Good times so far

Hello from the Philippines! :)

We are having an amazing time here and really loving the chance to experience such a wonderful country and meet so many new friends from all over the world.
Big thanks to Brian and Julie Woolery (check out their Woolery Wanderings blog on the right hand side for more info on what we're all up to) for letting us stay with them for the first couple of nights we were in Manila. It made a huge difference being able to stay with friends and be welcomed immediately, and it gave Max and Justin a chance to meet and make friends before leaving for the conference out at Rizal.
They get on ok, although Justin is a little nervous of Max since he is a bit bigger and very enthusiastic in his greetings (hugging and high-fiving). They mimic each other and do have fun being around each other though, and are cute to watch for all of the delegates.

Max is fitting in really well, as Cam has posted. I was a little worried about how he would handle sleeping in so many different places and beds, but he is so good at going to bed and even asks for it when he is tired, and is happy to lie still until he falls asleep and then sleeps very soundly both for his daytime naps (sleeping roughly 3 hours each afternoon, which is better than at home!) and 11 or 12 hours at night as well.
This gives me a great chance to join in on the activities in the evenings after he has gone to bed. I've been very encouraged and inspired to see the vision and energy and passion that the people here and worldwide have for Jesus and for the youth in their churches - it's a real privilege to participate. There are some photos up on Facebook that others have posted - see here to have a look.

Not surprigingly, Max is loving the food and always surprises us with his appetite, especially for rice which is served at every meal. I am also really enjoying the food, which is tasty and healthy and really excellent at the campsite. It's a great way to try some of the Philippino food without having to guess at what to order from a restaurant.

Today we went into one of the neighbouring towns called Lipiw which is famous for its shoes. We soon saw why - every second shop in the main street sells, you guessed it, shoes! Unfortunately both Cam and I have feet that are too big and so couldn't find anything to fit us. Hopefully we will have more luck in some other markets or in Boracay, which is where we head off to on Sunday after the assembly finishes.