Upcoming Philippines trip

Wyatt and I will be traveling to the Philippines January 26th -February 3rd.  We will spend a few days in Manila and a few in Davao visiting the teams and praying about serving there. Although the flooding won't be like this (in Cainta), much of the damage will still be evident.  When we will return we pray for God's peace to rest with us as we seek to follow His will in choosing between South Africa and the Philippines.

About the Philippines

Language: The official language is Filipino, although English is widely used.  Tagolog is the most predominant of the dialects used on the islands.

Estimated Population: 92 Million  (12th most populated country)

Ortigas Bridge in Oct. 2009

There are 7,107 Philippine islands.

Climate: Tropical with 2 seasons: wet (June to October) and dry (November to May).  The average temperature is 81degrees Farenheit.

Religion: 90% are Christians. While predominately Roman Catholic (80%), 10% are other Christian faiths, and between 5-10% are Muslim (in Mindinao)

Fun Facts:

1. Karaoke is a Filipino invention, not Japanese.  Karaoke meaning "singing without accompaniment" in japanese was invented by Roberto del Rosario.  He called his system "sing-along system", which was later called karaoke.

2. Philippines is the "Text capital of the world".  350-400 million text messages are sent daily. That's more than the US and Europe combined.

Manila at night