Staff Blog
For most people, getting on a plane to Cebu City, Philippines is a glamorous occasion. It’s exciting to see a place on your itinerary that many people have never heard of…a place that’s exotic, tropical and far away.
Mitch and Ruth Ohlendorf are on their way to Cebu as I write, but I doubt glamorous is a word they’d use to describe their departure. Their year of home assignment in Minnesota, USA has come to an end. They packed up their lives (again), left two beloved sons behind at college and returned to a ministry that moves quickly and requires incredible flexibility, diligence and commitment.
Mitch and Ruth leaving Minnesota is another sacrifice in a long list of sacrifices they’ve made for the homeless children of Cebu. They’re not jet setting off to see a far-off world for a couple weeks. They’re returning to their call. They are the hands and feet of so many who care about orphans. Mitch is our Cebu Executive Director and Ruth is Outreach Director.
Here's a glimpse into their call to CSC via a short interview:
How did it first hit you, "I want to work for CSC?"
Mitch: When I was in Cebu the first summer on a short-term mission trip. I was in a group of seven that wasn’t working for the shelter, but we were based there with social time at the shelter. I knew that first summer, at least by the end, that God was calling me to this work. I didn’t have a moment where I fell to my knees or saw a blinding light. It was a progression that happened as a result of the whole experience.
Ruth: I grew up not wanting to work with “snotty kids!” But then I saw these big Americans working with and hugging the most malnourished in our community. Here are these handsome men and beautiful women coming to our country and doing this hard work. This changed my attitude towards the children, and I couldn’t help falling in love with them. You could see the physical difference in the children after they came to the shelter.
Looking back at this point, what are some highlights of your time at CSC?
Mitch: Certainly the development of our facilities. It’s a highlight to work hard with those who made it possible through giving. Of course, it’s thrilling when very large sibling groups or children with special needs are placed for adoption. Those children who had equal opportunity at CSC, but less of a chance at adoption due to various circumstances. Being part of that process. Any day spent doing things with the kids is a highlight for me.
Ruth: Looking back the first heartbreak I had was when a girl named Arlie left for adoption. When I started working full time at CSC she was one of the kids who would go around with me in the village. When she left I could hear her calling to me and that was really sad, and I really missed her. When Arlie returned to Cebu a few years ago that was so exciting. Since she left in 1983 I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again. When we said goodbye back then we never knew if we’d see a child again. Now, kids come back, but that wasn’t always a given. Being able to see them and knowing how they are now is a highlight.
When was a time it really struck you you’d changed a child's life?
Mitch: Any time that I do the matching work for a child. It’s a very burdensome, weighty time knowing I have the responsibility of choosing a family for a child--a family for the rest of their lives. It also hits us when we see children at home after they’re adopted. Seeing the ways they’ve been blessed and even challenges they’ve gone through, seeing them continue in the Christian values that they learned while at CSC, especially as they start their own families. It’s important to see the cycle of abuse, crisis and trauma being broken. Sometimes you see what the kids have come from and wonder how they can break out of that, but many have. A boy named Mark having a hole in his heart and seeing him rescued from that and having the life he has now. A girl like Anna. She would be dead if CSC hadn’t stepped in. She and her sister both had sepsis, she survived but her sister didn’t. Everything we do each day, whether major like placing children for adoption, or spending 5 minutes giving special attention is changing their lives.
Ruth: Roselyn and Julieto, two of our Teen Home residents. I encouraged Roselyn to think about going back to school after it became clear she had just settled on being a beautician. She want back to high school and now she’s in college and almost graduating. Julieto saw this and wanted to do the same thing. Roselyn became an example and now Julieto is graduating from high school. We have outreach kids (children who were returned to their birth family) who have graduated from college. With CSC’s help, they’re able to make this happen.
What does it mean to you to be called?
Mitch: To do what you would not otherwise want or feel equipped to do. I think if you didn’t feel called you wouldn’t be in the ministry as long as we have. There are many encouraging things, but there are also many discouraging and difficult things. Being called is about persevering.
Ruth: Hard to see kids make the same mistakes others have made. Instead of learning, they repeat them. But if you’re not there for them, they don’t have any other family. You are their family. I think that’s what calling is really about at CSC.
What would you tell a young person who is interested in a career in missions?
Mitch: It’s a chance, along with many challenges, to live a life filled with incredible blessing and reward and joy. You’ll have done something that’s changed a lot of lives.
Ruth: You’ve heard the phrase you receive more than you give. CSC is very much that place. You can never give more than you receive. There are times you don’t feel good, and going to the shelter makes your day. The kids are excited to see you. They just make you smile.
Well, Mitch and Ruth Ohlendorf make us smile. We are thankful they followed God to his work for them at CSC.
Taking time for God
It isn't often that we can assemble all our employees in one
place at the same timel And we didnt accomplish that the other night at the
school. But we did get half of them at a time for a spiritual emphasis program
that featured visitors from Cambridge, MN, Erna Ahlmann, a former CSC resident
who is volunteering at our school this summer, and former Head Nurse Warlita
Manlon. The services, planned by Joel Reasoner and myself, started after school
on Tuesday, July 26, and again at 6:00 pm, with a nice meal served in between.
Dan and Andrea DeRushia from the First Baptist Church in Cambridge, MN, who are
visiting CSC with Dennis and Sharon Eicher, led the singing, Rianne Nijzink of
our staff sang "Children Need the Lord," and Erna Ahlmann gave a
testimony of her life before, during and after CSC, which was a great
encouragement to our workers. This was reinforced as Dan sang a special number
and talked about how impressed he was with their work and dedication. Warlita
talked about Moses, the first adopted child in biblical history and the way
that god spared him and blessed those who cared for him. She finished with a
short salvation message.
We are concerned with the spiritual health of our workers, and these services were inspiring and faith-building as they consider their important roles in the ministry of CSC.
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Saying Yes and No
We've taken in a few new kids in recent days. And we have had to say no to a few referrals, too. The fact is that we can't help every child who needs us. That is easy to say but tough to live with when the child is especially needy. But we only have so many beds, so much personpower and so much money. Sometimes its a matter of timing. Maybe we could have said "yes" to the tiny premature baby in the government hospital who needs an incubator and one-on- one care, probably for months, if the referral had come before we took in the malnourished baby from the other government hospital in town. He also needs one on one care. But we could say "yes" to two small sisters who were abandoned in downtown Cebu City and who were living in a drop-in center with other street kids. And we were able to take in a brother and sister who were living in the city dumpsite and whose parents were nowhere to be found. There is a lot of joy at CSC when we are able to take in new children. Not for the circumstance that led to our being needed for them, but for the opportunities to make crucial interventions in their lives and reverse some of the fear, abuse or malnutrition that they have endured. Thanks to the deal people who stand with us as we admit these kids to CSC, providing the material and prayer support that helps change their lives for the better.
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I'm Just a Kid
“I’m just a kid and you are a teacher.”
I laughed and I was amazed at the same time when I heard this statement from one of my students. We were doing our oral development activity when one of my students refused to make his own sentence using the new words we had learned that day. Other students were thinking hard and constructing sentences using the words, but this student was struggling.
I called on him and at first he
was very hesitant to share because he was not ready. He hadn’t formulated even
one sentence in his mind, so I gave him few more minutes to think. The class discussion had been really good;
other students were enjoying the activity and sharing their sentences.
Again I called on the student and I said, “Hey buddy, I think you’re ready to share your sentence with us. You look like you have been thinking hard.” He smiled and looked at his classmates. They cheered for him and encouraged him by saying, “Try lang.” (English-Cebuano for “try please”)
I stood beside him, cheering him on and praising him as well. He stared at me and said in a nervous voice, “Teacher, I’m just a kid and you are a teacher.” I caught myself beginning to laugh when he uttered these words.
Then I stopped and told the student and all of his classmates, “Yes, you are all kids and you’re still young and I was once a kid too. But let me ask you these questions: Where are you right now? Why are we here? Have you thought that maybe we both have the same goal and purpose?
We are here in school to study and to learn. This doesn’t mean that I’m a teacher and I know everything. It’s not as simple as that. Learning is a two-way process. You learn from me and I also learn from you. I’m here to help, teach, guide and mold you to be a better person in the future.”
After our conversation, the student was able to formulate his own sentence and everybody clapped for him. In the back of my mind I told myself I’m lucky to be a teacher. I may not be rich with jewels, but I’m rich with good and happy memories because of my experiences. I have a lot of memories already to ponder in the future.
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Fil-Am Friendship Day
A Day of Friendship
Every 4th of July is Friendship Day at Cebu Children of Hope School. On this day, there is always a special time set aside for everyone to gather together and have fun.
This year, the celebration was great. Everybody, especially the students, had fun. There were a lot of friendship games that taught them good values like cooperation and considering others. The highlight of the celebration was a parade as a finale with candy tossed to the kids. It was very special for the students. They all had fun picking up the candies and sharing with each other. It was a joyful celebration.
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Meetings galore
Meetings. Our ministry relies on lots of meetings. These mostly involve internal matters: staff and leadership meetings; school faculty meetings; social work, child development and nursing departmental meetings; referral meetings; counselor and house parent meetings and meetings with all the child care workers. We meet with adoptive parents when they come to get their children, highlighting their medical histories and developmental and behavioral progress . The other day our Social Work Director Klaris and I met to discuss a needed meeting with the Social Workers to prepare for another meeting. Wow. And sometimes, meetings just kind of happen. The other day I popped my head into Joel’s office and we got to talking about a bunch of stuff, and Willard joined in and pretty soon we had an unscheduled buta full-fledged meeting. We also have meetings outside of CSC, with government officials, adoption workers and sales persons.
But there are so many things to discuss and decide upon at CSC: case management; behavioral issues with the kids; schedules; health matters; counseling strategies and decisions about which children we should admit. Having meetings means that we value the input of others and that we need their counsel to make the best decisions possible. Our staff consists of people with wisdom, experience, enthusiasm and dedication - good participants in the meetings that help us steer a proper course for the ministry of CSC.
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