Staff Blog
God does
truly have a sense of humor. I have done some travel to Africa in my role as an
Emergency Department nurse educator, but never did I picture myself as a dental
assistant working at the Children’s Shelter of Cebu. What an awesome
experience!
I was approached by my local dentist, Dr. Matt Struve, earlier in the year about traveling to Cebu. He was planning a trip to the shelter to provide routine dental services. All he said I needed to do was “pray about it.” My initial instinct was to decline his invitation to go, but the invitation to pray was a tough one to ignore. So I prayed. After much thought and prayer it was evident that I was being called to go. It was clear once I arrived that it was no mistake that I was there. It was an awesome feeling from the time we arrived.
The work was not easy. As a pediatric nurse I felt equipped to manage the physical work . . . but the details of the dentistry piece was another story. Our team consisted of Dr. Struve, Brenda Birk (another non-dental person), myself, and Evan (11 year old son of Dr. Struve). God had a plan. He put together everything that we needed (except for our autoclave). The kids and staff were awesome. Each child was so brave and trusted “Uncle Matt” to take the best care when working on their teeth. Marlys Healy was also integral to our success. She spent many a day with us, holding the kids’ hands, and providing the necessary words of encouragement in Cebuano. Throughout our week some awesome things happened. A 10-year old boy demonstrated compassion far beyond his years, a 6-year old championed his procedures and gave a thumbs up to let us know; and although he didn’t complete all we needed to do one boy truly was strong when he needed to be. I can only say yet again, these kids are amazing!
The week was long and left me with a few muscle aches, but it was an extraordinary trip. We worked hard, but we also played hard. It was so fun to play alongside the kids. They got to know us better and we got to share in their laughter and their contagious energy. I really feel strongly that playtime was truly the bridge to the success of our trip. It provided the kids with the time to get to know us on their “turf.” I managed to get in one ping-pong game but was beat hands down. There was time on the swings, basketball games, and even time to just sit and chat.
What was the highlight? It is so hard to answer that question. My thought is this. I was given an opportunity to witness God’s amazing love through the work of so many. His love is exemplified by the laughter and joy found in the children cared for at CSC.
- Anne Renaker
The Sun
Every day at Cebu Children of Hope School (CCHS) we start our day with something called Morning Meeting. This is a "soft landing" time for our children which enables them to calm their bodies, practice social skills, and prepare for a great day of learning. Part of every Morning Meeting is a time for kids to share. Sometimes the question is about what they did over the weekend, sometimes the question is related to the day's lessons.
Teacher Chery and Teacher Mae lead the Morning Meeting for Level A1, our four energetic kindergarteners. Here is a conversation they recently had in their classroom, with the question relating to the day's science lesson.
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Teacher Mae asked, "Where do you think the sun will go during the night?"
Student 1: The sun goes under the sea at night because it goes under the line (he means the horizon).
Student 2: The sun is on the ground teacher.
Student 3: Hmmmmmm... the sun will go to bed and sleep.
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Even with their young minds, these children have great ideas that even surprise us adults at times. Each child at CCHS is surrounded by great teachers who have dedicated their lives to help enlighten and empower their students so they can understand everything from where the sun goes at night to understanding how the God who made the sun loves them unconditionally. Thank you for supporting the work that is happening every day at CCHS!
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Pag Ibig Award
Recently CSC received an award from the Pag-IBIG Fund, the Philippine government financial agency that is handling the mortgages for our 60 employees who are receiving Habitat for Humanity homes. The award recognizes the role of CSC in this project on behalf of our employees, who are all automatically members of Pag-Ibig.
This award is a testimony to the work of Paul Reasoner, who raised funds to help alieviate the financial burden for our workers and make their mortgages more affordable for them. We are an organization that values our employees and we have been concerned that they have decent housing. Many have lived in sub-standard houses prior to this project, and would not have had even the hope of having their own house and lot without the cooperative efforts of CSC, Pag-IBIG Fund and Habitat for Humanity. This award reflects that concern of CSC, and the partnership of the agencies who are all dedicated to getting deserving people into safe and affordable housing.
Pastor Fred Verdeflor, who is the husband of our CSC nurse Arlyn and President of the CSC Happy Homes homeowners association, went to Manila to accept the award on behalf of CSC.
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Life Cycles
All living things undergo different stages during their life. Some living things start as a seed, pollen, or spore. Other organisms such as animals start as a live young or an egg that sometimes needs to undergo the process of metamorphosis which completely changes their appearance.
In my Level B2 science class the students were able to witness the process of metamorphosis. We started in the caterpillar stage where the students saw how many leaves the caterpillar consumed. After several weeks it became a pupa. The students were very eager to look at the changes every day though it stunk when they opened the lid of the box. The day finally arrived when the caterpillar became a moth! We all went outside and set the moth free. The students were so excited to be a part of this process!
The whole activity took a lot of time and dedication but the result was very fulfilling. The students were able to learn not just how metamorphosis works but also about patience, perseverance, and having a love for nature.
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2018 Highlights
CSC Higlights of 2018
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Christmas 2018
Click to see pics of the different activities at CSC this Christmas. Our generous donors allow us to give lots of fun times to the children. God bless you all.
Junel's Box 2018 - Inayawan, Cebu City
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