Something I saw the other day touched me and has stayed with me ever since. I was driving down a busy road, a road I often travel down. I was looking straight ahead, intently focused on my final destination. I don’t usually look around on that road as it is quite familiar to me, and while driving---let’s just say that there is way too much going on to do that without dire consequences! There was a lot of traffic so I had to come to a stop.
I looked around then. To my right was an open space where once there had been trees and dilapidated storefronts. There was a new strip of concrete, about 4 feet wide probably and about 25 feet long. I think it will someday be connected with the road I was driving on---the eventual plan is to expand that road---however, for the time being it was set back about 6 feet from the road.
On that skinny strip of concrete, there were about 7 kids, boys and girls, ranging in age from 4 to 12 probably. They were playing a game, a game that looked to me to be a combination of baseball and kickball. There were no marked bases---the kids just seemed to know. And they did not have a bat---they alternately used their arms or legs and they used wadded up paper for their ball. There were not enough kids to have teams really, but they were definitely playing hard and having fun.
I watched all of that in a matter of a few seconds before traffic began to move again. I had a mix of reactions to that scene. I was impressed by their creativity and their energy. I was saddened by the small and ill-equipped “playground” they were using. I was aware that there were no adults around and that very small children were playing dangerously near a very busy road. I was happy to see the smiles on their faces and the excitement they had for their play!
Then I thought of our kids. They played like this before they came to CSC---for many, it was in even worse conditions. Sometimes they talk about it---games they played, kids they played with or that they didn’t really play because they were begging or helping their family members earn money for food. And then I thought of how they play now and where they play now. They have grass to run in or to crash into when they are still too unstable to maneuver around on Rollerblades! They have swings and slides and bikes and scooters. And helmets! They have jump ropes and soccer goal posts. They have adults to sit next to, hold on to or talk with.
Visitors have often described CSC as an oasis, a haven. When the green gate opens and you enter the facility, what you see is very different from the dirt, and chaos of the busy, city streets of Cebu. The streets our kids are all too familiar with---the streets that were their playground, their workplace and their home.
Thanks for caring about CSC. Thanks for giving to this organization. Thanks for making this oasis an everyday reality for our kids. They have a safe place to live and play because of you! God Bless you!
Banquet Excitement
As banquet preparations move into full swing in Minnesota, the staff and workers here in Cebu are also getting excited for the big event. We know how much work goes into the evening, and how important it is to CSC. We are involved in some of the planning, in preparing the media and in praying for the banquet. Some of us have been to past banquets and know how much fun it is and how our friends and supporters enjoy getting together and celebrating this ministry. We are there in spirit.
I remember last year we were crowded in the office conference room early on Sunday morning to watch the banquet live via Skype. We knew what was going to happen and had already seen the videos and slide shows. But hearing the spoken words and getting a feel for the energy in the room was moving for all of us. When the banquet total was announced (a record for CSC banquets!) there was a gasp in the room, followed by shouts of joy and many tears. We are together with our stateside staff and all you supporters who make this ministry possible. You won't see us on the 22nd at Bethel, but you still might feel our presence in the Robertson Center.
Showing appreciation/Giving thanks
One of the values that guides CSC is especially important to me. We need to be thankful people. And we need to express that thanks. It starts with hearts of thanksgiving to God, the Giver of all gifts. Even though we may thank Him regularly in personal or family prayers, it is important to be intentional about group times of thanksgiving, like staff or team meetings or through corporate prayers at church or small groups. At CSC we need to unify our thinking around thankfulness, because, without God's provision, our efforts are just not enough.
But we also need to be thankful to those around us. At CSC, we need to continually express our thanks to those who support us financially and through prayers. In many ways, this kind of thankfulness is an organizational lifestyle. Every gift should be acknowledged and in a timely manner. The personal touch is important; we should send personal notes with receipts. We are even working on sending occasional thank you notes from the staff in Cebu, when possible. Every form of thanks is important and beneficial because, without the provision of our friends, the efforts of the staff are just not enough.
Here in Cebu, we are aware of the need to teach thankfulness to our CSC children. Although they have had difficulties in their lives, God has been good to bring them to CSC and to give them a second chance at family. People give sacrificially to help provide for their care. Aunties and staff show them kindness. The food is good and plentiful. Their medical needs are met. They have a great school to attend with loving and talented teachers. And many of them will eventually go to an adoptive family that will open their homes and lives to them. We need to help build a foundation of thankfulness for their lives that will help them understand their debt of gratitude to God, CSC and their adoptive families. I wish you could join our kids for their nightly prayers with their houseparents or a staff member. They almost always remember to thank God for our dear supporters, as they should. The kids know that it takes a lot of money to keep CSC going and to allow them to live in a healthy and comfortable way. And they know where it comes from.
Thank you for visiting our site and for reading this blog. Thanks for your interest in CSC and for the gifts and prayers that you might be willing to offer to help us love and care for these children. Thank you so much!
First Place
Every year CSC participates in the Adoption Awareness week in Cebu, which is a program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. One of the features this year was a competition between children from various agencies that are involved in adoption or foster care. It was a Draw and Tell contest where the competitors draw a picture depicting the theme of "Spread Unconditional Love Through Legal Adoption," then describe what they drew. CSC was represented by Jerald, a 10 year-old boy who has lived at CSC for eight months. Prior to coming to live with us he had not had much in the way of consistent schooling. But he is a talented boy and, with the encouragement of Teacher Cora, he did a great job. He won the contest! Lots of excitement around Children of Hope School, CSC and the Duterte Home. And Jerald's smile was the highlight of everything.
HR for CSC
This is certainly a season of change for CSC. We have new staff, new policies, some new job descriptions, a new organizational chart and some refurbished facilities. Although our ministry remains the same - caring for homeless children with the love of Jesus - we have some new ways of doing things.
And we have an entirely new department! We will soon be launching our new Human Resources Department. We have been talking about this for some time. With more than 125 workers, the need for HR is obvious. Finally the pieces are in place and we will soon be hiring an HR Director. We already have the office space created. Soon the department will be fully in place and we are really excited about what this will mean for CSC, our workers and, ultimately, the children we care for. We know that having an HR department will help us do a better job of servicing our employees, seeing to their compensation, training and morale. We want our workers, who are the backbone of the ministry, to feel more connected to each other, and to feel better about their part in the success of the ministry.
Many thanks to those whose hard work helped lay the groundwork for establishing this department, specifically Joel Reasoner, Peter Arneson, Marcel Pacada, Mitch Ohlendorf and Jake Schulz.
Thanks to everyone!
Once again our faithful supporters rallied around CSC and helped us make our budget at the 11th hour. Actually, it was more like the 12th hour. Matt Buley and Jill Grasley had kept us abreast of the situation and what we needed for income during the last few days of the year. It seemed insurmountable, but somehow the money came in and we reached our income goals for the year! Thank you to everyone who gave at year-end, and throughout the year.
There are lots of changes around here! We have new staff, a refurbished office, some new kids and some new plans and procedures for the coming year. What remains the same is our commitment to providing the best care possible for the kids that come into our homes. That has remained the same for 37 years. And our confidence in moving forward is grounded in the reality that our supporters are faithful and true. And generous. And amazing.
To our supporters, thanks for being a part of this ministry and what CSC means to the children who call this place home. Thanks for caring, for praying and for giving.