We have a special time every weekday for the toddlers.   We have it in the morning right after the older kids go school, the toddler's get to take over the compound.   It is a fun time!   We do things like nature walks, finger painting, water play or coloring most days, but today we tried something new.  TODDLER BOWLING!  We learned that there is only one rule to Toddler Bowling - and that is that the bowling pin is used to hit the bowling ball !  (To be honest it resembles golfing...but we don't think our toddlers are ready for golf.)  Toddler Bowling is a very popular game for us now...I am sure it will be played often.  We may have to get a patent on the game I think.  The toddlers were still going strong when the game was "over" so we brought out our basins for water play.  We knew we were asking for trouble because these are the same basins that we use for water play when we have the toddlers in their swim suits!   But it was a great time - check out the photos!  We'll be working on that patent.

Okay....it was not really Jacob's wedding.    It was Bong and Lings wedding.   We have been calling it "Jacob's wedding" as we have been preparing Jacob for it.  Bong had been Jacob's Physical Therapist for two years before Bong moved to Australia a couple of years ago.  Jacob loved Bong and had a hard time saying goodbye to him.    We were amazed and overjoyed when Bong asked Jacob to serve as his Best Man at his wedding here in Cebu today!  What an honor and priveledge for Jacob - and our appreciation of Bong was doubled as well. THANKS BONG - you too LING!! !    Jacob got to get all dressed up and go to a beautiful beach resort.   He got to hang out with all of the Staff and Teachers.  He got to be the BEST MAN in a beautiful wedding!   Jacob  even "gave" a little speech at the dinner - it was precious.  Thanks to Julie for getting his computer fixed to be able to do that and thanks to Jinky for putting the perfectly right words in "Jacob's mouth".  We were all in tears - including Bong.  Jacob will never forget this day.   What a special day it was!   Jacob,  our own BEST MAN!!!

 

Lots has happened in the last few days. On October 1st I had some friends from Minnesota come to visit - it was fun to show them around CSC and Cebu.  October 2nd the Oprah show that I was on FINALLY aired.  We filmed that show in April !  I am glad that it is over. I don't have to answer the question "when are you on Oprah ?" ever again!  HA.   It was a blessing to be able to have that experience though.  I hope and pray that the airing of the wonderful story about the Roach family will bring some extra blessings to them as well as to CSC.  We have had lots of people checking out our new website because of the show.  AND WHAT A WONDERFUL NEW WEBSITE IT IS!   It does not tell you that my Blog has been updated though...so don't rely on it to let you know if I have a new update or not..you will have to check it out on your own I guess...we are trying to figure out why it won't tell of updates - same thing is happening to Tammy and Joel.   On October 3rd we were entertained in style by our own CSC KIDS.  We really do have some talented kids.  I have to just sit there in awe when they are showing off their talents!  These darling kids who come from severe poverty and with stories and experiences that seem to be impossible to overcome, are actually sitting there at the piano, or standing there playing a violin, dressed in formal wear and making beautiful music!   Their smiles were something to behold.  They were proud of themselves ( not quite as proud as we were of them though).  October 6th (that would be October 5th for you slow people in the USA ) we celebrated with the VIKINGS with a win over those PACKERS...and with Favre on our team even!  October 7th (yeah October 6th for most of you) we actually got up at  5 AM to watch the TWINS pull off a 12th inning win.  Exciting days.  Not all is wonderful though....as I sit here in my office there is some pretty sad stuff happening right outside my window. All the beautiful trees that have been growing for 17 years in our playground are being cut down as I type.   These beautiful  trees were producing a tiny little berry that the birds and bats love.  The problem is that the birds and bats are rather messy eaters and have less than acceptable bathroom habits...the mess that they were making was staining the new Duterte home, our neighbors house and both the Cherne and Eicher home as well.  My solution was to paint everything purple so the stains did not show....but that was not well accepted and the trees are coming down.    I know...they are just trees.  But our good friend Ron Duterte  planted them!  

We will plant new ones and all well be well.  I will get over it!   How can I not when I have one of the best jobs in the world? The kids lives will go on and we will still

have beautiful grounds and beautiful homes.....hmmmm...sure hope the  beautiful play ground equipment survives...so far it has!  They are getting some pinpoint landings of the falling trees between swingsets and climbing structures   

 I will show you a before and after photo as soon as the deed is done.  The photo of one of our little girls watching the trees fall kind of sums up my feelings too!

 

 

      I am blessed to have friends here for a couple of days.   I have known these friends for a long time...a lifetime ago!  Before CSC!  It's hard to remember that I had a life before CSC actually.   These friends have supported CSC pretty much from the beginning,  so  it is especially fun to "SEE CSC"  through their eyes.  This afternoon we just hung out with the kids and  this evening we watched the last practice for the big recital tomorrow night ( they fly out before the recital. )   They loved just seeing the kids being kids, showing off their musical talents  and interacting with them.  On the way back to the guest house where they were staying for the night one of my friends commented that it was just so amazing and rewarding to see what they have been giving money to for almost 30 years.   It really hit me that CSC would not be CSC without the hundreds- if not thousands of people like my friends; people who have consistently given to CSC through the ups and downs of their own lives.  These friends did not  ever give big gifts...but they have given literally hundreds of relatively small gifts for nearly 30  years!   That really is more than some of our infrequent big givers!  I love that CSC means so much to so many people that  they choose to support us for 30 years  ( or 2 years or even once ! ) Most of these people are supporting something they have not even seen with their own eyes.  What a wonderful God we serve!  I am blessed to be here and blessed by my reminder today of what makes it possible for me to be here.  Friends.  My friends,  friends of the other staff members and new friends that have decided that CSC is worthy of their support!  We love friends!

Watch OPRAH on Friday, October 2!   That is the air date of the show that we filmed last April!   Oprah and crew flew me to Chicago to stage a reunion with one of the CSC KIDS that  I escorted to his wonderful and PERFECT family 14 years ago.  Tune in to see just why his family is so PERFECT for him!