Staff Blog
With all the changes going on at CSC, including changes with our staff, we find ourselves anticipating a question from our friends: Is CSC okay? We are! There are many big reasons, like the talent and commitment of staff, excellent Filipinos moving into Leadership positions, a loyal and generous donor base and a good financial position. But there are lots of little reasons, too. I see them every day at the Shelter if I keep my eyes open to them. They are acts of love and care done by our workers to the CSC kids, people who sometimes get overlooked when we tally up our assets as a ministry.
The other night I was "on duty" at the Eicher Home. Staff take turns hanging out in one of the homes when the house parents are off. We were playing a bowling game with plastic pins and ball. Wilmar, who has special needs and really loves bowling, was doing very well. He has the most unorthodox, twisting, flailing technique you could imagine, but he was somehow getting the pins down. To say the least, he was very excited by his success. The child care worker who shadows Wilmar both inside and outside the house, was there helping him stay focused and approximate following the rule for sitting down between turns and not getting in the way of others. Wilmar has a personal auntie for most of the day, including mealtimes. His auntie the other night was Christita. It isn't always easy to care for Wilmar, especially at supper time. He would much rather talk, sing, dance, joke and laugh than eat, and he is always the last one to leave the table. Lots of reminders are needed and tons of patience. Christita has that. And she has something more. She loves Wilmar. I noticed her during the 
bowling competition, pulling for Wilmar, cheering his success and working to keep him engaged and focused. When he finally won the event I looked at her giving him a hug with a huge smile on her face. She knew how much that moment meant to Wilmar, and she was sharing in his triumph with joy. It was one of those great moments that happen over and over again at CSC. And it reinforced to me that for our workers, like with our staff members, CSC is more than just a job. It is a ministry of building, strengthening, encouraging and glorying in the lives of the children that live here.
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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