Staff Blog

Christmas has come and gone, and at CSC, after that holiday season comes "Waveboard Season!"  Okay, okay, it is not a real season, but after this particular Christmas, it certainly seems like it is.  Santa delivered 18 waveboards to us this year and most days there are that many riders out at one time!  It is amazing to watch the abilities that our kids have with this toy.  Within minutes of getting one, some kids are able to get on, master the balancing, and with a little shake to get them going, they are cruising down our driveway.  They make it look so easy, so easy in fact that over the Christmas break, I was motivated to give it a try.

I put one foot on, looked for a handhold and tried to convince myself to put my other foot on it.  AGES later, I put my other foot on and with a little scream, quickly put my foot back on the ground.  The kids, of course, found it very amusing.  They were very encouraging and patient with me, despite their immense excitement at the possibility of seeing Auntie Lindsay waveboarding!  Sadly, I didn't go anywhere, but the sight seemed to be enough to satisfy their curiousity!

Check out the talent we have in our midst!

CSC continued its forray into relief work with a second trip to typhoon ravaged Leyte. Carmelita Baya, CSC's Senior Social Worker, and our skilled driver Edwin, together with two volunteers, brought construction materials and food boxes to ten families in Western Leyte on January 4-6. All of these families had experienced significant damage, even total destruction of their houses as a result of the super typhoon that hit Leyte and Northern Cebu in December.

This relief effort was the result of the concern and generosity of CSC's supporters who donated money for the alleviation of the suffering of typhoon victims. CSC did not solicit funds for this, but our great people gave anyway, having heard about the destruction and the many people suffering. We chose to help families that we already knew, mostly the birth families of former residents and the families of our workers. The first Leyte trip was in December, when food boxes were distributed. On that trip Carmelita gathered information on the housing situation of the families we know and that data was the basis of our planning and budgeting for helping with construction materials.

Through the negotiations of Jerry Salgo, CSC's Maintenance and Transportation Director, whose mom lives in Leyte, we were able to rent a large truck in Cebu City for a fair price. This truck was loaded on Friday, January 3, with wood, corrogated roofing sheets, cement, plywood sheets, nails and tools. On Saturday, the truck and one CSC vehicle, were driven onto a ship and at 9:00 p.m. they set off for Hilongos, Leyte. The next two days were spent in driving and delivering the goods. Each family received a box with food, a half sack of rice (50 pounds), and an assortment of building supplies. The building materials were enough to build a small home, or repair their house if it wasn't totally destroyed.

Carmelita reported that the families were thrilled to receive these goods. Several were incredulous that CSC remembered them and came through with badly needed supplies. It was a shipment of hope as much as anything else, and Carmelita wants to be sure that I pass along thanks to all who gave. Our workers whose families were included in the distribution are also very thankful to CSC and our generous supporters for responding to this need in a practical way.

 (All photos taken by Carmelita Baya and Edwin Martinez.)

Another busy and exciting Christmas season has passed at CSC. There were many programs and activities to entertain the children and teach them about the meaning of Christmas. Click on the activity below to see some photos of the event.

Christmas at Church

Christmas Play at Children of Hope School

Christmas Outreach Party for Former Residents

Christmas Eve Party

Christmas Day

Thomas is back in Cebu! He returned after having successful surgery on his nasal passage on November 13 at the Philippine General Hospital, a huge government facility in Manila. Many people contributed to this success, including doctors, nurses, child care workers, a ministry in Manila, and lots of CSC prayer and financial supporters. So many people have expressed love and concern for our little guy! A Christian ministry in Manila, the Nehemiah Project, helped us greatly by bringing money to the hospital and pharmacy to pay bills, so our women didn't need to bring lots of cash with them. (The hospital does not accept checks or credit card payments.) Many thanks to Dan and Carla Chalmers and Darrah for this favor, and for underwriting many of Thomas' expenses at PGH.

CSC's care team in Manila was led by Warlita Manlon, our head nurse. Also along were two of our child care workers who alternated duty at the hospital every 12 hours. (In the Philippines, hospital patients are required to have "watchers" to provide some of the basic nursing type care, buy medicines and pay other bills. Our two workers jnow Thomas very well and he was comfortable with them. They all combined to provide him with excellent, loving care, and he made a great recovery. The doctor removed a significan nasal obstruction, and almost right away.

Shortly after his surgery he was examined by a neuro surgeon, as he needs additional surgery on his hydrocephalus (water on the brain). Marlys Healy was in Manila with Thomas during that consultation, and the doctor agreed to go to Cebu to do the surgery. What a blessing that will be as the logistics of caring for a child in Manila are very complicated.

They flew! That was the great news that Marlys gave us early this morning. Thomas, our little four month-old boy and his caregivers were able to board a plane for Manila where he will be having two major surgeries in the coming days.

Getting permission to fly was not easy. Marlys and our head nurse, Warlita, had to bring him to the airport on Friday to see a doctor. Thomas has choanal atresia, which is causing a complete blockage of th eleft nostril. The right nostril has a very small opening, which is why he is alive. He also has craniosynostosis. His skyll bones fused together prematurely. Surgeons will need to remove bone from his skull to make space for his brain.  Because these surgeries cannot be done in Cebu, and because the cranial problem is very critical as the brain is being constricted, alternate plans were needed. Cebu doctors were very helpful in referring him to some Manila surgeons, a hospital was found where they could do the surgery, and a host of other plans and preparations were initiated by Marlys and her medical team. It is a very daunting tasks to arrange for something this critical in a city other than where we live. We needed to find workers able and willing to go to Manila for an extended time, nurses we could hire during the long recovery period, a way to get money up there for deposits and payments to doctors, pharmacies and the hospital. So many things had to be considered, and there isn't time to waste.

To be sure, our taking on something like this required the cooperation, kindness and generosity of many people. Some dear folks volunteered to give money towards the surgery. Friends in Metro Manila offered to be the "bag men," helping us channel cash to those we will need to pay, so we don't have to bring large amounts of cash up to Manila. (The hospital does not accept checks or credit cards. Cash only.) Our doctors in Cebu were there to give us advise and to make the recommendation to the airline that he was okay to travel. CSC workers volunteered to go to provide loving care to Thomas  before and after the operations. Child caring agencies in Manila offered lodging for our workers and for Thomas during his recovery period. CSC supporters have been praying. 

We know that in the coming days lots more efforts, prayers, contributions and advise will be needed. We have been taking this whole thing on a day to day basis, handling the hurdles needed for that day.  But nothing would matter if he wasn't able to get to Manila. But God helped us clear that hurdle. Two separate doctors' approvals were needed. On Friday, Marlys and Warlita had to bring Thomas out to the airport (about an hour's drive) to be seen by Dr.#1. When they walked into his office Warlita recognized him. It turns out that they come from the same town in northern Cebu. The were neighbors when Warlita was growing up. So that helped a lot in getting the first clearance. They were able to purchase tickets for an early morning flight today. But Dr. #2 stood between them and the airplane. He gave Thomas a brief examination and pronounced him okay for travel. So they were off this morning to meet with the doctors and schedule the needed surgeries. (Warlita reported that Thomas slept for most of the flight and did very well.) The first will be on Monday. And its possible they might do them at the same time. The caregivers who went to minister to Thomas are Delia and Rhea.

Then the next phase in this Christmas adventure will begin. Thanks for your caring heart which helps sustain our ministry and extend the best care possible to our children, especially Thomas.