Global Staci

Sweating standing still.

This is what we are doing in the extreme humidity that is the Philippines.

Despite…great work day today and only one short rain interruption. Luck or answered prayer. Cement mixing, bucket throwing, brick hoisting continues. We also started putting up walls on the second floor of our two-story apartment building which includes filling bricks with cement and then covering the walls too, like a layer of stucco. It may not look like much now, but we see the finished product all around us and we are encouraged by the work we compete.

Today happens to be Philippine Independence Day and therefore a holiday. School are closed. Bistekville is filled with kids, and school teachers, and that is because 150 community residents are teachers. We had the pleasure of meeting 3 of them today. They average 60 kids to a classroom. Wow. One of our team members, Dana, is also a school teacher. These four had a wonderful conversation discovering how similar their worlds really are.

Despite distance. Despite language. Despite culture. At least, as far as these teachers are concerned, kids are the same everywhere.

Speaking of kids, I noticed two little boys with beautiful smiles playing outside on their day off school.  I knew I had to ask for their photo.  One of them wore a shirt with inspiring words.  It simply said, “Never Give Up.”