Welcome to the Philippines!!!!!!!

Hey everyone- I finally have chance to sit and actually write a blog:)

So we tearfully left our family at Heathrow on Tuesday morning and started our epic journey to Manila. The flight was somewhat horrific in length, although I must say the airline is amazing and we went on the biggest airplane I've ever seen, somewhat 500 people on board!! after 13 hours of films and general boredem, we arrived in Singapore and took our last flight which was about 31/2 hours. It was lovely to be greeted by familiar faces in the airport and we spent the afternoon dozing before getting straight in with the children singing the holy washing machine at the malate centre.
Since then we have visited smokey mountain, which was incredible, so heart wrenching, It was surreal I felt as though i was walking round in a documentary not actually there. we went round giving sweets to the children and chatting to the families as they made charcoal (my clothes still smell even now:P). I was really glad that we got to spend a few hours there as apposed to a quick stop visit:) we also visited the Mall of Asia which was huuuuge and still very much in the Christmas spirit! then on Friday we split into 2 groups, Mary and Mela went to the ODC for half a day and the rest of us went to the malate, where we helped out in the kids classes, reading to them and helping them to write their names, which was lovely. Then in the afternoon we went to the ODC, which I loved! although they did keep trying to make me sing:P the kids were amazing, so loving and willing to chat to us, I was asked by teacher Bing, to teach one little girl how to read and speak the alphabet, so I was really pleased when about 30 mins later she was singing the alphabet song to me and able to recognize all the letters:)

On saturday morning we got up at 4am to go to Subic, a Holiday resort just outside Manila to visit Mela's family and enjoy the beach. It was a lovely weekend and we were spoiled no end by Mela's sisters, going on Jungle walks and swimming in the sea. And finally today we have been joining in with the staff devotions at the Malate centre which was a really blessing, their sense of worship and fellowship is so faithful, and then with the children this evening, we were very touched by the children as they prayed and sung desperately to God.

Please pray....
For the coffee shop as it gets near to finishing- me and Sarah will be very involved as it opens
For me and Sarah as we move into the Malate centre this weekend, that we will continue to settle in and get used to all the crazy traffic, rice and heat.
For Mary, Mela, Jess and Alec as they travel home on saturday, me and Sarah are really praising God for them as they have been such a blessing to us this week:)

All for now, speak soon. much love, Heidi xxxxxxxxxxxx