Happy Birthday, Ellen!

Yep, we celebrated Ellen's birthday today--our hostess for the party said, "since Ellen was missing her family back home on her birthday, we thought that she would enjoy celebrating with her new family on this side of the ocean..."


Also, today was a big day for Ellen as we explored Faith Academy. She met with many teachers, administrators, and students in the Elementary school. One of the most interesting stories that we heard was about a man named Tine, who was a basketball phenom in college, and was recuited by the L.A. Lakers. He declined because he was committed to serve God, and so he came to work at Faith Academy. He has been a part of the school for 46 years, making him the most "tenured" staff member at the school.


One of the more unique forms of transportation for the Philippine people is a vehicle called the jeepney. These originally were refurbished U.S. military surplus jeeps that were refurbished to use as a bus. The great thing about these is that bizzare paint designs show off the distinctiveness of the drivers. It is very common to see a jeepney completely covered with some sort of mural.


Thanks to all of you have sent emails--you are very encouraging to us!

Dan