Staff Blog

Over the weekend, I made a phone call at 4 a.m. Cebu time/2 p.m. Minnesota time to a bike shop in Roseville, Minnesota.  When the connection went through, right away I heard lots of people talking and laughing and the hum of bike trainers in the background.  A bunch of people with various connections to CSC were at a Habitat for Humanity event called Ride For Cebu (http://habitathomescebu.wordpress.com/) to raise money for the purpose of helping CSC workers get better housing. 

The phone was passed around so I could talk to some of the riders.  I talked to a couple of employees of CSC, an adopted CSC child, two supporters of CSC, an adoptive parent and an employee of the bike shop.  There were a lot of other people there whom I did not speak with. 

The verses in I John 3:16-18 say, "This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

All of the people who showed up at the bike shop care about CSC.  They were there living out God's love through their actions by participating in the trainer ride.  Tears came to my eyes as I sat in my apartment half way around the world in Cebu in the middle of the night.

Teacher Junelyn and I planned an activity for library that involved each of the kids sharing about a favorite book using a prop related to their chosen book.  Junelyn and I had our own book and prop picked, but we kept it a bit of a secret from the kids.  A student whose class was not participating approached me and whispered, "Tell me what your book is.  I won't tell." 

I replied, "No, I think I'll keep it a secret!"

The student raised her hand as if to make a pledge and said back to me, "I promise."

Raising my right hand also, I said, "You promise?"

Without missing a beat, she said, "I plead the 5th."

This student is in American Studies and she was applying what she had learned in class to our conversation.  I must admit I laughed pretty hard. 

Later that day, the kids had a great time sharing about their favorite books.  One student dressed as Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.  Another student wore a quiver and horn to represent Robin Hood.  Oh, yes, Junelyn and I had the kids try Turkish Delight from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.