In Manila

We arrived in Manila on Wednesday morning and spent the rest of the week with Uncle Randy, Aunt Marla and cousins. We had a fun week of connecting with everyone and the kids getting to know their cousins! Hide and seek outside after dark was the game to play each evening...the kids all decided that Ann Marie and Adams were the most difficult to find in the dark!

During our days together we visited the RBI office and got a tour, then Steve stayed for the afternoon and took pictures for Randy of preschool kids. He got some great pictures! The kids and I took a jeepney back to the house and rested for the afternoon. Steve also got to go to an eye screening up in Antipolo. He took pictures at the eye screening as well. I think the pictures will speak for themselves. Steve really enjoyed being able to see first hand what RBI is doing and how God is using them.

On Saturday we all kind of went our own ways as Steve went to the eye screening, Ann Marie and I got to go with Paula and Liz to the beading shops, and Marla took the rest of the kids to Omega's basketball game and then swimming afterwards. We all had a fun day and came back to the house in the afternoon for a little rest!

Sunday afternoon Steve and I spent some time repacking our suitcases so that we could go to the guest house by the Children's Home for our week of VBS. The guest house is not too far from Faith Academy and where the Haunschilds live. We arrived and got a tour of the Children's Home and surrounding area. The area is called Quatro and is filled with squatter homes. The Children's Home, guest house(that has 70 beds), and the community center are some of the main buildings in the area. The Children's Home has quite an impact on this small community of people as they help with supplying clean water to all the people, free dental clinic, a school for some of the children, and much more as well. We are thoroughly enjoying the area and living among the people although we live in the "big green house"!

We started VBS on Monday with 35 kids, but today we had almost 50 kids! We do the VBS in the community center and use the 2nd floor which is the church and the top floor which is a basketball court. The kids and the adults love the music and motions to go with the songs. We have also been doing Bible stories, crafts, and game time. We are having fun teaching all the kids!

Today we went to have lunch with Paula and her kids at Faith Academy and then got the grand tour. What an amazing facility! It was alot of fun to be able to see where Paula spends her days and the people that she has met through working at Faith. We have been given a van for our family to use while we are staying at the guest house, so it makes it much easier to be able to drive to Faith and to Paula's house. We will see if we get brave enough to venture out onto the highway! We had dinner at Paula's tonight...what a special treat to be able to be at her house in the Philippines!

And last, but certainly not least...yesterday was Ann Marie's birthday...she is sweet 16!! We had already celebrated in Davao with the Germains so we didn't really have a party for her. But just wanted to say Happy Birthday Ann Marie!!! I think this trip to the Philippines has been the best birthday present ever for her...she loves being here...it reminds her so much of her home in Sierra Leone.

We are enjoying our time so far in Manila, getting to catch up with family and friends, and also seeing first hand more missions and ministry. We love learning from what others are doing and being able to see it first hand. What an amazing opportunity this has been and we are so thankful!!