Staff Blog
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!
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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