Staff Blog

In the Philippines the school year is winding down.  It is time for exams and celebrations.  Julieto is in his fourth and final year of high school.  It is traditional to have prom near the end of the school year.  All of Julieto’s class has decided to skip prom.  They are giving all the funds set aside by the school for prom to the Haiyan/Yolanda typhoon victims in Tacloban City on Leyte Island.  The funds were used to buy clothes, food, and materials to build shelters.  Julieto heard of a school in Tacloban City which has to meet in a tent, because the school building was destroyed.

The global outreach for the Haiyan/Yolanda typhoon victims has been astonishing.  It includes Julieto and his classmates opening their hearts to help in a tangible way.  They are more than happy to forgo their prom party to help fellow students on another island. 

I'm not a competitive person. Maybe that's why I have enjoyed only limited success in sports. I just didn't have that fire in my belly, as they say. Maybe, on the negative side, I have missed opportunities to better myself by not being competitive, but on the positive side, I haven't felt a great need to compare myself with other people very much. And I hope that it has allowed me to find enjoyment and excitement in the accomplishments and talents of others. I say "I hope" because I see this as the key to leadership, and one that I want to get better at.

But there are different kinds of competition. Today I experienced a competitive dilemma being played out in the lives of some poor people here in Cebu that takes competition to another level entirely. Together with our two social workers, Carmelita and Chris, I went to the northernmost part of Cebu to distribute some cash assistance to three families whose homes were damaged in the super typhoon. The typhoon hit about four months ago and all of these families still have to live someplace other than their own home. And here's what makes it worse. Two of the families have seen their neighbors receive assistance from the govenment while they were passed over. It is a sad situation when families have to compete for limited assistance funds or building materials. When you see your children or grandchildren suffering while others have a solid roof over their heads, its hard not to feel bitter. Its hard not to feel competitive. Some people I met in Tacloban talked about inequities in the distribution of food and water after the storm surge hit that city, and how hard it was to have to compete with neighbors for basic, life-saving commodities. What a different type of competition this is than a game of basketball or a battle for recognition at work. I'm sure it would get a fire going in my belly!

We were able to make up for some of these inequities by giving money for building materials and labor to these families. Thanks to all who allowed us the privilege of helping these people who suffered huge loss in the typhoon, and then came out on the short end of the relief assistance.

Camp was a blast!  The 38 kids had a long list of favorite activities—swimming, good food, beach combing, games, chapel time, and on and on.  They had so much fun they did not want to leave.

The Central Baptist work team, yet again, led a great camp for the kids.  Many new kids have arrived at CSC since the last camp in 2012, so it was a fun new experience for them.

One of the highlights was the baptism on Sunday.  Eleven people, nine kids and two adults, were baptized by Pastor Joel and Pastor Chuck in the ocean on the southern tip of Cebu Island.  It was a wonderful demonstration of faith and a great example for the younger kids.

After the three hour bus ride home, the kids were already sharing their excitement for the next camp—two years from now.

Thank you to the Central team for another wonderful camp to the kids of CSC!

Little Thomas is home! After two weeks of being in the hospital, from the operating room to the ICU to a private room, he was allowed to go home on Tuesday. It was an exciting day for everyone at CSC, especially in the Duterte Home. Our Head Nurse Warlita Manlon said it best in the car on the way home. "We are blessed to have Thomas in our lives." How true. We ask you to continue praying for him as he recovers from the surgery to his skull, and that we would take very good care of him in our nursery.

Sometimes I am called upon to step in and help diffuse a situation happening in a classroom.  Yesterday that happened again.  A student who was bothering his classmates needed some help.  This was someone who had had trouble complying with rules and expressing frustration appropriately when he arrived at the shelter.  He was having trouble again yesterday. 

After leaving the classroom, I had him cool down while sitting in a chair near me.  After a few minutes we talked.  He said he was angry and why.  He told me what he had done to his classmates to tell them he was angry.  We figured out what he should have done differently to tell his classmates he wanted them to stop.  He said he’d try that next time.  In the world of counseling and school, it was textbook stuff for learning social skills. 

As we walked back to his classroom, I marveled at how much he has learned about how to express himself in positive ways when he is frustrated or angry.  I thought of the people (counselors, house parents and teachers) who have coached him and modeled this for him. 

As we entered the classroom together, he apologized to his classmates and sat down in his seat.  Class continued. 

A little miracle in the midst of a busy day.