Under a apple tree

God answered my prayer. 

When I was in the Philippines during one of our devotion times we all drew a picture of something we were asking God for in the coming year on a large sheet of paper. I drew a picture of myself with my six nieces and Clover under an apple tree. 

To many this may seem like a silly prayer request. But for me it had much significance. It signified that:

                I had ended my two years of midwifery training.

                          Clover had actually made it to the USA.

                                All my nieces and I were  together at last. 

                  Joy, peace and laughter were part of my days.

                             I was home, in a place I love, with people I love. 

 Thank you Jesus for answered prayers!

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

And she's off!

The last few days spent in Manila with Clover were pretty uneventful. We went on our twice daily walks along the bay and got different reactions from the many people we passed by. My personal favorite was when people would break out in "Teach me how to doggy, teach me, teach me, how to doggy" while doing a little dance.

The last night we even went for a buggy ride through China town and old Manila. It was dusk and raining, but fun. Well fun until we got back and the driver decided to try to guilt me into giving him more money - which actually worked, but not as much as he had planned for. Ah well.

Sunday evening buggy ride

Clover sight seeing on a buggy ride 

Clover had to lay on her bed, while I was adding the lining - too cute

Yesterday when I flagged down a taxi to take Clover to the airport and told him where I wanted to go he said "Oh I don't think they will allow her" pointing at Clover. I convinced him that yes they would :)  On the way he randomly says "why do you want a dog and not a man." In my head I thought "why can't I have a man and a dog?" To the taxi driver I said "Well dogs are loyal, they don't argue and they are always happy to see you" :)

At 3:30pm I left Clover in her crate at the KLM cargo area in Manila, where she would await her 7pm flight. I had a mix of emotions as I left her there: it is really happening, am I crazy, worrying for her during the 30hrs of transient and excitement of actually seeing her in a week at home.

The top of Clover's crate 

Weighing in 

Saying goodbye from afar :( 

I really can't believe Clover is somewhere between America and the Philippines at this very moment! Crazy! Praising God that He cares about the little things that make me happy!

Clover the traveling Asong Kalye

I never realized how unusual it was for me to make a pet out of a Asong Kalye (Philippine street dog) until I set out on the journey to bring Clover home. The bus to take from Tabuk City to Manila clearly states "NO PETS", however, I know people who they have allowed to take their little dogs on board. I was sure they would allow me to take Clover on board once they saw how nice mannered she was. On Saturday before I left, I bought the bus tickets, one for Clover and one for me. They were reluctant, but finally agreed to allow her to ride next to me in the back of the bus. On Sunday evening when I started to board the bus, they would NOT consider allowing her on. The conductor took one look at her and exclaimed "She'll bite someone! She must go under the bus!" Clover sat there calm as can be as Georgia and I pleaded our case. But they would not budge one tiny bit, so under the bus Clover went. I even cried, but there was no persuading them. 

Clover and I resting at the bus terminal in Manila

I checked on her at every stop we made and at 4am after 11hrs on the bus we made it to Manila. Since it was so early Clover and I settled down in the bus station for 2 1/2hrs. People walked by us giving curious stares. 

At 6:30am we flagged down a taxi, threatened to get out if he didn't turn his meter on (thankfully he did) and made our way to the vet clinic. The employees at the animal hospital were very kind and were the only people who didn't look surprised that I was taking a "street dog" to America. Getting her health certificate went pretty smoothly besides the hole it left in my wallet. 

Clover comes face to face with CATS at the vet clinic. She did very well for an avid cat chaser.  

From there we made our way to Malate Manila to the guest house we were booked at. They too were surprised to see how big and what type of dog Clover was. "Oh" they exclaimed, "we thought she would be little." Thankfully they did not turn us away after I promised she would not bark at night and have actually warmed up to her :) 

Clover and I have been passing the days walking the streets of Malate. It is a poor part of town, but everyone is nice and give happy smiles. I here whispers as I walk by "oh a asong kalye", people move nervously around Clover expecting her to bite them. Clover of course has no interest in biting anyone. She is busy dodging traffic, stray dogs and checking out the many cats that roam the streets. While both of us are reluctant of cities, we have enjoyed our time here and meeting interesting people along the way. 

Clover was supposed to fly tomorrow but her flight got delayed until Monday. So we will be walking the streets of Malate for four more days. Let the adventure continue! 

Seeing herself in a mirror for the first time - who is that dog? 

Makati Dog and Cat Hospital  

Clover viewing the ocean for the first time at Manila Bay where we walk every day 

Pretty view

I walked by a pizza place and HAD to get some! SO good! Pizza how i've missed you!

The view from my room

Clover discovered if she sat on the bed she could look out the window  

It kept her busy for a little while :)  

Tired pup! 

View from a walk over the road

Along Manila Bay  

It is a popular place to walk, sell your goods, fish, bike and sleep.  

Hanging out :) 

It is pretty, but also dirty. I sat looking over the bay and watched mange covered rats hop across the rocks. Even for an animal lover like myself I was a bit freaked out by them.  

Gotta love street food!  

Not sure what this guy is all about, but I thought it was neat. 

A little bit of nature in the city.  

Cute sleeping kitty along the road :) 

 Remedios Circle at the end of my street. 

Sea food restaurant next to my guest house.  

The guest house that is kind enough to let me stay with Clover

Email updates

For those of you who are interested, I want to let you know that besides from sharing stories on my blog, I also send out email updates. My email updates are often a bit more personal and have different stories that I don't want to share with all of cyber space. I try to send out an email update every one or two months. I also try and send out a snail mail update twice a year.  If you would like to be added to my email &/or snail mail update list just comment on this blog, let me know who you are, what update list you want to be added to and give me your email/snail mail address :)

You can't make new old friends

Jasmine and I have been friends since we were two years old. We were the sister to each other that we never had. We were as different as night and day. 

Jasmine liked to be girlie and I liked to be out getting dirty. But Jasmine would get dirty and I would get girlie and I believe we learned a thing or two from each other and our differences. I know that we are better women today because of the friendship we have shared.

We had our squabbles like any "sisters" would, but we always managed to make up and be best friends again. We shared our hearts and our dreams with each other. We had many adventures and special times together and then we grew up and moved away. 

It has been over ten years now since we lived just over the hill from each other. Our paths have certainly meandered in different directions. Jasmine moved to big cities and I moved to remote places.  

Through we don't talk as much or share as many adventures together these days. I could pick up the phone right now and no matter how much time has past we always start off right where we left off. 

I remember planning our wedding together as little girls.  I never would have dreamed that I wouldn't be able to come to her wedding back then and through I wasn't there in person, I was there in my heart. 

I am so happy that you found such a great guy to give your heart to. May God bless you my dear friend as you start out this new chapter in your life. May your life be richly blessed full of dreams come true and a baby or two or three or.... :)

Best of luck my dear friend and heres to many more years of friendship! 

"There is no friend like an old friend who has shared our morning days, no greeting like his welcome, no homage like his praise." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Clover

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Unknown

I found Clover one day while walking to the post office. She was among a littler of 8 other puppies and I actually picked out a white one because it reminded me of my beloved dog, Rosie, who I had in Africa. They were only two weeks at the time so I had to wait to bring the puppy home. 

When I returned a month later, I sat on a bench a few feet from the puppies and looked down at them. Then I called them over. Clover was the only puppy of the bunch who boldly stepped forward. I looked at her boldness and decided then and there that, for the first time I would chose the confident puppy of the litter. I paid P300 ($7.50) for her and brought her home.

Clover turned out to be a feisty, playful, difficult, but extremely lovable puppy. She had a love for flip flops that got her in constant trouble - I don't know how many she destroyed!

 Clover has brought me laughter from the day I brought her home. She has one of the funnest personalities I have ever seen in a dog.

 As she grew, she grew in boldness, in silliness and in faithfulness to me. She helps me to smile when I  am having tough times, she helps me to feel needed and find joy no matter what is happening around me.

Clover got the luck of the draw when I picked her that day. In a world where I can do so little, I love that I have done big things in Clovers life. Instead of being flea, lice, mange ridden and on her third litter of puppies, she is happy, healthy and vibrantly full of life. This makes me happy.  

 I can't change the world for every person and every animal, but I can for some and for those it makes a world of difference.

A dog has one aim in life... to bestow his heart.

~ J. R. Ackerley

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog." ~ George Graham

 In all her silliness, Clover has a sensitive side. Some moments she is wild and rambunctious and some moments she just wants a loving pat and a kind word.

 Clover has a fondness for other animals - she likes saying hi to the neighbors water buffalo and cows. She has a love of chasing, cats, goats and chickens (I am trying to break her of this). I am hoping she will get along well with horses and enjoy trail riding. I am confident that she will be a squirrel chaser, and I know she will have a run in with a skunk and porcupine when she gets home.

 "I would rather see the portrait of a dog that I know, than all the allegorical paintings they can show me in the world." -Samuel Johnson

"The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me." -Helen Exley

 Clover loves to have fun (as I have mentioned before), She loves romping through the rice fields chasing rats, she likes bounding after rocks, or mangos when you throw them into a stream. She chases her own tail, likes to dance, and wrestle :)

 As you can see she can also enjoys a snuggle. 

She is loyal and on occasion will sneak inside looking for me. 

"The dog is the most faithful of animal and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest." -Martin Luther

 She recently left her make in Tabuk, by running across the wet road cement - I might have encouraged her, but to my defense I didn't think it was THAT wet :0/

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog... He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world...When all other friends desert, he remains." - George G. Vest

I am so thankful that God blessed me with Clover. She is truly a gift from Him. I will always miss the faithful friends that have gone before her, but God has given me a heart to love and each one holds a special place in my heart and will never be forgotten or replaced.

Lord willing Clover will be traveling to the USA in late July. I am trying not to worry, but until she is safely home, I think I will a little bit. Please pray that everything goes smooth for getting her home.


A good dog never dies, he always stays, he walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter's drawing near, his head within our hand in his old way."
    - Anonymous