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
August is Buwan ng Wika
August is Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) in schools throughout the Philippines and each school puts on activities at the end of the month. The theme this year was Filipino: Wika ng Pagkakaisa or Filipino: Unity in Language. We had our activities at school on August 22 and the day was filled with fun, games, language riddles and Filipino food.
Since I am new this year, Buwan ng Wika was my first all day school activity. In the morning, we had indoor activities like bugtongan (riddles in Filipino) and groups presented cheers in Filipino. We had a lot of fun thinking of cheers using the Filipino dialect. It was hard because our first language is Cebuano, not Filipino. After the activities inside the school, we went down to the shelter to have a snack and continue playing Filipino games. Some of the games were jack em' poy (rock, scissors, paper), takyan (a kind of home-made hacky sack), rubber band throwing, and a cat and dog tag game. After a lunch of Filipino food, we returned to school for student and teacher presentations. Some groups performed dances with costumes and props while others did a skit.
The students' faces showed their enjoyment throughout the day. I also enjoyed the activities not only because of the fun games, but because of the bonding and fellowship we shared with the kids and teachers. I'm looking forward for more fun and exciting activities!
| Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | School News |
Laura
Last week Laura came to visit us at school. Laura taught at our school for six years as an instructional assistant, working mainly with preschoolers and individual students in one-on-one tutoring sessions. Laura is a lady with a story to tell, a powerful story of transformation.
When Laura first started at CCHS, she was shy and new to the world of teaching. She gained confidence with experience and the encouragement of her colleagues. Laura was a also a seeker, intrigued by the message of God as her personal saviour. She asked a lot of questions and eventually sought to have Christ as the guiding force in her life. This desire transformed Laura giving her new purpose and a confidence she had not had before.
Serious trouble arose in February of 2012 when Laura was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possble, but she was also frightened of chemotherapy, so she chose to try alternative therapies in an attempt to arrest the spread of the disease. When these therapies were not successful and she was again faced with the decision to try chemotherapy, Laura realized her fear of chemotherapy had been the driving force of her decisions rather than her faith in God's promises.
Laura decided to have chemotherapy and she is feeling better, but she is not cancer free. However, Laura is the first to tell others the promises of God are true and right. She is firm in her belief God will give her the strength she needs each day. She is bold and confident. She loves to tell her story of God's transforming power in her life, come what may.
| Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | School News |
Great News!
Last March the National Achievement Test (NAT) for Grade 6 was administered by the Department of Education. This is a nation-wide test given to all students in their last year of elementary school. This was the first time we had any of our students take the national test because we had been exempt from taking it in the past. The rules changed recently so we had two students who qualified to take the test. To be honest, we did not have a good feeling about what the results would be because of a planning glitch in the Department of Education. We had not been informed of the exact day the test was going to be administered, so we had to scramble the day of the test.
The results of the test did not come out until about 6 months after they were taken. Cris Tabra, the principal of our school, was attending a private school administrators meeting a couple of weeks ago and she noticed one attendee looking at a print out of the results of the NAT. She started looking at the back of the list of results for private schools in Cebu City. When Cebu Children of Hope School did not appear on the back couple of pages, she kept turning forward to the first page. There was the name of our school third on the list! Our students had done well enough to rank third out of 98 private schools in the city. Wow!
The girls were excited they had done so well. Their efforts at school paid off in a big way. The teachers might have been even more proud and excited than the girls. What a great encouragement for all. As teachers we are thankful for the children's achievement. We are also very thankful for the reading and math curriculums we use. Both programs expose the children to a broad knowledge base and prepare them to think critically. Thank you for being a part of Cebu Children of Hope School, praying for the students and staff as we gather each day to learn and grow.
Our Third Place Girls!
| Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | School News |
New Haircut Ladies
The children have lots of good people around them. The children look up to the aunties and uncles.
Recently, Auntie Yayang suggested an idea to a few of the girls—a cute, short haircut. The girls liked the idea, but had one condition. They wanted Auntie Yayang to join them in cutting their hair. She liked the idea, and could not say no to their persistent nagging. Auntie Yayang did the honors of cutting the girls’ hair into a cute new do. A few days later, she fulfilled her end of the agreement and came to work with a matching short haircut. She knew better than to leave her hair at the mercy of a bunch of young girls.
It is cute to see how an auntie and children bond over a few snips of a scissors.
| Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | Shelter News |
Typical day?
Visitors often ask what a typical day is like for those of us working at the shelter.
"Good question!," I usually respond with as I scramble for the words that can best answer that good, but complex question. And the truth is, there isn't one!
The beauty of CSC is that it is a vibrant place with a pulse. No day is the same as one you have had before. We all have job descriptions, but those go out the window when a need arises that has to be addressed. And sometimes that need was maybe never anticipated. So, you respond, you address the need.
There are common tasks for all of us: reports we should be working on, pictures we could be organizing, and blogs we should be writing... ;)
But there are other tasks that can become part of your day with little notice: spending time with adoptive families or visitors, meetings (in 1 week, I could attend 15 meetings!), taking children for appointments, being on duty (when a house parent is on their day off), sleeping at the shelter when the house parents will be gone overnight, attending birthday parties, taking notes during school conferences, organizing donations, attending school programs, assessing and admitting children, and the list goes on.
Every one of these tasks is just as important as the next. Attending a child's birthday party and praying over them as they start a new year in life is just as important as updating a report.
Assessing children for future admittance is just as significant as meeting with the house parents to discuss the health and behavior of the current children in their home.
During assessment:
Now:
The tasks before us on any given day are largely unknown! We can think we know what the day will look like, but God's plan for our day is usually different than ours. And that is okay. CSC is His ministry, He has made it what it is today and it is our job to just do what He puts before us. And truth be told, serving at CSC and being a part of these kids' lives is truly a blessing.
Life also seems to be a bit more exciting when living in a tropical country. Last week, during a house parent meeting, I happened to see an unusual shadow moving along the outside of our office. It was a snake! There were screams and excitement as we ran outside to see where it was going. The house father we were meeting with just so happens to like snakes (Thank you, Lord!), so he was eager to catch it. In fact, he decided to take that opportunity to practice a snake-catching technique he had seen before on TV! Amazingly, it worked. He was able to stop it and with the help of one of our guards they picked it up and put tape on its mouth---since it was actually poisonous!
There is never a dull moment here at CSC! Thanks for being a part of it all!
| Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | Shelter News |
