Staff Blog
A dear man left this world on Sunday. It was Father's Day.
Dr. Gerald Healy, who most people lovingly called "Big Jer" was the father of Paul Healy, our Field Director and co-founder. But to CSC, Big Jer was a lot more than that. He had the back of CSC in the States in so many ways while the ministry began and then flourished in the Philippines. He was a board member, a fundraiser and an incredible advocate.
I'll never forget the first time I saw Jer. It was one of my early introductions to CSC and happened just before joining the staff. Jer was emceeing the annual banquet--a role he filled for decades. My wife, Theresa, and I attended the banquet and sat in the last row of tables like all the other late RSVP'ers. We were touched by the stories of life change and amazed when they announced how many people had visited Cebu and seemingly half the room stood up, but what stood out more than anything was how funny the emcee was. He was knee-slapping funny. I even turned to Theresa at one point and said, "This guy is awesome!"
Years later, and having gotten to know Jer on a personal level, I can tell you the description fit. Jer was awesome. His kindness and wit were extraordinary. In all the times I saw Jer, I can't remember one in which I didn't leave it feeling encouraged, entertained and better than I was before it. What a class act and generous spirit.
One time, Jer and I were sitting at lunch at a golf course. We hadn't played that day, but Jer had the day before. He was telling me about the foursome he played in, and how he and a friend of his had been paired up with a couple of young guys. I remember Jer telling me these guys had it together. They were smart, funny and impressive. It was also evident they weren't Christians. Jer paused at that point and said, "Matt, these guys would make great Christians." Jer wanted them to know what he knew. He wanted them to have the hope of Jesus Christ. He could imagine them in the church, and he had tried to be a light to them that day.
I think of that interaction now and smile. The guy I was sitting across the table from made a great Christian himself. We could use hundreds more like him in our churches, but there was only one Big Jer. He was loved in his family, in the halls of Bethel college and in sanctuaries and fellowship halls across Minnesota. And, he was sure loved at CSC.
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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