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!

 

I am going to attempt to add new photos to  my  new TODAY at CSC photo album a few times a week.    TODAY was not all the interesting to write about (3 meetings!) But we started out the day with a great presentation at School !   Level B starred in  "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical ! It was fun to see the kids enjoying themselves and showing off their dancing skills as well. They were pretty proud!  Then I went to the homes to get some work done in my office (before the meetings started ) I had to stop by to visit the toddler gang who were having a good time in our little bamboo hut!  Here are a few photo's to prove I did what I just said I did!

Our two Counselors and I attended a seminar today.   We were under the impression that it was a seminar for teaching us to teach the program True Love Waits. True Love Waits is a wonderful program for teens that encourages sexual purity until marraige.  Most of our older kids have gone through this program so we were just looking for some information to help us encourage and support the commitment that they had already made.   BUT,  when we arrived we discovered that we had not been given the complete story.   It was actually a seminar for True Love Waits - obviously directed at teens.   There we were....with about 500 young teens.  Of course there were a few adults with the groups of teens but we were the ONLY adults there who were not chaperones.  Yep - that would be me, 50ish, Victor,  who is 40ish and a very obviously pregnant Laarne.  At a program that will end with a committment to sexual purity until marraige.  Hmmmm...   Oh well, we did come away with some new info to share with our kids and I am sure that we gave all those there some good stories to tell -  I can just hear the talk....."did you see those old people that came to the seminar...and one was pregnant!", Glad we gave them something to talk about - we thought it was quite funny ourselves.

I want you all to be reminded that prayers work.  Thanks again for  your prayers for our safety and protection here.   God's protection was evident tonignt.  A ceiling fan in the Nursery of one of our homes malfunctioned;  there were only sparks and a bit of smoke but we had some scared workers and kids for awhile.  Everyone handled it well -  they got all the kids safely outside and turned off the electricity.  All is well now,  everyone is back inside and going to bed for the night.  THANK YOU JESUS and thank you prayer partners. 

Pray that the babies and toddlers who were in the nursery when this happened will continue to feel safe and secure and not  have any lasting issues with the "excitement" that went on tonight.  Keep us in your prayers!

Today was one of the "last minute" vacation days that the President declared a couple days ago.   We never know when we will have a vacation because the President can wake up one morning and decide that she wants to declare a nationwide vacation day!  And she does.  SO, this was one of those...as we have been telling people this vacation is "because some guy died".  Hmmm.  I spent the day with the kids;  vacation days are always especially hectic for the houseparents because they are often last minute and none of the extra people show up - just the people on the daily schedule and any staff member that may wander in.  Being I was a houseparent for the first 15 years of CSC I know the feeling...so I usually try to hang out with the kids.  Today we did lots of table games and just had a good time sitting in the HOT HUMID air playing games and sweating!  It was fun.  I enjoyed it!   Then we had a wonderful salad supper with all the Staff to celebrate Labor Day.  It was a good day.  Another vacation day on wednesday - but this is a planned one! 

This week at school it was WIKANG FILIPINO -  lots of stories, games, dances and information about the Philippines - most of it in the Tagalog language. I understand about 15 words in Tagalog...so I did miss lots of the information!   Today was the culmination of Wikang Filipino but it was also the end of our 5 week long READING CHALLENGE.  What an exciting afternoon it was!  Uncle Paul, Uncle Andrew and Uncle Joel made some amazing deals with the kids for the reading challenge....if the kids won the challenge Uncle Paul and Uncle Andrew had to wrestle some really tough guys.....and Uncle Joel would lose his hair AND his beard.   For five weeks the three Uncles have been telling the kids that "Reading is boring".....to which the kids would respond "Reading is fun" .   The kids each had individual goals to reach in reading in order to get enough points to win the challenge.  There has been lots of banter back and forth during these five weeks!    I will let the photos tell you the rest of the story!   It was a fun afternoon in Cebu!

The  kids have an unexpected holiday from school.  Today is the funeral of one of the ex presidents of the Philippines (Cory Aquino ).  So the kids are making the most of it...as are the teachers who are nowhere to be seen!   The yard is full of activity.  One obvious missing element is that there is no one playing basketball though!  Joel and Andrew have all the big boys playing basketball at a nearby basketball court.  The wagons each are jam packed full of 4 or 5 kids with others pulling and pushing - good to see that cooperation!   A few of the kids have brought out their coloring books and crayons to the picnic table.   A few more kids are sitting around outside reading - more are doing that inside I have heard ( read about the kids reading program on the CSC web site)  Joemar is here in my office with me sharing a Coke.   We have a few of the little girls busily working on some very complicated recipe - they fill up their pots and pans only to discover that the recipe was all wrong....because they dump everything out and start all over.  Likely too much dirt and not enough leaves would be my educated guess. Some kids are making beautiful art with sidewalk chalk on the driveway!  We often have a very colorful driveway!   A couple of the kids are helping Uncle Patrick make a "Happy Birthday Uncle Paul"  sign.  One of the Aunties is playing "train" with the kids...she has about 8 kids in a line behind her as they navigate the playground!  A few of the preschoolers seem abnormally attracted to the water faucet today,  every time an auntie is not in the immediate vicinity one of them runs over and turns on the faucet!  Barto and Christian are racing around the yard...can't believe all that energy!    Hmmmm....have to stop here because one of our darling 9 year olds just grabbed a baby and was running away from the aunties...thinking it a great joke.   She will very soon learn that it was not funny.  Ahhhh...I love my job, everyday is different and I always know that something exciting  will happen! 

It was a good day today.   I am not sure why because I only got about half of the stuff done that I wanted to get done.  Actually I am sure why...I had a series of meetings today with different staff members.   There is so much going on with our kids,  sometimes just sitting around and talking things out is the best way to make plans and set goals.  We have kids who want to confront their abusers, kids who want the past to be the past, kids who need to acknowledge their past so that they can make steps towards the future.   We have kids who are just learning what trust is, kids who are contemplating a different future than they were last week, kids who just need us to be there, kids who seem to need many more reminders than others, kids who are almost "too perfect".....each of these kids needs their needs met in different ways.  We do have a group of people here that do care about the individual kids.  That was brought home to me in each of the four meetings that I participated in today.   It was a good day...because God  showed me once again that he has brought a group of people together to meet the needs of these darling kids that HE has sent our way.  Now, I just hope that tomorrow is a good paperwork day!

I always ask people to pray for our safety here.....we have had a huge reminder of why that is so important!   In the early afternoon friday we were getting lots of rain, not a typhoon, just rain and some small gusts of wind.  I was sitting in my office with my wonderful view of the whole compound when there was a large CRACKING sound - when I looked out all I saw was a tree just landing in the driveway right by the Eicher house.   Two of our workers were standing right where the tree fell! They both have some lumps on their heads, but ER doctors tell us that they are fine.   The tree fell over our wall from the empty lot next door.  The very scary thing is that the tree fell onto the main electrical lines for our whole compound.  The lines where pulled as far as they could be without breaking...the tree was resting on the top of a wall with the electrical lines pulled  taunt under the tree.  If the lines would have been pulled even another inch or two it looked as if they would break.  We would have had live wires in a rain storm and two workers right in the mix.  The tree fell right next to the Eicher Home nursery....that leaves images that are just to horrid to think about.    So....keep praying for our safety here!  The prayers work.   God is protecting us.

Just wanted you to see how Christian and DuAn are doing.....they are beginning to lose that NEW KID LOOK!   DuAn is the one on the left of the two girls.

One of the things that I love about my job is seeing kids change.   Kids usually come to us sickly, fearful and with an inate inability to trust.  These three things are easily observable in their eyes and in their actions. I call it the NEW KID LOOK.  CSC is good at changing that LOOK.  We have recently added two kids to our family.  Christian - age 4 and DuAn who is almost 3 joined their baby sister Phoebe in our Cherne Home.   The first night that they moved into the house was a birthday party night,  they were excited to see all  the food, toys and other kids to play with,  BUT....they had the NEW KID LOOK.    It won't take long for this LOOK to be gone...because that is what we are good at at CSC!  More photos to follow!

I am amazed that so many of you keep reading my Blog (all of our Blogs actually)...none of us have been very diligent at writing our Blogs.  The weird thing is that there is almost too much to say.   Making the decision of what to write about is what keeps me from writing - what to write? .    Should I tell you about Kirk's visit back here to CSC?   Should I tell you about our newest arrival - 7 week old Hilton ? Or should I tell you about some of the darling conversations that I have had with the kids lately? Maybe I should ask you to pray for dear Jeremie who has waited way too long for his adoptive family to be able to come here. Should I do another "out my window" story?   Hmmmmm.......  Maybe I should tell you about the summer fun classes that the kids are busy going to.  I could tell you how I single handedly caught three of our kids that were knocking each other over on the up escalator - YIKES.   Or I could tell you about the tiny kitten that I rescued on the road...and has now moved in.   Maybe I should get serious and tell you how it feels to be here for almost 30 years.  I could make it simple and just show you some of the underwater photos that I took when I went snorkeling ( I saw a sea turtle...and no I didn't get a photo).   Hmmmmmm....just can't decide what to write.   I'll have to think on it....keep checking in!

Today was our Graduation day.   We had four graduates this year...all graduating from Pre-School!  Angillo, Jason, GeAn and June are the special ones! Enjoy a few photos from the big event!

     I know that some of you have heard a rumor that I was on the Oprah show.   It is true!   The show was taped on April 9th, but will not be viewed until sometime in the fall.  When I learn the date it will air I will let you all know!

     But...here is the story.  On  Tuesday April 7th at 6 AM I got a call telling me that the Oprah show  wanted me to be in Chicago on the 9th for a SURPRISE REUNION with one of our CSC kids, Ross.  The morning whizzed by with a million little details having to be worked out;  where was my passport? ( in Manila )  what was the status of my Visa? (it was up to date )  How could  I get my passport? ( they delivered it to my Hotel!) Could Oprah's people get me a flight at this late date? (yes)  Could I get a flight to Manila at this late date? (yes)  could I possibly be ready to leave in hours?  (well....) so many more details too - and ALL of them went perfectly, what should have been impossible to do was very easily done in the end.  GOD IS GOOD.  It was just the beginning of the whirlwind though.   Final arrangements were in place at 1:30 pm and I had to leave for the airport at 5:30 pm.   I literally threw things in a suitcase.  I had only one outfit of "cold weather clothes"...so that is what I saved for the show.  I wore capris and a light weight blouse for the cold arrival in Chicago!  I was met at Ohare and helped through baggage pickup, then brought to the Trump International Hotel for the night!  WOW....I had a TV in my bathroom mirror!  I was told that I could get/do anything I wanted...that everything would be covered.  Ha...all I got was a bowl of brocolli cheddar soup!   I didn't even leave my room.  Things had just happened so fast that it was nice to have NOTHING to do for a few hours. In the morning Oprah's people picked me up and delivered me to the studio.  Everyone was so kind at the Harpo Studio,  they were helpful, explaining what was going to happen and when.  Just very friendly and down to earth people.  I was impressed!  I was not nervous at all!   I was just so excited to see ROSS!!    When I was waiting backstage,  they told me I would go out in a couple minutes,  Oprah was talking to Ross about his desire to come back to the Philippines to see me,  it seemed only about 30 seconds later that they told me  "GO" -  so...I went.  Walked out on stage with Oprah!  HA.   I don't really remember what order things happened then....I know that Oprah gave me a big hug and that Ross and his family and I all exchanged hugs too.  Ross was a bit in shock to see me I know...showed all the emotion normal for a 16 year old boy in that situation though!  HA...gotta be cool and can't show much emotion you know.  His smile was the greatest though! Oprah took control and told us all to sit down...we were all busy talking to each other.   I didn't know where to sit because the only spot open was where Oprah had been sitting. She told me to sit where she had been...so (dumb I know) I asked her where she was going to sit!  She laughed and said that she would just sit on the arm of the couch by me.  So she did.   She was so calm and cool that I did not even think about her being one of the most influential people in the world.  She straighted my hair and asked a few questions of both Ross and I.  It was like sitting in someones living room and having a conversation really.  Just sitting on Oprah's couch.  I enjoyed it.   We were onstage for maybe 5 minutes only...not sure how much of it will be "on air".  It was fun though!  Then we all went and sat in the front row of the audience...literally just a few feet from the stage.  Oprah talked to us a few times from stage and does alot of audience interaction as well.   The whole show is on "special families", there were at least four other families that were on the show but Ross and his family and I were the only ones actually there, live,  in the studio, all others were on pre recorded video.   That is my story!

     You need to know the start  of the story though too;   I first met Ross here in Cebu when he was one year old.  Carmelita (our social worker) and I were at a local hospital getting an abandoned newborn baby.  We got that baby but in the process learned that there was another abandoned baby in that nursery..and that he had been there for a full year!  We stated that we would take that baby as well...but were met with major resistance.  It seemed that the people in the hospital had taken a special liking to this little guy; we are not sure what the hospital was planning to do with Ross, but we knew that he needed to get out of there.  We had to ask the government for help; all of that paperwork took at least a couple of months.  But...Ross finally arrived at CSC.   Ross is a dwarf, we are not sure how much that fact played into the fact that he was not easily released from the hospital, but we know that he was not considered "normal".  I was still living in the house with the kids at that point so I was Ross's housemother.   Through an amazing series of events ( they talk about this on the Oprah show ) a couple in Texas found out about Ross.  We received a letter from them asking about Ross.  To make a long story very short this couple was able to adopt Ross.  Joe and Becky  (Ross's adoptive parents)are also dwarf's !  They are very successful, love the Lord and are absolutely the perfect family for Ross!  I was able to escort Ross to his adoptive family in Texas when he was just under two years old.  What a blessing it was to see this family being made.  I spent a few days in Texas with them and left Ross in Joe and Becky's very capable hands.  I did not see them again until we were reunited over 14 years later  on the Oprah show.  Joe and Becky adopted two more dwarf children after Ross.  They have a wonderful and close family. Ross is thriving in his family and has big dreams for his future.  AND...they all promised me that they will come to visit us in the Philippines and make it to a Banquet some year as well!  There are so many wonderful details to this story....but just know that God's fingerprints are all over this story from my meeting Ross in that nursery so many years ago to our being reunited on the Oprah show on April 9th.  This is God's story,  starring Ross,  with Oprah as the minor player!  That does not happen often! 

        After the show I was able to spend Easter weekend with my family in Minnesota. A special blessing.  It was a whirl wind though.  Worth it, but oh my I am still trying to recover.  It has been VERY busy here since I arrived back so have had early and long days every day.  I am looking forward to a calm sunday this sunday! 

        I will let you know the date the show will air when I know it.  At this point it looks like August or September.  

     One of the things that I talk with the kids about consistently is choices......that what we choose is who we are.   The kids can choose to add to the hurtful teasing that one child is doing to another or they can choose to tell the "teaser" that what they are doing is wrong.  They can choose to admit to something they did..or they can say that someone else did it.   They can choose to obey or disobey.  Seems simple...but it is not.  Many of the kids who come to us when they are older have learned a different aspect of choosing.  They have learned to make choices that lead to survival; sometimes literal physical survival, sometimes just making their life a little bit easier to endure.  Sometimes the only way to survive is to choose to lie,  to steal, to hurt someone else before they hurt you. Sometimes it is  an innate fear that cannot be fully understood by them - they simply choose what seems to lead to survival. That is reality in the culture of poverty.  Those choices have been made by every older child that has come to us at one time or another.  And those choices did help them to survive.  I cannot fault the kids for those choices.  Getting the kids to realize that they are in a safe place now also seems like a simple thing,  but it is not.   Some of our kids take a long time to trust our words and our actions, to fully surrender their care to us, to believe that there will be another full meal in just a few hours.  It always makes me sad to see the kids having trouble making the obvious RIGHT choice, but I know that it  often comes from a deep seated inability to trust.  No one has proved trustworthty before...how could they learn trust?  They have had to make decisions and choices to protect themselves..because no one else was, at least not consistently.   I work closely with our counselors, our house parents and our child care workers to understand this and to consistently work towards being TRUSTWORTHY so that our kids can feel safe. If they feel safe they can begin to make "good" choices, choices based on what is right vs. what is wrong, not choices that are about literal survival.  It is an honor and blessing to see this happen, with some kids trust comes fairly easily, with some it never totally comes.  Every day we will continue to work with our kids, to prove to them that we are trustworthy and to guide them to be able to make good choices. It's not always easy and it keeps us busy...but it is worth every moment to see genuine trust in a child's eyes. Pray with us and for us that we can all be deemed trustworthy in our kids eyes.   I love my job.

      One of the best things (and biggest blessings ) about being at CSC is being able to help kids. We see the change that a little love, food, medicine, consistency and commitment can do for a child.  We have again been given this opportunity with the recent arrival of two brothers Jinno (age 4) and Jonel (age 2).  Jinno and Jonel are happy to be here despite the fact that they have to take lots of medicine, indure a few injections and are isolated away from the other kids.  The fact that their situation before coming here was quite dismal has much to do with their excitement to be here I am sure.  An infant sibling died while their birth mom was experiencing severe post partum depression, the boys were sickly and Mom simply could not cope.  We are saddened that we didn't visit the family earlier, and heart broken that the baby died.  It was decided that the boys would come to CSC at the first visit to their home.  The birth mom will get  help as well.  Jonel had to make an emergency trip to the hospital a few days after arriving at CSC;  the worms that had invaded his little body were trying to come UP rather than go DOWN as any smart self respecting worm would do. ( As an aside....any of you want gross worm stories...just ask any CSC staff person! We have enough stories to write a book! )  Jonel was choking on live worms.  He is now back here with us and the worms have "passed on" if you know what I mean. These little guys will be in Iso for a long time though;  ear infections, skin rashes, pneumonia and TB all in one little body is tough stuff.  What a blessing it is to see their faces filling out, that little spark of mischievousness that every little boy needs showing itself and the recognition and joy in their faces when I walk into the ISO room for a visit! These two will make great CSC KIDS!   The fact that they are also cute just confirms it!

     I am sitting here in my office attempting to get some work done - but there is so much going on just outside my window that it is hard to work!  I am just watching.....here is what I see. 

* John Nino is finally able to slow down his walking enough to stay upright (he started out literally running so has been falling down after only a few steps) - he's got the concept of "walking" now though!  A bunch of older kids are cheering for him.  

*A few of the teen age girls are sitting on the bench swing together...i am sure talking about their "crush' and all the important news of the day. 

* Some of the older boys are playing basketball right outside my window. John is sitting right at the base of the hoop and giving a play by play of what  is happening in the game.  He is making up lots though! 

*Kyle, Cyril and Jeffrey are doing their best to get a kite out of a tree....throwing a rock on a string at it to try to snag it..trying to wiggle the branches..and looking around to see if someone is watching them because I know they REALLY want to climb that tree!  It is really too small to climb though.....

*Ardian is riding bike up and down the driveway - and taking his hands off the handlebars whenever he thinks the aunties are not watching him.  hmmmmmm....

*I see one of the Aunties bringing some toys and books up to the infirmary, for John Lloyd, one of our 2 1/2 year old twins who got sick this morning (his  twin brother is John Loue) - their adoptive parents will be here in an hour or so.  Amazing how often the kids get sick when their adoptive parents are coming!

*Wilmar (it's his 8th birthday today) is running around with a little kite on an 8 to 10 foot string!  He has been trying to get that kite airborn for 30 minutes at least! He is certainly diligent!

*Little Leonard is sitting on a blanket in the middle of the yard,  he has an auntie with him and the older kids keep stopping by to give him a hug and some attention too..he keeps turning around because he does not know what to look at - too many choices.

*John Lloyd (the little one, 13 months old...we have two) is in a walker in the yard - he can now get everywhere in that walker!  He has been pulled back from the basketball game about 3 times in the last four minutes.  He wants to play basketball!  He also seems to want  to run over Leonard!

*Charryto is using the see-saw for a balance beam.

*Jeneviev and Riza Mae came to visit me in my office!   Joemar has been here most of the afternoon already! Actually lots of kids have been in and out - I love my "open door" policy (at least MOST of the time!)

*Angillo is being a real monkey on the "monkey bars".

*GiGi and Rhoella are obviously preparing some amazing meal with their collection of leaves, grass, stones and water on their toy plates.

I could go on and on...by the time i type one thing another event is happening...i need to stop and just watch so I dont miss anything! Wish I could share my view with you!

LAST MINUTE UPDATE...Kyle, Cyril and Jeffery were successful - they have their kite OUT of the tree - for the moment anyway!

 

I added lots more photos in CUTE KIDS   and  ALL AROUND CSC  photo albums.   Added a few more to SIBLINGS as well.  ENJOY!!!!

      I have been back in Cebu for six months already!  My one year furlough in the USA seemed to last about 3 months....it seems to have been about one month since I arrived  back here.  TIME.  As I kid I was impatient for school to start, for school to end, for a neice or nephew to be born, for Christmas or for a special event, to arrive.  Adults told me that I should just enjoy the time and not wish away the days.   I didn't believe them.  I was wrong.

      This year will be our 30th anniversary of arriving in the Philippines -  since 1979 .   We had no idea what God had in mind for  us to do !  We got in the way of God's best  plans a few times I am sure,  but we have absolutely seen God's hand in the establishment and growth of CSC for 30 years!   It seems that anniversaries tend to make us look back as well as look ahead...that is what I have been doing recently.  Growing up I was so impatient to know just what I would do with my life....what would I be doing when I was 25?  40?  50?  Now that I know what I was doing at those ages I wonder if I used all the opportunities that God had for me?  I am sure that I missed some.  I  continue to be in awe of God and how He works his will into our lives (or our lives into his will )...sometimes with our permission and sometimes dragging us along - and sad to say sometimes us totally missing what God had for us I am sure.  If I could look back and change something about my life I really don't know what that would be - there are some things I would guess.  But I do love the opportunities that God has given me.  I know I can't see the opportunities that I am sure I missed along the way.  Of course there are days that are hard,  things that are not fair, things that make me mad and things that I would rather have just skipped over....but all the opportunities, good and not so good add up to what is happening TODAY.  And TODAY is good.   At my 75th birthday I wonder what I will be doing?     Hmmmmmm......

     Hey...we all need them!

     We were just blessed with over 600 pair of underwear and over 500 pairs of socks - all brand new of course!  Friends at Berean Baptist Church in Minnesota sent three fully packed suitcases with the over 1100 treasures!   It is a blessing...our stocks were getting low and our kids love new socks and underwear!   I love the way God takes care of our kids!   Thanks for being God's people to meet this need BEREAN BAPTIST!   Thank you too Vanessa and George!