Dear Family & Friends,

One of the wonderful things of living here in an older nation is to see all of the “old buildings” in various states of use and repair. As most of you already know - we experience all types of natural disasters, from general flooding, to earthquakes, to typhoons – all of which take their toll on old structures over the years. Many of the oldest buildings were wood framed construction and have long since been replaced and/or lost. Of the oldest building still remaining many of them were constructed from corral stone mined from the bay waters neighboring their cities and towns. When an earthquake or bad storm hits these old buildings often they do not weather them very well and are generally destroyed. Nearly all of the existing structures built in the last fifty years or lately are of concrete – with reinforced steel. In Manila the buildings have gone from being one-to-three story structures in the past to now - they are thirty-to-forty plus story skyscrapers with businesses and apartments. This has caused many to say – that the Manila official bird is the crane (the type that erects buildings) – as you look out your windows like where we live on the ninth floor of an high rise, you can see building cranes, dozens of them in all directions. The economy of Manila seems to be very robust, strong and very active, but there are still many people whose home for the night is on cardboard, sleeping under one of the overpasses, bridges, or in their jeepney or tricycle. There are two types of people we live around either the super wealthy and the very poor, with very little of any middle class. Only the recent college grads and growing population of call center employees - seems to be of a middle class, and most of them are only in the late teens or twenties. Most of the people live (the vast masses) from meal-to-meal and day-to-day, as they hard work to just survive. In the past I have talked about our rolling seven-eleven stores, that is the many young and old men (mainly) or the blind with escorts - who work the streets as vendors - selling all kinds of things to cars, trucks, and other vehicles as you wait at the traffic lights or in slowed highway traffic. If you would - you could purchase soft drinks, water, cigarettes, towels, flags, cell phone chargers, sponges, snacks, peanuts, and a whole host of other assorted items. Since the traffic is often slowed to nearly a stop as we inch along - these vendors sell their goods between the ever changing lanes of traffic as we nudge down the street towards our eventual destinations. Although, I have tried to describe this strange situation - only being here – can one fully understand this daily unusual situation and enterprising endeavor. See pictures of some of the old buildings I have observed.

We are about the experience our first “independence day of the Philippines” tomorrow, and we are planning on traveling out of town for a few days of seeing the beautiful country side. We are thinking of driving up the coast way to the north and seeing the beaches, resorts, and whatsoever else maybe there overnighting somewhere and taking a day or two break from work. The more and more we see of the Philippines the more we love this great, beautiful, and wonderful country. May I suggest there should any of you have the resources and opportunity of serving as senior missionary couples, you should surely do it! It is great and you truly learn to love the people you serve around and with. Some of the couples who warmly greeted us - as we arrived nearly ten months ago are now leaving, and we miss them dearly, but new one come and fill their places with their friendship – which is equally as welcomed and enjoyable. 

Serving is made so much nicer serving among friends, where you share so much in common. May we each live our lives that we are entitled to the blessings of the Lord.

With Love Elder & Sister Morello

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