Well first week down! It has been a crazy new experience that is for sure. We sleep on small mats on concrete floor. There is no break from sweating everyday, even while we sleep. We cook our meals on a small camp stove. Bathing consists of pumping water into a bucket, soaping yourself up, then dumping the water on you. Oh and that is communal so you have to be wearing shorts. There is a toilet in a little outhouse. It also recquires you to pump more water, take your bucket with you to the toilet, because that is the only way it flushes.

The coast is beautiful, and the water is amazing. Go about a hundred yards offshore and the visibility is about 40 feet, BEAUTIFUL. I can just walk out the front door and go snorkel every day.

The people here LOVE basketball! We have played just about everyday. We have a bit of a reputation now. It is usually me, David(another american here with me), and our Filippino supervisor Ernest, then they usually give us 2 more guys (usually the weaker players out there) then put all of their best guys on one team to try and beat us. It has only happened once. It is really weird. I am always the tallest when we play. When I play basketball in the states I usually play point guard, but here they make me play center haha, but it is nice to get rebounds. That has been a great way to get to meet people, and we have made a lot of friends.

Already this first week we have had a lot of significant conversations with people. One night two guys came over J-mar (20) and William (17). They just wanted to talk. We had to speak through an interpretor but it was going really well. I shared my testimony with them and they both ended up praying to recieve Christ right then! It was awesome! The next day, after we had played a game of basketball, David shared with one of the guys we had just met, on the side of the court, and he prayed to recieve Christ. His name is Raymar (29) and we have already been to meet his family and help disciple him, the past two days.

It is amazing to already see what God is doing here. It is definately a big adjustment from everyday life. Please pray for us that we will continue to adjust. The first week in everything is still strange and exciting, but I do believe the lack of comforts we are use to will begin to wear on us. So pray for us that we might have strength!

Jared