Staff Blog
Last Saturday, the staff, the Aunties, Uncles and children of CSC sang the traditional farewell song for and prayed over Auntie Sandy. It was a surreal experience to be saying goodbye to one of CSC's founders. Auntie Sandy has been a fixture at CSC for the past 36 years. She is a very important and real part of so many of our children's and adoptive families' stories. She has left an impressive legacy and she will not be forgotten.
There are many things we will miss about Auntie Sandy:
Like the fact, that she and only she, can put that beaming smile on Joemar's face! :)
The fact that her arms and her heart are always open for a child in need of loving.
Her excitement when passing out donations!
How she values and and encourages others.
What she means to everyone at CSC: Aunties, Uncles, staff and children.
How much she loves the color blue! ;)
There are so many more things about Auntie Sandy that we miss; I cannot possibly list them all here. And truth be told, her absence is felt every day, but the shelter that she and others started all those years ago, must continue on and move forward. Because there are still children that need help. God's work is not done in Cebu. And though CSC will not be the same without her as it was with her, she has left a foundation upon which this ministry can and will build.
I have had the privilege of working alongside Auntie Sandy for the past few years. I first started working at CSC in 2011, serving as the Interm Child Development Director while Sandy had a year-long furlough in MN. What a whirlwind year of learning and growth that was! When she returned and resumed her role as the Director, I became an additional member of the Child Development team, working also with Ruth and Amy. In preparing for Sandy's retirement, I was asked to direct the Child Development department. It is an honor I have accepted. I have learned much in the 4 years I have been here and I know I will continue to learn. Thank you, Auntie Sandy, for your wisdom shared and the opportunity to watch you at work.
God Bless and Godspeed to you, Auntie Sandy!
Please pray for Auntie Sandy as she continues to serve CSC in MN over the next year and as she moves into retirement, that God will continue to use her to further His kingdom. Please pray for CSC in Cebu as well. I would appreciate your prayers as I start my new position and as the Child Development team learns to function with only three members now instead of four.
The Sun
Every day at Cebu Children of Hope School (CCHS) we start our day with something called Morning Meeting. This is a "soft landing" time for our children which enables them to calm their bodies, practice social skills, and prepare for a great day of learning. Part of every Morning Meeting is a time for kids to share. Sometimes the question is about what they did over the weekend, sometimes the question is related to the day's lessons.
Teacher Chery and Teacher Mae lead the Morning Meeting for Level A1, our four energetic kindergarteners. Here is a conversation they recently had in their classroom, with the question relating to the day's science lesson.
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Teacher Mae asked, "Where do you think the sun will go during the night?"
Student 1: The sun goes under the sea at night because it goes under the line (he means the horizon).
Student 2: The sun is on the ground teacher.
Student 3: Hmmmmmm... the sun will go to bed and sleep.
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Even with their young minds, these children have great ideas that even surprise us adults at times. Each child at CCHS is surrounded by great teachers who have dedicated their lives to help enlighten and empower their students so they can understand everything from where the sun goes at night to understanding how the God who made the sun loves them unconditionally. Thank you for supporting the work that is happening every day at CCHS!
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Pag Ibig Award
Recently CSC received an award from the Pag-IBIG Fund, the Philippine government financial agency that is handling the mortgages for our 60 employees who are receiving Habitat for Humanity homes. The award recognizes the role of CSC in this project on behalf of our employees, who are all automatically members of Pag-Ibig.
This award is a testimony to the work of Paul Reasoner, who raised funds to help alieviate the financial burden for our workers and make their mortgages more affordable for them. We are an organization that values our employees and we have been concerned that they have decent housing. Many have lived in sub-standard houses prior to this project, and would not have had even the hope of having their own house and lot without the cooperative efforts of CSC, Pag-IBIG Fund and Habitat for Humanity. This award reflects that concern of CSC, and the partnership of the agencies who are all dedicated to getting deserving people into safe and affordable housing.
Pastor Fred Verdeflor, who is the husband of our CSC nurse Arlyn and President of the CSC Happy Homes homeowners association, went to Manila to accept the award on behalf of CSC.
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Life Cycles
All living things undergo different stages during their life. Some living things start as a seed, pollen, or spore. Other organisms such as animals start as a live young or an egg that sometimes needs to undergo the process of metamorphosis which completely changes their appearance.
In my Level B2 science class the students were able to witness the process of metamorphosis. We started in the caterpillar stage where the students saw how many leaves the caterpillar consumed. After several weeks it became a pupa. The students were very eager to look at the changes every day though it stunk when they opened the lid of the box. The day finally arrived when the caterpillar became a moth! We all went outside and set the moth free. The students were so excited to be a part of this process!
The whole activity took a lot of time and dedication but the result was very fulfilling. The students were able to learn not just how metamorphosis works but also about patience, perseverance, and having a love for nature.
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2018 Highlights
CSC Higlights of 2018
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Christmas 2018
Click to see pics of the different activities at CSC this Christmas. Our generous donors allow us to give lots of fun times to the children. God bless you all.
Junel's Box 2018 - Inayawan, Cebu City
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