with us, and with us , and will ever be with us as always in this temporary life on earth , and even more in the life hereafter.

We were safe back home, saw our loved ones and friends. And ready to start another episode in our life by the grace, mercy , live and goodness of God.

The place where He lead us to go and stayed there for almost two years was a part of a purpose behind travel I had in my life. The purpose to help and be helped as well.

People, Places, Events are part of our journeys in life. Nothing is hidden from God. He is watching over us , how we are doing in life and what we are doing in our lives. May we be found continually believing, trusting and living according to what please Him and according to His plan and purpose in our lives.

I believe one of His purpose is for us to be a blessing to others as He blesses us. Let us fear God with a reverence fear so as we could live our lives pleasing to Him.

Thanks for giving time to read. I hope you were entertained and learned something.

#1 Article for Month of May 2022

Who Is With You Matters in Travel

Published: May 1, 2022 - Sunday