Staff Blog
The calendar tells us that this is the week of Christmas, the "most wonderful time of the year" as the song goes. This year, though, something feels a bit off. We are still shy of twelve months of complete disruption from the pandemic that has hit our globe, which means that we can all remember what it was like last year at this time. Some would call that time last year "normal" compared to what we are experiencing today. We had no idea what was about to hit us. Unprecedented is a word that is used a lot these days, though I admit that I try to shy away from that word altogether. I sometimes find it hard to believe that we are nearing the end of 2020, when it feels like the time from March until now has been like a never-ending cycle of reliving the same day over and over again, or some variation thereof.
There are some things about this Christmas season, however, regardless of the pandemic, that make me wonder what month it is. For one, there is no snow on the ground. Maybe it's going to be a brown Christmas. Though the temperatures are cold enough to flood the rink up the street from our house, the quality of ice is still debatable, as my children would say. The temperature has been unseasonably warm for Minnesota. We had a 40-degree day recently. Mind you, as the years go by, I rather enjoy warmer weather and shorter winters. But let's put all that aside for now. What I really want to do right now is have us center our thoughts on the things that never change.
Morning, Evening, Repeat
I began my job as president of CSC this past August. Already four months have gone by and with it so many full and fulfilling days of work for this amazing ministry. I love my job! It seems, though, that with each passing year, and as I get older, the days get shorter. Why is that? Just so you know, it is not just me and it is not just you. There is a lot of science behind why "time speeds up" as you age. While we all know that there are still 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, it can seem that the weeks and months just "fly" by. I've heard that the more years you live, the less one year (or one day) is as a total of all the years you have lived. Makes sense to me.
A Cambridge University study from March 2019 posits that perception and physics have a lot to do with why we feel time is speeding up. The study explains that "clock time" is not the same as the time perceived by the human mind. "The 'mind time' is a sequence of images, i.e. reflections of nature that are fed by stimuli from sensory organs" (Bejan, 2019). It goes on to talk about the difference in those who are well rested versus those who are overtired. We are much more likely to watch time pass us by when we are tired and worn. Conversely, the person who is at rest is likely to experience a slowness of time and may feel more at peace. I have to admit that I have more times of time moving quickly than times at rest.
So what can we do to remedy this state of being? Try reading Psalm 63, as follows. Take some time to really "drink" these words in. Use this and other Psalms, even other scriptures, to get your mind and soul in a position of rest in order to slow down your processing time.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced. (The Holy Bible, NIV)
Childlike Curiosity for Cebu
Part of what motivates and drives me is a curiosity to discover new things, or new ways of doing old things. Just last night I was looking at maps of Cebu, Philippines and some of the neighboring islands. I was imagining the property that is Children's Shelter of Cebu, the three residences, the infirmary, Children of Hope School. I imagined seeing the children and staff outside, walking the grounds, playing, sitting, and also those who were inside the buildings. I imagined myself in that setting as well, soaking in the heat and humidity like I had done when I was in Cebu last, many years ago. I just can't wait to hop a plane and go over there again.
Part of the curiosity I have has to do with my vision for the future, especially as it relates to CSC. I am mindful of a Christ-centered ministry that has been around for nearly 42 years and am also aware of my own place in the ministry, as a former board member and now as president. I feel a stirring and calling from God that He has more for us to do in Cebu, much more. 2021 is just around the corner and I am so excited for what next year will bring. I am grateful for a leadership team in Cebu who are so capable of doing what is required of them in order to provide the best care possible for all of the children. I am grateful for all those who partner with CSC to make it possible for this care to happen, both financially and through prayer.
God's Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22-23 are two verses that most of us could sing or hum the tune to.
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (The Holy Bible, ESV)
When I think about faithfulness, I often think about who is the one being faithful and what they character qualities are. On a human level, I understand quickly that our ability to be faithful and unfaithful can change in a matter of seconds. That is because we are a flawed humanity full of faults. God on the other hand is the only one who can be consistently faithful, and He promises His faithfulness each and every day. Even in the hardest of days (or years, like 2020), His faithfulness can be seen everywhere. I should say that those who know God and who choose to seek Him can see His faithfulness everywhere. God remains the same, never changing. As Hebrews 13:8 says of God's only son, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (The Holy Bible, ESV).
I find it so reassuring that God is the one thing that never changes. And even more than that, the Bible tells us that He was present before everything was formed. He is the beginning AND the end. Psalm 90:2 says, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God" (The Holy Bible, ESV). He will be there to guide CSC through whatever the next year brings.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we praise you for all the many blessings of this year. Thank you for your faithfulness. Remind us of the importance to slow down and to rest in you, and draw us to your Holy Word for that rest. Help us remember that you are the same yesterday and today and forever. Please show us the way to go in 2021 and may everything we do be done in a way that brings you glory. In the name of Jesus, the Christ, Amen.
P.S.
It is my honor to be able to write periodically for our CSC blog. It is my hope that these words and the words from all those who share from time to time will draw you in to a deeper walk with the Lord and help you see things from different points of view. While we hope to tell you more about Children's Shelter of Cebu, we also want to share a bit about those who do the work.
Sources:
Bejan, A. (2019, March 18). Why the days seem shorter as we get older. Retrieved from:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-review/article/why-the-days-seem-shorter-as-we-get- older/2CB8EC9B0B30537230C7442B826E42F1
The Holy Bible. New International Version. Retrieved from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+63&version=NIV
The Holy Bible. English Standard Version. Retrieved from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations%203%3A22-23&version=ESV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A8&version=ESV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+90%3A2&version=ESV
Little moments that are big!
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.
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Eldie Moves up
One of the most important changes at CSC these days involves our new Human Resources department and Eldie Allocod. Eldie has been a counselor at CSC for the past seven years, but he will relinquish that position as he takes over the leadership of HR. Eldie worked in the business world before coming to CSC so has a basic understanding of the workings of an HR department and the government requirements for employers. But more importantly, he understands CSC and our employees. He will be great resource for them in terms of compensation, benefits and designing staff development and team building activities. Since CSC has 125 employees that will be a big job. Eldie will soon be hiring an associate to help him in the department.
Congratulations, Eldie, on this promotion and we look forward to watching this department get established and begin to meet the needs of a growing organization. As Eldie says, happier employees translates to better care for our children. And that is something that we are always looking for at CSC!
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Solidarity Fellowship
Big and small changes are happening at CSC. Whatever the size is, our arms are wide open in welcoming these changes. Sometimes in our lives "cool change" is needed and same is true for companies and ministries.
Last year we hired a Social Work Director and hired two more Social Workers to be on staff. This department had a big change with Carmelita Baya's retirement, our long time Social Worker. Just like the rest of the departments at CSC, Social Work has a vital role in the lives of our children. They are in the front row in admitting new CSC children and one of the many hands that prepare the children for adoption.
My department, Child Development, and Social Work works hand in hand. Together with the Counselors, our departments meet every month to talk about updates on each child. Our departments needs to be on the same page in writing our reports. Child Development needs to know where the child's paperwork is at and at the same time, Social Work needs to know of any challenges and progress our children meet.
Last April, the two departments held a joint event together with all of our school age kids. The said event was to bring solidarity amongst the children at CSC, solidarity amongst the Child Development and Social Work staff and fellowship amongst the workers and the children. It was an event full of creativity, beaming faces, bible verses and oneness. The children got to know their Social Workers and what an important role they have in their lives.
To show solidarity and to enjoy our fellowship even more, we ended our event with a very good lunch: Boodle Fight! Our houseparents lined up a long line of tables on the driveway; using banana leaves, our cooks laid out rice, pancit and grilled pork on the table and everyone: the children and the CSC workers dig in to a scrumptious lunch using their bare hands!
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CCSSC does it again!
So many people work together to make CSC go. Years ago, our friends in Canada put together an organization to help support the ministry in Cebu. The Cebu Children's Shelter Society of Canada was former by people who had lived in Cebu and knew about the work that we were doing. CCSSC is an entirely volunteer-run organization that 
sends all the money that comes in to Cebu for the ministry. Every year they have a banquet and auction as a fund raiser for the ministry. I have had the pleasure of attending a few of these events and have always been amazed at how hard these volunteers work for the sake of our kids here. It is a labor of love, and the labor is significant - planning, soliciting donations, organizing, displaying, decorating, cooking, greeting, cleaning up, counting, receipting. And lots 0f prayer goes into the event.
It takes many people to make CSC go and these dear folks' love for our children is humbling and very encouraging for our staff. Thank you so much for all you do for the ministry!
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Two audiences
The recent CSC banquet was attended by almost 700 people in Minnesota. On the other side of the world, the staff and workers of CSC were also avid participants. We have a lot of investment in the CSC Annual Banquet. We contribute many hours in helping Matt and Jill prepare, taking pictures, shooting videos and offering suggestions concerning the program. Our workers know how important the banquet is and spend time praying for the event. Even the children of CSC are aware of the timing of the banquet and ask lots of questions about it. They love to see pictures of the banquet and watch the videos that are prepared for showing there.
The banquet started at 7:30 am on Sunday here in Cebu. but we were up and watching via Skype, thanks to Heidi Erickson who had her computer on their table near the stage at Bethel. We couldn't hear all that well, but it was great fun t0 watch what was going on and get a feel for the love and interest in that room. We are the second audience for the CSC banquet, 10,000 miles away, but very interested and engaged and excited to see what gets accomplished every year. We hold our breath when the banquet offering total is announced because we know first-hand how important that income is to the ministry and get to see every day how it is used for the needs of the children we care for here.
The term "stakeholder" is used a lot these days to describe people who have a financial, emotional or spiritual connection to a ministry or program. Certainly all of us in Cebu are stakeholders of the success of the banquet and all the fundraising and promotional efforts of our stateside ministry. But so are all the supporters and lovers of CSC. In that respect, there are many more than two audiences for the banquet. People all around the world are involved as donors and sponsors. In fact, people other than those attending in Minnesota participate in the offering by designating a gift to be included in the collection taken at the end of the banquet. They are excited to hear of the total, as are those who wait patiently at Bethel for the envelop to reach the emcees hands and be announced. It was $126,000!!
But the banquet is more than just an offering, and our stakeholders get to hear and see what is happening in Cebu. It is a night of fellowship, fun, laughter, tears and thanksgiving. One Minnesota attender said that there was "a lot of energy in the room" at Bethel. I know there was. And there was a lot of energy in the room across the world from Minnesota where we were gathered to watch and experience much of what was going on in that room full of CSC lovers, our fellow stakeholders of God's greatness.
Thanks to all who helped make this a great banquet and a blessing to us here in Cebu.
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