Visitors often ask what a typical day is like for those of us working at the shelter.

"Good question!," I usually respond with as I scramble for the words that can best answer that good, but complex question.  And the truth is, there isn't one!

The beauty of CSC is that it is a vibrant place with a pulse.  No day is the same as one you have had before.  We all have job descriptions, but those go out the window when a need arises that has to be addressed.  And sometimes that need was maybe never anticipated.  So, you respond, you address the need.

There are common tasks for all of us: reports we should be working on, pictures we could be organizing, and blogs we should be writing...  ;)  

But there are other tasks that can become part of your day with little notice: spending time with adoptive families or visitors, meetings (in 1 week, I could attend 15 meetings!), taking children for appointments, being on duty (when a house parent is on their day off), sleeping at the shelter when the house parents will be gone overnight, attending birthday parties, taking notes during school conferences, organizing donations, attending school programs, assessing and admitting children, and the list goes on.

Every one of these tasks is just as important as the next.  Attending a child's birthday party and praying over them as they start a new year in life is just as important as updating a report.  

Assessing children for future admittance is just as significant as meeting with the house parents to discuss the health and behavior of the current children in their home.

During assessment:

Now:

The tasks before us on any given day are largely unknown!  We can think we know what the day will look like, but God's plan for our day is usually different than ours.  And that is okay.  CSC is His ministry, He has made it what it is today and it is our job to just do what He puts before us.  And truth be told, serving at CSC and being a part of these kids' lives is truly a blessing.

Life also seems to be a bit more exciting when living in a tropical country.  Last week, during a house parent meeting, I happened to see an unusual shadow moving along the outside of our office.  It was a snake!  There were screams and excitement as we ran outside to see where it was going.  The house father we were meeting with just so happens to like snakes (Thank you, Lord!), so he was eager to catch it.  In fact, he decided to take that opportunity to practice a snake-catching technique he had seen before on TV!  Amazingly, it worked.  He was able to stop it and with the help of one of our guards they picked it up and put tape on its mouth---since it was actually poisonous!

There is never a dull moment here at CSC!  Thanks for being a part of it all!