Staff Blog

Last October we entered the Support Give-Away Contest for Resource Mate, the library automation program we use at Cebu Children of Hope School.  It doesn't sound too glamorous, but we thought it would be worth it to submit the required essay to see if we could win a year of free tech support.  The essay had to describe how Resource Mate helps impact our community.  Well, we just found out we won the contest!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Here's the essay we submitted:

It’s library day and Eugene wants to check out the next book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.  He looks at the spine label and heads to the “Fla” part of the Fiction section.  Juliet wants to check out a Clifford book.  She read one in her class and is excited there are more books about Clifford.  I help her look in the Easy section and we hunt for the spine labels that have “Bri.”  Mary Grace is ready to tackle chapter books and wants to know where to look for ones for girls.  I point her in the direction of the Fiction section of books with spine labels that read “Ame” for American Girl books.  Maybe she’d like to try a Junie B. Jones book too.  The Level B reading class is studying about camouflage.  A bunch of the kids ask where to find books about animals that use camouflage.  We brainstorm about how to do that and someone remembers that we should search on the Resource Mate computer using the keyword camouflage.  The Reading Challenge contest is in full swing.  Kids race into the library each day to return their books and check out a new stack to read at home.  Teacher Amanda comes into the library looking for books on the theme of risks and consequences.  She searches and finds a number of books she can check out and keep in the classroom for the kids to read while they are working on this topic.  Teacher Alfie stops in right before leaving for the day to check out some books to read to his girls at home.  Sounds like a pretty normal day in the life of a library. 

But the library at Cebu Children of Hope School is anything but normal or typical in this city of 866,000 people with one public library.  Our library serves the community of children who reside at Children’s Shelter of Cebu, an orphanage in Cebu City, Philippines and the staff who work with the children.  All of the children who come to live at Children’s Shelter of Cebu are from the surrounding communities on the island of Cebu or neighboring islands.  The vast majority of the children have either never attended school or have attended very little.  When the children start attending school at Children of Hope School, they often do not know the letters of the alphabet much less how to read.  Usually it is safe to say no one has ever had a book read to them.  Needless to say, they have never seen a library. 

The children are thrilled to learn what a library is.  No one has to convince them how cool it is to browse the shelves of books and check out books to take home to the shelter.  Teachers have also often never been inside a proper library.  To have an automated system and thousands of books at their fingertips is pretty unbelievable.  The children and teachers are taught how to look for books in the library.  They learn what spine labels and bar codes are and how the books are organized on the shelves.  They are taught how to search for books by title, author, subject, or keyword.  The children hover around the Resource Mate computer in the library eager to have their books scanned so they can start reading their selections. 

Most of the children who come through the doors of the shelter and school are adopted either locally or internationally.  Currently the children have been adopted into families in fourteen different countries around the world.  The experience and knowledge gained at our school and in our library goes with them to their new countries, communities, and families. 

On the surface, the little library at Cebu Children of Hope School seems pretty normal, but every day really is a little bit miraculous in our slice of the world on the tiny island of Cebu in the Pacific Ocean. 

“Its not about what the teacher covers; its about what the students discover”.

The month of February at CCHS is not only Love Month but also Science and Math Month.  As a part of our science activities, we went on a science field trip last week to the University of the Philippines’ traveling Science Exhibit.  The kids enjoyed trying the various inventions and technology presented at different stations.  They were eager and curious as they roamed around the large room.

One of the children led me to one of the booths.  He told me to touch a small piece of gold colored metal. Suddenly I felt like I was being electrocuted!  Then the student said, “See, Teacher, the feeling is so weird!”  He called some of his friends over to try the experiment with him.  They held hands while the one of them touched the metal.  They all laughed when they each felt the current pass down the line through their bodies. 

Hands-on learning is important.  It motivates children to be more curious about the things around them.

Amy mentioned the other day that our kids were bursting at the seams to start the biannual camp, put on by one of our most faithful supporting churches. I happen to be friends on Facebook with a couple of the team members, and it's fun to see their pictures from Cebu City.

It struck me as I was looking at a few of these pictures that for some of the team members this is the trip of a lifetime. They're nearly 10,000 miles from home, on the other side of the globe, on a small tropical island that is very different from "back home" in Minnesota. Around every corner they see something new, witnessing a way of life that is at times completely different from the ones they lead.

I have no doubt each of them would say they got to participate in something incredible--that they were able to sacrifice a little--because others had sacrificed a lot. We are built on those sacrfices in this work, and we stand on their coattails. I think of the house parents who raised their own family surrounded by a larger family of kids they were surrogate parents to. I think of the missionaries who started our work, and others who continue our ministry far from home. I think of our Education Director who travels for long stints to do her job. Each of them make CSC possible, and make CSC better.

I often observe that the greatest relational question we ask of someone is, "can I count on you?" We want to know, when push comes to shove, if someone will really be there for us. CSC counts on some amazing people. I thank God our employees do what they do, and honor his call on their lives.

Two weeks ago, my family (Joel, Ethan, Shari, Paul) and I had the great opportunity to visit friends and relatives in Japan.  Joel, Shari and I spoke at Kurume Christ Church (previously described by Shari in her blog) about CSC and their foster friends.  We also had the chance to visit Wheelchairs of Hope.

Wheelchairs of Hope is a non-profit organization in Japan that refurbishes and distributes used wheelchairs donated by companies, individuals and other organizations.  Their main beneficiaries are the countries around Asia.  As of February 9, 2016, they have given away 2,000+ wheelchairs all over Asia including the Philippines.

In 2009, through the connections of friends in Japan, Wheelchairs of Hope donated a wheelchair to CSC.  Since then, we have been in their minds as a wheelchair recipient.  Whenever they ship wheelchairs to the Philippines, Wheelchairs of Hope never fails to contact us and ask if we need a wheelchair or two.  It was a wonderful surprise to see a picture of John Ray, who received a wheelchair from them, at their warehouse.  Even though it was 7 years ago, they kept John Ray’s picture in a frame, never forgetting the little time they shared with him.  One of the people who came to CSC in 2009 still remembered John Ray and asked how he is doing.

I like visiting and hearing stories about other organizations and foundations that have a heart like Children’s Shelter of Cebu; at the same time, sharing our story with them.  God uses different people from different walks of life to serve His people and glorify His name.  Having visited Wheelchairs of Hope made me proud of the work we are doing at CSC and humble at the same time.

“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”—2 Timothy 2:20-21 NIV

There has been an excitement going around CSC for the past few weeks.  Every other year in February a work team from Minnesota comes and does a camp with the older kids at CSC.  They get to ride a bus and travel to camp. Once at camp it is four days of fun, fun, fun!  The kids get to hear from Gods word, swim, sing, play silly games, eat good food, have camp fires, hang out with really cool people, and so much more.  It is definitely an experience the kids never forget!

Camp is approaching this week but the kids have had their bags packed for awhile already.  Those who have been to camp before have shared with their new friends at CSC all about it. Our work team arrived within the last few days and everyone is ready!  

A big thank you to our work team for coming and giving our kids such a special experiences! Please keep our kids and work team in your prayers as they are off at camp this coming week and weekend.