Staff Blog

As I was getting ready to leave the office at the end of the day yesterday, the phone rang. I picked it up to greet the caller. The voice on the other end of the line told me that he was calling because he wanted to give half of everything he owned to CSC in his will. It took a minute for that statement to sink in. Half of everything he owned?
We chatted for a while and he explained that many years ago he traveled to Cebu, where he saw indescribable poverty. He hadn't forgotten. He shared that while he wasn't a rich man by any means, he wanted to do what he could to leave a legacy and to impact the lives of kids in need. 

At CSC we speak often about the hearts of our donors. These hearts are amazing, generous and responsive! As gifts come to CSC to support the care of our kids in Cebu, time and time again we are reminded that it is not the amount of each gift, but rather the heart of the giver. These hearts change lives and bring smiles to adorable faces like this one.  

The Philippines is a place of tremendous contrasts. Rich and poor people live in close proximity in every city and town. There is great natural beauty here, and the ugliness of smog, squatter areas and polluted rivers. Large SUVs and antique looking bicycles share the roads. Some people buy food at modern style grocery stores; others prefer the large open air markets.

CSC is also a place of contrasts. We ride a roller coaster of emotions on an almost daily basis. While we deal with problems and difficult behavioral issues with some children, we celebrate accomplishments in our homes and school. We deal with children like CJ who has been sick for most of his 18 months. He suffers from bilateral vesicoureteral reflux, which affects his kidneys, and has microcephaly. He has developmental delays and gastroesophageal reflux. At the same time we marvel at the growth and health of most of our kids. We watch children running on the playground and those that must be pushed in their wheel chairs. We hear reports of our former residents who are having difficulty in their adoptive families, in school and in relationships, even while we celebrate the accomplishments of others who are exceling in academics and sports, and are growing in their faith.

Someone once said that if you are not experiencing ups and downs it means that you are dead. CSC is alive because we take on the challenges of working with older children, sibling groups, those with difficult pasts and kids with medical challenges.

2013 has provided lots of challenges and blessings for CSC as an organization, even in the financial area. A couple of our supporting churches decided to cut back or stop their support of CSC due to changing priorities or financial difficulties. Our income from the Combined Federal Campaign has gone down considerably. But in the midst of those challenges God has provided in other ways. One of our faithful churches decided to give an "over and above" gift at the end of their fiscal year as they had a surplus in funds. They decided not to put the money in the bank but to help fund meaningful ministry. Some children in St. Paul heard of CSC's financial needs and decided to sell lemonade outside their home, with all the profits going to our kids in Cebu.  Lots of ups mixed in with the downs.

Tom Kelly, a former manager of the Minnesota Twins, used to say that one of the keys to success in Major League Baseball was not getting too high after a win or too low after a loss. Keeping things on an even keel emotionally is easier to do in a baseball context than with a ministry to homeless children in a country like the Philippines. But there is some truth for us. As we ride the inevitable roller coaster of emotions, we need to keep our eyes on God, remembering his tremendous provision in the past, and knowing that in the midst of dark and difficult times, his light shines bright on CSC.

The other day I was having coffee with a donor. We were having a good talk when another donor walked into the coffee shop. He was meeting with a pastor and the four of us got the chance to do introductions and say hello.

I know both of these donors well and it was exciting to introduce them, but the best part was how the one introduced me and CSC to his pastor friend. He said, "my wife and I only give monthly to two organizations. One is our church, the other is the Children's Shelter of Cebu."

When he and his friend walked away, the other donor looked at me and said, "wow, what an honor." He was struck by that statement too. Could we ask for a better endorsement? It was really touching.

Since those introductions I've been thinking about how much I love our monthly donors. There's something very encouraging about someone signing up for Electronic Funds Transfer or choosing to give faithfully every month. Whenever I look at the monthly contributors list I marvel at how much they must believe in CSC. You can't say, "I believe in you" much better than giving something of yours to keep us at work in Cebu. And to faithfully do it every month? It means a lot.

All of our contributors must love our kids and love what we do. They could find something else to spend that money on, but instead they send it to care for homeless children in Cebu. And we love our donors too! We wouldn't be here without you.

On August 14-16, I had the opportunity to represent CSC at the 12th Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services. The conference was sponsored by the Philippine Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) and the Association of Child Caring Agencies of the Philippines. Representatives from CSC have attended most of the conferences over the years. I was asked to read a paper on adoption searches from the perspective of the sending country, which I presented on Thursday. It was great to have Marlys with me on Thursday and Friday. The event was held at the Manila Hotel, one of the grand old hotels in Asia. We had a great time re-connecting with old friends, both from local and international agencies that work with adoption in the Philippines. CSC is one of the "senior" agencies now, and we have placed children in most of the countries that were represented at the conference.  Between Marlys and me we were able to talk with people from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. Some of these people have visited CSC at one time or another, or know the families that have adopted our children. Many of the child caring and placing agencies in the Philippines were also in attendance so there were plenty of networking opportunities. Marlys was happy to be able to talk with many of the people I have had a chance to work with in Manila over the years, but whom she hadn't had a chance to meet before this conference.

 

God does truly have a sense of humor. I have done some travel to Africa in my role as an Emergency Department nurse educator, but never did I picture myself as a dental assistant working at the Children’s Shelter of Cebu. What an awesome experience!

I was approached by my local dentist, Dr. Matt Struve, earlier in the year about traveling to Cebu. He was planning a trip to the shelter to provide routine dental services.  All he said I needed to do was “pray about it.” My initial instinct was to decline his invitation to go, but the invitation to pray was a tough one to ignore. So I prayed. After much thought and prayer it was evident that I was being called to go. It was clear once I arrived that it was no mistake that I was there. It was an awesome feeling from the time we arrived.

The work was not easy. As a pediatric nurse I felt equipped to manage the physical work . . . but the details of the dentistry piece was another story. Our team consisted of Dr. Struve, Brenda Birk (another non-dental person), myself, and Evan (11 year old son of Dr. Struve). God had a plan. He put together everything that we needed (except for our autoclave). The kids and staff were awesome. Each child was so brave and trusted “Uncle Matt” to take the best care when working on their teeth. Marlys Healy was also integral to our success. She spent many a day with us, holding the kids’ hands, and providing the necessary words of encouragement in Cebuano. Throughout our week some awesome things happened. A 10-year old boy demonstrated compassion far beyond his years, a 6-year old championed his procedures and gave a thumbs up to let us know; and although he didn’t complete all we needed to do one boy truly was strong when he needed to be. I can only say yet again, these kids are amazing!

The week was long and left me with a few muscle aches, but it was an extraordinary trip. We worked hard, but we also played hard. It was so fun to play alongside the kids. They got to know us better and we got to share in their laughter and their contagious energy. I really feel strongly that playtime was truly the bridge to the success of our trip. It provided the kids with the time to get to know us on their “turf.” I managed to get in one ping-pong game but was beat hands down. There was time on the swings, basketball games, and even time to just sit and chat.

What was the highlight? It is so hard to answer that question. My thought is this. I was given an opportunity to witness God’s amazing love through the work of so many. His love is exemplified by the laughter and joy found in the children cared for at CSC.

- Anne Renaker