Welcome to Manila!

Our noses are pressed against the windows like small children and our eyes just don't seem big enough to take it all in. Our hearts are beating with anticipation as we finally spot the land below - a village peppered with rooftops of every color... Red. Blue. Orange. Yellow. Green.
It's still early morning when we land, and the clouds are still very low. The air is hot and sticky, and our senses are instantly overwhelmed with the newness of this foreign land. We sit in the back seat of a taxi unable to believe that we've actually arrived...

As soon as we got to Manila, Sarah Ann picked us up and took us to "the little orange house in the middle of the big city" - or home, for short. I loved it instantly. It's in the courtyard of an older couple's house, closed off to the main street by an equally bright orange gate. If you can crouch low enough to get through the gate door, you will find our dinning room: a wooden table under a tin roof. There, too, is our outdoor kitchen, with its all-inclusive fridge, sink, stove top, and cupboards. It even has a washing machine (#1 upgrade from my Chicago apartment)! Then, I can walk you into the main house. It's small but so loveable. Everything inside it is orange! It has wireless internet (#2 upgrade from my Chicago apt.), A/C (#3 upgrade), and for now, just one mouse (#4 upgrade)!

The next day, we were up at dawn to catch a 3 hour bus to the port, where we would ride a bamboo motor boat to White Beach, in Puerto Galera. The ride was smooth, relaxing and absolutely breathtaking. The water was a color blue you could only dream of, and the entire bay was surrounded by mountains. The boat took us right onto the sand, where we had a quick lunch and continued up to Vicki's house (the director of the school). We will be here until Wednesday for orientation.
This island is beautiful. The trees are lush and overgrown. The mangoes are heavy on each branch and the crickets seem to sing all night long. But the best part by far so far is to be with friends again - to know that this is exactly where God wants us. To share the excitement with them and to anticipate the next 9 months of learning together.

I can't believe I'm here.