Staff Blog
After being here just over a month I’ve learned a lot! And goodness, I have so much more to learn! I’ve learned and am still learning kids’ names, aunties’ names, rules about the individual houses, routines the kids have, how to ask questions, how to hail a taxi or jeepney, how to grocery shop and cook, how to drive a manual transmission car, what my role is as social work coordinator, the best way to cut and eat a mango, and on and on the list goes. It hasn’t been easy and the learning curve is steep, but I have seen and know God is directing my steps here, even if they’re tiny ones most days.
As I hear about the stories of some of the kiddos who live here, my heart just breaks for them. Here are these precious lives, created in the image of God and yet coming from some situations that may even make your stomach turn. They might never show it on their faces, but some of them have been through rough times. But maybe that’s what one expects when you work at an orphanage in a developing country...maybe it isn’t what you expect. I don’t know. I do know that God has lifted them out of their past, and has placed them at CSC for such a time as this. I get the goosebumps just thinking about that! God saw them through some pretty gruesome backgrounds, but protected them along the way to the point of where they could have a home, clothing, food, proper medical attention, a strategically created school to attend regularly, a safe playground to be silly on, a hug when they’re sad or hurt, a birthday song on their big day, a houseparent to model what it’s like to be a Christ-follower, and overall love.
Wow! What a change for some of these little ones! As I think about how all of these things are possible, I think about the many things that need to happen to make it possible to provide all of this. We need good, faithful caretakers, staff and teachers, as well as many material items to make all of these provisions available to the kids.
Today I was reading on the website about the many special projects CSC has implemented to provide for the kids. I’m not sure why I hadn’t seen this on the website earlier, but it was something I learned today! I learned you can help contribute to something unique, and yet very important to the everyday functioning of this organization. This idea seems pretty genius to me and I love it!
I’d encourage you to go onto the website and see what we have listed. http://www.cscshelter.org/projects It seems there’s something for every interest...from medicine to field trips to birthday party supplies and more. So what about you? What is it that you might be really interested in? If there’s something there that just really leaps off of the page to you, I’d encourage you to stop right now and pray about it. Is God calling YOU to provide for a specific special project? These gifts and donations bless the children here who have come from desperate situations to a life where their needs are met and they are growing in God’s grace and love. And you, as faithful donors and supporters are partnering with us to help provide basic things for the kids. THANK YOU!
I’ll let you know what else I learn along the way! :)
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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