This is Lot #1, 113 sq. Mtr.
This village road is the western boundary of our property. The village road ends at the fence. Beyond is a private road that parallel's the western boundary of the 12 hectare Hiquiana farm.
We purchased this first lot to provide vehicular access to the 12 hectare Hiquiana farm.
This is looking southeast into the Hiquiana farm
Two houses stood here the week before we purchased the first lot. Those houses had been built on Hiquiana property without permission, yet it cost Mrs. Hiquiana 40,000.00 pesos per family to relocate them so that we could remove their houses.
One of the perimiter markers between lot #1 and lot #2.
Next to that marker is our very own “dwarf” coconut tree.
This is the back of the house we removed from lot #1. The termites had been the primary residents for some time, so there was not much left. It came down very easily.
A second perimiter marker for lot #1.
Every time we go to the area to check things out a crowd would gather. The word would spread quickly that the white (puti) man was in the area.
Nita and her brother “Doods” taking a walk on the Hiquiana farm to show Doods the building site of the future Mindanao Metanoia Ministries Sound Doctrinal Studies Training Center.
This area had been cleared of grass when work began in October. However, having to halt the work in November because we had no vehicular access to the property, the grass quickly returned. The MMMSDS training center construciton will resume here when Nita's house is finished.
Nita and the wife of the Hiquiana farm caretaker. She is the sister of Pastor Doods whom you will meet later in the pictures.
In the background is the small house Mrs. Hiquiana moved to the farm several months ago. Here we have Mrs. Fely Ormeo, wife of Pastor Jon Ormeo, Nita's brother Doods behind her, Nita and the caretaker's wife.
If you look closely you can see a flying lizard just down and left of center.
Here is closer look in case you did not see it on the previous picture.
The house on lot #1 is gone. We now are considering the removal of some trees.
Nita and I decided that since we now owned this property, we should consider not only building vehicular access to the farm accross this lot, but we should also build a small native-type house in which we could live while waiting for the completion of the MMMSDS Training Center. We are trying to determine where the road will be and where the house will be.
Here is Nita sitting, Mrs. Nelly Hiquiana, our friend Betbet Tilos behind Mrs. Hiquiana, Nita's brother and construction foreman, Banoy, and Pastor Doods in the blue shirt/white shorts. Pastor Doods is one of tribal pastors trained by Pastor Dan Hiquiana before we met, and in our classroom in Davao preceding Pastor Dan's homegoing.
This is the house on lot #2. While we were trying to figure out how to place a small house on lot #1 in addition to providing area for vehicles to cross the lot on to the farm, we learned that this lot next door was also for sale. Lor #2 is 115 Sq. Mtrs. which gave us a total of 228 Sq. Mtr. We had considered removing the wood sides and roof and repairing the concrete part of the walls until we discovered they used bamboo as their “rebar” instead of steel “rebar.” The walls fell over with only a push.
A surveyor was hired to determine the exact boundaries of both lots, so the work could proceed.
The pile of dirt becomes the playgound!
The first we need is a fence around the property.
We had no water on the property, so we hired the well people. They drilled down 200 ft., dropped 150 feet of pipe down the hole, and they found a “free-flowing” well of absolutely, pure delicious water.
A wall appears.
Our very own “dwarf” coconut tree. No need to climb this one for the fruit. It grows at about 4 ft. off the ground.
This is the wall at the eastern boundary of our lots. The village road you saw in the second photo is the western boundary.
A view across our lots from the northeast corner to the southwest corner.
No more water bills.
Mrs. Nelly Hiquiana and Pastor Doods
I did hear someone refer to that eastern perimeter wall as the “Berlin wall” one day.
Time for snacks.
Mrs. Hiquiana contemplating the progress.
Roy Saclot, Nita and Betbet
Our “free-flowing” well now has a shut-off valve.
This corner will become Sister Nemia's room.
The “by-hand” concrete mixer.
Nita, Nelly, Betbet and Brother Rick Morrell
Betet, Col. (Ret.) Roger Limjuco, Nelly and Mrs. Bebing Limjuco
Betbet pointing out the level of the water in the pipe above the shut-off valve.
This mohagany tree had to come down. From this tree Banoy made the door jams for the house.
Yoyong, the monkey, having successfully tied off the top of the tree before cutting.
“We have to pull the tree this way when if falls.”
The extra bedroom and storage unit in our yard in Davao City now serves the same purpose for the workers at the farm.
Now you can see what is meant by the term “dirty” kitchen.
The “outdoor” dining room table.
The “chainsaw” man begins.
Here is comes!
It's down!
Did someone measure this “before” we cut the tree?
Now we cut the tree into boards.
Nita, Betbet, the Barangay electrician Jun Jun, Mrs. Hiquiana and Nanay. Nanay was the nanny of Pastor Dan and his siblings when he was young, and then became the nanny for Pastor Dan and Nelly's children when they moved back to Sta. Maria.
Another tree has come down. This time it is a pelenut tree.
Figuring out where to cut to provide the boards we want.
It did not take long for the kids to show up to play in the fallen branches.
You can see the formation of Sister Nemia's house in the back corner.
The original plan was to have the vehicular entrance gate on to the lot just to the right of the concrete utility pole. However, upon further examination we decided that the necessary right turn to exit the lot and enter the farm was going to be difficult, if not impossible, for trucks and larger vehicles.
The solution. Move the entrance to the left of the concrete utility pole giving us basically a straight shot from the entrance to the exit.
We moved our German Shepherd, Missy, to the farm first.
Nemia's “bungalow”
The “dirty” kitchen.
The guys build a bench for the outdoor dining area.
We have company today, so we need more table space.
Here comes Banoy with the food.
A couple little pigs decided to come investigate.
Missy really appreciates the water Nita's brother Boboy brought her.
Another delivery of concrete and steel bars.
The caretaker of the Hiquiana farm.
Boboy serving up the butterscotch cake Nita brought along.
Hey, this bench works pretty good.
Betbet found one of the hammocks.
We brought orchids to brighten up the place.
The guys' bedroom. We don't get much use of this 12 man tent over here, but we were glad to have it for this adventure.
Missy is joined by the other dogs.
Time for the foundaiton footers for the house.
Two of Hanna's grand daughters, Alona on the left, with one blind eye. and Adah on the right.
Had to build a dog run next to Nemia's Bungalow.
Now that her mother, Misty, is no longer with us, Stormy is the “old woman” of the Anderson farm. We got Misty in 1999 and Stormy was born in 2001.
”It won't be long I will be able to jump over this wall!“ says Adah.
Missy and Nemia enjoying the late afternoon in the shade.
We need a table for the gas stove Darryl and Nita just brought to us.
Our “Campground”
There it is! Done!
Not common in the USA to see concrete interior walls, but, over here the only protection from the termites getting to the wood, is to make them work through a few feet of concrete first. The wooden walls will last longer that way.
Nita inspecting the progress.
The dogs have adapted well to farm living. They do have to be leashed so they don't run off, but one day the yard will be fenced so they will be free again to run.
All five of them at one time, Adah, Alona, Alexandria, Annamarie and Abigail. They will do their best to bite your shorts right off if you are not careful.
Looking northwest toward the beach from our west fence.
The barangay outdoor basketball court on the way to the beach.
Building the rafters.
We now have our own power meter and will begin paying for electricity again.
This is the front personnel gate to the property, through which we see the front door of the house.
Nita and brother-in-law Banoy
Time to dig the hole for the septic tank.
I have dug down five feet and have discovered water. This will be tricky since we need to dig a few more feet down.
Davao City at the top, Sta. Maria and the MMMSDS Training Center at the bottom. With a view of the shorline we travel between the two.
A satellite view from Google Sta. Maria proper, MSA is the Morning Star Academy on the Christian Bible Church property in town. The road on the left of the mountain ridge takes you to the valley through which we turn right headed to the beach, passing the MMMSDS Training center and Nita's House.
Another satellite shot of Nita's house and the South Pacific shoreline only a 2 minute walk from the house.
Rick Morrell standing against the east wall of the master, and only, bedroom.
Our mango tree bearing fruit.
This area will be our “dirty” kitchen and laundry area.
WE are now able to drive on to our lot and park.
Up go the interior walls and ceiling.
Our moving in is not too far away.
Nita standing in her kitchen doorway.
Roger Limjuco came to visit and get a workout helping the crew.
The interior walls and ceiling are almost finished.
Our very own mango tree is just behind the electric pole near the back corner of the house.
The box underneath is full of our first crop of mango's from our very own mango tree.
Our first piglet. She should be ready to breed by the time we return from our vacation to the U.S., which means she should give us some pigs that should be big enough to butcher for the campers who attend the Mindanao Vision Family/Youth Camp 2010.
The outside trim is about finished.
Lots of kids in the neighborhood.
The concrete counter has been poured in the inside kitchen.
Jonathan and Jun jun bagging the fine sand used to make the “finishing” concrete.
Raw squid laid out to dry all day in the sun. The Filipino's favorite, “BULAD.” The guys moved this to the roof of Nemia's little house after I took the picture so the animals couldn't get to it.
The ”puppies“ now almost 6 months old, and living outdoors, Nemia has converted their kennels to storage cabinets for her clothes, shoes and other belongings.
Nemia now has her bed, plus she has enough bed space for some of her friends to visit.
In the process of “finishing” the concrete walls of the house.
Banoy's daughter, Arianne. Since she is now out of school for summer vacation she came with her father when he returned to work Monday morning.
And we now have our bed assembled and ready for use in our bedroom.
Satellite view of the entire 12 hectares of the Hiquiana farm. Is is approximately 300 meters from our house to the future training Center.
Pastor Johny Monjardin came to check out our new house.
Our bed is in our new bedroom ready to be slept in soon.
The evening finds Nita in the outside kitchen preparing supper
Much more economical for those 4 kilometer trips to the market in Sta. Maria
We spent Sunday afternoon and slept overnight in our own bed on April 26th. I had to have my computer along however so I could continue to study and prepare lessons. This was our first night in our own bed since Feb. 3rd.
Our brother-in-law, Banoy, installing the jalousie window frames
The windows are installed in the living room.
Here we are having lunch on Monday. Nita, Banoy, Yoyong, Jun jun, Banaoy and Sonia's daughter, Arianne, Betbet and Nita's sister Sonia.
The steel gates will be installed soon.
April Biene has come to visit for the weekend.
The “moving van”
Since our van is not yet running, we are using Banoy's motorcycle with sidecar to haul our things from Mrs. Nelly Hiquiana's residence in Sta. Maria to our new house in San Agustin. The upright freezer and gas range have made the trip successfully so far.
I guess I need to change the name of this kitchen from “dirty“ kitchen to “outside” kitchen.
Everyone laughs when I refer to this kitchen as a “dirty” kitchen. If you go back to earlier pictures in this album you can see some pictures of what a “dirty” kitchen really looks like. You will then understand why they laugh at me.
The beach side of the 1.4 hectare lot belonging to the Hiquiana family.
Nita, as I stand near the water looking south to the mountain ridge on the southern perimeter of the Hiquiana land on which the Lord will build the Mindanao Metanoea Ministries Sound Doctrinal Studies training center.
Here I am even closer to the water.
As this 14,000 sq. mtr. area is developed, some of these pond areas will be drained and filled with land, while one or two of them may be maintained as fish ponds in which we can produce our own supply of fresh Talapia.
Standing on the eastern edge of the lot looking to the western edge marked by the fence visible at the top of the photo.
This is taken from the road that borders the southern perimeter of the 14,000 sq. mtr. beach lot. This is the south-eastern corner of the lot. The lot extend from this point westward.
A shot of the lot from the road on the southern permiter.
It is ready for painting.
Lunch time.
The refrigerator just fits in the inside kitchen. The entry door is able to open and close with 1/2 inch clearance.
The tiles go up on the walls in the bathroom.
The inside kitchen counter is all tiled.
The satallite dish has not yet been installed, but we are able to enjoy our DVD movies.
A refrigerator, a microwave and a coffee maker; everything a kitchen needs.
Our front gate is primed with red oxide and now awaits the painting.
The native “kalakat” wood is protected with Maple varnish.
The gate through which we access the 12 hectare Hiquiana farm.
Praise the Lord! the van is fixed and running as strongly as ever. Standing in our yard looking at the front gate.
Another view of the back gate through which we pass to travel the 300 meters to the MMMSDS training center site.
Looking at our back gate from the road to the training center.
They have delivered 14 truck loads of sand and gravel so far as we begin to establish a road to the MMMSDS training center.
The two coconut trees around which we need to bend the road due to a legal battle currently going on about these trees.
The three stands of banana trees on the left will be removed as the road continues to the training center.
Looking back at the back gate of our yard from the last load of sand and gravel.
Looking into the open area where one day we will see the training center.
We finally mounted the Dream satellite TV antennae.
There are a couple of people who spend a lot of time in our home that really appreciate the satellite TV.
The carport is ready.
Nita's orchard garden is now fenced to keep the dogs out.
Nita, Nemia and Betbet have been busy planting a garden.
Time to harvest the mangos for the second time since we moved here.
A dog house to keep our male away from the females in heat, or vise-versa.
The painting is getting done.
As we do have several visitors from time to time, we found it necessary to add another comfort room.
Come visit us!!!!!
Nita's Marketmobile
