No Air...

Tell me how I'm post to breave wid no air.  We have a pretty cool view of Manila from our condo.  We live up in the hills, and we can typically see for miles.  This morning I got up early to jog, and I couldn't see Manila at all.  I could see maybe a mile, and then greyish-brown haze.  Gross.  I felt like I was breathing dirty jell-o when I was running.  So last week we found out that Abby is basically allergic to the air here.  She has had an increasing cough for a month, so Michele took her to the Doctor.  Doctor put her on Claritin and she will probably take a steroid this week.  It kind of bums us out that our decision to live in the Philippines has side effects on our little girl.  The doctor said this is pretty common, like hay fever, but it still stinks.  Her little pink body is growing up and getting bumps, bruises, and issues.  :(

On a more better note, let me tell you about Efraim Calopez.  (EF-rah-eem) is one of our feeding program kids at Tanza.  He's a favorite because he's one of the cutest kids I've seen anywhere.  If I'm around long enough, I want to put this kid through Bible school and make him a Filipino pastor.  Efraim's english is excellent; as good as most adults here, and he just turned 6!  At night before bed he asks his mom to teach him English!  Last week I thought of giving him a couple of literacy books we have laying around.  They are full of kids' stories like Dr Suess, etc.  I figured he'd enjoy practicing with them, so I threw them in the car.  The next few times that I was at Tanza, I forgot to give them to him.  So yesterday I remembered, and handed him the books.  He was all smiles and thanked me profusely.  Come to find out, it was his 6th birthday and I had no idea!  How cool.  Did the Lord tell me to give him those books, and cause me to forget until his birthday so that it would make a lasting impression on him, causing him to grow up desiring to serve the Lord because of the generosity of that American missionary so many years before?  I doubt it!  But it made my day.  Here's the little turkey...