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.
Cooks Return to the Kitchen
Over the past three months, the afternoon cooks in both Cherne and Duterte homes have been recovering from surgery. Auntie Mayflor and Auntie Sonia each had an operation which required lots of rest and recovery. In their absence, other child care workers jumped in to cover the afternoon cook duties. Of course no meals were missed and tasty food was always on the tables.
Last week Auntie Sonia returned to work!
This week Auntie Mayflor also returned to work! It is good to have them back in their respective kitchens.
As Auntie Mayflor enter the shelter gate the children from the Cherne home were walking up to school. When they saw Auntie Mayflor, the line they were walking in suddenly morphed into a mob. The children ran shouting “Auntie Mayflor!” racing to hug her.
The aunties’ impact in the lives was on full display in the moment of Auntie Mayflor’s welcome back from the children.
Keep the all CSC employees in your prayers. They do everything for the children and their good health is essential.
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Confessions of a Messy Eater
I like to eat.
I nibble on my feet.
I pray before I eat.
I don’t know how to feed myself yet,
So I depend on my auntie’s hand.
I open my mouth wide
And welcome my tasty food.
Blended, pureed, squashed,
Smashed and crushed.
The way I like it.
The way I want it.
I don’t usually look like this,
I know.
There’s something on my face.
I know food goes to my mouth,
Not on my cheeks or forehead or ears.
What’s the use of a bib
If I eat like this?
At the end of my meal time,
Burp says this tummy of mine.
Aah…
What a treat!
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Volcanoes, Mountains, and Valleys
For the past few weeks, the preschool class has been learning about landforms. They now know how to identify mountains, valleys, hills, volcanoes, isthmuses, and islands.
They even sang a song during their morning meeting about landforms!
They topped off the unit by making their own models using play dough. Fun stuff!
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He is risen, He is risen indeed!
It is Holy Week. This week is a meaningful time for Christians everywhere. In the Philippines, most stores and restaurants are closed on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and schools are not in session on those days either. Therefore, our school, Cebu Children of Hope, held it's Easter celebration on Wednesday. The event started with a reading of Scripture - recounting the events of Jesus' last days on Earth. Then there were games, crafts and praise and worship.
I was moved during the praise and worship, and as you can see below, I was not the only one! How blessed are we to be children of the Most High God! That He, being without blemish, laid His life down for ours when we needed it most, but were also the most undeserving.
May you and your families be blessed this Easter and remember God's goodness and Jesus' sacrifice.
Praise the Lord! He is risen! He is risen indeed!
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Have Fun with Math and Science!
Science and Math Day is always fun for everyone at CCHS. It is a whole day affair full of interesting activities.
Recently, everyone had a lot of fun during the science and math culminating activity. In the morning, there was a math quiz bowl with the students grouped into teams. The students took turns answering math questions categorized by levels of difficulty: easy, average, and difficult. It was so cool to see the students think and analyze.
The afternoon events focused on topics the students had been learning about in their science classes. Different presentations were given by each of the science classes. The highlight was the demonstration from the Group 4 class about static electricity. Examples of static electricity were shown using balloons. The students were amazed with what they saw and discovered. It was super fun for everyone!
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