It's WAY more fun in the Philippines!!

It's only day five on our trip and I've already had the time of my life! We've all been trying new foods, teaching students, and doing hard manual labor. The Philippines is absolutely breathtaking. It's so green here and all the people are so friendly. Some of my favorite memories so far were when we went to the mall to collect supplies for our lessons and saw three college students staring at us. Finally, they came up to us and asked to take our picture. They thought we were so beautiful because of our white skin. It's hilarious that they find us so fascinating, because whenever we go out in public everyone stares at us and we find numerous people trying to sneak a picture on their phones or cameras. I guess this is just a taste of what it's like to be famous, haha! 

Another thing I have loved is teaching at the schools and playing with the kids. Monday I taught at an elementary school called Villafont. It's the cutest little school and has even cuter kids. They are all so polite and funny. They made us crowns out of flowers they strung together. Then they thought we could use some bracelets... then rings, necklaces, and whatever other flowers they could stick in our hair. This is when they started to call me "Queen" and "Mama."

At school I met the most adorable little boy, his name is Renzo Martin. Renzo has an incredible singing voice and loves to play duck duck goose! In the Philippines they raise their eyebrows  when saying "yes" and Renzo and I have made our own personal little game of whenever we look at each other we do the "eyebrow raise". If it wasn't completely illegal, I would steal Renzo, put him in my suitcase, and take him back home with me! 

ROW is such a great organization and I am so lucky to have to opportunity to be apart of it. I've learned to love each person in our group and think I could speak for us all when I say that we've became a little family. Yes, a little ROW family. :) I love these kids more and more each day and I know it will be so hard leaving the Philippines and their people. That's all for today, better catch some Zzz's... another big day lies ahead!

-Maddy 

*Cici and I after our mud fight in the rain*

My little man, Renzo!