Staff Blog

Two weeks ago, my family (Joel, Ethan, Shari, Paul) and I had the great opportunity to visit friends and relatives in Japan.  Joel, Shari and I spoke at Kurume Christ Church (previously described by Shari in her blog) about CSC and their foster friends.  We also had the chance to visit Wheelchairs of Hope.

Wheelchairs of Hope is a non-profit organization in Japan that refurbishes and distributes used wheelchairs donated by companies, individuals and other organizations.  Their main beneficiaries are the countries around Asia.  As of February 9, 2016, they have given away 2,000+ wheelchairs all over Asia including the Philippines.

In 2009, through the connections of friends in Japan, Wheelchairs of Hope donated a wheelchair to CSC.  Since then, we have been in their minds as a wheelchair recipient.  Whenever they ship wheelchairs to the Philippines, Wheelchairs of Hope never fails to contact us and ask if we need a wheelchair or two.  It was a wonderful surprise to see a picture of John Ray, who received a wheelchair from them, at their warehouse.  Even though it was 7 years ago, they kept John Ray’s picture in a frame, never forgetting the little time they shared with him.  One of the people who came to CSC in 2009 still remembered John Ray and asked how he is doing.

I like visiting and hearing stories about other organizations and foundations that have a heart like Children’s Shelter of Cebu; at the same time, sharing our story with them.  God uses different people from different walks of life to serve His people and glorify His name.  Having visited Wheelchairs of Hope made me proud of the work we are doing at CSC and humble at the same time.

“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”—2 Timothy 2:20-21 NIV

As you may know, my wife and I have been serving in Cebu on a short term basis. We were there for about 13 months. We returned to MN at the end of December because of an urgent health concern in a close family member and will be ending our time with CSC in March. While the circumstances which brought us home have been discouraging we’ve been blessed by how flexible CSC has been with allowing us to continue to serve.

Going to the office in Minnesota has been a slight adjustment. Instead of seeing Mitch each morning, we see Matt. At lunch time, we don’t hear Cebuano, we only hear English. In Cebu I was relieved to get to the office and sit in air conditioning, now I see snow outside and keep inching my chair towards the sunlight.

Strangely though, it’s the similarities that have been more striking. The people who come in and out of both offices are talking about what’s new with the kids.  The walls are covered with pictures of the same smiling faces. Even the work is the same; it’s true that many of the tasks are different, but that great momentum God gives us to bring glory to His name while serving these children, it remains unchanged.

What an amazing thing that God has done; bringing so many people with so many different stories together to share in the work He has in store for us.

CSC is in the "business" of loving kids.  Of course our ministry has a much longer mission statement, and any of our business-type documents would describe what we do in a more complex manner.  However, when it comes down to what CSC does, it really and truly is, plain and simple: we love our kids.  

And because we love them, we want what is best for them.  And what is best for them usually means leaving CSC and becoming part of their own forever family.

In the last few weeks of 2015 and in the first several days of 2016, CSC has welcomed a handful of loving adoptive families, and said goodbye to many precious children.  This is the nature of our work and every goodbye is an answered prayer.  Though the tears may fall as we wave at departing vehicles, we are all truly happy to witness God's handiwork.

It is such a pleasure to meet and get to know adoptive families.  How they arrive to the shelter so excited and already in love with a child that they have usually only seen in pictures and read about in a few reports amazes me every time.  I love when they share their stories of how God gave them this particular child or how He let them know they needed to adopt those siblings.  And how understanding these families are about what their child(ren) are going through: the fears they have, the uncertainty.  One family that adopted a young boy last year always spoke about how brave he was to be leaving everything he had ever known.  And I am again in awe of how God works and how He brings families to CSC to take children that have been loved powerfully here so that they will be loved powerfully elsewhere. 

A new year has started and I know that in this coming year there will be more kids to leave CSC, and more families to come.  Business as usual.  And what a blessed "business" it is!

Children's Shelter of Cebu started with young and inexperienced, but faithful and Godly, people from MN in 1979.  At that time, those five Americans shared a home with just one bathroom with three Filipinos as they began the ministry by taking care of a seven-year-old girl and a few babies.  All of the adults took care of babies in their rooms or by their beds.  They took turns washing dirty diapers, making bottles, and cooking food for everyone.  They also made disheartening discoveries that some of the clothes they had hung out to dry were stolen from the yard by the neighbors.  Learning language was challenging and sometimes humorous.  One story I heard was that one of the missionary staff had mistakenly ordered mosquito in a restaurant instead of chicken because of a misspoken Cebuano word.  Another story involved the use of a staff member’s shoe to retrieve his last one peso coin that had rolled into some gunk in the gutter.  Otherwise, he would have had to walk home from the city all the way to Bulacao, which was five miles away.  Another memory was the staff needing to talk to the employees because the ministry needed to tighten its belt when funds were low.  Other organizations here in Cebu City assisted CSC with donations during that time so that the kids never missed out on a meal. 

In 36 years as a ministry, CSC has gotten bigger with three homes at the shelter and a teen home, serving 85 children by the end of the year 2015.  In 1979, the CSC staff relied on God and what He could do through the first few supporters of the ministry.  In 2015, that same faith and reliance on God continued to be as strong as before.  God continues to prove to us He is true and faithful!  Once again, He has done this through the financial giving of CSC’s supporters and CSC finished the year 2015 in the black. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:4-6

"Praise the Lord, all you nations; For great is His love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord." Psalm 117 

With a house full of kids, what to do about haircuts?  The solution is simple.  Bring the barbershop to the house.

Many Saturday mornings at the shelter, a barber shop is set up somewhere near one of the homes.  A local barber brings his tools of the trade and spends the morning snipping, trimming, cutting, and buzzing.   This past Saturday the Duterte boys all got a trim.