We attended a Christmas party in our neighborhood and met a couple who were impressed with our new house. They also wanted to build a home in the neighborhood and were looking for an architect and a contractor.

Despite the busy season, my husband and I found time to meet with the man over netbooks that ended late into the night. We looked at his initial house plans and designs and offered our advice. We offered to help him look for a contractor and source the materials.

Since they were Filipinos who lived in the U.S. they would have to construct their house in absentia. So my husband and I offered to keep an eye on their construction when they were not around. Over the short period of time they spent in the Philippines before heading back to the States, we had established a friendship built on trust and service.