Staff Blog
What time of day would you most like to be at the Shelter?
Early morning is a good time. The children are up early and having devotions in their homes with their house parents. You could stand outside in the playground and listen to them singing and praying.
Right after breakfast is another good time. During the school year the children are getting ready to head up to school. Some are just finishing up their chores, perhaps watering the plants. The toddlers are going out to play. There is lots of anticipation of the day ahead.
Mid-morning is Toddler Time, with special play and learning activities planned for the kids who are too young for pre-school. The kids are amazingly cute and really enjoy this time of learning and exploring.
Lunch time. The school kids head home to eat and discuss the morning school activities.
Afternoon. Things are pretty quiet with the younger children taking naps and the older ones at school. But there is a lot going on. The washing ladies are doing load after load of diapers and clothes for the children. Maintenance staff are doing gardening, cleaning screens and windows. The cooks clean up the kitchen and start the preparations for dinner. Meetings are going on in the child care and medical offices.
After school. This is the noisy time as all ages of children attack the playground. Some ride scooters around the sidewalk circumference. Some play basketball or soccer. The younger ones use the swings and slide. Babies in strollers go up the driveway. Older children organize games of tag and dodgeball.
5:00 p.m. A bell is rung and the children wind down their games. (At least in theory, they do!) The younger ones have their baths. The older children do their chores around the grounds. Its fun to watch them work together, enjoying each other and learning about responsibility and work.
6:00 is suppertime. Some of the kids help set the table, others will clean up and do the dishes. Good nutritious food is served and the children are thankful. They will do a unison "thank you auntie" for the cook.
After supper its time to do homework or, if none, to play board games or read. On weekends the kids will watch a DVD or be allowed to play outside. The house parents or staff members will pray with the kids after homework is finished. By 9:00 everyone is in bed and, not so much later, sound asleep. It is great to walk around the grounds and marvel at what God is doing at CSC.
Hands that Serve
We have about 76 child care workers who do day-to-day stuff at the shelter. Most of you who have been to CSC might be aware of this. But for everyone else’s information, we have laundry washers, cooks, cleaners and, of course, the rest of the Aunties—as we call them—who watch over the children at the shelter.
Most of them don’t have a college degree, some never got the chance to finish grade school; but they take pride and joy in working at CSC. They teach the kids household chores, sometimes you see them in the playground playing with the kids and often times, they teach the little ones how to pray. They treat the kids at the shelter like their own.
For some of the aunties, being an educator is a gift. Singing nursery rhymes, dancing and learning how to count are some of their tasks that just come out naturally. Below is a short video of two aunties and some toddlers reading the story of Jonah and the Big Fish.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness in providing CSC with very willing hands. Please pray for all of our workers at the shelter as they continue caring for and teaching the kids.
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Stacks of Books
The Reading Challenge is finishing up tomorrow! The children have been reading, a lot. Many of them leave school will a stack of books in their hands. The total number of pages read is staggering. Keep reading!
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Sore Eyes
Sore eyes has hit CSC! As this blog is being written, seven babies and toddlers and one school age child have sore eyes. Sore eyes is very common in the Philippines. In the US, it is called pink eye. It affects all ages and usually spreads from one eye to the other very quickly. One’s eyes become swollen, turn pink, and are very itchy and painful. It can be miserable for anyone who has it, especially the babies and toddlers. Please pray for all the kids who currently have sore eyes and that it would not spread to others throughout the houses.
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Friendships
Everybody needs friends.
For our CSC children, making a new friend is often the most important part of their adjusting to life at the Shelter.
Someone to run with……. Play with…..talk to…….laugh .……study .…..eat… and pray with.
CSC friends teach new kids the ropes, are partners in mischief and sources of understanding, comfort and encouragement. And not only that, they are a lot of fun to hang out with.
Our children come from backgrounds of poverty, neglect and loss. Who better to understand them than a friend who has experienced the same things before coming to live at CSC.
The memories of these friendships could last for a lifetime.
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Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!
Last Friday, August 28, was a happy day for everyone at CCHS. It was the Buwan ng Wika Celebration, an all-day event focusing on Filipino language. All the students as well as the teachers really had fun.
The Filipino games played in the morning gave every student a chance to participate and every team showed good teamwork. The older kids helped the preschoolers even by carrying the little kids to get the tasks accomplished. It was an amazing sight to see all members of each team working as one.
The afternoon activity was short, but sweet. All the students’ presentations were really great! Each presentation displayed the children’s and teachers’ great efforts.
Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!
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