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!
A Special Friend
You guys all know Wilmar. You see him playing basketball, riding a bike, holding a toy lion, crocodile or a dinosaur or you see him just sitting and singing a song or two. Wilmar receives a lot of support at the school and shelter.
At school, Wilmar has three different teachers and one physical therapist. Yup, we make sure these kids get what they need. So yeah, Wilmar has teachers supporting him, but what about a friend? Who plays with him at the shelter? Who helps him line up? Who holds his hand during school programs?
Well, there is one special friend and classmate who assists Wilmar in all of these. This girl sang a duet with Wilmar in the last music recital. She holds Wilmar’s hand when going up and down to the stage; she walks with him to the next class and works on classroom activities with him. Even her classmates know who Wilmar should sit with. And she is very happy to do all of this. No complaints.
This girl is also close to the rest of the special needs kids/adults in her house. She sees them as equal. She has a big heart for them. Now, that’s one special friend!
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Sportsfest 2016
Sportsfest 2016 is officially over. A great day of fun, athleticism, and sportsmanship was had by all! The day started off with a parade,cheers from each team, reciting of the sportsmanship pledge and the lighting of the torch. Then the games began!
Enjoy some fun photos of the day! 
The Torch
Getting Ready
Hula Hoop
Sack Race
Hurdles
The Aqua Blue Team
The Green Team
The Royal Blue Team
The Gray Team
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Yesterday and today
I have been finishing up my book on the history of CSC. It has been a great experience to look back on the earlier years of the ministry and see how many times God has seen us through difficulties and helped us meet challenges. We have faced financial hardships, political uncertainties, sickness, natural disasters, death and a fire. And one year we faced all of these. Except the fire.
1990 was quite a year for CSC. Our board had approved a budget that was significantly more than the previous year. But income was down significantly and our reserves were being depleted. What's more, CSC's Executive Director had to resign for health reasons. There were lots of political uncertainties in the country. Many of our children were sick and one, little Sonny Boy, died after a 72 hour battle in the ICU. Three of our staff were on furlough during the year, leaving us short-handed in Cebu. And, in November we got hit by super typhoon Ruping which cause lots of damage in Cebu, though nothing major at CSC. We were inconvenienced by power outage and lack of sufficient water.
Not a great year. But one where we learned a lot about God's sustaining power, his heart, and our ability, with his help, to withstand lots of challenges. We also learned a lot about CSC's supporters, and how they rally around us during difficult times. People stepped up, pitched in with the fund raising, gave sacrificially, prayed for us and help pull us through 1990. And every year since.
Some of you have been around CSC since 1990. If so, thanks for then and for now. If you were a part of our stupendous December giving rally in 2015, or have been praying for CSC or our family, BIG thanks. We have needed you so much. We take on the challenges of today and in the future because of what you have meant to us in the past. Bless you all.
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Playing with Dominoes in Science Class
If you walked by our science class on any given day, it might resemble play time. In fact, we are having so much fun, things are falling over fast! One of the science classes recently finished a unit on speed. They learned how distance, time, and speed are related. To further illustrate this relationship, they had the opportunity to play with dominoes. The class was divided into two teams. The teams had to line up 25 dominoes that were equally spaced in such a way that their dominoes would fall faster than the other team. This led to a lot of discussion about concepts related to speed, and we had fun in the process!
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A Wonderful Surprise!
Happy New Year!
God is GREAT! He has been so faithful to Cebu Children of Hope School during the past year. His protection and provision were so evident in the lives of each one of us at school. A number of kids were given forever families and are now starting new chapters in their lives in new families, homes, and schools.
This year already God has given us a wonderful surprise at school. Seven lovable students joined classes after the Christmas break, three preschoolers and four elementary students. Their coming has made the school merrier because each one of them is a bundle of joy. They are gifts from God that enrich everyone’s lives at school.
New Preschoolers
New Elementary students
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