Building Friendships in the Philippines

While the female members of the household were enjoying adventures in India and Malaysia, Brian spent last week with a fantastic group of TCIS High School students near the town of Baler in Aurora Province, Philippines. Our Habitat for Humanity venture allowed us to meet local volunteers on a very busy home building site. Throughout the week, our crew learned valuable skills in bricklaying, cement mixing, carrying water and hauling sand/gravel by hand. Many friendships were struck, including one with Juanito, a father of 5, a skilled craftsman and a H4H volunteer. Juanito and others demonstrated patience and love for their Korean guests, blessing us with home building knowledge and rich Philippine hospitality. Together, our two cultures shared in the dedication of a finished H4H home. As the final prayers of blessing were said and the receiving family accepted the key, a rainbow appeared over the home as if to remind us of God's promise to care for His people.