Staff Blog
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
(1 Corinthians 13:2, NIV)
Make no mistake, your prayers, faith, and love have been moving mountains! Last month I had mentioned a deep concern felt by all of us at CSC; that the partial closure of government offices would make it difficult, if not impossible, for us to process paperwork and manage the cases of our children. Travel restrictions, quarantine protocols, and roadblocks (literally speaking) have hindered our team's ability to submit paperwork and gather needed information. The pandemic has limited the functional capacity of DSWD (the Department of Social Welfare and Development) and ICAB (the Inter-Country Adoption Board), affecting our ability to work with them on receiving referrals of new children and/or advocating for the matching of our current children with prospective adoptive parents.
But we have a talented and proactive team, faithful and diligent supporters (like all of you!), and a God that is always at work, moving us forward in our mission to serve and provide a loving, Christ-centered home for homeless Filipino children. Your prayers are being felt; coupled with your faith and love, your prayers are moving mountains! We can't thank you enough for being a part of what the Lord is doing.
Government offices have been opening with a reduced workforce, and new virtual procedures (utilizing Zoom and Skype) have been developed for us to advocate for our kids before DSWD and ICAB. And, in what can only be described as a miracle, there is now some movement when it comes to international placements, and even international travel, for prospective adoptive parents. At present, the Philippine government is prohibiting foreign nationals from traveling to the islands, with very few exceptions. It is amazing, and an answered prayer, that the national government and ICAB would consider the needs of prospective adoptive families from overseas, adding them to the list of exceptions for travel.
There are still many hurdles to jump. Local matching (that is, matching done with prospective adoptive families within the Philippines) is happening at a fraction of the pace that it was before the pandemic. We also have yet to go through the process of welcoming an international adoptive family and navigate everything that entails (getting them through roadblocks and checkpoints, etc.). Please continue praying with us as we make our plans and preparations, and PRAISE GOD for the doors He has already opened!
Last but not least, please pray for the people of Cebu. Heavy rains have already caused a lot of flooding in and around the city. It is also evident that the pandemic will reverse years of progress that the city, and the country, have made towards reducing extreme poverty. Recent reports show that around 2 million more Filipinos will slide into poverty this year, with estimates stating that 22.4% of the country's population will drop, or remain, below the poverty line. Pray that we can continue sharing the love of Christ in word and in deed through this unique time.
Flooding along Mango (Maxilom) Ave, near Gorordo Ave, in Cebu City on October 13th.
Flooding in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, on October 23rd.
Workers' Christmas Party
Check out these pictures from our workers' Christmas party on December 1. It was a great night of fun, gifts, prizes and recognition of the great contributions of our workers.
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Trust His Heart
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart
-From a song called "Trust His Heart" by Babbie Mason
The view out of my classroom window on a recent rainy day.
Human as we are, we have lots of worries in life. As we worry, some questions come up in our minds. What will my future be like? Will I be able to sustain the needs of my family? What kind of life will my children have? How do I meet the needs of my students, especially those who are struggling? How will I deal with the difficult situations I will be facing in the future? Do the things that I strive to do matter? Am I making a difference in my workplace? Am I on the right track? Is this the will of God for me? I don't understand God's plan for me, what should I do?
Upon worrying and doubting, we sometimes forget that there's someone up there who is bigger than our worries. When our mind is clouded with worries instead of trusting the One who is sovereign over everything, we see the uncertainties. May the message of the song above encourage both you and me to put our full trust in Him who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient amidst uncertainties.
May we hold onto His promise and command from Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV that says, "
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
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40 Years of Hope and Blessings at CSC
CSC will celebrate 40 years of ministry in Cebu City in June of 2019. Our friends and supporters are warmly invited to attend the festivities in Cebu on June 28 and 29. Everyone is invited to see historical videos, pictures and accounts from the past 40 years here on this website and on our Facebook page.
This is from Christmas 2007:
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One Great Afternoon at CCHS!
The United Nations Day celebration is one of the exciting activities at CCHS. It is always fun and informative. Children and teachers look forward to this event every year.
The day before the event, all the teachers put in great effort to prepare lots of things for the kids. Everyone stayed late that night just to make their country booth really captivating. There was the sharing of minds on what to display and how to arrange things in the booth.
The celebration started with the singing of the Philippine national anthem at the shelter followed by a parade heading to school. After the parade the children visited the the different countries: Belgium, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands. Each group was given twenty-five minutes to stay at each booth and learn about the country. There was important information shared by the teachers, crafts to do, and food to eat.
After the country tour was the jeopardy game. Questions were asked to each group to test how well they remembered the things that were shared earlier. It was really fun to hear the students help each other think of the correct answers.
The event ended with a surprise thank you program for the teachers prepared by Teacher Eunice. It was indeed one great afternoon at CCHS!
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Habitat Turnover
Habitat Turnover 60 homes for our workers were turned over to the homeowners on October 2 7 in an emotional ceremony in Talisay, Cebu. After many delays this project was completed and our workers will soon be moving into their new homes. All of these workers will be owning a home for the first time, a dreams that would have gone unfulfilled if not for Habitat for Humanity and Paul Reasoner, who led the fundraising. 
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