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On Wednesday, February 5 Mitch and I flew to Tacloban, Leyte, to see Paul Varberg. Paul is a missionary with Converge BGC, and he has been doing relief work in that beleagured city for the past three months. It was three months ago that super typhoon Haiyan ravaged Tacloban, killing thousands and destroying or damaging many, if not most, of the houses.

After three months, much of the city is still in ruins. Most homes still have no electricity, as the power poles and lines are still down. Many businesses have not re-opened. Tents given by the United Nations have been set up all over the city for the homeless. Some families are trying to repair their roofs, but others don't have the money to buy the materials. In some cases, the needed materials are not available to buy. Whole communities were wiped out by the typhoon, swept away by the storm surge that noone saw coming. For Mitch and me, the destruction in Tacloban is hard to comprehend. Mitch commented to Paul Varberg that, if the storm had been just a few miles south, Cebu City would be like this.

It was encouraging to see Paul Varberg in action, and witness his concern for the people in his church who lost so much. CSC decided to partner with him in helping rebuild homes, from the donations that came to us for relief work. Our generous and faithful supporters have been able to contribute more than $15,000 to help Paul reach out to these families with wood, nails, roofing materials, cement blocks and cement. He is a man of integrity and it is a privilege to partner with him.

Here are some pictures from Tacloban.

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Workers' Christmas Party

Dec. 10, 2018By: Paul Healy

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. 

Trust His Heart

Dec. 6, 2018By: Michelle Obiedo

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

received_1048665545295049The 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.

40 Years of Hope and Blessings at CSC

Nov. 13, 2018By: Paul Healy

40yearanniv2-ac19cCSC 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:

https://cebushelter.org/?bXwxODY=

One Great Afternoon at CCHS!

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     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.

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     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.

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     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

Oct. 29, 2018By: Paul Healy

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. media overlay