Staff Blog

What time of day would you most like to be at the Shelter?

Early morning is a good time. The children are up early and having devotions in their homes with their house parents. You could stand outside in the playground and listen to them singing and praying.

Right after breakfast is another good time. During the school year the children are getting ready to head up to school. Some are just finishing up their chores, perhaps watering the plants. The toddlers are going out to play.  There is lots of anticipation of the day ahead.

Mid-morning is Toddler Time, with special play and learning activities planned for the kids who are too young for pre-school. The kids are amazingly cute and really enjoy this time of learning and exploring.

Lunch time. The school kids head home to eat and discuss the morning school activities.

Afternoon. Things are pretty quiet with the younger children taking naps and the older ones at school. But there is a lot going on. The washing ladies are doing load after load of diapers and clothes for the children. Maintenance staff are doing gardening, cleaning screens and windows. The cooks clean up the kitchen and start the preparations for dinner.  Meetings are going on in the child care and medical offices.

After school. This is the noisy time as all ages of children attack the playground. Some ride scooters around the sidewalk circumference. Some play basketball or soccer. The younger ones use the swings and slide. Babies in strollers go up the driveway. Older children organize games of tag and dodgeball.

5:00 p.m. A bell is rung and the children wind down their games. (At least in theory, they do!) The younger ones have their baths. The older children do their chores around the grounds. Its fun to watch them work together, enjoying each other and learning about responsibility and work.

6:00 is suppertime. Some of the kids help set the table, others will clean up and do the dishes. Good nutritious food is served and the children are thankful. They will do a unison "thank you auntie" for the cook.

After supper its time to do homework or, if none, to play board games or read. On weekends the kids will watch a DVD or be allowed to play outside. The house parents or staff members will pray with the kids after homework is finished. By 9:00 everyone is in bed and, not so much later, sound asleep. It is great to walk around the grounds and marvel at what God is doing at CSC.

Summer is a fun change of pace for the children at CSC.  They get to take a break from homework and play all day.  Well, there are still chores to do, so it is not all play.

Each summer, some of the children get to participate in an activity.  The children ten years old and above got to pick between soccer, baking, and music lessons this summer.  Eight children jumped at the chance to play soccer, which has become one of the favorite games at the shelter in recent months.  The children join other kids at the city sports complex to learn from a local coach.  Three children took the opportunity to learn how to bake with Teacher Jam.  They have already made chocolate chip cookies and  a carrot cake for Uncle Mitch’s birthday party.  Music lessons attracted thirteen children to sign up.  They are learning a variety of instruments from Teacher Ricky.  He is teaching most of the children two different instruments. Two instruments is big for one summer.

The soccer coach just extended class for another week and the soccer players cheered.  Now, all three classes will end at the end of May.  The children’s excitement it fun to see.  There are good smells coming for the kitchen, sweet sounds from the music room, and improved soccer skills on the playground.

Uncle Edwin and Uncle Ike were washing one of the vehicles and waiting for the next errand in need of a driver. Joemar was hanging out with them.

I asked Joemar, "Is Uncle Edwin a good driver?"

"Yes," he answered.

So I asked, "How about Uncle Ike, is he a good driver?"

Without thinking, Joemar answered, "No." And then a huge smile spread across his face as he started to laugh.

All four of us busted out laughing. Joemar had jumped on the chance to tease Uncle Ike, who is always joking with Joemar.

Uncle Ike, Joemar, and Uncle Edwin

I walked away, still chuckling. Joemar looks up to Uncle Edwin and Uncle Ike. They have driven him all over the city--to work at McDonald's, the doctor and dentist. They have helped him get on the right jeepney. They have been great role models for Joemar.

It is wonderful that Joemar can feel comfortable and at ease with the men he looks up to enough to joke around with. It is wonderful that they welcome him to joke with them. Love surrounds the children of the shelter.

A Saturday full of crafts, games, and new friends is always a great day.  Recently, a group of visitors from Taiwan came to the shelter and turned a normal Saturday into just that—a great day. 

There was face painting, crafts, coloring time, nail painting, reading time, jazz music, and Mandarin lessons.  The children rotated to different activities in the morning.  Then after a Jollibee lunch picnic style, it was a free-for-all in the afternoon.  Some children went back for more face painting or crafts. A touch rugby game started up, then a volleyball game.  Through it all lots of friendships were created.  The day culminated in a drum circle with the visitors and the children—everyone working together to make great music. 

A few nights later, the Taiwan group also invited the recent graduates of elementary and high school to join them for a dinner at a nice hotel.  It was another great time of fellowship.  It is amazing how children from different places and different backgrounds can find common ground in seemingly no time at all.  After dinner the children arranged an impromptu concert next the beach.  Children from each group joined together for songs, showing what they could do. 

CSC is blessed by visitors giving their time to the children at the shelter. 

The other day I hung around the playground in the late afternoon.  That is our playground's most hectic and entertaining time!  It was such a pleasure to watch the kids in play.  Tumbling from our monkey bars, swinging as high as they can, whizzing by on the scooters, flying kites, kicking balls and playing tag.

While I watched, I caught many precious moments with my camera.  Thankfully, a camera's memory cannot be faulty---it caught every smile, every flip---and in greater detail than my memory ever could.

So, here they are---these precious moments!