It has now officially been summer time at CSC for a few weeks now. Today marks the start of the second week of summer activities. I have had the privilige of being directly involved in activities this year, as I volunteered to be the cooking class teacher. There are 7 children in my class, 6 girls and one boy, all under 12! It is an energetic bunch to say the least! We meet 3 times a week, with a different cooking theme each week. Last week, we learned all about cake. On monday, the children spend time in the library on the school computers, looking up different kinds of cakes and their recipes. They each were to choose three favorites, and share them with the group. We then examined different aspects of cake making through videos (which of course they love!). The day was concluded by a fresh-made snack; on Monday it was carmel popcorn! On Wednesday we met again, and prepared to go grocery shoppping. The kids each had their own assignment for what to find at the store, which was exciting for them. On Friday, all of our hard work culminated into our baking experience. Last week, our recipe was a layered rainbow cake. It took about three hours of hard work and fun, and the product was quite incredible. Don't you agree?
Also this summer, I have been able to have small groups of the teenage girls over for overnights at my apartment. The girls are always super excited to find out who is next to sleep over. The evening begins with a shopping trip at a local grocery store. We purchace all the ingredients for dinner and snack that evening. Once we arrive at my apartment, the girls are in charge of making dinner. The last few times, the girls have decided on sloppy joes - an unfamiliar dish for all of them! Once dinner is over we do a variety of activities, ranging from: zumba, painting nails, watching youtube videos, and singing. We close the evening by watching two movies, projected on the wall, and having a snack. The girls are especially excited because they get to stay up late! When they get up in the morning, they are treated to chocolate chip pancakes before packing up and heading back to the shelter.
The kids at CSC are having a blast this summer, and can't wait to start each new day to see what it will bring. Please continue to pray for the safety and health of our kids as they go about their summer activities.
Workers' Christmas Party
Check out these pictures from our workers' Christmas party on December 1. It was a great night of fun, gifts, prizes and recognition of the great contributions of our workers.
Trust His Heart
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart
-From a song called "Trust His Heart" by Babbie Mason
The view out of my classroom window on a recent rainy day.
Human as we are, we have lots of worries in life. As we worry, some questions come up in our minds. What will my future be like? Will I be able to sustain the needs of my family? What kind of life will my children have? How do I meet the needs of my students, especially those who are struggling? How will I deal with the difficult situations I will be facing in the future? Do the things that I strive to do matter? Am I making a difference in my workplace? Am I on the right track? Is this the will of God for me? I don't understand God's plan for me, what should I do?
Upon worrying and doubting, we sometimes forget that there's someone up there who is bigger than our worries. When our mind is clouded with worries instead of trusting the One who is sovereign over everything, we see the uncertainties. May the message of the song above encourage both you and me to put our full trust in Him who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient amidst uncertainties.
May we hold onto His promise and command from Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV that says, "
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
40 Years of Hope and Blessings at CSC
CSC will celebrate 40 years of ministry in Cebu City in June of 2019. Our friends and supporters are warmly invited to attend the festivities in Cebu on June 28 and 29. Everyone is invited to see historical videos, pictures and accounts from the past 40 years here on this website and on our Facebook page.
This is from Christmas 2007:
One Great Afternoon at CCHS!
The United Nations Day celebration is one of the exciting activities at CCHS. It is always fun and informative. Children and teachers look forward to this event every year.
The day before the event, all the teachers put in great effort to prepare lots of things for the kids. Everyone stayed late that night just to make their country booth really captivating. There was the sharing of minds on what to display and how to arrange things in the booth.
The celebration started with the singing of the Philippine national anthem at the shelter followed by a parade heading to school. After the parade the children visited the the different countries: Belgium, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands. Each group was given twenty-five minutes to stay at each booth and learn about the country. There was important information shared by the teachers, crafts to do, and food to eat.
After the country tour was the jeopardy game. Questions were asked to each group to test how well they remembered the things that were shared earlier. It was really fun to hear the students help each other think of the correct answers.
The event ended with a surprise thank you program for the teachers prepared by Teacher Eunice. It was indeed one great afternoon at CCHS!
Habitat Turnover
Habitat Turnover 60 homes for our workers were turned over to the homeowners on October 2 7 in an emotional ceremony in Talisay, Cebu. After many delays this project was completed and our workers will soon be moving into their new homes. All of these workers will be owning a home for the first time, a dreams that would have gone unfulfilled if not for Habitat for Humanity and Paul Reasoner, who led the fundraising.