Staff Blog
We all take turns being on duty on the evenings when the House Parents in each home have their day off. It makes our already long day even longer but I have learned that I usually leave the home more refreshed and certainly more blessed than when I walked in a few hours earlier.
It was my night to be on duty at the Duterte Home. All the little kids had gone upstairs to bed. I gathered the older kids together to ask for prayer requests and to talk about things that they wanted to talk about. The conversation quickly became about the recent typhoon. The kids had heard stories from our workers and from friends at school regarding the death and/or destruction that the typhoon brought, some of it not very far away. The kids were unsure about their birth families experience in the typhoon as well. Everyone just seemed to have a sad story to tell. Jacob, who is 27 years old, wheel chair bound and unable to speak was in our group. Jacob has Cerebral Palsy. It was obvious that these stories were hard for Jacob to hear, he was making sounds indicating distress and was getting more spastic as time went on. I was afraid he was either going to break the bindings holding him in his wheel chair or break a bone! I asked one of the workers to take Jacob to another room. I explained that we would ask Jacob to come back for our prayer time. Jacob agreed.
For our prayer time I asked for volunteers for each of the people, families or circumstances that we had put on our prayer list. When we got to one family that the kids had told about who had lost their home in the tsunami like storm surge that came with the arrival of the typhoon in a nearby town Jacob shouted and raised his hand in the air, he wanted to pray for that family. His name went on the list. We spent time in prayer, it got quiet and Jacob had not prayed yet. I looked up at Jacob and he was looking at me, I just nodded, indicating that it was his time to pray. He shut his eyes and he prayed. A more beautiful prayer I have never heard. As I watched and listened to Jacob pray I looked around at the other kids, many of them were looking at Jacob too. I was not the only one with tears in my eyes. We could not understand one word that Jacob prayed, we did did understand his emotion and we did understand "amen!"
Later, when all the kids were in their bedrooms I went to Jacob's room. I thanked him for his prayer for the family and told him that I knew that God heard and understood every word he said. I told Jacob that I thought that God was comforting the family right then because of Jacob's prayer. Jacob got his big "Jacob smile" that takes up his whole face and even tends to make his body spastic...but he worked hard and brought his arm up in the air, got his pointer finger extended and with joy pointed straight up. Yes Jacob, God in Heaven heard and understood every word of your prayer! I knew that is what he was telling me, and I agreed. I left for home with a smile on my face and an extra blessing in my heart.
I didn't have my camera with me that night. This photo is a re-enactment of Jacob telling me exactly where his prayers go!
Making Banana Que!
One of the things the kids love to do is cook! Here are a few pictures (taken by the kids!) from our recent cooking adventure with the Group 3 EPP class. Thank you Auntie Puriza and Auntie Jenalyn for all your help making this yummy snack! :)
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A Few Favorite Pictures from the Week
This preschooler came to school sporting a hair style just like his older brother's!
I'm not sure what was happening with this next photo, but I found him lining up to go home for lunch wearing a swimming cap and goggles. I still have no idea why, but it was a fun photo!
This little boy is our newest addition to CSC. It took a while for me to get a smile out of him, but he's starting to warm up to me now!! I love this picture!
Just a few of the darlings you can find on our playground!!
And just a really cute moment, I caught on video! God is so good!!
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Individualized Instruction
Individualized Instruction (aka I.I.) is a really cool thing that happens at CCHS. Kids who are identified by their teachers as needing extra support will get subject-specific instruction in a one-on-one setting during the afternoon. I am currently the I.I. reading teacher for a handful of kids, and here's what a typical day looks like with the students that I work with.
Reading...
Thinking...
Writing....
And being awesome!
Thanks for checking in on what's happening here!
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On-site at CSC
My recent trip to Cebu was wonderful, aside from a little sickness and a run-in with some "stink fruit". If you have not tried "stink fruit" before, don't. It really does taste like it smells- awful.
I have known about CSC and worked with the organization for years, but I feel truly blessed to be a part of it as a new staff member. As I walked on the CSC grounds, I kept thinking about how excited I was to connect with what is happening in this little section of Cebu.
One thing I'm already proud of is how seriously we take the spiritual development of our children. One evening during my trip, I was welcomed into the Eicher home to join in on evening devotions. House father DonDon had already started, so I tried to sneak in the back and blend in. It didn't work very well, as I temporarily disrupted the discussion when the kids started waving and saying "hi Auntie Jill!" DonDon, however, quickly got the devotion time back on track. He was leading the children through a lesson about temptation and doubt. He shared that God has a plan for all of their lives and he talked about the need to trust God with the future. All of the children were really engaged and responded by answering the questions with confidence and by reciting scripture. As I sat there and listened, it struck me how much the staff at CSC care for these kids. They strive to meet all of their physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. Perhaps that is why you see so many smiling faces.
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Shenanigans...
Truthfully, our kids are pretty special. Yes, you may consider me a biased informant, but I dare you to come here and spend the afternoon playing with any number of them and not draw the same conclusion!
We have some of the sweetest kids I have ever met. They are helpful, considerate, creative, athletic and energetic.
We also have some of the silliest kids I have ever met!!! I decided to highlight that side of our kids for you this week... Enjoy!
That face...
They are off to save the world! Watch out.... ;)
Such an impish smile!
His name is pretty much Mischief----with a capital M!
PEEK!
FYI, He was winding up for an overhand throw---I found that out after the picture was taken! ;)
Yes, he really is wearing the face of a pig!!!
Silly sisters!
And this one needs no caption...
Thanks for reading and caring about our silly, but precious children!
God Bless!
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