We left San Pedro around 9:00 am on Monday morning fully expecting the rain to end after 20 minutes, like it always does. Well, if there's one thing the World Race has taught every one on my team, it's that the more expectations you have, the more disappointed you will be.  The rain didn't stop after 20 minutes.  It didn't stop after 2 hours. It's didn't even stop after 24 hours. Instead The Typhoon, Pedring (Nesat), made landfall. But the storm turned out to be a blessing in disguise. . . 
Monday's are our day off, so my team and I were travelling to Manila to meet up with another team to do some sight seeing and possibly jump off a waterfall in celebration of our fearless leader (Dusty)'s  birthday.  By the time we got to Manila we realized the rain was not slowing down. We then found out the waterfall was closed – Disappointment #1.  

We normally would have headed home at that point but there was a big college basketball championship game the next day that a friend of ours was playing in so we decided to spend the night.  Overnight the rain came harder and the wind got stronger – up to 80 miles an hour. I was actually awakened on the middle of the night by shattering glass. When we got up the next morning  we were informed that Manila was under water and the game was cancelled – Disappointment #2.  

And because there was so much water we couldn't get home – Disappointment #3

Of course we weren't planning on this extended vacation so we were not prepared with clothes, toiletries, reading materials, etc. – Disappoinment #4

But . . .

We soon realized all of this disappointment was a blessing in disguise.  If we hadn't made these plans we would have never left San Pedro. In which case we would not have been riding out the storm, Celebrating Dusty's birthday with friends, eating American food, and taking hot showers.  We would have been in flooded communities without electric, wondering whether or not we were safe at all.  Three of the communities we work with were washed out during the storm.  A number of people died. And many homes were damaged.  

God had a plan, even through our disapointment, to care for us and bring us safely through the Typhoon.  Thank you for your prayers!  smiley