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As a staff member at CSC, I have the privilege of witnessing many amazing events in the lives of our kids. From birthdays, to graduation, to adoption...the staff and workers at CSC are constantly reminded of how God is working in this world. Many of the things we observe are often behind the scenes, and invisible to the eyes of the children. In July, I will have completed my year working on the Child Development team, and will be heading home to Minnesota. When I think about the eminent goodbye to come, it takes all that I have to hold it together. In reflection, here are some things that I have learned while being here:

1. You don't have to own much to be joyful. The kids at the shelter come from some pretty rough backgrounds, and many of them no longer have parents to speak of. Though we provide many things for them here at the shelter, it by no means replaces the need they have for a family. However, despite all the things going against them, the children are joyful. I have never seen anyone so contented with a few sticks, a plastic bag and some string...but of course that means hours and days of fun making and flying kites. And who ever knew paper could be so entertaining? But of course it is when it is formed into a paper airplane! The kids here don't have video games, or ipods, or cell phones to play with - things that many children in the U.S. see as necessities - yet that doesn't stop them from finding a way to have joy in each moment. 

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2. The last point kind of leads into this one. Hope is abundant in the lives of the children at CSC. Every night, the kids pray to be given a mom and a dad. Some kids have just started praying this prayer, and some have been praying it for years and years. For the later group, it is especially hard. Some of the children here have seen many friends adopted, and yet they have heard nothing of parents of their own. Though this is discouraging for them, they never let it get them down long. The prayers never stop. The hope is real. 

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I came to CSC with many preconceived notions about what I would be doing, and how I would impact the lives of the children around me. However, as time goes on, and as I look back, I realize the opposite has occurred. Yes I have made an impact, but I believe the greatest impact has been the one impressed upon my own heart by the kids. The way these kids live their lives is incredible, and if I can learn even one thing from the example they show, I will become a better person. It is going to be very hard to leave all these kids behind, but I find comfort in knowing that God has a plan for each and every one of them, and they are all in His hands. 

40 Years of Fun

May. 15, 2019By: Paul Healy

CSC will be celebrating 40 years of ministry on June 28 and 29 here in Cebu City. Plan to be with us for this exciting and meaningful look at how this ministry has grown and thrived since our inception in 1979. We will be celebrating the goodness of God and the contributions of the many people who have given of themselves to make many good things happen here.  Check out our videos that give a taste of the celebration. 

Video Trailer  40 Years of Performances

40 Years of Great Kids  40 Years of Twins

40 Years of Adoptions   40 Years of Fun

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Math and Science Day at CCHS

Apr. 11, 2019By: Cris Tabra (principal)

What an exciting event last Friday! CCHS hosted our annual Math and Science Day where students individually competed to show their skill and knowledge as well as worked together in small teams. CCHS students had a chance to participate in the following events: Math-Science Scholastic Bowl, Math-Science Dance contest, Games, Science Experiments, and Awarding.

CCHS is very grateful to the teachers who made this activity fun for our students, to the students who gave their best effort in all of the activities, to our judges on the dance contest, and our visitors. We give God the glory and honor for a successful event.

Here are some pictures showing this great event!

Math-Science Dance Contest 

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Math Science Scholastic Bowl – It was a great opportunity for our students to showcase what they have learned in the classroom. The students answered questions from easy to challenging.

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Preschool Counting Activity – Match that Number
Go Preschoolers!

DSC00627Level A Measuring Activity - Jumping Frog
Keep that frog jumping!

IMG_4825Level B Gravity - Cotton Blowing
Blow more! Keep blowing! Don't let it drop!

DSC00648Level C Balancing – Bicycle Racing
The ultimate winner of this event was the contestant who had the longest time consumed to reach the finish line.

DSC00666Volcano: Watch carefully for the volcano's eruption! Don't blink your eyes on this one.

IMG_4831Balloon: Shake, shake, shake until it inflates!

IMG_4835Egg: Wrap the egg well so that it does not break when it falls from a high elevation.

IMG_4840Rubik's Cube: This was the most mind boggling event. We all waited for the first one to finish and hit the bell. Cherry Mae (in the green shirt) solved the cube in 48 seconds!

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The Underground River

   This week, my Level A2 students finished the topic about the natural sceneries of the Philippines. One of the natural sceneries talked about really amazed everyone: the Underground River in Palawan. During the discussion the students asked many great questions.IMG_4817

     Here are some of them:
1.) Is it scary inside?
2.) Are there lights around?
3.) What animals can be found inside?
4.) What if an earthquake happens, will the cave collapse?
5.) Is there a ghost inside?
6.) How did the water enter the cave?
7.) Can we go inside the cave just by swimming?
8.) How many bats are there in the cave?
9.) If the boat we are riding in turns upside down, what will happen?
10.) Is it okay to make noise inside the cave?

     After the questions were answered, I asked them to raise their hand if they wanted to visit the underground river soon. Out of five, four raised their hands and one was undecided. The other students tried to convince her to raise her hand but she didn't. I then asked her why. This was her reply: I'm scared to go in the river!

IMG_4543     The class was then given a culminating activity which was to draw a picture of an underground river. At first I thought the students would find it hard to do but I was wrong. All of them couldn't wait to start drawing their picture!IMG_4545

Green CSC

Mar. 21, 2019By: Paul Healy

DSC06103-62b4dCheck out the changing look of CSC. Solar panels have been installed on the roofs of the Cherne and Eicher Homes and at the school. This will save us thousands of dollars in electric bills every month. It has changed the look of the houses, especilly the Cherne Home. But the savings will  soften the blow a little.  At CSC we want to be good stewards of the money that God has entrusted to us and that comes from friends like you. Money saved here will be available for food, medicine and the education of our children.  

Tools!

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It is really nice to dream about something big. It gives you strength to achieve your desired goals in life. One goal our preschoolers have is to live in a loving home surrounded by their family. But, if you look closely at a home, it takes a lot of work to build, just like our dreams.

20190108_083117During a recent art class in preschool, we introduced the students to different tools we use to build things. It started from reading a story (which they really loved!) to a coloring activity and our last activity for them was to have a first-hand experience on how to use the different tools. We went to the shelter and, through the help of Uncle Cio, the students were able to saw, hammer, and measure. We let our students try each tool one at a time to avoid chaos and to ensure safety. Clearly, their eagerness overflowed as they patiently waited for their turn and the whole activity was filled with so much fun!

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As teachers, our ultimate goal is to help our students build a strong foundation so they can achieve their dreams and aspirations in life. At Cebu Children of Hope School we have a huge supportive team around the world who support the ministry so us teachers can help our students dream dreams of what their lives could look like. We, together, are all building a fantastic future for these kids!

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