Staff Blog

McDonald's, a cup of coffee, and a plastic chair.

Those are a few of the things that you would have seen if you were watching the CSC banquet on the other side of the world.

Some staff here in Cebu got up early on Sunday morning to watch the banquet via Skype. We all met at 7:30AM in the school library (hence the plastic chair), Tammy was kind enough to order McDonald's (yes, McDonald's delivers in the Philippines), and I had brought with a fresh mug of coffee from home. Needless to say, it was a really different experience compared to the CSC banquets that I attended while in Minnesota.

After the videos were played, the speeches made, and the donations collected, Lindsay and I headed down to the shelter to play with the kids for a little bit.

I was incredibly moved by experiencing these two things back-to-back. On one side of the world there were people learning about, praying for, and sacrificially supporting these precious children. On the other side of the world, these same children played with kites, laughed with their friends, and slept safely in their cribs.

Today, in a way that I've never been able to before, I saw how incredible connected these two places are.

This past weekend was banquet weekend for CSC. We here in Cebu, the staff and children, were very much invested in all of this. We made a couple of videos for the events, a silly dance type video for the adoptive families party on Friday night, and a parade video for the banquet. It was a lot of work and everyone joined in and did a great job. I couldn't believe how hard the kids worked in extreme heat to do the parade video, and how they didn't complain or lose interest in the project.

We care a lot about the events and efforts that are extended to raise funds and promote this ministry. We are happy to pitch in and do our part, and to pray for those who work hard to be able to send money here to purchase food and medicine, and to pay the salaries of our workers. The children understand what it takes for them to be able to live at CSC. It takes lots of generous people and those to tell them about CSC.

I wish you could hear the children pray at night, always including our supporters. They pray blessings on each of you and your families. We are invested in all that goes on at CSC, for we are the benefiaries of your kindness. I hope the people who viewed the videos enjoyed them as much as we did making them. Here are a few pictures of the kids, captured from those videos. They aren't very clear because they aren't actual photographs but screen grabs. But I thought you might enjoy them anyway.

Tonight Bjork and I had the honor of taking my student and her two siblings on an outing. I had promised each of my students that I would take them on an individual date, and this student wanted to share her date with her siblings. So off the mall we went!

We walked around, ate hamburgers and French fries, and played arcade games. There was so much laughter you wouldn't even believe it. These kids all have such a great sense of humor!

When we headed into the arcade, the girls immediately gravitated towards the game where you try to hit the jackpot as the light circles around on the board. They tried and tried, and tried, and tried some more. But they could not get that jackpot. I was starting to silently pray that they wouldn't be too disappointed if we had to leave without them ever getting the jackpot.

Finally, with the jackpot number well above 100 tickets (big time), she did it! She hit the jackpot! There was screaming, high fiving, jumping, and squealing. I tried to capture a little bit of the excitement as the tickets started pouring out of the machine.

As we drove home tonight, I couldn't help but feel like it was me who won the jackpot. To be able to spend time with such happy, fun-loving, and smart kids on a daily basis is such a privilege and a joy. Tonight it's hard to think of anything that could be more jackpot than that. :)

It is summer time at CSC.   That means it is hot, really hot,  too hot.  But,  the heat does not seem to deter the boys from making and flying kites,  at any given moment there are numerous kite activities going on; making them, attempting to fly them,  flying them, untangling the ones that get tangled together,  trying to get them out of the trees  and making sure we all see how high their kite is flying! There has to be some genetic code in all red blooded Filipino boys....April and May are for kites.   

Today was GRADUATION day for five of our Preschool kids and three graduating from elementary into High School.  It was a fun day for the Graduates! 

We are now legally on our summer break - pray for a fun and safe time for each of our kids, and for our sanity! Having almost 90 kids on vacation in one place....oh my.

Enjoy the photos...

Pray along with us for comfort, healing and peace for our friends and loved ones in Boston.  

Yesterday at Children of Hope School, we proudly celebrated the graduation of three teenagers, who will go on to high school next year, and five pre-schoolers who will advance to pre-K.  It was a special day for sure.  The three oldest graduates have faced a lot challenges and have accomplished much in their years at our school.  One of the graduates gave a speech.  I thought he might discuss all of the academic challenges he had faced.  While he mentioned those briefly, the larger message he shared was that of gratitude.  He was thankful for his teachers and all of the time they had invested in him.  He was thankful to the staff for their encouragement.  He was thankful to his house parents for their guidance and leadership.  He was appreciative of the support from the Aunties and Uncles in his life.  And he was even thankful for challenges as he was so proud of what he had learned from them.

Waiting in anticipation...

The proud graduates!

I was impressed with his words and touched by his message.  CSC is often described as a place of refuge for the kids that come here.  Many have left violent homes, chaotic living situations or have had no home to speak of.  We are proud to be able to offer our kids the basic things: food, shelter, clothing, a safe place to rest their head.  But we are blessed to be able to give our kids even more.  We have a beautiful school and a talented body of teachers who are willing to meet the individual needs of our kids.  Our teachers go the extra mile every day and our kids benefit greatly from their tireless effort.

Our talented teachers!

Praise the Lord for how he has blessed CSC!  Thanks be to God for how He brought each of these teachers to our school---for we are surely better for it!  :)