Staff Blog
(names removed for privacy)
As adults, we typically abhor traffic. A commute that takes 3 or 4-times longer than usual would be exhausting, leaving us on the verge of tears or on the verge of calling it quits. There are, however, those rare occasions when traffic jams can be one of the most amazing, uplifting, and life-altering experiences.
Not long ago, I walked into the Eicher home as [John] and [Jane] were preparing their packed lunches. I closed my rain-soaked umbrella, set it by the door, and made my way towards the kitchen where they worked diligently and with purpose. In an hour, they would be leaving for their second day of school.
"Uncle Roberto, you won't believe what happened yesterday," yelled [Jane].
"Yeah, it took us almost two hours to get home," added [John]. "It was amazing!"
Initially, I was confused by their statements. Yesterday was their first day at the University of Cebu. In fact, I had gone to the Eicher Home specifically to ask them about it. How were their teachers? How was the campus? How was the commute? Judging by their words, their first day of school was awful, and yet they seemed overjoyed and anxious to get back.
"What happened? Tell me about it," I asked.
They proceeded to tell me that the rain wreaked havoc on the roads; not a single vehicle was moving when they started their commute home. On top of that, all the Jeepneys were full, but even if they could get onto one it would likely be stuck in the bumper-to-bumper traffic from downtown to Banawa. They told me that they, along with the other CSC residents that attend UC (7 in total) decided to start walking together towards home while keeping an eye out for open seats on a jeepney. They eventually made their way to One Pavilion in Guadalupe when they called a house father to come pick them up and bring them the rest of the way.
I was in shock, but they were overjoyed. As they were sharing their story, it became clear that the source of their excitement was rooted in a deep sense of accomplishment. In their minds and in their hearts, they had finally done it. They had been taught and trusted by their houseparents and all of us at CSC to commute to school on their own, and they were able to accomplish the task on their first try, on their very first day, and in the face of difficult circumstances. In that moment, they had taken a big step towards independence and adulthood. Plus, they were able to experience something that, in many ways, is quintessentially Cebuano and quintessentially Filipino; something that they had heard every adult, every laborer, every taxi and jeepney driver, every Auntie and Uncle at CSC complain about. They were able to experience traffic, and like responsible adults, they didn't give up. They found a way to make it home, finish their schoolwork, and prepare themselves to do it all over again.
As I bid them farewell and opened my umbrella, I couldn't help but wonder what new and amazing things their second day of school would bring.
UFO's and Graduates
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.
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Molding minds
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! :)
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Kite Flying Season!
Continuing on with the theme of kites! Recently, I spent an afternoon hanging out with the kids at the shelter. Almost immediately, Jhaycob ran up to me with a tangled-up pile of string. He wanted me to untangle it so he could use it to fly his kite. I began looking around the yard and it was incredible how many kids were playing with kites. Some were making them, and others were busy untangling strings. Some of the kids were the "holders" and others were the "runners". Toddlers dragged plastic bags across the yard, and the older kids and houseparents had huge, fancy kites flying high in the sky! Some of the kites even had writing on them: "Fly CSC", "Cherne WOW", and "WOW CSC"! Enjoy a video of some of the different activities that were going on that day!
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Last Day of Preschool!
Everybody gets to join in on the kite fun at CSC. Friday was the preschooler's last full day of school. Uncle Marcel came into their class and taught them all how to make kites! They were so proud to each have on of their own! Enjoy the pictures of the kids making and attempting to fly their kites!
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Prayers
Whenever we're on duty, we help with putting the kids to bed. One of the things I love about putting the kids to bed is sharing bedtime prayers with them. The children are so surrounded by strong people of faith here at CSC - their house parents, staff, teachers, aunties, and counselors. Their prayers reflect what they've seen and heard modeled for them. They are thoughtful, sincere, and even eloquent.
Last night when we were on duty, there were prayers for lots of different things. Here are a few of my favorites:
- giving thanks for CSC
- giving thanks for the aunties and house parents
- giving thanks for hot dogs
- asking for a mommy and daddy
- asking for strength and wisdom on upcoming on final tests
- asking for healing for kids in "iso"
And the most touching prayer of all was a heartfelt request from one of the 12-year old girls in the house. She asked God to please comfort a family whose oldest sibling had recently turned 18 and could no longer be adopted. This was particularly moving to me because those siblings that she was praying for don't even live in her house at CSC. In that moment I realized what a supportive place CSC is - that all the kids and house parents and staff are praying across houses, across siblings, across ages, for God's presence in each of their lives. What a cool thing to be a part of.
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