Flooding

You may have heard on the news about  the flooding in Manila. But's it on the other side of the world. It's easy to lose the impact this kind of rainfall has on individuals, on families, on the community. Each of the many people who has lost a home is a real person. A person like you with a father,  a mother, probably sisters and brothers and friends. In fact, living right here in Manila I haven't felt the impact. The rain has made it hard to go out. I feel tired and grumpy because the sun hasn't been out for over a week (until this afternoon!)

This was the view out the window when we arrived last Wednesday afternoon. A week later, this is how things looked on the street. As I sloshed through water that was mid-calf deep,  heading toward a dry house and a hot shower, I thought about the people around me. Some have lost their homes. Some have homes with water running through them. Some have lost families. On a city-wide scale, it's hard to appreciate the devastation. On a more personal level, I begin to understand.

Still, we are in a safe place. Our guesthome is relatively unaffected, beyond everyone being stuck inside listening to the pounding rain. We're enjoying time with friends and have ventured out a few times. We're blessed and encouraged as we hear what God is doing in various parts of the Philippines. We're challenged to pray when we hear how the evil one is attacking the work God is doing. We're blessed to be a part of it all.

Garry made one more trip to the government aviation offices on Monday and said his goodbyes there, leaving small gifts in the various offices. We're also taking care of paperwork while we're here-- closing our bank account, making sure our exit papers are in order, and the many other things that need done before leaving a country.

This evening we're headed out to play badminton again with our friends. Good times.