Everywhere you go in Cebu, you see people cooking meat like this on the side of the road. There's this smoky haze around them and the meat is stuck on skeweres and barbecued to perfection.
It's no different at CSC! The uncles have the job of being the barbecue-master and they know how to do it right. They hold a little piece of cardboard and wave the smoke away as the chicken cooks.
Speaking of chicken, I was surprised to see this guy standing so close by...
One thing that's interesting about CSC's barbecued chicken is that they barbecue it twice. The pan on the right side is for the skewers that have been on the grill just once. The pan on the left is for the skewers that have been on the grill TWICE. This gives the chicken an extra yummy crispy exterior and a smoky flavor. Delicious!
Chicken Barbecue
Recipe from the Eicher house
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 bouillon cube
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into small pieces*
1. Combine all the ingredients except chicken to make a marinade. Marinate the chicken for 3-4 hours.
2.
Start a charcoal grill and let the coals get very hot. You want
smoking, flameless coals. Thread the chicken pieces onto wood skewers
and place on a metal grate over the coals. Brush with oil and grill
until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and let rest for a
few minutes.
3. Repeat the grilling process with the cooked
chicken, brushing with oil as necessary and grilling a second time until
the outside of the chicken is a deep golden brown with a crispy
exterior.
*The CSC aunties and uncles use bone-in chicken thighs with skin, but you could substitute boneless chicken thighs with skin. Keep the skin because it's what makes each piece browned and crispy on the outside.
Friends
Friendships are an important part of life at CSC. Although most of our children have siblings at CSC (about two thirds), they all seek out friends in their age group and enjoy hanging out, playing, making music and talking about life. Our kids can easily find friends who have similar backgrounds and can understand and accept what they have gone through in life. Some friendships can go on for several years, depending on how long the children stay at CSC. When a child leaves for adoption there are often sad friends left behind who wonder if they'll ever see them again. In some cases, friendships that began at CSC can pick up later on when children are placed in the same geographical area. Check out a few pictures of friends at CSC:
Movie Night
One of the things we often hear at CSC is laughter, and one of the best places to hear it is during a movie night.
It's hard to organize a trip to the movie theater, so often times staff will gather up a group of kids and setup the projector in the library at the school. The movie night below was a "girl's night out" that Teacher Lindsay organized. However, being the IT guy, I was allowed to attend because I had to setup the screen and projector. :)
The movie was Mr. Popper's Penguins.
It's hard to see much in the video below, but it's really fun to listen to the laughter of the kids.
The Littlest Waveboarder
Waveboarding is the cool thing to do during playtime here at CSC. Lots of the older kids got waveboards for Christmas, but recently more and more of the little kids want to try the waveboards as well. The other day I noticed this little lady trying out her older sister's waveboard in the driveway and I couldn't stop laughing - it was so cute! And she's so good at it!
Love is a verb
Actions speak louder than words...
I see this adage lived out every day by our workers. They care for our kids in a way that goes above and beyond what is outlined in their job description. They do their job---whether it is preparing a meal, overseeing bathtime, homework time, changing diapers, or making sure our vehicles are safe and in good running order---with heart and dedication to the ministry of CSC. They love these kids and it shows!
How our Uncles love...
Taking care of our homes
Celebrating a special day
Playing with them
Holding them---even though it means you will get sticky in the process!
Praying over them
Helping them play safely
How our Aunties love...
Helping with homework
Meeting a need
Encouraging cooperative play
Laughing with them
Being one of our children's first teachers!
Providing one-on-one attention
And the list goes on....
I believe we learn how to love and how to be kind to others from how we are loved and treated by those around us.
It warms my heart every time I see one of our kids loving another one of our kids, but what else would you expect when they have such good teachers? :)
How our kids love each other...
We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19