Lunar Break H4H, Tagaytay, Phillipines

What a great trip with twelve amazing students and three other inspiring teachers! Over the course of the week, every kid grew in one or more of the following ways: their work ethic, their gratefulness and appreciation for their health and what they have, their realization that there is more to life than tests, cellphones and the SAT, their compassion, their maturity, and, most importantly, their relationship with the Lord, seeing His love in others and spreading His love.

Of course, as usual, there are hiccups along the way, like getting to bed early and being able to be at breakfast on time. However, a couple mornings of sprints up the steep 50m hill inspired a miraculous improvement in punctuality (these kids love having a cross-country coach on their trips).

On my second Habitat for Humanity trip to the Phillipines, I was fortunate to be on the trip that was returning to the same area where I had been two years before - Tagaytay, 2-3 hours north of Manila. This time we stayed at an apartelle across from a spectacular view of the Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano. Precioso! Even more precious are all of the smiling faces of the Filipino people, their relaxed, laidback attitudes, and their love for laughter. Our hosts, H4H members Bugs, Delly, Joelle, Zernan, and Paul - or, should I say, "the 1958 Phillipines Olympic Volleyball Team," as they humbled called themselves on our day at the beach - demonstrated this attitude along with a love for life, for people, and for singing karaoke (rock on!). I can't wait to return!

By now you all know better than to just expect a spattering of pictures...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=4zp3vcn.c1ugsai3&x=0&y=-qd3gx3&localeid=en_US