Staff Blog

Last Saturday, the staff, the Aunties, Uncles and children of CSC sang the traditional farewell song for and prayed over Auntie Sandy.  It was a surreal experience to be saying goodbye to one of CSC's founders.  Auntie Sandy has been a fixture at CSC for the past 36 years.  She is a very important and real part of so many of our children's and adoptive families' stories.  She has left an impressive legacy and she will not be forgotten.  

There are many things we will miss about Auntie Sandy:

Like the fact, that she and only she, can put that beaming smile on Joemar's face!  :)

The fact that her arms and her heart are always open for a child in need of loving.

Her excitement when passing out donations!

How she values and and encourages others.

What she means to everyone at CSC: Aunties, Uncles, staff and children.

How much she loves the color blue!  ;)

There are so many more things about Auntie Sandy that we miss; I cannot possibly list them all here.  And truth be told, her absence is felt every day, but the shelter that she and others started all those years ago, must continue on and move forward.  Because there are still children that need help.  God's work is not done in Cebu.  And though CSC will not be the same without her as it was with her, she has left a foundation upon which this ministry can and will build.

I have had the privilege of working alongside Auntie Sandy for the past few years.  I first started working at CSC in 2011, serving as the Interm Child Development Director while Sandy had a year-long furlough in MN.  What a whirlwind year of learning and growth that was!  When she returned and resumed her role as the Director, I became an additional member of the Child Development team, working also with Ruth and Amy.  In preparing for Sandy's retirement, I was asked to direct the Child Development department.  It is an honor I have accepted.  I have learned much in the 4 years I have been here and I know I will continue to learn.  Thank you, Auntie Sandy, for your wisdom shared and the opportunity to watch you at work.

God Bless and Godspeed to you, Auntie Sandy!

Please pray for Auntie Sandy as she continues to serve CSC in MN over the next year and as she moves into retirement, that God will continue to use her to further His kingdom.  Please pray for CSC in Cebu as well.  I would appreciate your prayers as I start my new position and as the Child Development team learns to function with only three members now instead of four. 

I wanted to take this time to highlight one of our missionary staff---Uncle Mitch.  It is more likely that you find him behind the camera, rather than in front of it, so I had to search far and wide to find pictures that he is actually in!  ;)

Uncle Mitch cares for and invests in CSC's children.  And has for quite some time, as you can see!

He represents CSC well in all sorts of occasions.  And is a pro at groundbreaking ceremonies!

He is an organized, polished and entertaining emcee!

He lovingly prays over our kids at birthday parties!  

These are just a few reasons why Uncle Mitch is important to CSC's ministry and to our children.  Next week he will be speaking at GLOBAL, a major adoption conference, held in Manila.  Please pray for him regarding his speech and his time there, but beyond next week, please pray for him as he continues to oversee so many tasks that are integral to the smooth running of this ministry.

Last August, Grace arrived at CSC having committed to giving a year of her life to this ministry---whatever that might entail!  And she did just that!  Grace has spent the last year creating and implementing a daily educational experience for our toddlers, she has spent time teaching and encouraging our children's musical interests by facilitating individual voice and piano lessons.  Grace also built relationships with our kids by just being on the playground with them having fun.  Additionally, she has been a great help to the Child Development department in keeping good records on the infants and toddlers she oversaw.

Below you will find some pictures of how Grace spent her time at CSC.

To you, Grace, CSC thanks you for your service.  You have left a mark on this ministry in more ways than one.  You have a place in the kids' hearts because of your investment in their interests and your time spent helping them hone their talent.  And for our youngest residents, you have helped them learn and have taught them that learning is fun!

Please keep Grace in your prayers as she embarks on her next journey!

In honor of Father's Day this coming June 21, I'd like to ask you to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the amazing housefathers we have with us at CSC.  They are not able to clock out at the end of their day---they are 24/7.  They lead devotions in their home, intervene when discipline is necessary, comfort hurting children, emcee at birthday parties, laugh and joke, play, serve as expert lechon carver or Christmas elf upon request (see below!), instruct, be consistent, be present and teach.  They have such important jobs and we are blessed that they understand this!  Additionally, I would like to ask you to pray for them and the significant work God has called them to.  I know that they would appreciate your prayers as well, for they will be the first to admit that they lean heavily on God's grace, wisdom, patience and love every day.  And truthfully, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you, Lord, for our amazing housefathers.  Advanced Happy Father's Day to all and to all a good night!  :)

prog·ress

part of speech: noun

pronunciation: ˈpräɡres/

 1.     Forward or onward movement toward a destination.

 2.     The advance or development toward a better, more complete, or more modern condition

part of speech: verb

pronunciation: prəˈɡres/

1.     To move forward or onward in space or time.

2.     To advance or develop toward a better, more complete, or more modern state.

It is almost summer where you are, so bare with me on this journey through Webster's pages and this highly intellectual post!  ;)  Progress, the noun, is a thing most of us look for to determine the success or failure of an effort.  It a measure of change, advancement, improvement---pounds lost, degrees earned, etc., toward a goal.  It is something we want to see. 

Progress, the verb, is the effort.  It is the actual forward motion.  It encompasses the sweat and tears involved in bettering oneself, finishing a degree, running another mile.  Or as it says above, becoming more complete.  It is a process requiring hard work.

Sometimes progress, the noun, is hard to chart or to see.  The work is there, but it seems there is little to show for it.  Thankfully, at CSC, this is not true.

Below you will see only a smidgen of the countless proofs of progress at CSC, in a series of before and after pictures.  Children arrive to CSC usually in a bad state.  They are often not healthy.  They stay in our Infirmary for as long as it takes to rid their bodies of lice, worms or other illnesses.  The evidence of physical progression alone is cause for rejoicing in God's goodness to improve the lives of CSC's children.  However, their progress is much more than physical.

If you look at many of the faces in the before pictures, their is understandable fear and uncertainty registering there.  Strangers are visiting them and talking about taking them from their home.  Of course it is for their betterment, their progress, their health, but that is hard to fully communicate in such emotional times.  But look at the faces in the after pictures.  There is peace, happiness, and excitement.  

Some synonyms for progress: make headway, get better, gain ground, improve, advance, develop, and make strides.  For our youngest residents, they literally learn to walk and then run while in our care.  Now that's progress!

Some other synonyms for progress: thrive, prosper, blossom, and flourish.  

And that is what kids do at CSC.  There are many hands working tirelessly for the advancement of these precious children.  From nurses, teachers, therapists, social workers, counselors, houseparents, guards, missionary staff and childcare workers.  Their effort contributes to the progress of the children.  I don't want to leave out the effort put forth by our children though, because that is very real too.  They take the risk to trust, and follow our instruction and learn to be a kid again.  And finally, the investments made by you donors is effort, it's forward motion.  Your effort can also be seen in the smiling faces above.  

To me, this is what progress looks like.