Staff Blog

On Friday, September 29, CSC held a luncheon for people who have referred children to us. It was a good time of giving our thanks to them and presenting an update on the ministry. We called the event Thanks for the Trust, because we know that those who refer children to us do so because they trust CSC to provide excellent care for them. Those attending were government social workers, representatives from non-government child caring agencies, community leaders, pastors and CSC workers who have referred children from their communities. As part of our presentation I made the following promises to those who would consider CSC for the referral of a child or children.

1. We will give each referral our careful attention.
2. We will provide quality care for the children we admit.
3. We will strive to keep siblings together. 60% of our children are siblings.
4. When appropriate, we will work for the adoption of our children.
5. We will advocate strongly for the best interests of our children.
6. We will provide a high quality education for our children.
7. We will do our best to keep our children safe.   
8. We will hire the best staff available and will invest in their development.
9. We will strive to honor God in all we do at CSC.
10. We will not admit children for whom we cannot provide excellent care.                                                          11. We value your partnership through referrals.

As I was thinking about the Thanks for the Trust event, I thought about how trust is involved in all aspects of our work. People trust us enough to refer children. We trust our workers to do a good job of caring for them. The children come to trust us and, eventually, to share their life experiences and feelings with our counselors and house parents. And our supporters trust CSC enough to give of their financial resources to the ministry. That trust is crucial and we strive to keep it with honest and timely reporting on the work we do and the needs we face and meet. Thanks for the trust, everybody. We are humbled and encouraged by it.

Here is a poem I wrote as I reflect on my experience teaching at CCHS.

"Incomparable Joy"

In God's own image we're created
By His hands perfectly molded
Our life which He has favored and blessed
In this ministry where He led.

Wide smile painted on the face from a far
Shimmering glowing eyes you love to stare
Giggling and laughter you will hear
Hugs and love you can't resist to share.

Children are always a blessing from above
Showing understanding is one form of love
Teaching them with patience and kindness
Making them learn with happiness.

I never thought my life would be as lovely as this
Memories worth treasured, I couldn't miss
Surrounded by people who has one goal and desire
Incomparable joy is the feeling I felt inside.

Our kids at the Children of Hope School love to read. During the first few weeks they spent some of their time reading the bulletin boards prepared by the teachers. This quotation is posted in one of the classrooms. One student happened to read this quote and responded:

Student: Teacher, why is education the most powerful weapon for changing the world?

Teacher: Of course, education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world because through education we can alleviate poverty, easily find jobs, and create a better society.

As I was trying to think about what other things I could say to help explain this concept the student, still looking intently at the quote, then said:

Student: Teacher, why don't we put Jesus as the most powerful weapon for changing the world?

I couldn't contain my joy as I heard the student utter those words! My heart was delighted as I affirmed what the student said. This student was looking at the much bigger and much brighter picture of this world. Sometimes, as we teachers try to inspire the kids with our lives, we often end up learning and getting inspired by them. As I teach at CHS this year I am excited for more inspiring conversations with the kids.

Ninoy Aquino Day is held every 21 August to commemorate the life and death of Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Senator Aquino and his wife, Corazon, were major contributors to modern Philippine democracy.
In 1972, the Philippines was placed under martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos. During this time, any person who publicly opposed Marcos was imprisoned by the military, and many public institutions were closed down. The military committed human rights abuses and the Philippine economy suffered massive losses.

Senator Aquino was a vocal opponent of Marcos and was consequently imprisoned. In 1980, Aquino suffered a heart attack and was allowed to move to the United States to receive medical treatment. While in the U.S. he continued to advocate for the Philippine people's freedom.

To challenge Marcos in the 1984 elections, Aquino decided to return to the Philippines in August of 1983. He knew that it could lead to his death. On the 21st of the month he landed in Manila where he was assassinated, many believe, under the orders of Marcos. It was this event that led to the eventual downfall of Marcos and the presidency of Aquino's wife, Corazon. Since that time their son, Benigno Jr. served a term as President of the Philippines, continuing the influence of the family in Philippine politics.

Truly, Benigno Aquino came along at the right time in the right place and made a big difference for this country. It is hard to imagine where the Philippines would be today without his contribution to the nation through his dedication and heroism.

I am aware of the role that individuals have made throughout CSC's history that have helped move us along, overcome hurdles and break new ground as a ministry. Some of these folks were like shooting stars, flashing bright for a time and then moving on to something else. Others gave us steady light that lasted for years.

- Harry and Marlene Schmidt came along in 1991 to build our Shelter homes in Banawa. They hadn't known anything about CSC until a friend shared the ministry with them at church one Sunday. The rest is history, and our beautiful facilities are the result of the Schmidt's incredible gift. I also think about the man who told them about us and the huge role he played in our history just by sharing.

- Many people came here for a short term assignment, to help out when we were short staffed. They gave of their time and talent to meet a pressing need for leadership here in Cebu, if even for a few months or a couple years.

- Some were staff members or taught in our school. Some had specific areas of expertise that they shared with our staff or our children like curriculum planning, speech therapy, IT, organizational development, administration or media expertise. These people produced videos, gave seminars and workshops, helped us formulate policies, offered encouragement and brought over materials that made us a better organization.

- Some friends, led by the Holy Spirit, made significant contributions that helped us at just the right time, when CSC was in need of a shot in the arm financially. Others have been steady and faithful, helping provide a bedrock of support on which we have built this ministry.

Like the Philippines, CSC has had many heroes who made us what we are today. People chose to give of their time, talent and treasure to make this a better place for children who need us so badly. Without them we would not be here today.

Fire is a destructive force in a city like Cebu. Squatter areas are especial vulnerable as houses are often made of wood, are close together and the roads around them are often too narrow to accomodate fire trucks. Recently a big fire hit the area behind our office and teen home in Sun Valley. Although our house was not affected, several homes of our workers and former employees were destroyed. And houses of current and former residents' birth families were also destroyed. Some of these folks lost everything they had to this fire. 

Today our social workers went to survery the damage and talk to the families that we know. They are being housed temporarily in a large sports center in the community near where they used to have houses. It is crowded and is a place of despair. The city government is handing out some food supplies, but, like one of the families we know reported, they cannot cook food because all of their cookware, gas tank and utensils were destroyed. We cannot provide for all their needs but we can offer comfort and gifts of clothing and footwear. CSC workers have brought in used clothing as donations for their co-workers. The CSC kids have been praying for the aunties who are affected. 

Please pray for these people who, in a matter of minutes, lost everything that they owned. None of it was insured. We thank Him that the people we know from this community escaped with their lives, but are now faced with the incredible challenge of starting over.