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!
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.
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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.
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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:
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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!
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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. 
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