Staff Blog
For quite some time, I tried finding ways to see someone who left Children’s Shelter of Cebu’s custody in 2007. He was ten years old when he and his older sister left CSC. It was everybody’s understanding, according to the agreement between CSC and the mother, that they would all live in the province. It was not until a while later that we heard they came back to the city. The sister was taken care of by the mother. The boy, once again, lived in the same place he had lived before he had come to CSC. It was hard knowing he would again be left on his own.
I tried following up on him through his mother and older sister. I asked many times to meet with him at the office. For years, his mother did not have nice things to say about him. The older sister, who was (and still is) under their mother’s care, seemed not to know how he was doing either. She would only say she did not know what he was up to, or she did not know how he was doing. She knew, though, that he was still living in the house near the market. It’s not that she did not care for him, she just did not want to do anything to displease her mother.
I tried for years to get him to come to the yearly outreach Christmas party. I even resorted to withholding his Christmas gift one year so he would come and get it at the office. He did not come. One year, when he was enrolled in grade four at a nearby school, I got him to come see me because I would not give him shoes if he were not the one to come get them. So, I brought him to the store and got him the shoes and socks. I even brought him back to the place he called home. That was the last time I saw him.
It has been quite some time. I thought I lost that young boy. But, God answered prayers. Early this year, I heard of a place that caters to out-of-school youth that want to better themselves. I talked, sent text messages, and visited some of CSC’s former kids whom I thought would benefit from the program. And I sent a message and talked to this boy’s mother, too. She told me she would tell him about this opportunity. And praise God, she did! I was very happy and thankful when he came to see me at the office to talk about the program and what it would mean for him.
I also could not believe it was him when he introduced himself. The negative reports from the mother had colored my perception of him. How could a drug-abusing kid look so clean cut and well-mannered as this young man seemed to be? But I was glad he finally came back. After all these years, he finally came back!
Now, this seventeen-year-old young man has been in training since the second week of May. And as part of his training, he is working part time (and earning a half-day’s wage) through the social enterprise project of the organization. He is also enrolled in the GED-like alternative school. He hopes to pass the exams to either graduate from high school or to get into the high school level. He only has a grade four education. His main goal is to become a Filipino Marine. He wants to serve his country and at the same time, help his family while doing it.
John Henry still has a long way to go. Please pray with us for him.
Thank you, Lord, for this little miracle and answered prayers.
Feeding the Chickens
Being a teacher is somewhat like feeding chickens. When you’re feeding chickens, you have to make sure they eat the food given to them to get the right nutrients. It’s disappointing if one of your chickens gets sick or dies. You may get frustrated if the feed spoils or spills out of the container, wasting time, money, and effort. To avoid this you should have the correct container and supplies for the chickens’ needs. From time to time you might have to change the type of chicken feed to ensure the chickens will keep on eating.
Like raising temperamental chickens, teachers also encounter various types of behaviors in students and this needs to be considered before implementing the lesson you are going to teach. The lesson needs to be prepared properly so the students enjoy and understand the lesson. Assessments need to be given to make sure the kids really understand the topic you have discussed.
In my experience while teaching the kids at CCHS, I have undergone different emotions. Sometimes I feel happy and sometimes I feel mad or even guilty, but I try to not let that be a hindrance. I pray to the Lord that He will always guide me with the exact words and actions needed for the lesson I am going to share with my students.
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Can we do an experiment?!
It has been a joy for me to teach science for the older students at the Children of Hope School. Having recently graduated college specializing in science education, it has been an exciting adventure to be able to teach what I love. The students' love for science only makes me love my job even more! Everyday, they ask me, "Teacher Amanda, can we do an experiment?!" Whenever I say "Yes", their eyes widen with an eagerness to learn.
One of our latest experiments was making "oobleck" to explore the properties of matter. Oobleck is made of just corn starch and water, but when the ingredients are mixed together, it carries the properties of both solids and liquids! The students had a chance to get messy, have fun, and engage in scientific inquiry at the same time. With oobleck dripping from their hands, smiles stretched across their faces, and lightbulbs lighting up as their minds participated in active learning, I would say that our experiment was a success! By the end of the lesson, the students asked me a new question, "Teacher Amanda, can we do an experiment again tomorrow?!" What a delight it is to share my love of science with these young, bright, eager minds!
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Reading Challenge: A First Experience
Well, this was the day I had been waiting for, the first all-school activity I was in charge of (along with Teacher Cora) in my new job as a teacher at CCHS. Teacher Cora and I were the facilitators of the Reading Challenge Kick-off, a contest that runs for six weeks to see how much everyone can read. The activity started with a prayer followed by a video presentation. Next was a short skit that really made me nervous. It was not easy to talk in front of the students since it was my first time to be in charge.
As the skit started,
the students were wondering where I was going because I was carrying a
bag. 
I pretended I had come from the
library after borrowing books. Teacher
Cora asked questions about the books I had “borrowed.” Some of the kids were laughing and
cheering. I was still pretty
nervous. Then all the teachers started
singing a rehearsed song, “I Love Reading.”
The students joined in dancing and singing the song.
Following the skit, each reading teacher announced the reading goals for the different classes. The students were mostly excited and a bit nervous themselves about meeting the goals. Games of “What’s the Word?” and “What’s Missing?” topped off the activities. The kids had to think hard and work together.
The event ended with lots of smiles on the kids’ faces. They showed their willingness to learn, read, discover and broaden their imagination through reading. They were ready to dive into reading good books! Reading more will help in shaping their futures.
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Therapy Room Gets Dolled Up!
If you read Peter Arneson’s past blog about the Therapy Department, you will remember that we were in the process of taking out the Jacuzzi inside the therapy room. Uncle Jerry was taking a warm dip in the picture in the blog.
Well, we have removed the Jacuzzi and replaced it with more shelves. We also have new carpeting! During the process of remodeling, I contemplated putting in a sensory wall and a climbing wall for the benefit of most of the kids we service. With the help of Uncle Jerry’s team, we were able to put up a climbing wall and a sensory wall. The sensory wall consists of four panels: textures, gadgets, magnets and falling objects.
Some of the kids are already
enjoying the new digs! Take a look at our new therapy room.
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Do you have a birthmark?
Kind of a weird title for a blog I know, but it is something that I have been thinking about lately.
We had one of our CSC KIDS return for a visit last week. He is now 19 years old; he left CSC when he was about 19 months old. When we told his house parents and his caretakers that he was coming back to visit they all were excited to see him of course…no one is forgotten at CSC. One of the first things they talked about was his birthmark; he had a birthmark on one of his legs below the knee. They remembered him of course, but his birthmark was something that was special to him.
When he arrived we were all excited to see him, we recognized his smile and could see that little baby face that we remembered in the face of the young man with a mustache before us. We all glanced at his leg and did not see the birthmark we remembered so well…was this really our little guy? Finally, someone could not hold it in any longer; they asked him where his birthmark was. I wondered how he would handle that question; but he stood up, put his foot up on the chair, and pointed out a barely discernible scar right where we knew his birth mark should be. He explained that he had his birthmark removed when he was young because he did not like that people always noticed it. He thought it was wonderful that we remembered though, it brought a big smile to his face that we remembered something that was specific and individual to him. It gave him something positive out of something that he thought was negative. He almost seemed proud to show us the scar, he knew it was part of his identity, and the fact that we remembered proved to him that we DID remember him as an individual.
This little event made me think about the” birthmark” that many of us have, one that should be obvious for one and all to see. Do we let people see the “birthmark” that we have from our second birth; our birth into God’s family? This “birthmark” would be visible in our actions, our words, even our thoughts. I wonder if some of us would like to hide it and remove it. I wonder if some of us are embarrassed about it. I am sure that I have thought of doing all those things at different points in my life. Nevertheless, in the end, we know that this “birthmark” is the best thing we have ever been given. We can be proud of it and we need to show it to the world. I love birthmarks.
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