Daniel's trip

My trip thus far began with the long plane flight in which I met a with a young Filipino man named Robin.  I got to talk with Robin about God and church and he professed to be a catholic.  He told me most Filipino's were catholic.  Once i arrived, i discovered the Philippines to be very humid but not unbearable.  The poverty level here is unlike anything i have ever seen in the U.S.  It is quite humbling to realize how much we are blessed with in America.  Some of our worst "Ghettos" are luxury hotels compared to many areas in Manila.  This has not been my first exposure to said poverty but the first since 2004.  It is a good reminder for me to be more content.  I have been working with the construction crew for several days doing a lot of manual labor that this old man is not used too.  This has left me very sore lol.  Thankfully they have a salon / massage center on the complex where we are staying and i have been using it to my full advantage. Most of the men at the construction yard do not speak English so communication has been hard.  However, many of them remember Trevor because of his incredibly awesome mustache and we have been able to make fun of him together.  Seriously though they have a great sense of humor and i feel like i have been able to form a small bond with some of them despite my lack of speaking their language.  I hope that my hard work is communication enough to them about how i care.  Apparently, laziness is a very prevalent trait in many Filipino men.  Thankfully these men are coming in day in and day out and working for about 6-8 U.S. dollars a day to provide for their families.  I have been very impressed with the Longs and all God has accomplished through them.  This poverty stricken neighborhood is receiving, jobs, food, school for orphans, and they are building more schools to educate even more children.  God is definitely working here and i am glad i can contribute to a small part of it.