Staff Blog

The picture above looks seemingly harmless, doesn't it?

Well, beware!  If you are found at CSC with such an item in your possession it will be confiscated forthwith and you will have to submit to an inquiry.

:)

The "elastico game" was the trend of the moment.  Games tend to move in cycles here, you will learn why below.  The rules, as best as I understand them, is that you put a rubber band on the ground.  Then you put your hands together, your right thumb over your left thumb with your pointer and middle fingertips touching and you slap your hands on the ground just behind the rubber band.  The rubber band then jumps!  Of course, you want the rubber band to go far and if your rubber band goes the farthest, you win all of the rubber bands!

Can you imagine why this game is now outlawed?

Yep.  You guessed it.  For some reason, there were arguments over who actually won and whose rubber bands were whose.  Some kids had many, many, many and some had few.  It reached a point where the game seemed to involve more fighting than fun.

So, intervention was necessary.  The picture above is only a fraction of the stash collected! 

:)

It won't be long until there is a new game trending.  The creativity amongst our children is astounding!  Already I have seen a small group of kids throwing blades of grass over a roped off area of the yard, trying to be the one who threw the farthest.

They are getting wiser...it's got to be impossible to outlaw grass... 

This week has barely begun, but already I have had a moment.  What I mean by moment is an experience that hits me wherein I understand why I have been called to serve at CSC and I feel immeasurably blessed to be serving at CSC.

In reality, these moments can be found wherever you look at CSC.  I don't say this to downgrade the significance or value of these moments, rather I say that because I feel like this place is special for that very reason.  Sometimes I think that CSC is in the palm of His hand.

The boy in the picture below is a special little guy.  He and his siblings have been at CSC for a bit over 2 years now.  They were admitted to CSC by police escort because their parents had so severely abused them.  The police were protecting them until other intervention was found.

This little guy is the youngest of the group and as he ages we get to know him a little bit more.  He is delayed in many ways.  He was over 1 year old when he came to CSC but he was not yet walking and didn't for quite some time after.  Socially he is also not on the same level as his peers.  He was not able to self-soothe when he arrived; whenever he was upset he would grab his own hair and pull it so hard.  Similarly, his response to others comforting him has been atypical.

However, recently, this little guy has changed so much.  He is AFFECTIONATE now!  I shout that because he greets me every morning I arrive to the shelter.  He runs over, puts his arms up and lets me hold him.  He really and truly wants it!  I did not believe I would see the day that he sought such attention.  And in the picture below you can see him reaching up to hold my hand. 

That is a BIG moment....

I paused when that happened and I pause again as I look at this picture and I am reminded once again of the good that is done here.

This little boy has so many people fighting for him to succeed---to overcome the pain and suffering he should never have had to experience.  And he is succeeding! 

And there are so many people that love him.  And he knows love now too!

Today as I sit at my computer on this Saturday morning with an extensive list of reports to update, pictures to upload, e-mails to compose and reply to, I feel as though there are invisible straps tethering me to this technological device.  And I don't particularly enjoy the feeling... 

I can't help but wish I was outside on the playground, running, climbing, swinging, riding and just generally hanging with the cool kids we have here.  Of course I would last all of 15 minutes out in the heat and sun before I would long for my air-conditioned office once more!  :)  But still, right now from my office window---outside looks better!

And yet, to some of the kids in the Eicher Home, having to do work on a computer is NOTHING to complain about.  It seems they would be eager to do some of my tasks for me...

I too played "computer" as a kid but somewhere along the way it lost its luster for me!  Seeing this reminded me of those days and it showed me that despite what these children have gone through, they are playing like I once played.  They are safe and healthy and free to do their "work" of being a kid and just leaving the rest to us.  The prayers, time, money and thought that goes into this ministry, from you and many, many, many others, makes this moment of playtime possible.

And its a beautiful thing.  And it comforted me.  And it strengthened me to return to my computer and tackle my to-do list.  I can almost check off: "Write blog."  :)

I will say that working on the computer would probably be a lot more fun though if my mouse were a Lego...

Bless you all for your heart for CSC!

Change is inevitable in life.  Some changes are good---they are pleasant and easy to go along with.  Others are hard to come to terms with--they are a challenge and they sometimes bring pain.  I want to tell you about some recent changes in my life...

Many of you already know that Teacher Tammy's 8 year run at CSC and Children of Hope School has ended.  She has been gone for 2 weeks--and kids and adults alike are mourning the loss. 

Tammy is missed for many reasons: 

Tammy was a good co-worker.  She was helpful, reliable, and thorough.  She was quick to jump in if something technological was going haywire---an asset on days of school programs.  :)  Tammy was true to her word.  She promised the kids that she would take each of them out for something special before she left and SHE DID!  If she had a job or a task assigned to her, you never had to worry about it getting done in an organized and timely fashion!  She was hard-working and did whatever was in front of her---and did so with a smile.   

But Tammy is also a good friend.  She is someone I OFTEN laughed with, went on adventures with, confided in, celebrated holidays with...and the list goes on.  She is a good listener and a Godly woman.  She has become family to me and you can't help but miss family when they are gone!

Tammy, myself and Amy were quite the terrific trio, however, at this time, Amy and I are down to just a dynamic duo....

The upside of change:

We recently admitted a new child.  She was afraid of the change, of me, of our counselor and our social worker.  She was hesitant, quiet and reserved.  And who wouldn't be?  She knew something big was happening in her life but she had no idea what it meant.

But oh to see her now!  How happy and animated and secure and playful she is!  She is grateful for the life-changing experience she has had and WE are so happy to have her with us where she is safe and provided for.

God is the god of everything in our life and everything happens for His purpose and good.  And that includes changes.  I am happy for Tammy and all that God has in store for her back in MN.  I miss her, but am grateful for her continued friendship---thank goodness for Skype!  :) I am also happy about our new arrival and for her safety and health and the fact that she FINALLY gets to be a kid.

Please join with me in praying for Tammy as she transitions back to living in the US and for our newest one and all of those that will come through our doors in the future. because no matter your age or the type of change you are facing, its always easier with God.

Isn't there a saying...siblings who play together...

No, there probably isn't, but there should be.  I love watching how our sibling groups interact with each other, love on each other and even keep after each other!  :)

I happened to catch some beautiful sibling footage earlier this week.  Check out the video below!

This older sister is letting her youngest brother push her on the swing.  I love that she is letting him feel "big" and she is caring for him at the same time.  You will hear her laughter throughout the video, but you will also hear her kind of shout every time she thinks she is about to run into him!  She keeps a watchful eye and you can see her trying to slow herself down often!  I love that this little boy wants to play with his sister---I'm sure he would have kept pushing her except he was called to take a bath.  Duty calls, you know! 

No surprise that I would get a kick out of such family dynamics, being a marriage and family therapist after all; however, who wouldn't consider that moment in time precious?!