Saturday was a good day.  The kids 9 to 13 years old participated in a baseball tournament.  The CSC Twins took the field after a two year hiatus and placed second!  The kids had loads of fun! 

The first game ended in a flurry of runs by both the Phillies and Twins.  With the score tied at four entering the fifth and final inning the Phillies cranked in five runs.  The Twins were not to be out done.  Arnel hit a three run home run bringing in Paula and John.  Then Milbert followed suit with his own three run home run hitting home Christian and Birny for a 10 to 9 win! 

The second game was against a tougher team, but that did not stop the Twins from playing well.  Even though the final score was 10 to 2 in the other team's favor the Twins still held their heads high, because they knew they had played well.  The defense played better and little John hit a solo home run in the last inning.

The sun shone on the kids as they enjoyed a day of playing baseball.  By the time we returned to the shelter stars were out.  The kids jumped out the of vehicle and hustled to their houses for a much needed supper.  As I shut off the vehicle I noticed John laying in the grass.  Thinking he was being dramatic I walked over and asked, "Are you tired?  Do you need me to carry you inside?"  He said, "No.  I am looking at the stars.  Look, an umbrella."  So I lay down in the grass to his right and he pointed out the umbrella in the stars.  After only a minute or two we stood up, he gave me a hug and said, "Thank you Uncle Joel."  He turned and jogged inside to get his supper.

John had a blast simply playing a fun game today.  It did not really matter that he was one of the better players even though he only 11 years old.  The solo home run he hit did not really matter.  It was a just good day.

Several months have passed since the staff has been able to tell a child they will be joining an adoptive family soon (excluding babies and toddlers).  Within the last week we have been able to share in this special moment with several children.  I had forgotten how powerful and moving the simple sentence "You have a mom and dad" actually is for the children.  Watching and waiting for reaction to the sentence triggers tears.  Then to actually see the light behind the eyes and the smile stretch from ear to ear causes the eyes to leak joy.  The situations of the child/children can be different but the prayer is the same.  A child with no siblings at CSC or a sibling group in jeopardy of being split up, it does not matter.  Adoption is the dream and when it comes true joyous tears are a necessity. 

Analiza came to CSC just after her 12th birthday with her five siblings.  Four years have past since then.  Analiza, Jenive, Bernardo, Birny, Jeffrey and Rafael have grown so much in that time.  Physically all of them are short for their age, but they have been growing upward.  School does not come as easily to them as it does to other kids.

Analiza is a great big sister.  She looks after her siblings as well as the other kids.  She especially likes to help the aunties in caring for the babies and toddlers.  I am never surprised when I see her leading the toddlers around the yard by the hand.

School is hard work for Analiza.  She graduated from sixth grade last year and has been spending this school year at CCHS preparing for high school.  This year she has gained many good study habits and skills and is ready to enter high school.  She enjoys science experiments.  This week her math class started Algebra!  Analiza is excited that it is making sense to her.  She also enjoys music a lot too.  She plays the clarinet, is learning the saxophone and piano, and sings in the praise band.

She is quick to laugh and crack a joke.  Like most sixteen year old girls she likes going to the cinema and beach.  Her friends mean a lot to her.  Kids at CSC need their friends to help them deal with their pasts and look forward to the future.  The future is not easy for her to dwell on.  By that I mean, Analiza dreams and prays for an adoptive family for her and her siblings, but she has already seen many of her friends leave CSC with their "new" families.  She is waiting and praying and dreaming.  Please pray for Analiza, Jenive, Bernardo, Birny, Jeffrey and Rafael.