In the works....

On shaky ground.

2012-02-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

At 11:49 am this morning I was sitting on the fifth floor of the Ayala Center mall, in my Cebuano class, when the floor start shifting underneath us. It was quite surreal and unnerving. I recommended we head to a doorway, but everyone just kind of congregated into the hallway in the mall. I wondered if I could book it outside in time if another stronger quake followed---I thankfully didn't have to.

As I walked through the mall I could sense the environment was a bit frenetic. Outside it was no different as all of the high rise buildings around the mall had been evacuated so the sidewalks teemed with displaced employees.

I made it to the shelter without incident. About 30 minutes later there was buzz around the shelter that people living near the coastal areas should evacuate because of the threat of a tidal wave. Some of our workers left to check on their families.

About 15 minutes later, a few of our Aunties arrived for their shifts. They were crying and frantic and said that there was a tidal wave that had been sighted in downtown. Many of our Aunties lived near there or had children attend school there so the cries and wails increased across the grounds. It was odd not to understand what was being said but to be able to perfectly see and feel the pain experienced by those around me. Pain and fear seem to be universal though.

The tsunami warning ended up being just that, a warning. Thanks be to God. Throughout the evening we had 3 more registered earthquakes. They were smaller in magnitude than the first, but were equally unsettling to me.

Standing on shaky ground is a weird feeling. It makes you want nothing more than to hold onto something secure and to value everything that makes you feel that way.

I have been abundantly blessed with people that do just that. I thank God for each and everyone of them this evening and pray for the families that have lost loved ones, homes---their sense of security.

Do the same when you get a chance...

The holidays----Filipino style

2012-01-03T05:23:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL!

It may be after the holidays, but I am still reeling from the hustle and bustle of the season. Here is quick recap of the MANY activities that occurred:

THE PROGRESSIVE DINNER

DECEMBER 19, 2011

The kids travel to each of the staff's house for food and to hear a part of the Christmas story retold. Our house provided appetizers and I dressed up as an angel, along with the principal of our school and her two sons.

Pastor Marcel was our storyteller---his Cebuano is a bit better than mine. ;)

The evening comes to a close back at the shelter for cinnamon rolls in the shape of Christmas trees!

They were green and delicious!

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS PARTY

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Each child in our neighborhood was able to take a goodie bag (the yellow ones below) as well as another gift item. The kids who were below 12 years old were able to take an item of clothing (from the picture above) and a toy (a couple of pictures below). The kids 12 and above were able to take a goodie bag, and they could choose 1 item of clothing or a toy and then we would take them all bowling after Christmas.

Here they are listening to Teacher Cris share the Christmas story, again, her Cebuano is a bit more advanced than mine! ;)

The kids eating Jollibee spaghetti for lunch for getting their presents! They kind of wanted to get through the eating part of the day....

Everyone with their presents!

There they go!

DECEMBER 24, 2011

Uncle Mitch praying over the birthday girl!

OPENING PRESENTS!

The brothers with their gifts---someone is happy about their shiny new scooter!

The girls with their princess bags---they were ecstatic!

Tammy and I celebrated our Christmas when we got home that evening!

DECEMBER 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Another birthday!

CHRISTMAS DINNER!

There was ham, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole! NUMMY! There was NO rice, it was a hard one for the Filipinos to take, but I appreciated the American meal.

And best of all were the Christmas cookies!

Following the meal there was a reenactment of the Christmas story--done by the staff. In the background you can see the manger and in the foreground you can see our live nativity scene---the horse, cow and goat! The kids loved it and they enjoyed seeing the staff perform for them for once!

DECEMBER 26 THRU DECEMBER 27, 2011

Following the whirlwind of the holidays, Amy and I took a respite to the big city of Manila for a day and a half. The skyline was surprising for me to see---so different than in Cebu!

I'm sitting on a puzzle piece ottoman on astroturf at a flip flop kiosk in the mall---and I am loving it!

On a cruise around Manila Bay

DECEMBER 29, 2011

The birthday girl excitedly opening her presents

DECEMBER 30, 2011

The neighborhood kids that are 12 years old and above went bowling with us. We, of course, had to treat ourselves to McD's sundaes after...

Tammy and I had 11 girls sleep over at our house the night before New Year's Eve. It was a lot of fun, but man were we all worn out the next day!

DECEMBER 31, 2011

Some of the staff and I went blacklight mini-golfing before the party.

THE FIREWORKS!!!!

It was an impressive and incredibly LOUD show, the fireworks were right above us! After the show of lights, we enjoyed midnight snacks: sticky rice and hot chocolate---they are delicious together!

I pray you all had a blessed Christmas and will have a prosperous New Year!

The reason for the season

2011-12-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

On December 9, Uncle Paul came to the school to share with all of the kids, a story about one of the first children who came to live at CSC. This little boy's name was Junel. CSC was relatively new but had already made a name for itself; many had learned that there was a place that would care for children, regardless of the need. A concerned individual told Paul and the other staff at CSC about a boy in another province who was living with an aunt, but was not being cared for properly. Paul decided to take a boat to that province and meet Junel. When Paul arrived he found where Junel was living and met him, his aunt and his aunt's children. He noticed several things during the visit. For instance, despite being 5 years old, Junel could not walk because he was so malnourished and weak. Another observation was that during meal times, Junel's aunt did not allow him to sit at the table and eat with everyone else. He sat in a corner until everyone was done and then he ate what was left. Needless to say, it broke Paul's heart and it was clear to him that this boy needed to come to CSC.

The following day, Paul returned to the aunt's home to get Junel. Paul had to carry him during the journey because he was still to weak to walk. Junel was excited however, that much, Paul could see. When they arrived at CSC, Junel had a hard time understanding that things worked differently here than they had at his aunt's home. He still went to the corner during meal time, and was blown away when allowed to sit at the table. He also played by himself at first, as he had not been allowed to play with other kids when at his aunt's house.

There were not many toys for the kids to play with in those early days of CSC, but there was a toy that Junel took to quickly. It was a film canister that had been filled with some coins, so that when you shook it, the coins jingled. He was not without that toy---you always knew where Junel was because you could just follow the jinglejangle of the coins. This was particularly helpful after Junel grew stronger and was able to walk around the home. The sound just became part of the background noise of the home. One day, that noise was no more. The initial worry was, where was Junel, did he not make it home from school? No, he was upstairs in his room playing. He still had the film canister, but when you shook it it no longer made any noise. The coins were gone. The next worry was that someone at school had taken his money from him. When asked about the missing coins, Junel shared that his teacher had mentioned that there were some poor kids she knew that did not have any shoes to wear. She asked if anyone had any money they wanted to give to these kids. Junel gave all of his money.

Everyone was touched by Junel's giving spirit. So touched, that several years ago CSC started Junel's Box. During the holiday season, the children are told about Junel and how he gave what little he had to help someone else. Then the children are told about a family in need, a family that one of our social workers has identified, and are given the opportunity to donate money from their allowance to the cause. I am in charge of the bank in Sandy's absence, so I was given the opportunity to tell the kids how much was in their account, ask how much they wanted to donate, and give them that amount so they could put it in Junel's Box.

What a wonderful opportunity I had as the money distributor. I saw love in action that day. Almost ALL of the children gave EVERYTHING in their bank account for this family. I was quite taken aback with their generosity. We ended up with about 30,000 pesos, which is about $617---an amount that goes a long way here. That money was used to purchase and install a toilet for the family, provide them with food, soap and other necessities as well as contribute some money to help them start a food business which would provide them with some income. Today, all of the children, ages 10 and up, went with Paul, Joel, Carmelita (our social worker) and some of our house parents to bring all of the goodies to the family.

I am astounded by the hearts of these kids. I know that right now is a very stressful time for everyone, there are gifts to be purchased and wrapped, meals to prepare, places to travel to, but don't lose sight of the true reason behind this time of year. Jesus was born to give us the greatest gift. Its ours for the taking, and all he requires of us is to love others.

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35

Lechon baboy and other fun

2011-12-11T05:32:00.000-08:00

This evening we had a 3 house celebration! We were honoring the birthday of one of our kids and had a feast of lechon baboy---roasted pig---a Filipino specialty.

Uncle Patrick eating the brain, another specialty. I tried it and quickly chased it with some Coke Zero...

Master carver!

The birthday girl!

Some of the party guests:

Some of the young'uns in the Eicher crew!

Special guest: the principal of Children of Hope School

The cool kids table...

Oh, and this one too!

WACKY FACES!!!!

Thanks for reading and caring about these wonderful kids!

Funny story from this evening's festivities:

I was sitting at a table with some of the older kids. One of them, by the name of Ardian, looks at me and says, "Punch me." I exclaimed, "What?!" To which he responded, "I don't know." I was utterly confused. I looked at some of the other kids nearby and asked for help understanding. Then one of the other kids said, "Bit me." Again, I asked, "What?!" He also said, "I don't know." All of the kids kept repeating variations of "Punch me," and "bit me" and then following that with "I don't know." I still don't recall what led to my lightbulb moment, but I eventually realized they were sharing an idiom with me. Ardian was trying to tell me that he knew how to use the phrase, "Beats me." Oh Ardian, so close, so close....

It ain't easy being an Auntie...

2011-12-05T06:48:00.001-08:00

Since my arrival in August, there have been 3 different occasions when staff members have taken on the role of Auntie. The first and second times were for a few hours (just through the evening meal) while the childcare workers, guards and house parents attended two days of workshops.

The third and most recent occasion was this past Saturday night. The ante had officially been upped! The staff was to cover the evening meal, bathtime and bedtime in all 3 houses! All without the assistance of the older kids as they had been recruited to serve the workers their evening meal. A nice change for the Aunties!

Some of the happy servers!

Our plan of attack was this: get through dinner and showers by 6:45pm. Then we would have all of the kids, preschool age and up, out to the covered picnic area where we would premiere Cars 2 on a screen borrowed from the school. The 3-year-old population was also included in the movie watching---for as long as they could keep their eyes open! They all pretty much faded by 8pm.

See how mezmerized they are!

This looked like an intense scene! ;)

So many tsinilas (Cebuano for flip-flops)!

By 9pm, all of the kids had been prayed for and tucked in. We were then ready to participate in the culminating celebration of the Christmas season---serving ice cream cones to the workers as they left the party---only in the Philippines!

The pictures make the evening look like it was a breeze, but as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. Our Aunties work unbelievably hard. There are meals to prepare, serve and clean up after. There are kids to shepherd, play with, and care for. There are medicines and time outs to administer and just general order to restore and maintain. :)

All of our workers are truly special individuals and they are dedicated to the ministry. We ask them to do things differently in our home than they likely would in theirs. We expect a lot from them and they rise to the challenge on a regular basis.

At the end of the shift I was exhausted, grateful for the Aunties' return and appreciative of all of the work they do every day.

Please remember our workers in your prayers. They spend every day loving and caring for our kids. They are God's hands and feet at CSC.

Thanksgiving--Filipino style!

2011-11-25T04:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, Thanksgiving is not celebrated here in the Philippines, however, it WAS celebrated by the American staff. And it was celebrated in style....

At the start of this week all of the kids were given pictures of turkeys to color. There were 5 different pictures, as the kids had been split into 5 different groups. There would be one winner from each group, chosen by a mystery judge. The winners would then be announced on Thursday afternoon, following the Thanksgiving program. Look below for the pictures of all the entries!

The prize.........BUH BUHDA BUHHHH......Thanksgiving dinner with all of the staff at the Ohlendorf's home.

The Thanksgiving program consisted of fun songs about turkeys, there were poultry-like actions for some of them, as well as turkey-themed games, the Thanksgiving story was told by master storyteller Uncle Paul, and a real live turkey was brought in for the kids to touch. Few actually touched it, but many squealed with delight....or maybe it was fear. I can't be sure. ;)

Then last, but not least, the winners of the coloring contest were announced. And they all looked quite shocked at their win!

The kids then left for home, and all of us staff members made a mad dash to our homes to continue the holiday cooking.

I was in charge of the pumpkin pies and mashed potatoes. I had made and baked the pie crusts the night before, and had gotten all the potatoes scrubbed, rinsed in bleach water, rinsed in filtered water, peeled, rinsed in filtered water again, and cut. I constructed an ant moat for each pie, to ensure their safety while I slept, and went to bed. I was quite confident in my preparations as I went to bed that evening. I got up early the next morning to fill and bake the two pies, had them cool on the ant moats and then popped them in the ref (fridge) before going to work. While doing that I noticed that the potatoes looked kind of gross. I didn't know that they turned a sickly gray after being peeled and cut! I did what I normally do in a situation of such magnitude----I called my mom. She assured me the potatoes were okay to eat, but that the mashed potatoes would likely be gray in color. Blech. I could not have that. I did not want my gray mashed potatoes to be the kids' first introduction to this entree, as it would be for the majority.

So, I did them all over again after school and arrived at the party dripping with sweat and pride! The meal was delicious and the company was even better! It wasn't really anything like the way we do Thanksgiving at home, but it was wonderful just the same!

The glorious pies!

Some of the kids had my camera---they took it upon themselves to document the feast being enjoyed!

I hope you all had a blessed holiday!

Typhoon Ramon

2011-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday evening we had a bit of typhoon action. I woke up to rain on Tuesday morning (kind of unusual as it normally rains in the afternoon, right when PE is about to start for the kids!) and the entire day was cool, overcast and rainy. The winds picked up in the evening and the rain intensified. The noise from the wind was something I had never heard before.

Around 11pm that night I was trying to fall asleep but the storm was so strong I was too worried to sleep. I remember feeling really grateful for the bars that cover all of our windows, maybe not the original reason behind their addition, but an effective safety measure nonetheless. My fears were only minimally relieved by this thought, I still felt the need to pray for the safety of our house, the shelter and school, and also all those out there I knew were less fortunate than I who were likely losing their house to flood waters or to the intense winds.

We were south of the main path of the tropical storm, as I understand it and damage to our property was superficial at worst. So, we were protected for sure! I have provided some pictures of our impacted landscape. We are very thankful the half of the mango tree that fell did not land on our vehicle!

Also, the shelter and school had been protected as well and only sustained battered shrubbery and such. There are some pictures of the older kids cleaning up the grounds before school and some of the pre-K kids continuing the job after the older ones had left.

The ominous clouds---well, not really, these were relatively harmless---they mainly just looked cool.

This is the destruction our yard sustained. Nothing major at all, we were blessed for sure! I was sad for our mango tree (the huge branch immediately above)

Before school clean up crew

One of our maintenance men restoring damage sustained in our garden.

The true workers are the 4-year-olds!

I hadn't really seen this done before, but have seen it often since I arrived in the Philippines. Puddles are swept, with the brooms you see above. The water is swept into the grass or spread out along the concrete so it dries quickly.

PEEK!

Thanks for reading!

So long September!

2011-10-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

October is here, it kind of snuck up on me. It didn't bring vibrantly colored leaves and cooler temperatures with it, something I am still getting used to, but it has come nonetheless! And October is the second of the four "-ber" months, so Christmas music and decorations are popping up everywhere! Which makes me smile.

I have been here for 2 months already! I can scarcely believe it! Excuse the tardiness of this monthsary post. I have now recovered from a week long sickness and during that time I was less than motivated to do anything that did not involve sleep, taking medicine, sleep, blowing my nose and sleep.

Here are some of the great times I had in September!

What are those toddlers doing you ask?

They are playing tug of war! They were kind of confused by the activity (as illustrated by some of the kids above), so I was encouraging all of them,telling them, "Pull! Pull!" and making the appropriate motions with my arms. The little boy below, in the orange t-shirt, looked me in the face and said, "Bira! Bira!" I learned that day that is Cebuano for pull---from the mouths of babes...

Below you can see one of our Aunties barbecuing supper. It smelled heavenly---and no Coleman involved!

Here is Teacher Amy and her Preschool class. We had taken a field trip to a floral shop and had a bouquet made for Teacher Shari, who was visiting from the States.

Teacher Tammy and I took some of the older kids on a field trip to an adventure park. They let us cool off in the fountain after---this is a picture of captured joy!

This was taken on the way to the adventure park. We hit a bit of traffic. The guys started playing a board game while waiting!

The birthday boy modeling his new pair of sunglasses!

The toddlers posing---they are so good at it! Also, I spend a lot of time with the toddlers, as they are at the shelter with me all day, and believe me I am NOT complaining, they are so much fun!

I also get the pleasure of seeing this smiley face all day! When he arrived he was significantly delayed in his development, because of the neglect and abuse he and his siblings endured. He is still behind in his developmental milestones, but the gap is shrinking since he started working with our physical therapist, Jinkee. Praise the Lord for His goodness!

Many of you know that I like to bake. And I have begun my adventures in baking in the Philippines. Between converting all substances to the metric system, having to factor in the heat here (nothing can ever be room temperature), and that ingredients and equipment aren't always available, it is an adventure every time! This was my second attempt at baking chocolate peanut butter molten cakes---they were received well by all the tasters, but I think I need another attempt before I consider them a success!

Thanks everyone for reading the blog! Keep praying that I will receive the wisdom, confidence and strength I need to do this job to the fullest!

Bless you all!

2 things,

2011-09-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

First off, I miss fall. I miss it more than I ever thought I would. My family has been informing me that there has already been a frost, the days are getting cooler and the nights chillier. And Kraft recipes, a listserv to which I subscribe, keeps sending me wonderful recipes for "perfect for fall" comfort food-laden meals! I miss fall. I miss the way the air smells. I miss the dark clouds and the stark contrast of the vibrant leaves against the sky. I miss the chili, hot cocoa, warm coffee, comfy sweaters, blankets and boots that come with it.

Last night, today and this evening have been overcast, blissfully-tempered, windy and stormy. I think God heard my heart's cry and answered---this weather is unusual for the Philippines (I am LOVING it), but I heard that it might continue into tomorrow----YAY! So, I will enjoy this atypical weather for as long as it will remain.

Secondly, I am so blessed to be here. This past Saturday I was able to participate in an amazing event. We had received word that all the paperwork and rigmarole had been completed; that one of our teen boys was being adopted. This boy was legally a member of a family in Colorado. He just didn't know it yet. He didn't even know that things were heading in that direction. This is a boy that has been living at CSC since the age of 11. He had seen plenty, heard plenty and experienced more than he ever should have by that age, and yet, his heart is the most tender and true of any 15-year-old boy I have ever met. This boy had seen many kids come and go in the four years he has been with CSC, and more and more he was losing hope that he would ever have a family. He is a single, he has no siblings and he was nearing the cut-off age of eligibility. I cannot even begin to imagine the pressure and stress he felt on a regular basis. He hides it well most of the time, though, he can appear really low sometimes. This is a contrast to the smiley, joking, energetic boy that is seen most often.

It was amazing to see him come in to the room where all of the staff and his house parents were nonchalantly gathered (though there were specific seats for individuals and his was to be the one directly across from the video camera we had hidden on the rack with all of the hand puppets). He and two others had been asked to come up to the school for band practice--this was a guise, to throw him off of the scent----and it worked beautifully! We made conversation about the band and the upcoming show and then transitioned into some pictures we were looking at, of some former CSC residents that this boy might remember. We showed him the book---the book being the picture book created by his adoptive family welcoming him home, they have adopted from CSC before.

The moment when realization hit was subtle, but apparent. He was blown away. As it began to sink in, as the meaning of it all hit him in a way we will never fully comprehend, his resolve broke. The tears flowed and the intensity of his emotions increased.

Relief. Acceptance. Gratitude. Love. Realization of a dream come true. An answered prayer.

Maybe those were some of the feelings he felt. I can't be sure.

I only saw a boy being told he finally had a family, and I can never understand what that truly means to him, but it was a privilege to be part of the miracle.

And again I say, God is good.

I can handle more moments like these---they MORE than make up for the fact there is no fall here... :)

Learning as I go...

2011-09-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

Well, first off, I cannot blatantly post a picture of Isaiah on my blog because of privacy concerns and protective measures set forth by the adoption board with whom we work. So, I will eventually put a picture of him up, but you will just have to guess which one he is! ;)

Secondly, today something interesting happened to me. I had a meeting at 10am with the supervisor I am working with here in the Philippines. I arrived at the shelter this morning at 730 and prepared for my upcoming meeting. I left my office around 9am, checked in with Ruth (one of my partners in crime on the Childcare team) and planned to walk down Good Shepherd Mountain---er, road where I could catch a taxi to my final destination.

It was around 915 after I finished chatting with Ruth so I was a bit concerned that I would be late and planned on picking up the pace on my walk. I had been advised to walk with confidence---act like I know what I am doing---as I venture down the road. I am aware that I am quite the transparent human being, so I knew this task would be a bit of a challenge for me.

I walked out the gate, said goodbye to the guard and started my trek down. I had made it a little ways and was feeling pretty good about how it had gone so far when a motor driver approached me and offered a ride down the road. I was kind of grateful for the offer because I really like riding on the motors and I was also concerned about time at that point. As we started to take off we passed one of the Aunties walking up to the shelter. She greeted me and then seemed as though she was greeting the driver, whom I thought she recognized. We made our way down---I had never ridden one down before, it was a bit more worrisome than going up but nothing I couldn't get used to. Like I said, I like the motors---a complete shock to me!

So, anyway, as we were going down, the driver kept asking where I was going, and I just kept saying down to the road. When we got to the bottom he gestured to the right and I said okay, thinking he would just pull over there and let me off. But he kept going. I then more frantically repeated, "Dinhi, Dinhi" which means "Here" in Cebuano. He then stopped and let me off. I paid him and felt good about being able to check that off my list of "firsts."

Fast forward to 130 this afternoon. I received a text from one of our counselors asking me if I was at the shelter. I stated that I was not there yet---I had had to run errands after the meeting. I decided I would call her to check in. It turns out, she was texting me because she was concerned about my safety and my whereabouts. Apparently, the motor driver I had received a ride from this morning, was not a hobblehobble driver on that road. The guard at the shelter and the Auntie who had greeted me this morning were both concerned about my having caught a ride with him. The Auntie even memorized the number of his motor and reported it to the counselor! This counselor is friends with several of the hobblehobble drivers and was in the process of checking in with them about this driver and giving them the number of his vehicle; while waiting she decided to send me a "vague" text to determine my location.

Such a covert op was underway without the teensiest bit of awareness on my end! I guess there have been several startling events that have occurred on that road: acts of violence during muggings, etc---which I was informed of this afternoon, once I had arrived, safe and sound, back to the shelter. It is very sweet of all of them to be so concerned for me. I have had no real concerns for my safety the whole time I have been here so I think I don't have my guard up as much as I should---apparently I have convinced myself I know what I am doing----thank goodness the guard, the Auntie, and the counselor knew otherwise!

7 more!

2011-09-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

I fear that I am sounding like a broken record as every post seems to comment on the never-ending excitement at CSC, but it is impossible to have an uneventful day, let alone week. And this past week was certainly no exception.

That is actually one of the main reasons behind my lack of regular posts. It sounds like a justification, and in some ways it is a flimsy excuse (trust me---I'm working on it), but it is very true that at the end of the day I really don't know which one thing, in a sea of 10 things, I should actually make the feature of my blog post. So then I put it off and it becomes even more daunting. It is actually quite the blessed curse---to have so many exciting things to share with others. I have, however, succeeded in narrowing it down. The one thing I will share about this week is that we have 7 new kids! So, it is really 7 exciting things---see how quickly they multiply?!

About a week and a half ago, I was able to meet with a sibling group of 5 who was referred to CSC. There are many steps in the process of admitting new kids to CSC, and this was the second step. The first visit had been in the family's home, allowing us to see the home environment and to do a cursory assessment of the children's health, etc. This was the second visit, wherein the children spoke with our counselors, and were able to see the facilities. Below you will see two pictures, they are NOT of the same child. 2 of the 5 children are twin boys---and they are going to be a handful, for sure! But those smiles melt the heart... They are currently in ISO with their brother and two sisters. Once they have passed all worms and have overcome lice they will move into the Eicher home!

I know that I experienced a myriad of emotions throughout this visit; I can only begin to imagine what the children were feeling. How do you understand that your life is about to change drastically? All that you have ever known will be no more. It is a tough situation because the children are being given up because the mother is unable to support them, a common occurrence here. Another all too often situation is that not all of the children are being placed at CSC.

Such is the case with our newest baby. He arrived at CSC at 3 days old. He was the youngest of seven siblings. One more than the family could care for I guess.

The final newest addition is a 5-month-old boy. He was referred to CSC by an aunt, his parents having each taken him for bits of time, however, no one laid claim to him. I was given the privilege of naming him. At 5 months old, he had yet to be named. I was shocked. Again, I considered the task a privilege, but my heart broke for this one who had lived so many days without a name. I decided he should be called Isaiah. It is one of my favorite books of the Bible and it means, "the Lord helps me." It seemed quite fitting...

PICTURE TO COME!!!!

I know that I have never had the fears these mothers have had; I have not had to live each day in survival mode. I have not had to make such an excruciatingly difficult decision: Which of my children will leave my care in the hopes for something better? How do you make sense of that? I can scarcely wrap my head around it, and I am an adult. How are the children understanding this?

It is often said that children are resilient. I agree. I also believe that God intended for them to be resilient. Perhaps it is because they are nearer to Him than adults are. As we age I think we tend to seek the truth instead of living by faith. And sometimes the truth just plain hurts more.

With that said, please say an extra prayer for these new ones. They have already gone through more than they can comprehend in their short lives and these events will no doubt resurface again throughout their lifetimes. Please pray they feel God's love despite not feeling loved by their families.

happy monthsary!

2011-09-06T08:15:00.001-07:00

Well, I have already been living in Cebu for 1 month. I cannot believe it is true!

The time has gone by quite fast. Sometimes I feel like I just got here yesterday!

But below you will find a pictorial recap of my month thus far....enjoy!

These are the modes of public transportation that I utilize when getting to work. The first picture is of what is known as a Jeepney. This one is Star Wars, Attack of the Clone Wars (my nephew Zack would be impressed by this!)--but they are oft uniquely painted. They are open in the back, that is where you hop on. You pass your coinage up (7.5 pesos per ride---my morning commute calls for 2 separate rides) and hold on to your possessions and try to blend in---of course I don't, but I always try. The other picture is of a motor. They cost 15-20 pesos and they are what take me up the mountainous road known as Good Shepherd Road (taxis DO NOT like making the trip). I LOVE the motors---a totally surprising revelation for me. You can see this man is transporting a golf club as well. A daily game is to be the person who saw the most outrageous cargo on a motor. One day, when I was on my way down Good Shepherd Road, I passed by a motor whose passenger was holding onto a bookcase! I won that day...

Not only have I begun learning bits and pieces of Cebuano, but quickly I picked up on linguistic oddities. For one, the restroom is known as the CR here, which stands for Comfort Room. And the refrigerator is known as the "ref" and napkins are referred to as "tissue."

It is so easy to get pictures of breathtaking views! I get to see this everyday!

My phone! It was quite hard for the few days I was without. I did have to take a technological step down (so long, smart phone...), but it does the job!

Friends! I am rarely away from these two inspirational and entertaining individuals! Amy, in red, is our Pre-school teacher (but she wears MANY hats) and Tammy teaches our older kids a myriad of subjects: math, science, reading, and American Studies to name a few!

My office is the set of four windows above and to the left of the garage. I share it with the lady in red from above (Amy) and another stellar lady (Ruth)---together we make----dadadadaaaaaa----the Childcare Team! And yes, we can leap tall buildings in a single bound, we are just that good.

If I want salad or fresh vegetables of any kind, I have to bleach them. Ugh.

Good food and good friends make it a little easier to be so many miles from home!

Ants are creative, or just very persistent. In order for brownies to survive longer than 5 minutes in our home, it is imperative that an ant moat is created. To do this, one stacks mugs upside down onto two plates, water is placed on the plates and the dish holding the chocolate delicacy is carefully balanced atop the inverted mugs. Voila!

OR...one could just buy a refrigerated dessert to avoid the situation altogether. And if you are going to get a refrigerated dessert---Banoffee pie is the pie of choice in our home!

The kids LOVE to make signs with their hands ANYTIME a picture is going to be taken. Apparently, a Filipino movie star did it decades ago and it has never been forgotten! If you don't want the hand signals in a picture, you have to tell them, "Dili," which means "no" in Cebuano.

Hugs are very easy to come by at CSC and that is nice, because I like hugs.

I have learned that I enjoy ube. It is a root vegetable that is often used in desserts because it is sweet (kind of like our sweet potato I presume), but ube might have more points with me because it is PURPLE! Also, Coke Light or Coke Zero are the drinks of choice for me here. Diet Mountain Dew cannot be found, ah, the concessions one makes! ;)

This is a snippet of what my first month in Cebu City, Cebu in the Philippines has been like. Again, thank you for reading my blog, for praying for my safety, for sharing my experiences with others--keep spreading the word about CSC---and most of all, caring! Your support means so very much to me.

God bless you all!

Muddy Monday

2011-09-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today it rained. It violently downpoured for a half hour in the most intense part of the storm. My office mates and myself patiently awaited its end---well, we did grumble a little bit. I think there was only one umbrella and all three of us had a different place we needed to be. And so we sat. Once it was over, we left the office and continued onto our tasks.

I had completed my work for the day and was saying goodbye to the few kids outside---the grass was much too wet to play marbles, the most popular game at the moment---driving all but 3 kids to play indoors! And those kids had chosen the cement steps as their playground. I continued across the grounds as I made my way to the gate. I could tell there was a commotion there from quite a ways away.

Once there I could see that just outside of our gate, a driver had gotten his vehicle stuck in the fudge-like mud that covered our "road." Thanks "ulan"---that's rain in Cebuano. Our maintenance all-star, Jerry, had tied rope to the vehicle and was pulling it out of the mud when I arrived. Just then, the ropes snapped. The vehicle continued to accelerate with all its might---burning rubber for sure! The black tread in the picture below is the remnant of that incident. Soon after that vehicle had made it past our gate to continue up the hill, another van got stuck and began sliding--quickly---backwards down the mountainous road. Many of our older boys had arrived at the scene and together, with other workers, they quickly dumped rock onto the muddiest part and began spreading it out. In the picture below you can see a somewhat trepidatious motor driver about to cross over the rock (no doubt grateful for it) to continue down the hill.

The white van in the background is the one that had slid down the hill, it had been by the green gate, but soon it began sliding backwards---and did not stop until it reached that spot in the road.

After the rock had been evenly dispersed, the vehicle again attempted to make it past our gate and they were successful! Hurrah! The drivers and passengers all called, "Salamat!" as they passed. That is "Thank you!" in Cebuano. I had little to do with their success, but I appreciated their gratitude nonetheless. ;)

Check out the goats I was hanging out with while I watched the hardworkers.

Below you'll see the hardworkers I spoke of! I was extremely impressed by each of these boys' willingness to help -- they are always there, whenever a job needs to get done! It was at this point they had walked up the road to the school's gate. They were putting rock from up there into bags to take back down to the shelter's gate, which seemed to be the slipperiest spot on the road.

Tools of the trade!

Shovels, hands, feet, rock. God uses the simplest things to make His presence known. I know it may seem like this was just a case of nice people helping other seemingly nice people. And ordinarily I might have had that very thought, but this occurrence impacted me in a surprising way. Jesus' greatest commandment is, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). I think that any time we do that, any time we reach out to others, we are allowing God to work through us. We are showing God's loving nature to others. I was not really part of the helping, as I said, I hung out with the goats. But I had a perfect view of God's hands and feet moving in the bodies of my co-workers...

Buwan ng Wika

2011-08-27T00:45:00.000-07:00

Basically this translates to, "Yay, Tagalog!" Sort of. August is the month of national language in the Philippines. Tagalog is the national language, however, in Cebu City, Cebuano is spoken, not Tagalog. So, the bits of Cebuano that I had been understanding had been replaced with Tagalog, which left me a little more in the dust than usual. But the day is really more about celebration, fun, games and the traditions of the Filipinos---and fun was had, to be sure!

The kids have been working very hard on dances, readings, songs, motions---all while fighting off the cough & fever illness that has been spreading through the houses like wildfire. ISO (our Isolation area in the Infirmary) has been at capacity for about a week, so some houses have had to create their own isolation areas! So, the kids in ISO were quite upset---they all wanted to be at school!

The event was kicked off with a parade that started around the houses and ended at the school. The morning was filled with games---the kids had been broken into teams by color and although the kids wanted their team to win---they all just really focused on having fun. And even though all the instructions were in Tagalog---after the third round of a game, I kind of picked up on the rules and they were REALLY fun to watch! Then, there was an authentic lunch prepared for the teachers and kids held in the yard between the houses. Delicious fried chicken, pansit, rice, watermelon and Kalamansi juice to drink. Then it was back up to the school where the children dressed in their costumes and presented us with amazing dances and recitations. What a talented group they were and considering that most had been in ISO all of this week---they really pulled it together!

Then that evening, Teacher Amy and I served as "buntays" at the Duterte home. It was a Friday night and we felt alright so we brought a movie and EVERYONE sat--enraptured by the movie Enchanted. Partway through the movie we were brought surprise ice cream by a returning adoptive family---they brought it as a "thank you/farewell" as they were leaving tomorrow. The kids were stuffed, sticky and ready for bed after that! As was I!

Another week has flown by! And I think I have not posted for about a week and a half---I think that is how long my mom has been asking me to write a new post! ;) I plan on making posts on a regular basis from here on out. Yes, it is a vague statement, but it is one I believe I can uphold! So, I will soon decide just how regular that basis will be....

Thanks for reading! Thanks for your support and your prayers! Also, if anyone is curious about any particular aspect of Filipino culture or CSC, feel free to ask in the comment section and I will do my best to respond with as much information as possible!

God Bless!

I don't even know what to call this one...

2011-08-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

So, this morning has been a whirlwind already. Sandy had to catch a flight this morning, so Ruth and I accompanied her to the airport. I am grateful to have another chance to say goodbye, and it also allowed me to avoid taking public transportation----although I will have to do it SOON! On the way back from the airport we stopped at a squatter village to take pictures of some improvements the birth mother (of former CSC residents), had been able to make to her home because of financial assistance from her now grown kids. She now has electricity and a shower with running water. She was also able to put up some partitions so she now has a 2 BR home, where once was a one room space. I was amazed at the living situations for these and so many Filipinos. This particular squatter village is impacted every time we get a lot of rain as they are near a river that often overflows. Some have built their homes up a little bit, on stilts, to avoid major damage. Interestingly enough, at the end of this horrible, pot-hole ridden, rocky dirt path (which was once paved, but has since been ruined by continuous flooding) there is a major thoroughfare and directly across from this dirty path is one of the Philippines' major malls. Stark contrast.

From there, we continued onto Banawa. Ruth and I had made our way up much of Good Shepherd Road, at the top is where the shelter and the Children of Hope School are located---it is, however, a ghastly road. It is partially paved, but that almost has made the conditions of the road worse, and garbage often lines the road. Today was no different, at first. We had to slow down, to a stop to make it through the potholes and to allow a hobblehobble (motorcycle) to pass when I saw a garbage bag start to move and yelp! There were two yellow garbage bags that had been tied up and they each had a dog inside of them. My heart crumbled. Ruth and I didn't know what to do. The dogs were writhing and yelping in the bags and we did not know how we could get them out---we had no tools or anything. Someone walking down the road heard them and stopped. He walked closer to them, but they started yelping and rolling around and he got kind of spooked and kept walking. There was nothing we could do, so we decided to continue on to the shelter and to talk to one of the workers or the guard when we got there. Once we arrived, Ruth attempted calling the "barangay," kind of like our county, who would be in charge of sending someone out, but after several different calls and different numbers---the final numbers we were left with were always busy. Ruth spoke with some of the Aunties and other workers about the situation. And Ike, brave Ike, said he would go down and let them out. And he did! It turns out the dogs had mange and were missing much of their hair. Ruth believes they were put in bags because they were sick.

It is a different life here and just when I think I am open-minded about the ways of others, I am faced with situations like this one that require me to see how my expectations have been shaped by my American life...where dogs and cats are pets--loyal friends even. Just one example. And we have that understanding because our culture can have that understanding, we are privileged in that way.

I am being stretched here and it is interesting----it is also uncomfortable, frustrating, wonderful, fun, informative, eye-opening and amazing---interesting seems to be vague enough to cover all of that! ;)

Thank you for reading...there is sure to be more to come...

DISCLAIMER: I want to stress that no one I came in contact with was okay with the situation with the dogs, but definitely none were as affected as I was by the whole thing.

Egg on my face, but smiles all around...

2011-08-16T07:20:00.001-07:00

For those of you who subscribe to my blog and perhaps received an e-mail that I had written a new post on Sunday evening (my time----Sunday morning your time) only to visit my site and see that there was nothing new---well, let me clear that up a bit.

I did, in fact, post that evening (again, my time----morning, yours). I spent a considerable amount of time on that post. Where did it go? Read on.

I am not able to create slideshow presentations with blogger, but I understand that people want MORE pictures, so I tried to circumvent that hiccup. I have created a Picasa account which is theoretically supposed to allow me to do any number of cool things with all of my pictures. I have made collages with the program already, and have been quite impressed. I noticed that you can make movie presentations and I thought to myself, "Lightbulb." I decided I would create a movie presentation, which just has to be a fancier version of a slideshow presentation, right? So, I then started this project. I uploaded many pictures and decided that this presentation would have a theme, and it would have text slides in between to explain the various ideas I had wanted to share. I messed with text, color, order, and all that jazz. Each time I made changes I had to "re-upload," maybe because it is a web program---I am not really sure why---all this to say that there was time allocated to this project and I was quite excited about my ingenuity and my non-characteristic burst of energy.

Finally, my movie was in its final cut. I hit "Blog This!" on Picasa and in it went. I gave it an amusing title---"My directorial debut" and said a few words about it. Success! I decided to visit my blog and check out the video---to see it how any visitor to the site would. I click on the first slide, thinking it will play from there, but nothing happens. I search the entire post for a play button and there is none to be found. Apparently, one is not able to insert videos into blogs unless you pay a yearly fee (this is something I have since learned). I quickly deleted the post, frustrated with blogspot and feeling a bit sheepish about my failed venture. It has been a slow return.

I decided to lay it all out for those of you who might have been confused by the supposedly erroneous e-mail you received. ;)

Now, onto business at hand. This week has already been a busy one, and it is only Tuesday night! I will take it day by day and sprinkle in some pictures here and there for those of you who like visual aids!

Saturday: I survived a Filipino initiation. I experienced my first "brownout." Like our blackouts in the States, but typically they are only in certain regions and often are during the day. I had big plans for my Saturday as there was nothing on my schedule---everyone else would be at an all-day training. I thought I might sleep in a bit, Skype with people, maybe have a movie going in the background, etc. However, at 8am, I awoke to the sudden shut off of my fan. I thought it was a blown fuse. I asked the roommates about it and they told me it was a brownout. It is never known how long it will last---they offered to drop me off at the shelter for the day, but I kept my plan in my mind and was optimistic the power would soon return. 8 HOURS LATER...the power finally turned back on. I had spent the day without fans or AC, without TV, my computer battery died during that time, and duh duh duhhhhh...without THE INTERNET. It was interesting to say the least. I greatly appreciated the comfort of air flow and the stimulation of others around me when I met up with co-workers that evening.

Sunday we had visitors, church and a birthday party for one of our teens. The house was overflowing, the food was DELICIOUS and the atmosphere was joyous. Here are a few pictures...

Monday was another busy day! I had the privilege of accompanying Sandy and three special guests to a surprise lunch. The staff members try to treat the kids to a special meal every once in a while. In an orphanage with over 70 children, it is easy for kids to feel lost in the shuffle. I really appreciate the care and attention that CSC gives to the children. They put in great effort to teach the children values, while still prioritizing their need to be children and the importance of being "spoiled" every once in a while. That evening we had another birthday, of course! Birthdays are a lovely celebration for everyone. The birthday boy or girl is allowed to invite 2 guests from either of the other houses, everyone sings the birthday song, the house parent prays over the child (and for the meal) and everyone EATS! After the meal there is cake and ice cream and of course...PRESENTS!

Today was a day of farewells. Matt Buley (U.S. Director) and Shari Reasoner (School Advisor) left to return to the States to continue all of the hard work they do there. Also, today was the last full day that Auntie Sandy would be in Cebu. What a heartbreaking goodbye that was! It is wonderful to see that these children have learned to trust and love an adult, considering the history of mistrust and maltreatment that each bring with them. However, one cannot help but feel for the children that struggle so much with saying goodbye to someone they don't want to leave!

And, no surprise here, along with the farewells, we had another birthday party! I am often moved by the happiness and joy during these parties, but this evening's party was especially touching. The birthday boy for this evening has had an incredibly difficult first four years. He has not been at the shelter long, but his progress has been exponential. This little guy is the worst case of physical abuse that has ever been seen by CSC staff. It is safe to say that without God's intervention via social workers and CSC, he would likely not be alive. With that said, he is THRIVING! He is timid with strangers (understandable---he has not had anyone worthy of trust in his life thus far) so it has been a slow process for him to respond to my words and smiles. But tonight----he was smiling from ear to ear, almost continuously. Oh, and laughing! I had never heard him laugh before and he enjoyed one of his presents so much that he laughed the kind of laugh that little kids do that is so big they cannot seem to catch their breath. Yeah, it was that kind of laugh. Again, all I can say is God is good.

And so are you. Thank you for all of the support you have given me from the start of this journey to this moment. I am not doing this on my own. I am grateful for the blessings I have received and for your caring and willing hearts.

A Day in the Life....

2011-08-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

I think it's already Friday....

2011-08-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I have been meaning to post every night this week, but jet lag has had other ideas of how I should be spending my time! Since last Tuesday, MUCH has happened, and I have a funny feeling that this is how this entire year will go! I will do my best to recap the last few days in as much detail as possible!

On Tuesday, CSC staff from the US arrived----Matt Buley and Shari Reasoner! There was excitement all around that Teacher Shari and Uncle Matt were back! It is rare that CSC staff is at full capacity, with someone on furlough at all times---so Matt and Shari took this opportunity to provide the staff with team-building activities and other trainings.

On Wednesday, the adoptive family returned one final time to welcome their new son to their family and to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to his CSC family. It was an incredibly moving experience for the adoptive family to see all of the love their son was receiving and how much he will be missed! After the goodbye, Sandy and I grabbed some lunch at Yum Yum Tree! Then it was back to Banawa (the area of Cebu City where the majority of the kids live---the teen home is located in Sun Valley) to work on organizing the storeroom that was flooded a couple of weeks ago. Sandy had recruited the older boys to help us with the organizing and lifting of big boxes. I was grateful for the opportunity to get to know these kids better and I was incredibly impressed with how willing they were to help. There was no complaining, no fighting---just listening! Everyone was treated to Watermelon floats from Jollibee (a fried chicken & hamburger fast food restaurant--very popular here!) after the deed was done! Once back to the shelter, everyone (staff and kids alike) eagerly awaited the arrival of Uncle Paul and Auntie Jenny!

That was a sight to see! Children streamed out of all three houses, running across the field and down the driveway to his car. The beauty of that scene is this: many of the children currently at CSC arrived while the Healys were on furlough in the US. For them, they are seeing him for the first time. However, he is not a stranger. They know him because they have heard of his love, they know who Uncle Paul is and their excitement could not be contained. I feel honored to have been a witness to such unabashed love.

Several times since I have arrived I have been struck with the realization that I am so incredibly blessed to be here. I hope that I can provide something half as valuable in return over this coming year, because I feel tremendously in debt to CSC for this life-changing opportunity to be a part of such a vibrant mission.

Pictures will come later--I promise! So, come back again!

Day 2 of Rainy Season

2011-08-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

Well, to be honest, the rainy season in the Philippines is from June to September, maybe even later, but it showed itself to me for the first time yesterday. See pictures below for full understanding!

And that was just after 30-45 minutes of hard rain. It has now been raining, this morning, for about 2 hours. I am a bit worried about what we will come across once we leave home!

More to come later...

lindsay

Bittersweet

2011-08-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today I had the privilege of witnessing an adoptive family's first meeting with the newest member of their family. And the only way I can describe it is bittersweet...and life-changing.

I, along with Sandy, greeted the family at the airport. Their excitement was palpable. The mother and father were positively glowing and their two young boys could hardly remain sitting in the vehicle and that wasn't even due to the INCREDIBLY bumpy roads we were on. As we made our way to the shelter their eagerness to learn about their new son (and brother) intensified. The family stated that they had been waiting 3 years for this day. Wow, what dedication adoptive families have and what desire they have for giving of themselves to provide for another. It was a beautiful sight to see such raw love and hope. The interest the family expressed in their son's heritage was also amazing to see. They wanted to see the hospital he was born in and the church he lived in for the first few weeks of his life. They wanted to know what his favorite foods are, what Cebuano words they should learn so they can communicate with him right away. Their appreciation for who he is culturally, as well as individually, is a trait not always seen in adoptive families---so I am learning.

We arrived to the shelter and you could tell that everyone there was abuzz with excitement as well. The little boy at the center of all this was outside with his house parents when we arrived. He is only 2 years old, but he is wise beyond his years. You could tell that he knew something was happening and that it involved him, but he wasn't quite sure what was going on. And as 2-year-olds often do, he turned to something, or rather, someone to comfort him---his house parents. Bittersweet. It is wonderful to see that this boy has attached to his house parents because it shows everyone that despite what he has endured, he is able to love and be loved in return. It is hard to see his fears and uncertainty in the presence of his new family. It is very clear, however, that his new family is incredibly patient and supportive of this boy's need for space and comfort as he sorts all of this newness out! I told you, he is wise beyond his 2 years of life, so I have a feeling that he will do nothing but excel from here on out.

God is good and I saw just another example of that today...

P.S. Pictures to come with permission from the family. Thanks for reading!

I have arrived...

2011-08-05T22:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, it is true! I am here! I arrived at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu at about 12:30am. I had no difficulties getting through customs, and BOTH of my suitcases had also arrived, so I was pretty much golden. Once leaving the airport, the heat and humidity and chaos hit me, but within minutes I spotted my welcoming committee---Amy and Tammy. Their smiles and their I <3 Children's Shelter of Cebu were a lovely sight. They coordinated with Sandy, who was driving and soon we had loaded the luggage and were on our way!

Driving through the streets of Cebu in the middle of the night, I was surprised by all of the activity and the driving--yikes! I don't know if I will ever be able to do it. Blinkers are not used, horns are the way of communication, and I feared for the lives of all the pedestrians I saw.
We dropped Amy off at her place and Tammy and Sandy and I went on to our place. Once there, I was greeted by Katie and Callie the pets of the home. Katie is an energetic white puppy and Callie is well, a calico. I wasn't all that tired yet and Sandy offered me Tylenol PM which might help me sleep through the night. I took it, two actually. A bit later I sat down to send an e-mail to my mom, letting her know I had made it there alright. That task proved quite difficult as I felt the effects of the Tylenol PM. I then decided I had better get to sleep. I began rifling through my luggage to find my toothbrush and toothpaste, but twas to no avail. I then remembered that I had travel size ones in my carry-on. I found them, put on the paste and was about to put it in my mouth when I looked at the tube and saw that it was Icy Hot! I then had to clean off my toothbrush and try again. The second attempt was met with success, but midway through spitting---I realized I had been using the tap for this whole business. I quick ran and got my glass of filtered water and tried to remove any trace of the tap water from my mouth. And then....I pretty much crashed.

Today started out with some breakfast at the house, then Sandy, Endai (one of the helpers of the house) and I went to a grocery store so I could change money and get some staples. When we got out to the vehicle, I opened the door and was about to put on my seatbelt (though nobody uses them here, I don't think I can break the habit) there was a tiny brown gecko on it! It was cute and all, but it still kind of gave me the willies when it landed on my foot...

From there we went to the shelter where I saw the welcome sign with my name on it and I was greeted by so many beautiful smiling faces! I am feeling overwhelmed by all of the names I have to learn, so I will soon be repeatedly staring at pictures and quizzing myself and having others quiz me.

Then there was a welcome lunch with Mitch & Ruth, Tammy, Amy, Sandy, Joel & Ginki. If you didn't know this about me already, I love mango. So, yeah, I am going to get my fill here!

I am currently sitting in the computer lab of the Children of Hope School, enjoying the air conditioning. Tammy is working on lesson planning and Sandy is going through some packages in the storeroom. And I am keeping up on my correspondence.

I will have to end here, but will be adding pictures to this post once I am back at the house. Thanks so much for everyone's support----YOU are a huge part of how I got here and I hope that you will continue to read these posts and learn about all that your contributions made possible.

With gratitude,
lindsay

In Good Company...

2011-06-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I am about 28 days early on my next post---if going by the 1 post per month rate established previously! ;) But I just could not wait!

I am pleased to announce that I will be having a dessert night on Thursday, July 7th from 7:00-8:00pm at Grace Fellowship church in Brooklyn Park, MN. Address is: 8601 101st Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55445.

It will be a great time to learn about the Children's Shelter of Cebu, as Paul Healy, one of the founders of the organization, will no doubt provide an entertaining and inspiring presentation. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about how I will be serving at CSC in the coming year. For those of you who would like to make a financial contribution to my mission, but have not yet, you will be able to do that as well.

Please come! I look forward to the fellowship and the chance to thank all of you personally for your willingness to support me, both financially and with your prayers. The response to my fundraising thus far has been overwhelming---I am already a third of the way to my goal! I know that times are tough for so many and the outpouring of support means more than you can imagine. I am, however, feeling the crunch as I leave for the Philippines in one month. I know that God can and will do something mighty over the next month and the year to follow, but I invite you to be a part of this mission as you feel God's prodding.

Blessings for you and yours,

Lindsay

Get out the kleenex!!!

2011-06-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

God's provision is never failing and ALWAYS surprising!

Earlier today I was venting to someone (thanks for listening, you know who you are!) about the stresses that seem to be piling up at the moment. I think I naively assumed that preparing for a year long mission to the Philippines would be without complications...

I know, I know, you might be saying to your computer screen, "Wake up Lindsay, you will be tested and stretched and that is what this whole thing is about." And I don't blame you. ;)

And in God's true style, just when I was feeling sufficiently overwhelmed---I had my head bowed, tears a flowin'-----I was inundated with support of various kinds from unexpected sources. I was informed that someone made a financial contribution, another extended an offer to organize a fundraising event, a long time friend provided me with comforting words, a family member called "just to check in" (when I needed it tremendously) and another family member offered up ideas when I was seriously lacking problem-solving skills . I could go on, but you get the picture. He delivers---and then some!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9.

I am so often blown away by His working in my life that I cannot believe that I EVER think I have to figure things out on my own.

This message was originally going to be a mass thank you to everyone who is praying for me and providing me with financial support for this "God thing." And while I do shout, "THANK YOU!," to all of you---your support is more valuable than you may ever know---today I was reminded of God's hand on my life and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Last but most certainly not least, another significant source of support I received was a video sent to me by the children and staff of CSC themselves!

Check it out, and heed my warning: Have the tissue box at the ready!

http://www.cscshelter.org/?bXwxMDU=

Blessings to you all!

Long time, no virtual dialoging....

2011-05-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

That definitely does not flow as well as the other colloquialism...

Greetings all!

Much time has past since my first posting. In the meantime it seems that summer has finally arrived! While outside enjoying today's weather, I thought of how I will soon be in constant humidity, and I became concerned about the possibility that I just might melt. I think I will google that possibility after this post has been published.

It is official---my support letters are out! It was a bit of a process, involving many steps: there was the stuffing, the addressing, the labelling (both of these required interacting with a finicky printer), the stamping (their self-adhesive quality was a life saver), and the sealing (envelopes taste gross) . If you have not yet viewed the letter, you can do so to your left.

While on the topic, I want to give a shout out to my sister, Mandy, who is a talented graphic designer and creator of all things beautiful! She designed the letter, taking my words and primitive format, and transformed it into the work of art you see before you! She is amazingly skilled and I am grateful for her willingness to help!

I am new to fundraising, and although I am occasionally struck with anxiety about the prospect of raising $17,000, I am reminded that God has performed much larger miracles before, which usually silences my fears.

I want to thank all of those that have already contributed. Your gifts are greatly appreciated and the impact of such a gesture is FAR REACHING! Bless you all and keep checking the blog for updates!

Welcome!

2011-04-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting my blog! I have decided to chronicle how God is working in my life and taking me out of my comfort zone. Hence, the "in the works..." title. I know that I am an unfinished product.

I graduated in August of 2010 with a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology with a Certificate in Marriage & Family Therapy and was raring to get out in this world and make a difference. Quite quickly, I fell flat on my face---metaphorically (though it would not be out of my character to lose my footing). The luster of my vocation disappeared seemingly overnight and I began to ask those big questions: What is my purpose? Was I really supposed to have pursued this degree? What does God want from me?

Following graduation I began working as a Mental Health practitioner, providing at-risk children and families with intensive in-home services. It is an emotionally draining and high-stress job, however, there are really no other options for someone with my degree as I pursue licensure. Once licensed, I would theoretically have the pick of my clientele and type of practice because I will actually exist in the minds of insurance agencies. This process is at minimum a two-year commitment.

Fast forward to now. I am 3/4 of the way through my first year and each day's goal is to make it through each day with my game face snugly in place. Enter Marlys Healy's smiling face and unstoppable mind. Marlys approached me with the opportunity to serve in the organization she and three others founded in 1979, the Children's Shelter of Cebu (CSC). Another one of the founders will be taking a furlough to the US and leaving her position for the year. This position is Child Development Director, and as is the way God usually works, perfectly in line with my education and interests. So, I tentatively considered the idea.

"Move to the Philippines?!" "For a year?" Those were some of the questions I asked myself and those around me. Earth-shattering, I know. ;) Soon after that proposition, the ball just started rolling towards this new chapter and I felt a noticeable peace to this commitment. There are still MANY logistical things to be resolved and other kinks to be ironed out, but I am going and I feel that it is where I am supposed to be going and that is a wonderfully terrifying position to be in.

One considerable hurdle to overcome is finances. I have committed to raise $17,000 to fund my position and the various costs therein. CSC is being tremendously supportive and flexible with my unique needs as I plan to continue pursuing licensure while abroad. I know that this is God's plan for both me and CSC, so I have no doubts that He will provide. If you feel led to support me and participate with me in this mission, you can make a financial contribution at the link provided below. If it is beyond your means to contribute financially, please PRAY for me and for CSC---it can move mountains!

Online contribution: https://www.cscshelter.org/involved/give-now.php?

Send check to:
Children's Shelter of Cebu
PO Box 247
Cambridge, MN 55008

I plan to use this blog to keep all of my family and friends up to date with my fundraising goals and with my experiences in The Philippines once there.

So, stay tuned! This is only the beginning!

Blessings to you and yours!