BELOVED COUNTRY

I am returning to the Philippines at the end of August to not only volunteer on a medical mission, but to travel to Ilocos Norte in search of my father's family.
"Mahal Bansa" is tagalog for beloved country and that is what I feel for the Philippines. My first trip was only 5 months ago when I accompanied my daughter, Alicia, and her husband, Dustin, to Manila as they became parents to my beautiful granddaughter, Katrina. That trip was focused on Katrina and the new parents - there was little information to be found at the government offices in Manila and not enough time to travel up north to research further. This time I will do that.
The photo above was taken from the ridge in Tagaytay City. It is the best viewing point for the Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano in Batangas. Both the lake and the volcano are located on the crater of an extinct volcano. Tagaytay was also the place where I held the "not so baby" tiger - another experience I will never forget.
Batangas is where the medical mission will be held. It is the hometown of Dr. Violeta Singson the leader of our mission.
It is my hope that I will be able to communicate with all of you while I am there. I will be staying at the home of Dr. Singson's brother, Dr. Miguel Ambal Jr. I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be somewhere where I can continue this blog and download pictures for you to see.
I am already getting excited. Dr. Agor, another Filipino Free Medical Clinic volunteer, has kindly given me a note of introduction to his nephew, who is the mayor of Sarrat, the village where we believe my father was born. I am not getting my hopes set too high. I will not get discouraged as I view this as still being able to see more of this beautiful country and the area of where my father and his family lived. I imagine myself visiting the churches to see if they have any birth records and, if not that, visiting the cemeteries and taking a walk around. I do know that most of the records from my father's era were destroyed in the war but you have to believe that I am returning to the Philippines for a reason right?
So, your job is to wish me luck on my search. Wish I could take all of you along as I know each of you would enjoy working with the Drs that I have come to admire. Bob has been so encouraging. He believes that I should have no regrets, that I should travel while I am able and he has the confidence that I will be safe with the Drs. Singson and Ramon, my friend, interpreter and guide.
Imagine - how lucky am I?