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.
Summer at CSC!
Summer is here! What does that mean to an island that remains tropical all year round? Good question! It really only means that it is hotter-a LOT hotter! And there is less rain. And its hot. And your umbrella is your most prized possession because it protects you from the fierce sun. And then there's the heat. But really, I'm not all that grumpy about it...just a little grumpy about it... :)
The kids, however, are unfazed by the heat. They still run and play without abandon. I, however, sit in the shade and look on with amazement---my mouth hanging open.
The summer brings with it new activities. KITE SEASON is here once again! It is almost as if a switch turns on inside of them and they all decide today is the day for kite-flying. And they MAKE them! Watching them making them is a favorite pasttime of mine---again, I do so in the shade, in case you were wondering! :)
They are making these kites from twigs from brooms, plastic grocery bags, and string. Permission to be amazed granted!
In flight!
Other summer activities...
CHALK!!!
FUN IN THE SHADE---These wise girls are making crafts with flower blossoms!
What pure happiness looks like!
He is our newest kid, but it already seems like he has been with us for quite some time. God has blessed us and him with a smooth transition and we are happy to have him here with us!
Its hard to be grumpy about the heat when you have this smile to look at!
Thank the Lord for these children that bless me every day and remind me of God's endless provision and goodness!
Glory be to Him always!
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A Lonely Walk
Imagine what it would be like to wake up knowing today is the last day you will see your child. I wonder how carefully you would choose their clothes or the last words to share with them. I wonder how hollow it would feel to stand on the sidewalk as they are driven away.
Imagine returning home without your children in tow. They were with you when you walked out of the neighborhood, but now you walk alone. Your world is upended. You’ve lost the title “mom” or “dad.” To make matters worse everyone is watching you from their front step or window. Secrets don’t keep long where you live—especially secrets like this.
People know what you’ve done and they don’t restrain themselves from staring. This is a lonely walk back to an empty home.
You can’t believe it got to this point. How could it? You didn’t have children to abandon them. But then he left, and there were no jobs to be found. The life you dreamed of isn’t visible anymore, and you don’t have anywhere to turn. Somehow the best option became giving them away.
Sometimes when I’m speaking to a group a person will ask how our kids end up in the care of the Children's Shelter of Cebu. I’ll confess that for most of the children a parent is still alive. “How could their parents just abandon them,” they wonder. It’s hard to explain. In our good-Christian mentality, you just don’t ever give up on your kids.
It’s hard to describe the straight jacket that is total poverty and utter hopelessness. It’s hard to explain not being able to protect or provide for your child. I can’t pretend to understand, but I know it’s easier to demonize the mom who couldn’t care for her baby than to put myself in her shoes. She doesn’t deserve to be understood because of what she’s done. Right?
I don’t know. High horses are easy to climb on when you’re propped up in a world of options. Judgment comes easy on this, but judgment has always been easier than understanding, including when a mom concludes her child is better off without her. Judgment isn't our job at CSC. Our job is to love that child the best we can. It's the least we can do for those moms whose seperation is not the mark of selfishness, but of sacrifice.
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Prayers!
I just finished Frontline for the month of April (Frontline is for all our prayer warriors out there - if you are not getting Frontline and want to get it, sign up here.) Because of Frontline, I've been thinking about all the prayers we have seen answered over the years. God has certainly blessed CSC. We know that God listens to and answers prayers. We have found that God does not always give us exactly what we ask for, but often what he gives is better than we ask. Of course there are prayers that are still unanswered and prayers that were denied...but we know that God is there and trust him to know what we REALLY need, not what we think we need.
Tonight I was on duty at one of our homes. These kids are real prayer warriors. They love to pray. There have been numerous prayer sessions that end up with a few kids falling asleep while some of the kids just keep thinking of more things to pray for. Tonight we only had about 30 minutes to pray (school night you know) so I limited the kids to only 5 things to pray for. Their choices were #1 - The CSC Banquet #2 That all the people who don't know Jesus will know him #3 That we will all be safe always #4 my friend Suzy who is going through a tough time after cancer surgery and Jane Anderson (they had to share a spot) and #5 Thanking God for the people who pray for them. I wish you could have heard their prayers. I know God did.
I did sneak a few photos....as you can see a few kids were on to me. That really is how the little ones always pray...hands together in front of them.
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Grace from God
Over Easter weekend my husband and I drove from Minnesota to Louisiana to visit our daughter. Before starting on the trip, I was unable to contact one of our former Children of Hope School teachers whom I knew lived in the Baton Rouge area. Instead, Grace got hold of me and said she was more than willing to drive the 170 miles (one way) in order for us to see each other. Later that night, Grace and her husband, Noel, sat in our hotel room reminiscing about former CSC kids and colleagues and sharing what we are doing now. I had not seen Grace in about seven years. It was a great time!
As Grace and Noel were pulling away to drive home, I was struck by the incredible connections there are all over the world through the common thread of CSC. Grace's life is forever woven into mine because we worked at CSC together. We share common interests in the children we taught at Children of Hope and the people we worked with. It was encouraging to hear how Grace is being used by God in a very different educational setting in the United States. Seeing Grace again reminded me the CSC family is strong and I am richer for it.
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Banquet Surprise
Hey, we're working on a cool surprise for the CSC banquet. I won't give you even a hint, except that the kids and staff here in Cebu are really excited about it. Some of you will be able to see it at the banquet. (If you haven't registered yet, you can do so by clicking here.) Some will have to wait for a video here on the web site. That's all you're going to get, for now!
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