Staff Blog
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!
Learning About Pottery
We have been so excited to have some special visitors this week - my in-laws! Larry and Vicki have known about CSC for many years and it's so great to have them here to share their gifts with the kids. Since Larry has a passion for pottery, we arranged for him to do a lesson with the kids! He demonstrated "throwing a pot" on the pottery wheel and then gave them the opportunity to make their own clay fish with the help of CSC's art teacher, Teacher Jun Jun. It was a really unique experience for the kids and a fun afternoon for everyone.
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Tartanillas---riding in style!
This week, one of our house fathers celebrated his birthday and he decided to bless everyone by renting a tartanilla for all the kids (and adults) to enjoy! What is a tartanilla you ask? It is a horse-drawn carriage. Back in the day in the Philippines---the Spanish colonial days that is----tartanillas were the common mode of transportation. They have since been replaced by Jeepneys, but you can still see some here and there----like on the congested streets of the marketplace or in the provinces! Check out the pictures to see all the fun that was had by the kids, the birthday boy and ME! :)
Happy riders---Aunties and kids alike!
The birthday boy had fun being the driver!
The view from my seat---pretty cool!
SMILES GALORE!!!
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An Every Day Conversation
Teacher Junelyn and I planned an activity for library that involved each of the kids sharing about a favorite book using a prop related to their chosen book. Junelyn and I had our own book and prop picked, but we kept it a bit of a secret from the kids. A student whose class was not participating approached me and whispered, "Tell me what your book is. I won't tell."
I replied, "No, I think I'll keep it a secret!"
The student raised her hand as if to make a pledge and said back to me, "I promise."
Raising my right hand also, I said, "You promise?"
Without missing a beat, she said, "I plead the 5th."
This student is in American Studies and she was applying what she had learned in class to our conversation. I must admit I laughed pretty hard.
Later that day, the kids had a great time sharing about their favorite books. One student dressed as Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Another student wore a quiver and horn to represent Robin Hood. Oh, yes, Junelyn and I had the kids try Turkish Delight from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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Introducing Jill Grasley
Meet Jill Grasley (pronounced "grays-lee"). She has joined Children's Shelter of Cebu as Development Officer. We are thrilled to have her on the team. I have been praying for this position for over a year, and Jill is going to be a great fit. She is an answer to prayer!
Jill will work in our US Office in a much-needed role. For the last nine years, CSC's US office has consisted of two full-time employees and one part-time. In those years, our budget has more than doubled--growing from $915,000 to $1,890,000. Now that my job scope has expanded, we need someone who can focus full-time on the fund development that provides our beautiful children with a home.
Jill has been employed at Crossroads Adoption Services in MN for over 12 years. She assisted many families through the adoption process--including several CSC families. Jill has focused the last several years working in the area of fundraising through event management, grant writing, donor cultivation and social media.
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Jill received her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Cedarville University in Ohio and her master's degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Jill and her husband Michael are very involved in Grace Church of Roseville (Minnesota). Jill is a youth volunteer and their family is active in a small group. Mike and Jill have three girls- Calli (12), Miranda (10) and Brooklyn (1). Welcome to CSC, Jill! |
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CSC Smiles
Many people comment on two things when they arrive at CSC. The first thing lots of people say when they come through our gate is that CSC seems to be an “Oasis” of green grass, cleanliness and hope in a neighbourhood that is lacking all three of those things. The second thing that people say is that our kids seem happy and that they have beautiful smiles. I agree. It is hard to give you the opportunity to really see that CSC is an “Oasis” in photos….but I can show you some beautiful CSC smiles. Enjoy.
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