This is only the start of my second week here and the second blog post of my life so cut me some slack, and yes, I know, the title needs some work.  It is supposed to be a creative title.  I'm still working on that.  Anywho allow me to sum up the Philippines in a few words: Uncomfortably hot, unfairly humid, and basketball is life.  So this begs the question: what's a hockey kid from Minnesota doing here?  Fair question indeed.  And if I can be honest, I don't even know.  God has brought me here and that's all I really...

      This is only the start of my second week here and the second blog post of my life so cut me some slack, and yes, I know, the title needs some work.  It is supposed to be a creative title.  I'm still working on that.  Anywho allow me to sum up the Philippines in a few words: Uncomfortably hot, unfairly humid, and basketball is life.  So this begs the question: what's a hockey kid from Minnesota doing here?  Fair question indeed.  And if I can be honest, I don't even know.  God has brought me here and that's all I really...

My neighborhood in Cainta, Rizal. Already it feels like the Philippines has been my home for much longer than one week. The first few days were spent exploring the different activities of the ministry: feedings, building relationships and helping out at either of the houses for local kids who have been orphaned, abused, or neglected, helping out at the school, tutoring, and manual labor.  I was not expecting manual labor to be a normal activity for missionaries.  Rather I expected to be constantly sharing my faith.  However, even though we might not always be directly...

My neighborhood in Cainta, Rizal. Already it feels like the Philippines has been my home for much longer than one week. The first few days were spent exploring the different activities of the ministry: feedings, building relationships and helping out at either of the houses for local kids who have been orphaned, abused, or neglected, helping out at the school, tutoring, and manual labor.  I was not expecting manual labor to be a normal activity for missionaries.  Rather I expected to be constantly sharing my faith.  However, even though we might not always be directly...

Every morning I awake to the sounds of the filipino people. The honking of the trikes and the laughter of the kids as they play. The day starts early here because they do buisness with the sun. In our little town of Cainta kids are everywhere and they stand at our gate just waiting for us to step out. They all know our names so we constantly here tita kailie, tita kailie come play with me. Tita come play tita, tita, tita!! Sometimes you grow to despise that word because you can't just blend in here. I am a person who loves to fade into the backrround so having eyes constantly on me has...

Every morning I awake to the sounds of the filipino people. The honking of the trikes and the laughter of the kids as they play. The day starts early here because they do buisness with the sun. In our little town of Cainta kids are everywhere and they stand at our gate just waiting for us to step out. They all know our names so we constantly here tita kailie, tita kailie come play with me. Tita come play tita, tita, tita!! Sometimes you grow to despise that word because you can't just blend in here. I am a person who loves to fade into the backrround so having eyes constantly on me has...