Staff Blog
“Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story. Who you choose to be.” --Soothsayer, Kung Fu Panda 2
“I didn’t see my mother nor my father. I haven’t met them. No picture. No memories. I’ve been raised by strangers.”
“If only my father was gentle to my mother. They could have stayed together and we might not be here.”
“My mother left me. She even never said goodbye. I don’t know the reason.”
“The couple who fostered me and gave me home have shattered the very idea of home.”
Beginning. Once upon a time.
These are the stories of the beginnings of some of the older residents in CSC. Flipping the pages of their lives into the past would take a lot of courage and relationship. Some chose to seal those pages; while others are open about their once-upon-a-times. In counseling, children often share about their days, their dreams, as well as their past. For a child to paint these stories allows us to help them craft their life story.
“Life story is essential in developing one’s personality, values, and meaning. It’s the integration of reconstructed past and imagined future to provide life with some degree of unity and purpose.” --McAdams & McLean, Narrative Identity, 2013
Although this process may resurface the phantoms of the past, it helps the older resident embrace his/her whole story. By embracing his/her painful once-upon-a-time, it paves the way to acceptance and forgiveness. For some older residents, it was a privilege to hear them express how they acknowledge that no matter how painful their past was, it happened, it happened, it happened. It happened and they saw the collateral beauty of that pain. They are here. They are here with people who love them; who cares for them; who believes in them; who brought back the cape of their childhood; who gives them wings to soar the new horizon.
As our older residents navigate the new waters of independent living, they are more open to building bridges to their past. For some, they have birth families that they can return to; while others are starting to put together the pieces of their beginning. Their new journey is a navigation of mirth and melancholy; hopes and despair; and success and failures. They are now in the process of writing the new chapter, or perhaps, the sequel of their stories. Seeing the collateral beauty, they now have the power to restructure their future and have the power to direct their own narrative— narrative of an iridescent hope.
Making Banana Que!
One of the things the kids love to do is cook! Here are a few pictures (taken by the kids!) from our recent cooking adventure with the Group 3 EPP class. Thank you Auntie Puriza and Auntie Jenalyn for all your help making this yummy snack! :)
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A Few Favorite Pictures from the Week
This preschooler came to school sporting a hair style just like his older brother's!
I'm not sure what was happening with this next photo, but I found him lining up to go home for lunch wearing a swimming cap and goggles. I still have no idea why, but it was a fun photo!
This little boy is our newest addition to CSC. It took a while for me to get a smile out of him, but he's starting to warm up to me now!! I love this picture!
Just a few of the darlings you can find on our playground!!
And just a really cute moment, I caught on video! God is so good!!
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Individualized Instruction
Individualized Instruction (aka I.I.) is a really cool thing that happens at CCHS. Kids who are identified by their teachers as needing extra support will get subject-specific instruction in a one-on-one setting during the afternoon. I am currently the I.I. reading teacher for a handful of kids, and here's what a typical day looks like with the students that I work with.
Reading...
Thinking...
Writing....
And being awesome!
Thanks for checking in on what's happening here!
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On-site at CSC
My recent trip to Cebu was wonderful, aside from a little sickness and a run-in with some "stink fruit". If you have not tried "stink fruit" before, don't. It really does taste like it smells- awful.
I have known about CSC and worked with the organization for years, but I feel truly blessed to be a part of it as a new staff member. As I walked on the CSC grounds, I kept thinking about how excited I was to connect with what is happening in this little section of Cebu.
One thing I'm already proud of is how seriously we take the spiritual development of our children. One evening during my trip, I was welcomed into the Eicher home to join in on evening devotions. House father DonDon had already started, so I tried to sneak in the back and blend in. It didn't work very well, as I temporarily disrupted the discussion when the kids started waving and saying "hi Auntie Jill!" DonDon, however, quickly got the devotion time back on track. He was leading the children through a lesson about temptation and doubt. He shared that God has a plan for all of their lives and he talked about the need to trust God with the future. All of the children were really engaged and responded by answering the questions with confidence and by reciting scripture. As I sat there and listened, it struck me how much the staff at CSC care for these kids. They strive to meet all of their physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. Perhaps that is why you see so many smiling faces.
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Shenanigans...
Truthfully, our kids are pretty special. Yes, you may consider me a biased informant, but I dare you to come here and spend the afternoon playing with any number of them and not draw the same conclusion!
We have some of the sweetest kids I have ever met. They are helpful, considerate, creative, athletic and energetic.
We also have some of the silliest kids I have ever met!!! I decided to highlight that side of our kids for you this week... Enjoy!
That face...
They are off to save the world! Watch out.... ;)
Such an impish smile!
His name is pretty much Mischief----with a capital M!
PEEK!
FYI, He was winding up for an overhand throw---I found that out after the picture was taken! ;)
Yes, he really is wearing the face of a pig!!!
Silly sisters!
And this one needs no caption...
Thanks for reading and caring about our silly, but precious children!
God Bless!
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