Global Walking Trip

I had the oppertunity to go an a global walking trip to the Philippines. The synod church sponsored some of the fees for us so i was able to go. It was in 2006/ 2007. There is alot of details and things that we saw and did that would be to much for the blog. We went to Manila and the towns that lay around it. We also to went to the rubbish dump were there are heaps of people that live there going through the rubbish to look for things to fix and sell just for money. They also have to pay for clean water and protection for the police from the police. It was a shock for a city/ country person like me. We saw the gold mines that some philippino people would work in. and the mines were just amazing. There would be a km drop that they would go down by rope. To get to the drop you had to walk for what felt like hours in pitch dark, mud, that you had to hunch down until you get to the drop. It was awful. However they would only get a really really tiny peice of gold. We met families in person who's father was killed in political killings. The whole situation in the Philippines is just sad. Despite all of this the people there are the nicest i have ever met. They met us with open arms and warm smiles. It was an experience that has changed my life forever. I can sit here and describe what i have seen and experienced but it is not until you go there and experience it for yourself will you truly understand and comprehend what the people in the Philippines go through. If you ever have the oppertunity to travel there i would reccomend you take it.