Staff Blog

Most of us, if not all, have been taught by our parents or guardians to say "I Love You." Though we might not know what that means at a very young age, as it's hard to fathom what love is when you're three years old. But over time, with experience, we understand what it means.

Our homes at CSC are not only a place of refuge for the children we serve but also a place of love.

Most of our caregivers have been working with us for more than a decade. And in that time, some of them have formed a special bond with the children they care for. Likewise, our children have found a safe place with their caregivers. They have learned what it feels to be valued and loved.

One particular 6-year-old boy recently knew that his Auntie (his caregiver) lost her husband years ago. That meant his Auntie no longer had her loved one with her. And because he loved his Auntie, he offered to be her husband. For sure the little boy is unaware of what it meant. But for him, it was an innocent and genuine act of love. The scenario was cute and funny, but it tugged the hearts of our caregivers.

The children at CSC come with different stories and different abilities but we love them all the same. And that speaks heavily to the children as they also see sameness and no difference in one another.

A new child joining the CSC family is welcomed with so much love. The same way a child is hugged with so much love by his friends before he leaves and joins his forever family. Love remains even after a child leaves the shelter. It remains no matter how near or far the distance is. Love continues in the heart of a resident as he spreads his wings into the community and in the heart of a child as he starts forever with a family. Still love continues in the hearts of parents who welcomed a new member of the family.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13 NIV "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

We're back!

CCHS is back on track. After the "storms" that made us clasp our hands and bend our knees in prayers, the Lord has been gracious and faithful to His children.

Our water pump was replaced with a new one so we can have flowing water in all of our faucets. Thanks to Uncle Jerry and his men who made this possible.

Our supplier of drinking water also delivered in the afternoon. This same day we quarantined twenty-three workers at CCHS.

Our power from the grid was reconnected. We had been using our generator in the evenings for lights, fans, and charging our laptops and cellphones.

And soon, our internet will be restored. We are finally back to teaching children at the shelter. We praise the Lord for preserving our lives and sustaining us through the "storms".

With this journey we are grateful for those who prayed for us and to those who supported us in many ways. You made a lot of things possible on this side of the globe. You have allowed us to make a difference in the lives of the children in the shelter.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (English Standard Version)
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Praise the Lord!

The first thing that we repaired after the typhoon was power lines so we could use generators. Then we worked to fix the broken main pipe that supplied water to both Cherne home and Eicher home, including the wash house. Next was the power lines that will receive VECO power. The clearing was not so hard because we were able to use a small chainsaw for the smaller branches and trunks. But for the big ones like the one that falls to Cherne home we need to hire someone with a big chainsaw and knows how to do it so as not to add additional damage to the building. One of the challenges is, it's hard to find one because they are occupied in their neighborhood itself. With scarcity of materials, prices become more expensive. Another challenge was communication. It was very hard to contact people to get materials with no internet and electricity without the generators. Drinking water was another problem but we are thankful to God CSC has its own deep well and gensets.

We will continue to repair the shelter and support our friends and family through this time. All glory and honor to God because he is the source of all those strength, wisdom, resources and dedicated supporters to continue the work of the CSC ministry.

Before Typhoon Rai (called Odette in the Philippines) made its landfall in Cebu, City, preparations such as cutting the big branches of the trees and safely piling them in the front yard were already made to minimize risks and hazards in the facility. The residents and houseparents prepared the plastic drums to store water, secured the appliances and furniture in the living room, and ensured the safety of Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home for the upcoming Typhoon.

On December 16th, 2021, Typhoon Odette made landfall in Cebu, City. The staff and residents evacuated for safety and emergency purposes as the wind rose and the typhoon became stronger. The residents felt scared and nervous, as it was the strongest typhoon they have experienced so far. Nonetheless, everyone was calmly praying and reminding one another of the presence and goodness of God despite the calamity. By 11:00 PM, the typhoon had already slightly weakened.

Typhoon Odette left a lot of places devastated with broken homes, downed trees, and loss of electricity, signal, and water supply for days. Fortunately, Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home had a generator that provided the ability to pump water and electricity for light and charging. Some of the trees in Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home also tumbled down, and the debris, iron sheets, and woods were scattered inside the facility. There are also minimal damages in the ceiling of the living room, the roof in the washroom, and broken flower pots. The door separating the facility and CSC Office was also destroyed by the typhoon. The Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home residents took 3-4 days to clean and clear the storm debris. No staff or resident was hurt or injured during the typhoon.

The Typhoon also caused stress and anxiety to the Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home houseparents and residents, especially worrying about the safety and security of their families, relatives, and friends. Consequently, Stress Debriefing Activity was conducted for Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home residents to reduce their stress and help them recover from the overwhelming situation. Through this activity, they recognized their feelings, worries, and stress from the typhoon. The residents also shared their coping mechanisms when dealing with difficult situations. Some of the coping strategies mentioned were reading the Bible, making arts and fictional stories, meditation, watching television, listening to radio/ music, cleaning, planting, and more. Furthermore, the activity ended with breathing exercises to calm and relax their body and mind. Currently, the Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home and the residents are now back to their normal daily activities.

It seems that there is just one crisis after another and we have heard of the desires of the residents to be finally free or "unstuck". In the midst of recovery from the Typhoon and Covid-19 pandemic, the Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home Program continues to look forward to helping its residents take steps to build their future.
Please pray with us as we think of strategies that are safe, yet relevant and meet the needs of the residents who desire to look forward to the day that they can be reintegrated back into the community.

The front yard of Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home facility, during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette
Residents help clear the tree branches and other storm debris in the front yard and parking area.

Resident helped remove the branches of the tree on the facility's roof.

Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home Living Area after Typhoon Odette

The current condition of the washroom after Typhoon Odette.

Stress Debriefing Activity to Teen/Young Adult Transitional Home residents on December 21, 2021.

Happy New Year to you all! I wish you all the best in the year ahead. Let me take a minute to reflect on the year 2021 from a CSC perspective—the blessings and the struggles. In the midst of all that is going on in the world today, worry and anxiety could very well consume our thoughts, even at CSC. For all the things that might or might not happen, we rest in confidence that God has a plan for our TODAY and has good things in store for the coming year.

2021 began with the global pandemic still in full swing and the lockdown at CSC in place for nine months. The year ended with super-typhoon Rai making landfall on the islands of the Central Visayas, Cebu at the eye of the storm, leaving a devasting path of destruction. Typhoon recovery is happening slowly just as the next coronavirus variant is beginning to have a negative impact again as well. HOPE is present, though, knowing that our CSC children and staff remained safe and provided for during the storm and afterward, and all are in good health! Our CSC Field Director, Roberto Atienza, shared this week how CSC is a beacon of light in the darkness, offering hope, clean water, a place to "hang out" and charge electronics, providing encouragement to all those who come to us.

2021 was also a year to celebrate milestones! Birthdays of children, a couple of adoption placements to loving families, work anniversaries of faithful employees, and a new strategic initiative launched! We're excited for all that 2022 will hold and look forward with optimism and HOPE.

In closing, let me share some verses that I hope will be received as an encouragement to us all:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Grace and Peace in 2022,

Kirby