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.
Thomas Survives Five Hour Surgery
Thomas has come through his major cranial surgery well and is in the Intensive Care at Cebu Doctors Hospital. Although we have not had a chance to talk with the doctor yet, his vital signs are good and one of the attending physicians reported that the surgery was "a success." For the staff, it is comforting to know that in the ICU he is surrounded by skilled nurses, the best medical technology available in Cebu, loving CSC caregivers and the prayers of so many faithful CSC friends.
We will add updates as we get more information. Thanks for praying for little Thomas during this process and for your continued prayers as he recovers from this operation. We are so thankful for all who have taken Thomas into their hearts. One family reported that they pray for him together a couple times a day. Keep those prayers coming, dear friends!
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Gathered in prayer
The story of Thomas has been widely publicized on our website, he is mentioned in multiple blogs (including this one!), he has been named in countless e-mails and he is the subject of thousands of prayers around the world.
And well he should be.
As one doctor stated, this little one has been struggling each day of his life. He struggled to breathe before his nasal surgery in December and though that has improved, now he is experiencing immense pressure on his brain and he needs major cranial surgery!
All of that is very scary. However, when I look at him and I see his big, beautiful, soulful eyes, I can't help but feel hopeful. He is amazingly alert, attentive (his caregivers are quite positive he is practically reading books already!) and he smiles readily.
His story is a story of strength---his body has gone through tremendous stress and yet he is growing and is healthy, determination---our nursing staff have continuously fought for Thomas to receive the best care, love---his caregivers love him so thoroughly and God's protection---God has brought him through so much already!
Tomorrow Thomas will undergo surgery; 6 hours of taking apart his prematurely fused skull and putting it back together so that his brain can grow without constant constriction. Since so much of this is out of our control, we met today to do the only thing within our power: pray.
After lunch, the staff, house parents, Aunties, nurses and the children all met in the Duterte Home, where Thomas lives, to pray for tomorrow's big event.
We prayed for wisdom for the doctors, that the Lord would guide their hands, renew their strength as the procedure goes on, that Thomas' body would be strong enough to endure the surgery, that he would be strong enough for the recovery, that the medicine, the facilities and the nurses at the hospital would meet his needs perfectly, completely. We prayed thanksgiving for God's provision thus far in Thomas' life and we acknowledged that Thomas is indeed in the palm of His hand.
We will continue to pray for Thomas----for these things and more.
Will you join with us?
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Please pray for Thomas
Please pray for Thomas! His surgery will be on Tuesday, February 11 at 11:00 am Cebu time (9:00 pm on Monday the 10th, Minnesota time). He has a serious problem called craniosynostosis, which means that the sutures of his skull fused prematurely. Consequently, his brain is bulging through the anterior fontanelle, which has caused his head to become misshapen, and fluid has built up around his brain. The surgeon will remove the fused portions of the skull, and four areas of the skull will be re-shaped by making several small cuts in each portion of bone. The bones will be sutured together afterwards. His head has gotten very large, and his eyes are bulging so it has become an urgent matter to do this surgery as soon as possible. They are hoping that the procedure will reduce the build up of fluids so he will not need to have a shunt at this point. Thomas will be in intensive care for one week, and will be in a private room for another week, at least.
After a lot of discussion, soul searching and prayer, the CSC staff has decided against using the government hospital for this surgery. Although the operating room there has decent equipment, the Intensive Care Unit where he would have gone following the surgery is not well equipped, and he would be in proximity to children with infectious diseases. The nurse to patient ratio, and other factors made us reconsider the decision to use that hospital.
News: The surgery will be at Cebu Doctors' Hospital, the facility that we often use for our children. Having him operated on at CDH is a step of faith for our staff, as the costs will be much more than at the government hospital. We are trusting God to provide for this difficult and intricate surgery, and for the after care that Thomas will need. He will need to be in the ICU for a week. We want to be able to offer Thomas the best chance possible to survive the surgery and the crucial hours and days afterwards. We fell that we are doing that, though the cost will be high. Although it is very difficult to predict what the total costs will be for the surgery and aftercare, we are making an initial estimate of $25,000. We will update that amount here on the website as we get more financial information from the hospital.
Please pray with our staff, workers and friends as we surround that operating room in prayer.
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Paul and Mitch in Tacloban
On Wednesday, February 5 Mitch and I flew to Tacloban, Leyte, to see Paul Varberg. Paul is a missionary with Converge BGC, and he has been doing relief work in that beleagured city for the past three months. It was three months ago that super typhoon Haiyan ravaged Tacloban, killing thousands and destroying or damaging many, if not most, of the houses.
After three months, much of the city is still in ruins. Most homes still have no electricity, as the power poles and lines are still down. Many businesses have not re-opened. Tents given by the United Nations have been set up all over the city for the homeless. Some families are trying to repair their roofs, but others don't have the money to buy the materials. In some cases, the needed materials are not available to buy. Whole communities were wiped out by the typhoon, swept away by the storm surge that noone saw coming. For Mitch and me, the destruction in Tacloban is hard to comprehend. Mitch commented to Paul Varberg that, if the storm had been just a few miles south, Cebu City would be like this.
It was encouraging to see Paul Varberg in action, and witness his concern for the people in his church who lost so much. CSC decided to partner with him in helping rebuild homes, from the donations that came to us for relief work. Our generous and faithful supporters have been able to contribute more than $15,000 to help Paul reach out to these families with wood, nails, roofing materials, cement blocks and cement. He is a man of integrity and it is a privilege to partner with him.
Here are some pictures from Tacloban.
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Thomas faces another crucial surgery
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Thomas was born on August 2, 2013. His mother disappeared just moments after
he was born in a small village north of Cebu City. The midwife that delivered him brought him to a government facility called the Receiving Home, where he stayed until we brought him home to the Shelter on October 8, 2013 . He had several episodes of difficulty breathing at the Receiving home so was admitted to the hospital twice before we took him in. Shortly after we got him it was determined by an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor that he had a significant congenital nasal obstruction, which needed surgical intervention on December at a hospital in Manila. Stents were placed inside his nostrils, which allows him to breathe through his nose. He also has a serious problem called craniosynostosis, which means that the sutures of his skull fused prematurely. Consequently, his brain is bulging through the anterior fontanelle, which has caused his head to become misshapen, and fluid has built up around his brain. Several doctors from Cebu, the US, Africa and Manila have met and discussed Thomas’ case, and they have determined that our neurosurgeon here in Cebu should do the surgery as soon as possible at the government hospital called Vicente Sotto Medical Center. One of our nurses, Arlyn, a caregiver named Auntie Delia, Thomas and I went to see the neurosurgeon today. Dr. Gigataris explained the surgery, which is scheduled for next week. Thomas will most likely lose a large amount of blood so the doctor would like to have four donors standing by. Three of our "uncles" will be screened this week, and our volunteer speech pathologist from Hong Kong has offered to give before she leaves to go back home on Friday. Thomas will be admitted on February 10, and the extremely delicate and complicated surgery will start early on the 11th. He said that it will most likely take about six hours. The doctor said that there will be an intensive care specialist Please join us in prayer for precious Thomas as he faces this huge surgery. The surgery could cause severe brain damage but without it he will not live. When Dr. Gigataris heard about Thomas’s struggle in his short life he said that clearly he has fought for his life, and that now he will help him fight even harder. Could you join our staff in praying fervently for Thomas, Dr. Gigataris and the surgery on the 11th? We will post the exact time when we know it, probably in a day or two. Thanks for the loving and praying hearts who can make a huge difference in his life.
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working with him, and the anesthesiologist, of course, in addition to a team of residents and nurses. The surgeon will remove the fused portions of the skull, and four areas of the skull will be re-shaped by making several small cuts in each portion of bone. The bones will be sutured together afterwards. His head has gotten very large, and his eyes are bulging so it has become an urgent matter to do this surgery as soon as possible. They are hoping that the procedure will reduce the build up of fluids so he will not need to have a shunt at this point. Thomas will be in intensive care for one week, and will be in a private room for another week, at least. Thomas stared directly at the doctor the whole time he examined him, and smiled at him numerous times. We assured the doctor that many friends are praying for him, and he expressed heart felt gratitude when he heard that. His wife, a neurologist, will do the pre-op physical on Friday. | Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | Shelter News |
