Staff Blog
I have been back in the Philippines for all of a week and a half. I was in MN when Typhoon Yolanda tore its path of devastation through this beautiful, but already struggling country. I should not even talk about my fears as I watched the huge swirling mass of red, orange, blue and green hover over the Visayas from the comfort of my sister's sturdy home, thousands of miles away from it all. Those that experienced it are still reeling from the trauma of it all I imagine. Truth be told, I was afraid. I feared for the safety of our children, for the staff, my friends and loved ones here. I was grateful that my family and friends in the US did not have to include me in their prayers for the Philippines, but really I was wishing I was here. To help. To make sure. To comfort. To do something.
Now I am here and I have some observations to share. The part of Cebu where the shelter is located, and where my home is, was not ripped apart, flattened or caked in mud like Tacloban or Ormoc were. I have heard stories of the smell of that mud and my heart goes out to those living in that. You might not even think that the most devastating storm in all of recorded history came through here if you didn't look closely. But things are different.
All of the trees in the front yard of our school were either blown over by the force of the winds or cut down to prevent damage to our buildings. There is no more shade there for our guard and it admittedly looks lonely. There are trees that are missing from the front of one of our houses also. Minor, but different.
There are other things that are different.
The malls are overflowing with people that are homeless, displaced from the areas most damaged. There are always a lot of people around, but now, everywhere, all the time---there are just more people.
And brownouts/blackouts---they are more frequent now. I have heard that areas are going without power to reserve or provide for the areas without.
Traffic is a lot heavier, jeeps are often incredibly full. Last night I saw a group of people start running toward a jeep that was slowing down, the urgency to get a ride was very apparent.
The list of waiting children has grown rapidly as families that were once able to make it on their own have lost homes or family members and can no longer care for their own. CSC's help is in desperate need.
I share these observations for a few reasons. The Philippines still need your prayers! The islands that were decimated are still greatly in need. CSC has created a Relief Committee and as you have read, there have already been two trips to affected areas and CSC will continue to determine how we can reach out. The need is far greater than something we can manage, but the grateful smiles and sighs of relief of those we are able to give food or clothing to are all the encouragement we need to continue helping in whatever way we can.
And though Cebu was not damaged, things in Cebu are different. I cannot begin to explain or understand why we were spared and others not and the effects from the storm for us are nothing to compared to those who lost everything. But I share these so that others may know that life is not back to normal for the Philippines. Prayers are still needed and greatly appreciated.
I know God is at work in this country. And I thank Him for His protection over CSC. Because we were spared, we can help others.
This was a heavier blog than I originally intended when I sat down at my computer. To end things on a lighter note, this is how I spent my morning!
First Day of School
Everybody is excited when the schoolyear is about to begin. CSC kids love school!
On the fifteenth day of this month, school was officially opened to all the students of CCHS. The students walked to school with big smiles that told everyone how happy they were to be back at school and how ready they were to learn new things. They were accompanied by their house parents, aunties, and some members of the staff. The adults, too, were so glad to see all of the students march to school with cheer.
Upon arriving at school, the students were welcomed with wide open arms by their loving teachers. The teachers had thoughtfully prepared everything to give the students a great kick off for the schoolyear 2019-2020. True enough, the first day went really well. The teachers and students worked together to begin creating a positive community in which to learn.
At the end of the day the students went home feeling loved and excited again for the next day of school.
The Cebu Children of Hope School is an important part of the larger CSC ministry. Students not only gain academic skills but, with the help of their dedicated teachers, also learn equally valuable lessons like responsibility, problem-solving, cooperation, and self-control.
Thank you supporters for enabling us to impact these great kids to be the people God made them to be!
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What's New @ CCHS?
Today is the first day of school at Cebu Children of Hope School!
With the start of the new school year, we wanted to let you know about some great new parts of our school.
New Students
We are excited to have five new students join us this school year, four in preschool and one in second grade. We can't wait to have them in school!
New Teacher
We are happy to welcome Teacher Kristine to our team. She will be an Instructional Assistant for this school year. She is a fresh graduate from Cebu Normal University, one of the top universities in Cebu. She has her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.
New Curriculum
We are extremely grateful for our supporters for their generosity! Because of YOU we were able to purchase a new reading and writing curriculum to replace our 15 year old curriculum. Special thanks to Shari Reasoner who helped us research different curricula to find the best one for our students. It was purchased in the States and, with the help of many visitors, the materials were brought to Cebu, suitcase by suitcase. We are thankful for everyone who made it possible!
New Technology
Starting this school year every teacher will have the opportunity to use the newly installed overhead projectors and document cameras in their classrooms. This equipment was donated by a longtime supporter of CSC and we are incredibly grateful for his contribution! This upgrade will greatly help our teachers present their lessons in a very systematic and creative way, bringing the lessons to life!
These are just a few glimpses of the new things that we have at CCHS. We encourage you to rejoice with us as we experience God's abundant blessings through our faithful supporters. Join us in welcoming the new school year and journey with us this school year 2019-2020!
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Anniversary Bash in Cebu this June 28 - 29
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All Our Days
This video kind of sums up the feelings of Marlys and me about the history of CSC. For 14,600 days, He has been with us. He is the God of all our days!
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Summer At CSC
As a school administrator I get a little excited for summer break. It's a time to reflect on the past school year, celebrate the great things God did, and dream about "what could be" for the next school year.
Class at CCHS is out for the summer, I'm sitting at my desk planning for the upcoming school year, and I still hear kids. What's going on?
I peek my head out of my office and I smell a wonderful aroma. Auntie Lourdes, a longtime house mom, is leading a cooking class in the school kitchen. She is teaching our older kids how to cook a delicious Filipino meal.
After sitting and eating with them (I just had to have a few bites) I walk into the Big Room. Our Program Director's husband, John, is facilitating guitar lessons with an excited group of girls. He is leading several different guitar groups during the week. Everytime I see Rovilito at the Shelter he talks about learning the guitar. This morning he ran up to me and said he knows how to play two songs already!
In another classroom violin lessons are taking place. Cris has been super excited to learn how to play violin and a CSC volunteer is making it happen.
I have the pleasure of leading a small group of budding marathoners in our Summer Run Club. We meet twice a week and have fun running and playing games together. They love running up the road from the school though they quickly learned downhill is much more fun!
If you walked into the new Banawa McDonald's recently you would have been greeted by some CSC kids who were part of McDo's Kiddie Crew. Many of our kids took part in this yummy summer "job" and they did everything from take people's orders to make cheeseburgers to tell departing customers, "Thanks for coming to McDonald's. See you again soon!"
Summers at CSC look different from year to year but they are always well-planned and filled with lots of fun! Just ask the kids!
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