Staff Blog
I am pretty much amazed on a daily basis about the creative works made by our kids here. They have a knack for drawing, creating, writing, coloring and cutting---even folding letters into intricate patterns. I, myself, do not have such a creative gene so I admire them even more I suppose.
But, truth be told, not all of the kids are able to make such effortless works. Some struggle with the basics of writing and cutting longer than they should. These kids often receive therapy from our resident PTs to improve their fine motor skills. In class, they often work one-on-one with a teacher on projects and they also have Individualized Instruction, which is more one-on-one time with a teacher in addition to their regular classes to improve on the skills they are having difficulty mastering. It is a HUGE blessing that our school and shelter can offer all of these specialized services because these kids, our kids, would be lost in a public or even private school where class sizes are 30 or 35 to 1 teacher.
Below is a picture I took of a very special gift given to me. It was a class project, given to me on the day it was completed. It is, as the teacher described, "a labor of love." The child who gave this to me will be 7 in August, but he cannot yet write his name without hand-over-hand assistance from his teacher. He is a child who received therapy to learn how to put on his socks and shoes for several months before he had mastered it. He is a child who is still receiving therapy for cutting skills and other fine motor activities. He worked really hard on this for a long time. Cutting on the lines is a difficult task for him, following a curve or cutting irregular shapes, nearly impossible. But he did it.
He had ran up to me and excitedly given it before his class was about to start. The kids love to give letters, flowers and things like that so I accepted it with a smile. Later I realized it must have been a class project and I figured he needed it still. I approached his teacher to ask if he would need it to complete assignments. She said no, but she shared that it was a very hard work for him to complete. What a treasure it is to me!
I consider my work here to be a significant blessing to ME. Visitors often come here and thank me for what I do, but really, no thanks is needed. Every day I receive so many gifts that it is almost not right to call this work. God’s hand is on this place and I am blessed to be here, in His palm.
Thank you for supporting this ministry, for praying for all of us. When I look at this child’s work, I am humbled by his gift. I can see how hard he worked to make it, the painstaking care he took as he cut. But I also see his progress, how far he’s come and it is because of CSC. And it is because of all of you, who care, who get on your knees to pray, for these kids, for this work, so we can give them what they need.
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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