If you ever get the chance …

… travel!

Especially travel internationally.

It will expand your mind in a myriad of ways as you experience entirely different cultures, different ways of thinking and interacting and living out this experience called life.

But the best part about traveling is the amazing people you may have the chance to meet.

I was deeply touched by the friends I made in the Philippines during a couple of trips I took to Manila.

Manila is an ugly city with acrid air. It’s not the usual place you would go for a vacation. But I was blown away by the people.

On my first night there I had headed out to find something to eat, and not far from my hotel was a little karaoke restaurant with outdoor seating. I soon discovered that my filipino friends love karaoke. The reason is the poverty. That’s right … they struggle all day long in hopes they can make enough to buy something to eat, and then they head to karaoke to sing away life’s worries with their friends. The fellowship they find there with their friends is one of the few times they can temporarily forget about life’s hardships and laugh and smile for a while.

I was impressed … and deeply touched … by watching Rex, who became my best friend in Manila. Rex is 25, the oldest son in his family. His father was murdered a few years ago, so he is doing a lot to help his mother care for his younger siblings, all who live many hours away in their home province. Rex came to the city to try to make money to care not just for himself, but he sends home a good portion of what he makes. That is, when there is something to send.

I had met Rex my first night there and he volunteered … nearly insisted … that he be my unofficial guide while in Manila. He also introduced me to his friends, and new friendships were thus in the making.

My second night there, Rex and I met up with some of his friends and we sat down to eat. Except I was the only one who had money to buy food! I was so grateful for such a blessing, I turned it around and told them I couldn’t eat alone and ordered up a feast so everyone could eat. What deeply touched me, among the chatter and laughter around the trouble, was that before Rex ate a bite he made sure that each one of his friends had plenty to eat. In fact, during the two weeks I was there (on my first trip), I noticed Rex did this each time we gathered with other friends. He always cared for his friends first, before he took care of his own needs. It was a humbling example.

I later learned that Rex had spent some time doing some work for a church. It was a brief experience, but he had learned some things while there. What I saw was him living out some things he had learned!

This morning, I have three bracelets on my right wrist. When departing Manila, while saying my goodbyes, a couple of my friends took off bracelets they were wearing and put them on my wrists, encouraging me not to forget them and thanking me for my friendship.

I was incredibly humbled and nearly moved to tears.

You see, these friends have very … very … little. It’s a rare thing they would spend a few dollars on something like a bracelet. So it meant a great deal for them to take it off their wrists and place them on mine.

I had the opportunity while there to help provide for some of my new friends. But that was nothing compared to the way they embraced me and simply enjoyed the making of new friends.

One day I hope to be able to go back to Manila and check on my friends. I returned a second time after one of my new friends had gotten into a scooter accident and was in the hospital. I was able to spend a week there providing some support and catching up with others.

But I will never forget the touching display of genuine friendship and caring I saw exhibited among some people who live far more simply … and perhaps a little more fully … than many comfortable Americans.

If you ever get the chance, travel!

Scotty