Staff Blog
This is crunch time at CSC. Year-end giving, especially in December, is a huge part of CSC's income for the year, so we really rely on the generosity of our supporters at this time. We always come down to the last few days of the year needing a bunch of money! Is it stressful? Well, no, at least not a lot for me. I have witnessed so many years of God providing through his people, our supporters, that I don't really get stressed. Concerned and hopeful, yes. Prayerful, yes. But I can honestly say that I don't spend too much time worrying.
The challenge for me is to remember to be thankful while being confident and expectant. I don't want to take God's goodness to CSC for granted. Ever. We have been trying to be more intentional lately about teaching thankfulness to our CSC children. They receive so many blessings every day in terms of food, clothing, medical care, education, recreation, counseling, and fun activities. Lots of people work very hard to provide all of this for them. They know that they will receive nice gifts at Christmas and on their birthdays. If someone should skin their knee a loving nurse will attend to it. Social workers are preparing their legal documents to prepare them for adoption. House parents are available for emotional and spiritual support. Staff members have time to encourage them and show their love in practical ways. More than a hundred people are working for them every day, not to mention all of our supporters! We want them to be thankful for what they have. Part of this entails remembering where they came from. All of our kids grew up in poverty, and most experienced malnutrition, sickness and despair. We want them to appreciate what they have been given.
We have a program called 
Junel's Box that helps with this. Named after a former resident who had a huge heart for others, this program allows the CSC children to give money from their allowances to help a poor family that is selected by our social worker team. We buy food, building materials and household items and deliver them to the family just before Christmas. It is a time for the kids to "give back" and remember that there are people who are hurting and need a helping hand. We also tell our children regularly about all of you dear people who give generously to help us take care of them. I want them to know that the money that CSC has doesn't come from me or the wealth of the staff. It comes from cool people, most of them who are of modest means, who love them. These reminders are important to our kids. Every night at bedtime the children pray, thanking God for all of you who bless their lives.
Thanks to our friends for year-end gifts and prayers and for all that you do throughout the year to make life better for these awesome kids.
Learning About Pottery
We have been so excited to have some special visitors this week - my in-laws! Larry and Vicki have known about CSC for many years and it's so great to have them here to share their gifts with the kids. Since Larry has a passion for pottery, we arranged for him to do a lesson with the kids! He demonstrated "throwing a pot" on the pottery wheel and then gave them the opportunity to make their own clay fish with the help of CSC's art teacher, Teacher Jun Jun. It was a really unique experience for the kids and a fun afternoon for everyone.
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Tartanillas---riding in style!
This week, one of our house fathers celebrated his birthday and he decided to bless everyone by renting a tartanilla for all the kids (and adults) to enjoy! What is a tartanilla you ask? It is a horse-drawn carriage. Back in the day in the Philippines---the Spanish colonial days that is----tartanillas were the common mode of transportation. They have since been replaced by Jeepneys, but you can still see some here and there----like on the congested streets of the marketplace or in the provinces! Check out the pictures to see all the fun that was had by the kids, the birthday boy and ME! :)
Happy riders---Aunties and kids alike!
The birthday boy had fun being the driver!
The view from my seat---pretty cool!
SMILES GALORE!!!
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An Every Day Conversation
Teacher Junelyn and I planned an activity for library that involved each of the kids sharing about a favorite book using a prop related to their chosen book. Junelyn and I had our own book and prop picked, but we kept it a bit of a secret from the kids. A student whose class was not participating approached me and whispered, "Tell me what your book is. I won't tell."
I replied, "No, I think I'll keep it a secret!"
The student raised her hand as if to make a pledge and said back to me, "I promise."
Raising my right hand also, I said, "You promise?"
Without missing a beat, she said, "I plead the 5th."
This student is in American Studies and she was applying what she had learned in class to our conversation. I must admit I laughed pretty hard.
Later that day, the kids had a great time sharing about their favorite books. One student dressed as Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Another student wore a quiver and horn to represent Robin Hood. Oh, yes, Junelyn and I had the kids try Turkish Delight from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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Introducing Jill Grasley
Meet Jill Grasley (pronounced "grays-lee"). She has joined Children's Shelter of Cebu as Development Officer. We are thrilled to have her on the team. I have been praying for this position for over a year, and Jill is going to be a great fit. She is an answer to prayer!
Jill will work in our US Office in a much-needed role. For the last nine years, CSC's US office has consisted of two full-time employees and one part-time. In those years, our budget has more than doubled--growing from $915,000 to $1,890,000. Now that my job scope has expanded, we need someone who can focus full-time on the fund development that provides our beautiful children with a home.
Jill has been employed at Crossroads Adoption Services in MN for over 12 years. She assisted many families through the adoption process--including several CSC families. Jill has focused the last several years working in the area of fundraising through event management, grant writing, donor cultivation and social media.
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Jill received her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Cedarville University in Ohio and her master's degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Jill and her husband Michael are very involved in Grace Church of Roseville (Minnesota). Jill is a youth volunteer and their family is active in a small group. Mike and Jill have three girls- Calli (12), Miranda (10) and Brooklyn (1). Welcome to CSC, Jill! |
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CSC Smiles
Many people comment on two things when they arrive at CSC. The first thing lots of people say when they come through our gate is that CSC seems to be an “Oasis” of green grass, cleanliness and hope in a neighbourhood that is lacking all three of those things. The second thing that people say is that our kids seem happy and that they have beautiful smiles. I agree. It is hard to give you the opportunity to really see that CSC is an “Oasis” in photos….but I can show you some beautiful CSC smiles. Enjoy.
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