Cebu City has been our home for more than 34 years. It is the home of our ministry and our families. We have seen tremendous change here in our years as residents. It is a place of great beauty. Tourists flock to the beaches of Mactan Island and other places in droves, coming from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Australia, Europe and North America. Sadly, many of these visitors never cross the bridge to Cebu City, so they do not get an accurate picture of what life is like for the greater percentage of Filipinos living here. They see the beautiful white sand beaches and blue ocean water, but fail to observe the teeming squatter areas, the street children and families, and the desperate poverty that is the way of life for hundreds of thousands here in Cebu City.
Cebu is a fascinating place to visit. Visitors who make it a point to get the full tour go away with an education in the diverse lifestyles, opportunities and expressions of Philippine culture that make this such an interesting place. It isn't pleasant to view the poverty and difficulties of life, but those things are part of the reality of life here. Often that exposure helps reinforce people's resolve to do something to help those in need, through ministries like CSC.
Although a small part of the city geographically, CSC is a part of the beauty and diversity that makes Cebu such a fascinating place. We have children and adults of all sizes and shapes. We have kids who come from very different situations in life, and who have varied interests and talents. But all are a part of the CSC family, and a part of the city from which many of them came. Visiting CSC has been a blessing for thousands of people over the years, and we have welcomed parties from more than 30 nations to come and see what we are doing. Check out this quick view of Cebu City and CSC.
Workers' Christmas Party
Check out these pictures from our workers' Christmas party on December 1. It was a great night of fun, gifts, prizes and recognition of the great contributions of our workers.
Trust His Heart
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart
-From a song called "Trust His Heart" by Babbie Mason
The view out of my classroom window on a recent rainy day.
Human as we are, we have lots of worries in life. As we worry, some questions come up in our minds. What will my future be like? Will I be able to sustain the needs of my family? What kind of life will my children have? How do I meet the needs of my students, especially those who are struggling? How will I deal with the difficult situations I will be facing in the future? Do the things that I strive to do matter? Am I making a difference in my workplace? Am I on the right track? Is this the will of God for me? I don't understand God's plan for me, what should I do?
Upon worrying and doubting, we sometimes forget that there's someone up there who is bigger than our worries. When our mind is clouded with worries instead of trusting the One who is sovereign over everything, we see the uncertainties. May the message of the song above encourage both you and me to put our full trust in Him who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient amidst uncertainties.
May we hold onto His promise and command from Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV that says, "
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
40 Years of Hope and Blessings at CSC
CSC will celebrate 40 years of ministry in Cebu City in June of 2019. Our friends and supporters are warmly invited to attend the festivities in Cebu on June 28 and 29. Everyone is invited to see historical videos, pictures and accounts from the past 40 years here on this website and on our Facebook page.
This is from Christmas 2007:
One Great Afternoon at CCHS!
The United Nations Day celebration is one of the exciting activities at CCHS. It is always fun and informative. Children and teachers look forward to this event every year.
The day before the event, all the teachers put in great effort to prepare lots of things for the kids. Everyone stayed late that night just to make their country booth really captivating. There was the sharing of minds on what to display and how to arrange things in the booth.
The celebration started with the singing of the Philippine national anthem at the shelter followed by a parade heading to school. After the parade the children visited the the different countries: Belgium, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands. Each group was given twenty-five minutes to stay at each booth and learn about the country. There was important information shared by the teachers, crafts to do, and food to eat.
After the country tour was the jeopardy game. Questions were asked to each group to test how well they remembered the things that were shared earlier. It was really fun to hear the students help each other think of the correct answers.
The event ended with a surprise thank you program for the teachers prepared by Teacher Eunice. It was indeed one great afternoon at CCHS!
Habitat Turnover
Habitat Turnover 60 homes for our workers were turned over to the homeowners on October 2 7 in an emotional ceremony in Talisay, Cebu. After many delays this project was completed and our workers will soon be moving into their new homes. All of these workers will be owning a home for the first time, a dreams that would have gone unfulfilled if not for Habitat for Humanity and Paul Reasoner, who led the fundraising.