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The story of Thomas has been widely publicized on our website, he is mentioned in multiple blogs (including this one!), he has been named in countless e-mails and he is the subject of thousands of prayers around the world.

And well he should be.

As one doctor stated, this little one has been struggling each day of his life.  He struggled to breathe before his nasal surgery in December and though that has improved, now he is experiencing immense pressure on his brain and he needs major cranial surgery!

All of that is very scary.  However, when I look at him and I see his big, beautiful, soulful eyes, I can't help but feel hopeful.  He is amazingly alert, attentive (his caregivers are quite positive he is practically reading books already!) and he smiles readily.  

His story is a story of strength---his body has gone through tremendous stress and yet he is growing and is healthy, determination---our nursing staff have continuously fought for Thomas to receive the best care, love---his caregivers love him so thoroughly and God's protection---God has brought him through so much already!

Tomorrow Thomas will undergo surgery; 6 hours of taking apart his prematurely fused skull and putting it back together so that his brain can grow without constant constriction.  Since so much of this is out of our control, we met today to do the only thing within our power: pray.

After lunch, the staff, house parents, Aunties, nurses and the children all met in the Duterte Home, where Thomas lives, to pray for tomorrow's big event.

We prayed for wisdom for the doctors, that the Lord would guide their hands, renew their strength as the procedure goes on, that Thomas' body would be strong enough to endure the surgery, that he would be strong enough for the recovery, that the medicine, the facilities and the nurses at the hospital would meet his needs perfectly, completely.  We prayed thanksgiving for God's provision thus far in Thomas' life and we acknowledged that Thomas is indeed in the palm of His hand.

We will continue to pray for Thomas----for these things and more.

Will you join with us?

 

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The Sun

Feb. 25, 2019By: Chery Abaquita

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Every day at Cebu Children of Hope School (CCHS) we start our day with something called Morning Meeting. This is a "soft landing" time for our children which enables them to calm their bodies, practice social skills, and prepare for a great day of learning. Part of every Morning Meeting is a time for kids to share. Sometimes the question is about what they did over the weekend, sometimes the question is related to the day's lessons.

Teacher Chery and Teacher Mae lead the Morning Meeting for Level A1, our four energetic kindergarteners. Here is a conversation they recently had in their classroom, with the question relating to the day's science lesson.

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Teacher Mae asked, "Where do you think the sun will go during the night?"

Student 1: The sun goes under the sea at night because it goes under the line (he means the horizon).

Student 2: The sun is on the ground teacher.

Student 3: Hmmmmmm... the sun will go to bed and sleep.

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Even with their young minds, these children have great ideas that even surprise us adults at times. Each child at CCHS is surrounded by great teachers who have dedicated their lives to help enlighten and empower their students so they can understand everything from where the sun goes at night to understanding how the God who made the sun loves them unconditionally. Thank you for supporting the work that is happening every day at CCHS!

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Pag Ibig Award

Feb. 12, 2019By: Paul Healy

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Recently CSC received an award from the Pag-IBIG Fund, the Philippine government financial agency that is handling the mortgages for our 60 employees who are receiving Habitat for Humanity homes. The award recognizes the role of CSC in this project on behalf of our employees, who are all automatically members of Pag-Ibig. 

This award is a testimony to the work of Paul  Reasoner, who raised funds to help alieviate the financial burden for our workers and make their mortgages more affordable for them. We are an organization that values our employees and we have been concerned that they have decent housing. Many have lived in sub-standard houses prior to this project, and would not have had even the hope of having their own house and lot without the cooperative efforts of  CSC, Pag-IBIG Fund and Habitat for Humanity. This award reflects that concern of CSC, and the partnership of the agencies who are all dedicated to getting deserving people into safe and affordable housing.

Pastor Fred Verdeflor, who is the husband of our CSC nurse Arlyn and President of the CSC Happy Homes homeowners association, went to Manila to accept the award on behalf of CSC. 

Life Cycles

   All living things undergo different stages during their life. Some living things start as a seed, pollen, or spore. Other organisms such as animals start as a live young or an egg that sometimes needs to undergo the process of metamorphosis which completely changes their appearance.

CATERPILLAR     In my Level B2 science class the students were able to witness the process of metamorphosis. We started in the caterpillar stage where the students saw how many leaves the caterpillar consumed. After several weeks it became a pupa. The students were very eager to look at the changes every day though it stunk when they opened the lid of the box. The day finally arrived when the caterpillar became a moth! We all went outside and set the moth free. The students were so excited to be a part of this process!

LARVA     The whole activity took a lot of time and dedication but the result was very fulfilling. The students were able to learn not just how metamorphosis works but also about patience, perseverance, and having a love for nature.

MOTH

2018 Highlights

Jan. 3, 2019By: Paul Healy

CSC Higlights of 2018

 

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Christmas 2018

Dec. 29, 2018By: Paul Healy

 

Click to see pics of the different activities at CSC this Christmas. Our generous donors allow us to give lots of fun times to the children. God bless you all.

Junel's Box 2018 - Inayawan, Cebu City

Miracle on Main Street   

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Christmas Eve Gift Giving 2

Christmas Night Dinner and Live Manger Scene2

Progressive Dinner