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Yesterday at Children of Hope School, we proudly celebrated the graduation of three teenagers, who will go on to high school next year, and five pre-schoolers who will advance to pre-K.  It was a special day for sure.  The three oldest graduates have faced a lot challenges and have accomplished much in their years at our school.  One of the graduates gave a speech.  I thought he might discuss all of the academic challenges he had faced.  While he mentioned those briefly, the larger message he shared was that of gratitude.  He was thankful for his teachers and all of the time they had invested in him.  He was thankful to the staff for their encouragement.  He was thankful to his house parents for their guidance and leadership.  He was appreciative of the support from the Aunties and Uncles in his life.  And he was even thankful for challenges as he was so proud of what he had learned from them.

 

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Waiting in anticipation...

 

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The proud graduates!

 

I was impressed with his words and touched by his message.  CSC is often described as a place of refuge for the kids that come here.  Many have left violent homes, chaotic living situations or have had no home to speak of.  We are proud to be able to offer our kids the basic things: food, shelter, clothing, a safe place to rest their head.  But we are blessed to be able to give our kids even more.  We have a beautiful school and a talented body of teachers who are willing to meet the individual needs of our kids.  Our teachers go the extra mile every day and our kids benefit greatly from their tireless effort.

 

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Our talented teachers!

 

Praise the Lord for how he has blessed CSC!  Thanks be to God for how He brought each of these teachers to our school---for we are surely better for it!  :)

 

Making Banana Que!

Mar. 28, 2013By: Lindsay Ostrom

One of the things the kids love to do is cook! Here are a few pictures (taken by the kids!) from our recent cooking adventure with the Group 3 EPP class. Thank you Auntie Puriza and Auntie Jenalyn for all your help making this yummy snack! :)

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A Few Favorite Pictures from the Week

Mar. 24, 2013By: Tammy Vosika

This preschooler came to school sporting a hair style just like his older brother's!  

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I'm not sure what was happening with this next photo, but I found him lining up to go home for lunch wearing a swimming cap and goggles.  I still have no idea why, but it was a fun photo!

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This little boy is our newest addition to CSC.  It took a while for me to get a smile out of him, but he's starting to warm up to me now!!  I love this picture!

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Just a few of the darlings you can find on our playground!!

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And just a really cute moment, I caught on video!  God is so good!!

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Individualized Instruction

Mar. 21, 2013By: Lindsay Ostrom

Individualized Instruction (aka I.I.) is a really cool thing that happens at CCHS. Kids who are identified by their teachers as needing extra support will get subject-specific instruction in a one-on-one setting during the afternoon. I am currently the I.I. reading teacher for a handful of kids, and here's what a typical day looks like with the students that I work with.

Reading...

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Thinking...

Writing....

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And being awesome!

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Thanks for checking in on what's happening here!

On-site at CSC

Mar. 21, 2013By: Jill Grasley

My recent trip to Cebu was wonderful, aside from a little sickness and a run-in with some "stink fruit".  If you have not tried "stink fruit" before, don't.  It really does taste like it smells- awful. 

I have known about CSC and worked with the organization for years, but I feel truly blessed to be a part of it as a new staff member. As I walked on the CSC grounds, I kept thinking about how excited I was to connect with what is happening in this little section of Cebu. 

One thing I'm already proud of is how seriously we take the spiritual development of our children. One evening during my trip, I was welcomed into the Eicher home to join in on evening devotions. House father DonDon had already started, so I tried to sneak in the back and blend in. It didn't work very well, as I temporarily disrupted the discussion when the kids started waving and saying "hi Auntie Jill!" DonDon, however, quickly got the devotion time back on track. He was leading the children through a lesson about temptation and doubt. He shared that God has a plan for all of their lives and he talked about the need to trust God with the future. All of the children were really engaged and responded by answering the questions with confidence and by reciting scripture. As I sat there and listened, it struck me how much the staff at CSC care for these kids. They strive to meet all of their physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. Perhaps that is why you see so many smiling faces. 

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Shenanigans...

Mar. 20, 2013By: Lindsay Hoeft

Truthfully, our kids are pretty special.  Yes, you may consider me a biased informant, but I dare you to come here and spend the afternoon playing with any number of them and not draw the same conclusion! 

We have some of the sweetest kids I have ever met.  They are helpful, considerate, creative, athletic and energetic. 

We also have some of the silliest kids I have ever met!!!  I decided to highlight that side of our kids for you this week...  Enjoy!

 

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That face...

 

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They are off to save the world!  Watch out.... ;)

 

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Such an impish smile!   

 

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His name is pretty much Mischief----with a capital M! 

 

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 PEEK!

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FYI, He was winding up for an overhand throw---I found that out after the picture was taken!  ;)

 

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Yes, he really is wearing the face of a pig!!!

 

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Silly sisters!

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And this one needs no caption...

 

Thanks for reading and caring about our silly, but precious children!

God Bless!