I will be back in the USA from August 15 to September 5!

The main purpose of this trip will be thanking supporters and hanging out with family and friends.  It will also be a time to relax and take a break from my daily responsibilities at CSC.  Most of my time in the USA I will be in Minnesota.  I know this is some what short notice.  Send me a message or an email if you want to meet up while I am in the States.  Try to get in touch with me as soon as possible since I will only be around for three weeks.  I will see what I can work out.

Milbert was sitting on a skateboard taking a break and watching some of the other boys play basketball.  I sat down next to him to shoot the breeze.  Milbert started asking me questions about schooling needed for different professions.  He had already spend time figuring out his future.  The time line he came up with included most of his ambitions. 

Here is Milbert's plan from age 15-40:
15-21: Musician
21-25: College--marine biology
25-31: Marine Biologist
31-40: Pilot

Why only pick one of our dream jobs?

There are many sibling groups at CSC.  Presently we have groups of two, three, four, six, and nine.  Many of the older brothers and sisters in these sibling groups cared for their younger siblings before they came to the shelter.  There are also many children without siblings here, but this does not mean they have noone to look after them.  The older children do a good job of helping the younger ones feel at home at CSC.  Each of the resident houses house about 30 children at a time.  Within these houses there are big brothers and sisters to look out for the younger ones.  During the summer the roles played by each child become more noticeable.  The children have more time to spend as they please.  It can be pleasantly surprising to see who is helping the aunties with the babies.

The workers and staff give care, support, and love to the children.  The children also provide care, support, and love for each other. 

It is great to have Work Teams here!  Cherry Hills Church in Denver, Colorado sent another work team this summer.  Most of the activities revolved around biking.  The team took four different groups biking through the week they were at CSC.  The kids' abilities on a bicycle ranged from riding in traffic and up mountains to pedaling for the first time.  We are happy to report the only mishap was Jeffrey tipping over into a bush as he stopped because he is too short to touch the ground!  His size did not stop him from riding all over the place. 

Biking was not the only thing the work team did with the kids.  The team's week at CSC actually started with an afternoon full of games and fun at the shelter.  Later in the week they took most of the bigger kids on an adventure outing which included hiking to a waterfall, a great lunch of grilled chicken and pork, swimming in the ocean off a boat and at a beach.  There was a movie outing for all the special needs kids.  Think of four wheelchairs rolling into the new Narnia movie.  The kids were thrilled!  Bowling with the Teen Home kids went late into the evening with lots of laughs had by all and several strikes and spares earned by some.

Nearly all the kids were able to do something special with the work team.  The willingness of the the team to do some many activities with the kids in one week was amazing!

Check out the new Construction Pictures in the album "Construction 6.19"

Evenings at the shelter have a different feel in the summer.  With no homework to do and no class the following day the free evenings are filled with games, TV, and general silliness.  Like nearly all kids, the CSC kids really like to watch TV.  We have to limit the TV watching to four nights per week.  What is there to do besides watching TV?  WHAT IS THERE TO DO?!  There is basketball, fuss ball, tag, ping pong, dancing, talking the friends...During the summer the kids go outside many evenings to play.  For me those have been some of the best times this summer.  The grounds are filled with the sounds of kids playing, and enjoying every second of it.  A couple evenings some of the teachers have stayed to join in the fun with the kids.

I have not decided if in the evenings I enjoy joining the fun more or simply watching the kids pour out the last bits of energy and joy for the day.  I am glad I do not have to decide.  I have do both.

Paula is the most recent kid to come to CSC.  She is 10 years old and is fitting right in.  The other kids do a great job of helping new kids adjust to and learn the ins and outs of life at CSC.  Mariemea, Angel, and Sheila May have taken Paula under their wings making it their responsibility to show their new friend the ropes.  

When I saw Paula today the first thing she said (after saying "Hello") was, "Cake lami kaayo." ("Cake is very delicious.")  There was a joint birthday party last night for Jeffrey, who turned 8, and Mitch, CSC's Executive Director.  Each birthday celebrant had a cake and tug of ice cream for sharing with everyone.  While talking with Paula it quickly came out that that cake was the first cake she had ever tasted! 

The school year has come to an end and summer vacation has begun.  Between live broadcasts for banquets and school recitals the kids spent a lot of time performing their musical numbers they have been working on for months.  The graduation ceremony took place on Tuesday with Juancho, Rodrigo, Sheena, Wilmar, and Rafael finishing preschool and Analiza graduating from grade 6.  Now it is time for fun all day long.  The kids 10 years old and up were allowed to choice a summer activity to participate in.  Their choices were badminton, swimming, volleyball, and cooking.  The badminton class already started.  These activities are a good chance for the CSC kids to meet and interact with other kids.  The business of the summer schedule as begun.

The wind has picked up and school is almost out for the kids at CSC.  This means it is time for flying kites.  And why buy a kite when you can make one?  All you need is two sticks, a plastic grocery bag, and string.  Yesterday there was no school and kites were in the sky over the shelter all day.  It is not just a fade at the shelter either.  Kites can be seen all around.  The kids who live near the shelter are also flying their kites.  It can be a little tricky walking across the yard with all the kite strings to avoid.  I found Melvin, Christian, and Romeo still working on their kites just before dinner tonight.  Making kites is yet another thing I can learn from the kids.

Today I was talking with Jenive, who is almost 12, in the yard between Eicher and Cherne Houses.  Her nickname is Jollibee after the fast food chain here in the Philippines.  The name fits her.  She is always bubbling with joy which comes out in giggles and constant smiling.  Simply, she is a "jolly bee." She was joking that she worked at Jollibee, so that meant she did not have to do her chores around the house.  Then somehow we started talking about Foster Friends of the kids who support a specific kid. 

I asked her, "What would you do if you had a million pesos?" 
She answered, "I would build the house." 
"You would build a house?"
"Yeah, that one, " she said as she point past the fence to the construction site where CSC is building a new house for kids. 
"You would give the money to CSC for the new house?"
"Yeah," and the "of course" was implied.

True, 1,000,000 pesos probably cannot be grasped by a kid of Jollibee's age but she does know it is a lot of money.  What would she do with a huge amount of money?  Give it to someone who needs it.

Up Good Shepard Road from the Shelter and School is the Stations of the Cross.  One can walk through a garden and see depictions of the various stages of Christ's suffering throughout His Passion.  This weekend many, many, many people come up past CSC to walk through the Stations of the Cross.  Outside our gate the air is full of noise and dust.  This is the one weekend of the year in which Good Shepard Road experiences constant traffic.  Today I joined the bustle on the road at about four o'clock to walk the short walk from the School down to the Shelter.  I was surprised when I entered the Shelter to find the yard nearly bare at that time of day.  Usually kids are everywhere.  It turned out that some kids from Eicher were on an outing to the beach with their houseparents and the rest of the bigger kids had gone on a hike up the road with the other houseparents.  It struck me as odd not to have the yard full of kids in the middle of the afternoon.  I think Children's Shelter of Cebu was named correctly.  It is the kids' and it would be nothing without them.  I realize that sounds very obvious, but the empty yard of this Thursday afternoon helped me to see it from another angle.

The Capital Campaign building project continues to move along.  The new residential building is starting to rise from the ground.  A lot of preparation work was needed to ensure the stability of the foundation.  Now the foundations are set.  The columns are going up.  The basement retaining wall is made.  At the moment the workers are making the steel framework for the floor beams of the first level.  This a long process.  In between the beams a concrete floor will be poured.  The remainder of columns, all the first floor beams, and the first level floor will be poured at once to maximize strength.  This is scheduled to be done by the end of March.

The crew working on the Medical building is focusing on constructing the retaining walls for the ramp from the courtyard to the Medical building.  The difference in height from the courtyard level to that of the Medical building is just over 5 meters.  The ramp will keep the soil and foundation of the Medical building from washing away.  The ramp's retaining walls need to be finished before the remainder of the Medical building's foundation can be completed.  Two thirds of the retaining walls for the ramp has been completed.  Just in time also.  Rain is starting to wash away some of the soil. 

When looking toward the building site from the yard of the Shelter steel rods seem to be growing out of the ground.  Every couple weeks they are another several meters higher. 

Check out the pictures in the "Construction Pics 3/9" album to see the progress!

Being a kid is hard enough.  There are so many things that you need to learn and figure out at the beginning.  Without someone there to guide and help you navigate through the world, it becomes infinitely more difficult.  Many of the kids at CSC have not had a proper guide.  Parents usually fill this role and without them, life can become very complicated.  Lots of the kids at CSC have had to sacrifice some part of their childhood to get by in life.  Older siblings grow up over night after a parent's death.  Kids not old enough for school run the streets looking for garbage and begging for whatever they can get. 

Returning kids to the responsibilities of simply being a kid is one way CSC works in these lives.  Like this flower trying to bloom, the kids are waiting to stretch their petals and show off what the Lord has enabled them to do.  CSC allows flowers to open.

I never made a formal New Year's Resolution.  So, I will make it now, if that is acceptable.  I resolve to actually learn Cebuano.  I have picking up words here and there, but not enough.  I am not expecting to become fluent in this coming year.  Gaining some conversational skills is what will I start with and then go on from there. 

I was thinking back to the first Cebuano words I learned.  If I remember correctly "busog" was the first word I learned.  After meals the kids would ask me "Busog?  Busog?"  It did not take long to figure out that they were asking if I was full.  Especially the preschoolers thought is was fun to state, "Busog" and stick out their stomach to back up the statement. 

It was not by chance that "busog" was the first word I learned.  For most of the kids, CSC is the first place where they can walk away from every meal patting their stomach and truthfully say, "Busog."  It is noteworthy to them to have a full stomach.  And having it filled three times a day is amazing.   

Sunday suppers in Eicher House are eaten Filipino style.  That means none of those things called utensils.  Only plates and cups.  Peter Holmberg (visitor from the States) and I joined the kids for the Sunday supper this week.  We were the source of entertainment and laughs for everyone--kids, childcare workers, and house parents.  I did not know there was a technique to eating with your hands.  Now I realize it takes some practice to eat noodles and rice with fingers.  Some of the kids have it down a little better than others.  Bart, 3 years old, still gets a lot on his shirt.  His picture is to the right in the "January 17th" album.  So is one of Peter trying to copy Analiza's technique.  You be the judge.  There are so many ways to spend your time here and have fun and one is eating with your hands on Sunday nights.

Christmas came roaring though CSC!  The month of December built and built and arrived on the 25th.  There were parties to attend, presents to find, parties to plan, outing to go on, a recital in which to play, Santas to introduce, presents to give out, a formal dinner with the kids to eat, and one live nativity scene.  It was amazing to be a part of such a festive time.  The kids who have been at CSC for a couple Christmases know the routine.  They are sizing up the visitors to see who will play the whole of Santa that year.  They do a good job informing the new kids about what is to come.  Just two days before Christmas a sibling group of three boys was admitted to CSC.  They were not quite sure what to think of it all.  Each kid gets a present, handed out by Santa.  The oldest boy of the new sibling group was the very first kid to be called up by Santa.  Of course he looked overwhelmed.

New Years Eve was also a happening.  Nearly every neighborhood in the entire city feels that it is their responsibility to put on a fireworks display sometime around midnight to usher in the new year.  This results in a brightly lit sky filling with smoke which has no real beginning or end.  Fireworks just go off for about an hour.  I think it started at about 11:30 and continued from there.  At CSC, we watch the show from our ventage point on the foot hills on the edge of Cebu City.  Everyone--kids, staff, workers, and visitors--had a great night!

CSC was started for the kids and for moments of tears.  Let me explain.  "Every child deserves a home."  That is CSC slogan.  Adoption is the main avenue CSC pursues to make the prayers of a loving family for each kid come true.  Many of the kids come from situations I will never be able to even imagine.  Kids are taken into CSC usually with the assumption that they could be adopted.  While in CSC's care they are shown love in every way we can show it.  Behind the scenes, paperwork is being sent to the proper people and agencies.  The paperwork can alter the future of a kid through adoption.  When all this comes to fruition and everything is in place the moments of tears come.  When the adoptive family comes to pick up their child/children emotions start to grow.  It is a joyous time to witness the first meeting of a boy,who was nearly too old to be adopted, and his new parents.  You get to see how the excitement of dreams coming true and prayers being answered shows itself as a slight shyness.  A couple of the tears that leak out are out of sorrow.  Leaving a place that has been home for years, friends, and the people who showed you love is not easy for the children.  Also the people who remain--staff and children--feel the sorrow of losing a friend.  Everyone on each side of the adoption knows and understands the great opportunity that is adoption.  So when the eyes start leaking (or pouring) tears at farewells for children and their adoptive families, it is understandable and acceptable.  Containing all that joy, mixed with a little sense of loss can sometimes to be too much.  It builds and starts pushing out the tears.  Just writing this, I can feel them welling up.

Nearly a month has past since I wrote about my sore eyes.  And even longer since I have put pictures up.  The "sore eyes" did not get the best of me.  Here are a couple notable things from the past month. 

Turkey Tamer is another title which has been added to my job description.  Paul Healy arranged for a live turkey to be brought in for the Thanksgiving program at the school.  This has become a staple of Paul's Thanksgiving deal.  When Paul gave the signal I led the turkey into the big room.  The rope was tied around its leg making it hard to walk.  I ended up having to carry it.  Once in front of the kids, the turkey made a lunge at the preschoolers in the front row.  Luckily I anticipated it and no one was touched by the turkey.  I never quite know what the next day will hold.  (Enjoy the pictures at the bottom of this entry.)


River Rafting - The last weekend of November I tried my hand at river rafting.  The Ohlendorfs, Amy, and Tammy had all been rafting in Cagayan twice before and decided to go again.  This time my mom and I joined them.  We rode a boat overnight from Cebu City South to the island of Cagayan.  Three inflatable rafts were strapped to the top of our jeepney that took us to the start.  I was not quite sure what to expect.  There turned out to be many short rapids with stretches of quiet river in between.  The guides of our rafts were great.  Without them several of the rapids could have been "interesting."  Once or twice I had a moment when I wondered if the raft would allow me to stay in it.  There were no real close calls, just a couple times that reminded me this was not entirely a lazy river ride.  I am not a full blown thrill seeker, but definitely enjoy a challenge a decent adrenaline rush.  River rafting was blast!

Substitute Guard - Last night I was the guard at the Shelter.  The CSC workers had their annual Christmas party.  That means all workers are not working.  This includes childcare workers, guards, maintenance, and houseparents.  The staff cover for the workers in the houses and at the gate (that was me).  I was only there for four hours, but I started to get a taste for what it is like to spend the day waiting for people to use the gate.  I was able to read a couple pages of "The Fellowship of the Ring."  (James Francis is reading it and I decided to reread it while he is reading it so I can help him understand it without giving too much away.)  It was fun to open the gate for all the workers as they returned from a fun evening. 

Christmas is just around the corner though it does not seem quite like it.  That is because my Minnesota mind can not picture Christmas in the tropics.  The season is in full swing here.  There are nativity scenes set up around the city.  Christmas carols have been playing for a couple months.  And we at CSC are gearing up to give Christmas to the kids at the shelter.  I am learning many things, like Christmas can come without snow and cold.  I am getting excited as the kids' excitement continues to mount. 

"Sore eyes" is the term used here for the medical condition called "pink eye" in the States.  Last week several kids at the shelter had "sore eyes."  There were three babies and a preschooler in the Cherne house who were put in isolation to stop it from spreading to others.  Also Joemar of the Eicher house had to be put in isolation.  That is tough for him.  He is very social and it throws off his routine.  Isolation means putting the sick kid in the playroom and not allowing them to leave until their medical aliment is better.  At the moment, the playroom is our isolation room for minor things.  There is one very small isolation room in the infirmary which is used for  more extreme cases.  We are patiently waiting for the NEW infirmary to be build.  Then we will have six separate isolation rooms which can all be monitored by one nurse.  It will be a HUGE improvement from the current setup.  You can read more about the building project at the CSC Capital Campaign page. 

Why would I write about "sore eyes"?  Are there not more important medical issues to write about?  Both are good questions.  I am writing about "sore eyes" because this past Friday my eyes started to itch.  Saturday the left eye started to look a little pink, so I went to the emergency room.  Yes, the emergency room for "sore eyes."  The main reason for this was to insure that the medicine I used to treat the "sore eyes" did not contain Penicillin, to which I am extremely allergic.  So the past couple days I have been in self-imposed isolation.  Today I was "released," as long as I wash my hands after each time I touch me eyes.  I think I can handle it.

Continue to pray for good health for the kids and staff here at CSC.

Yesterday afternoon I walked into the shelter and noticed June and Rafael inspecting some thing in the grass.  I walked over to say "Hi" and see what was so interesting.  A grasshopper had their attention.  Not any grasshopper, though.  It was about four inches long.  For some reason it could not "hop" away from the two preschoolers.  Rafael picked it up and tossed it into to air.  The grasshopper flew a little ways and then landed.  This continued for a while.  It was no surprise that when I left the shelter 30 minutes later the grasshopper was still the center of attention.  The only that had changed was the number of kids around the grasshopper.  It had increased to six. 

Whenever I enter the shelter, I need to always be prepared.  Whether it is a big grasshopper that has the kids attention, something they learned in school, or a random thought or question they need to share, I need to be ready.  The mystery of each day makes each day even more enjoyable. 

Saturday was a big day at the construction site.  One crew spent the entire day transferring dirt and backfilling the playground area wich will be behind the new residence building, Jacob's House.  We had dumped dirt in an empty lot owned by a neighbor up the road from the shelter at the beginning of the project.  Now we are taking it what we need to fill in areas.  A dump truck continued to haul dirt from up the hill and transfer for it to the site where a roller compacted the dirt.

Another crew spent Saturday pouring the concrete for the cistern which will collect the rain water from the site.  Since the cistern needs to hold water, the floor and walls must be poured at the same time.  The workers labored into the night Friday to finish all the preparation for the pouring.  They were planning for at least eight hours.  They went through 180 bags of gravel, 120 bags of sand, and 60 bags of cement.  This was mixed by a small mixer which can handle three bags of gravel, two sand, and one cement at a time.  They put the mixer on a platform to above the level of the cistern so the concrete could be poured into place, instead of handing it up by buckets.  By eliminating the buckets, the crew was able to finish in six hours.