Staff Blog

I have been finishing up my book on the history of CSC. It has been a great experience to look back on the earlier years of the ministry and see how many times God has seen us through difficulties and helped us meet challenges. We have faced financial hardships, political uncertainties, sickness, natural disasters, death and a fire. And one year we faced all of these. Except the fire.

1990 was quite a year for CSC. Our board had approved a budget that was significantly more than the previous year. But income was down significantly and our reserves were being depleted. What's more, CSC's Executive Director had to resign for health reasons. There were lots of political uncertainties in the country. Many of our children were sick and one, little Sonny Boy, died after a 72 hour battle in the ICU. Three of our staff were on furlough during the year, leaving us short-handed in Cebu. And, in November we got hit by super typhoon Ruping which cause lots of damage in Cebu, though nothing major at CSC. We were inconvenienced by power outage and lack of sufficient water.

Not a great year. But one where we learned a lot about God's sustaining power, his heart, and our ability, with his help, to withstand lots of challenges. We also learned a lot about CSC's supporters, and how they rally around us during difficult times. People stepped up, pitched in with the fund raising, gave sacrificially, prayed for us and help pull us through 1990. And every year since.

Some of you have been around CSC since 1990. If so, thanks for then and for now. If you were a part of our stupendous December giving rally in 2015, or have been praying for CSC or our family, BIG thanks. We have needed you so much. We take on the challenges of today and in the future because of what you have meant to us in the past.  Bless you all.

If you walked by our science class on any given day, it might resemble play time. In fact, we are having so much fun, things are falling over fast! One of the science classes recently finished a unit on speed. They learned how distance, time, and speed are related. To further illustrate this relationship, they had the opportunity to play with dominoes. The class was divided into two teams. The teams had to line up 25 dominoes that were equally spaced in such a way that their dominoes would fall faster than the other team. This led to a lot of discussion about concepts related to speed, and we had fun in the process!

Happy New Year!

God is GREAT!  He has been so faithful to Cebu Children of Hope School during the past year.  His protection and provision were so evident in the lives of each one of us at school.  A number of kids were given forever families and are now starting new chapters in their lives in new families, homes, and schools. 

This year already God has given us a wonderful surprise at school.  Seven lovable students joined classes after the Christmas break, three preschoolers and four elementary students.  Their coming has made the school merrier because each one of them is a bundle of joy.  They are gifts from God that enrich everyone’s lives at school. 

New Preschoolers

New Elementary students

A week from today Cebu Children of Hope School will be having their annual Sportsfest. The kids have signed up for their events and are anxiously awaiting. They are excited to participate in track and field events. The teacher are busy preparing the ribbons and getting the equipment ready for the big event. The Kids along with the teachers are preparing a banner and cheer for each team. Everyone is excited! 
Here are some photo of the teachers getting ready.  Check back next Friday to see pictures of the kids in their events and to hear more about Sportsfest 2016! The Teacher's of CCHS are very busy making awards!The venue is ready for the Sportsfest 

Uncle Edwin is preparing the hurdles. 

CSC is in the "business" of loving kids.  Of course our ministry has a much longer mission statement, and any of our business-type documents would describe what we do in a more complex manner.  However, when it comes down to what CSC does, it really and truly is, plain and simple: we love our kids.  

And because we love them, we want what is best for them.  And what is best for them usually means leaving CSC and becoming part of their own forever family.

In the last few weeks of 2015 and in the first several days of 2016, CSC has welcomed a handful of loving adoptive families, and said goodbye to many precious children.  This is the nature of our work and every goodbye is an answered prayer.  Though the tears may fall as we wave at departing vehicles, we are all truly happy to witness God's handiwork.

It is such a pleasure to meet and get to know adoptive families.  How they arrive to the shelter so excited and already in love with a child that they have usually only seen in pictures and read about in a few reports amazes me every time.  I love when they share their stories of how God gave them this particular child or how He let them know they needed to adopt those siblings.  And how understanding these families are about what their child(ren) are going through: the fears they have, the uncertainty.  One family that adopted a young boy last year always spoke about how brave he was to be leaving everything he had ever known.  And I am again in awe of how God works and how He brings families to CSC to take children that have been loved powerfully here so that they will be loved powerfully elsewhere. 

A new year has started and I know that in this coming year there will be more kids to leave CSC, and more families to come.  Business as usual.  And what a blessed "business" it is!