Day 10

Well after being away from home for almost two weeks, our families at home are very, very missed. Hearing stories about parents, siblings, and pets is common within conversations (you would not believe the amount of pictures I have seen of Steph V's dog Marla).

Yesterday was a day full of blessings, tears, and some hard goodbyes. We started the day out by going to the job site and powering through as much work as we could in the time we had. Workers started welding metal rafters onto the houses, electrical work was put in, and they finished parging the inside and outside of the house. Our group started and finished the framing of house #2's addition, finished half the plywood on the outside, and continued to haul concrete, rock, and bricks.

At 2pm our group stopped working and handed over the houses to the workers. We wrapped up our job at the work site with speeches from Michelle and the two families who were receiving the houses. The gratitude they felt and the looks on their faces will be something we will remember forever. We said our goodbyes to the families around the worksite and the kids whom we had grown to love and played with everyday. Finally Michelle was able to drag everyone away from the site and we loaded the jeepneys to head to the beach.

Road laws don't really exist in the Philippines. In the time we have been here I think I've seen maybe one set of street lights and two stop signs. Seat belts are unheard of here, sitting down in a moving vehicle is optional, and there is no definitive speed limit (although for the most part people do go reasonable speeds). The jeepneys we have been driving in everyday to the worksite are vehicles that you can choose to ride inside, on top, or at the door with your legs hanging out. Most prefer riding on top of the moving vehicle.

When we got back from the beach we said our goodbyes to Paquio (the Filipino man who helped and protected us the entire week) and went to spend our last night with our families. We all celebrated our nights in different ways. Some went out for dinner, others went to karaoke bars, and some went to the cock fights. We all had amazing nights and are going to miss these people so much. Everyone is so kind and hospitable and their country is beautiful. This trip really is a trip of a lifetime and we thank everyone who has helped us to get here.

Prayer request: We ask for prayers for the families as they settle into their homes. That their homes quickly become homes full of peace, love, and laughter.

Quote: "What does blessed mean? It is not material goods or the amount of things we have. You are blessed because you have a loving family and an amazing community." -Scott

Written by Randi Peat