Staff Blog
Change is inevitable in life. Some changes are good---they are pleasant and easy to go along with. Others are hard to come to terms with--they are a challenge and they sometimes bring pain. I want to tell you about some recent changes in my life...
Many of you already know that Teacher Tammy's 8 year run at CSC and Children of Hope School has ended. She has been gone for 2 weeks--and kids and adults alike are mourning the loss.
Tammy is missed for many reasons:
Tammy was a good co-worker. She was helpful, reliable, and thorough. She was quick to jump in if something technological was going haywire---an asset on days of school programs. :) Tammy was true to her word. She promised the kids that she would take each of them out for something special before she left and SHE DID! If she had a job or a task assigned to her, you never had to worry about it getting done in an organized and timely fashion! She was hard-working and did whatever was in front of her---and did so with a smile.
But Tammy is also a good friend. She is someone I OFTEN laughed with, went on adventures with, confided in, celebrated holidays with...and the list goes on. She is a good listener and a Godly woman. She has become family to me and you can't help but miss family when they are gone!
Tammy, myself and Amy were quite the terrific trio, however, at this time, Amy and I are down to just a dynamic duo....
The upside of change:
We recently admitted a new child. She was afraid of the change, of me, of our counselor and our social worker. She was hesitant, quiet and reserved. And who wouldn't be? She knew something big was happening in her life but she had no idea what it meant.
But oh to see her now! How happy and animated and secure and playful she is! She is grateful for the life-changing experience she has had and WE are so happy to have her with us where she is safe and provided for.
God is the god of everything in our life and everything happens for His purpose and good. And that includes changes. I am happy for Tammy and all that God has in store for her back in MN. I miss her, but am grateful for her continued friendship---thank goodness for Skype! :) I am also happy about our new arrival and for her safety and health and the fact that she FINALLY gets to be a kid.
Please join with me in praying for Tammy as she transitions back to living in the US and for our newest one and all of those that will come through our doors in the future. because no matter your age or the type of change you are facing, its always easier with God.
Sore Eyes
Sore eyes has hit CSC! As this blog is being written, seven babies and toddlers and one school age child have sore eyes. Sore eyes is very common in the Philippines. In the US, it is called pink eye. It affects all ages and usually spreads from one eye to the other very quickly. One’s eyes become swollen, turn pink, and are very itchy and painful. It can be miserable for anyone who has it, especially the babies and toddlers. Please pray for all the kids who currently have sore eyes and that it would not spread to others throughout the houses.
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Friendships
Everybody needs friends.
For our CSC children, making a new friend is often the most important part of their adjusting to life at the Shelter.
Someone to run with……. Play with…..talk to…….laugh .……study .…..eat… and pray with.
CSC friends teach new kids the ropes, are partners in mischief and sources of understanding, comfort and encouragement. And not only that, they are a lot of fun to hang out with.
Our children come from backgrounds of poverty, neglect and loss. Who better to understand them than a friend who has experienced the same things before coming to live at CSC.
The memories of these friendships could last for a lifetime.
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Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!
Last Friday, August 28, was a happy day for everyone at CCHS. It was the Buwan ng Wika Celebration, an all-day event focusing on Filipino language. All the students as well as the teachers really had fun.
The Filipino games played in the morning gave every student a chance to participate and every team showed good teamwork. The older kids helped the preschoolers even by carrying the little kids to get the tasks accomplished. It was an amazing sight to see all members of each team working as one.
The afternoon activity was short, but sweet. All the students’ presentations were really great! Each presentation displayed the children’s and teachers’ great efforts.
Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!
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Nutrition is Important
Recently, Children of Hope School emphasized nutrition along with the rest of the schools in the Philippines. There are some many benefits to eating healthy foods. The children learned many things from the basics of what foods are healthy to why some foods are good for you and some are bad for you.
Enjoy this song from two of the students!
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God bless and Godspeed to you, Auntie Sandy!
Last Saturday, the staff, the Aunties, Uncles and children of CSC sang the traditional farewell song for and prayed over Auntie Sandy. It was a surreal experience to be saying goodbye to one of CSC's founders. Auntie Sandy has been a fixture at CSC for the past 36 years. She is a very important and real part of so many of our children's and adoptive families' stories. She has left an impressive legacy and she will not be forgotten.
There are many things we will miss about Auntie Sandy:
Like the fact, that she and only she, can put that beaming smile on Joemar's face! :)
The fact that her arms and her heart are always open for a child in need of loving.
Her excitement when passing out donations!
How she values and and encourages others.
What she means to everyone at CSC: Aunties, Uncles, staff and children.
How much she loves the color blue! ;)
There are so many more things about Auntie Sandy that we miss; I cannot possibly list them all here. And truth be told, her absence is felt every day, but the shelter that she and others started all those years ago, must continue on and move forward. Because there are still children that need help. God's work is not done in Cebu. And though CSC will not be the same without her as it was with her, she has left a foundation upon which this ministry can and will build.
I have had the privilege of working alongside Auntie Sandy for the past few years. I first started working at CSC in 2011, serving as the Interm Child Development Director while Sandy had a year-long furlough in MN. What a whirlwind year of learning and growth that was! When she returned and resumed her role as the Director, I became an additional member of the Child Development team, working also with Ruth and Amy. In preparing for Sandy's retirement, I was asked to direct the Child Development department. It is an honor I have accepted. I have learned much in the 4 years I have been here and I know I will continue to learn. Thank you, Auntie Sandy, for your wisdom shared and the opportunity to watch you at work.
God Bless and Godspeed to you, Auntie Sandy!
Please pray for Auntie Sandy as she continues to serve CSC in MN over the next year and as she moves into retirement, that God will continue to use her to further His kingdom. Please pray for CSC in Cebu as well. I would appreciate your prayers as I start my new position and as the Child Development team learns to function with only three members now instead of four.
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