MONDAY UPDATE: Thomas leaves ICU. No more fever. He loves books and the aunties love reading to him.
SATURDAY UPDATE: Thomas had his dressing changed today. He has staples from ear to ear. The doctor checked the surgical site and said that it looks good, with no sign of infection. Thomas was very alert and responsive today, and he made lots of eye contact with his caregivers. Matt Buley, CSC President, who is in Cebu at this time, had a chance to visit Thomas in the ICU and see his progress in recovery. Matt and Marlys brought along a radio and cd player so he could listen to music which he loves.
FRIDAY: Little Thomas continues his fight,making good progress after his serious surgery on Tuesday. He is still in the Intensive Care Unit at Cebu Doctors' hospital. Yesterday his face was very puffy and he was more uncomfortable than he had been on Wednesday. But today his swelling has subsided. He still has a low grade fever (100.7) which is normal after his kind of surgery. The doctors told us that they will be taking the dressing off tomorrow. As of today, our child care worker who is with him in the ICU is allowed to hold him, which he very much appreciates. It is possible that Thomas will be able to
go out of ICU tomorrow to a regular room.
Thanks for your prayers for our darling boy! A couple weeks ago, as the surgery was being discussed among specialists in Cebu, his doctor mentioned that he is a little battler, so we all need to battle for him to. Thanks for helping the battle through prayer.
We are so excited and thankful that some CSC friends who have followed Thomas on-line, have responded with financial gifts.
Praise God that, of the estimated costs of $25,000 for the surgery and recovery, $8,000 has already been provided!
Making Banana Que!
One of the things the kids love to do is cook! Here are a few pictures (taken by the kids!) from our recent cooking adventure with the Group 3 EPP class. Thank you Auntie Puriza and Auntie Jenalyn for all your help making this yummy snack! :)
A Few Favorite Pictures from the Week
This preschooler came to school sporting a hair style just like his older brother's!
I'm not sure what was happening with this next photo, but I found him lining up to go home for lunch wearing a swimming cap and goggles. I still have no idea why, but it was a fun photo!
This little boy is our newest addition to CSC. It took a while for me to get a smile out of him, but he's starting to warm up to me now!! I love this picture!
Just a few of the darlings you can find on our playground!!
And just a really cute moment, I caught on video! God is so good!!
Individualized Instruction
Individualized Instruction (aka I.I.) is a really cool thing that happens at CCHS. Kids who are identified by their teachers as needing extra support will get subject-specific instruction in a one-on-one setting during the afternoon. I am currently the I.I. reading teacher for a handful of kids, and here's what a typical day looks like with the students that I work with.
Reading...
Thinking...
Writing....
And being awesome!
Thanks for checking in on what's happening here!
On-site at CSC
My recent trip to Cebu was wonderful, aside from a little sickness and a run-in with some "stink fruit". If you have not tried "stink fruit" before, don't. It really does taste like it smells- awful.
I have known about CSC and worked with the organization for years, but I feel truly blessed to be a part of it as a new staff member. As I walked on the CSC grounds, I kept thinking about how excited I was to connect with what is happening in this little section of Cebu.
One thing I'm already proud of is how seriously we take the spiritual development of our children. One evening during my trip, I was welcomed into the Eicher home to join in on evening devotions. House father DonDon had already started, so I tried to sneak in the back and blend in. It didn't work very well, as I temporarily disrupted the discussion when the kids started waving and saying "hi Auntie Jill!" DonDon, however, quickly got the devotion time back on track. He was leading the children through a lesson about temptation and doubt. He shared that God has a plan for all of their lives and he talked about the need to trust God with the future. All of the children were really engaged and responded by answering the questions with confidence and by reciting scripture. As I sat there and listened, it struck me how much the staff at CSC care for these kids. They strive to meet all of their physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. Perhaps that is why you see so many smiling faces.
Shenanigans...
Truthfully, our kids are pretty special. Yes, you may consider me a biased informant, but I dare you to come here and spend the afternoon playing with any number of them and not draw the same conclusion!
We have some of the sweetest kids I have ever met. They are helpful, considerate, creative, athletic and energetic.
We also have some of the silliest kids I have ever met!!! I decided to highlight that side of our kids for you this week... Enjoy!
That face...
They are off to save the world! Watch out.... ;)
Such an impish smile!
His name is pretty much Mischief----with a capital M!
PEEK!
FYI, He was winding up for an overhand throw---I found that out after the picture was taken! ;)
Yes, he really is wearing the face of a pig!!!
Silly sisters!
And this one needs no caption...
Thanks for reading and caring about our silly, but precious children!
God Bless!