"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
A SHORT (but true) STORY DURING ALERT LEVEL 2
The sun was beating down on the pavement in front of Velez Hospital when my family and I arrived. Moments ago, I watched as Jerry sped away in one of CSC’s Kia L300’s. He’d just dropped off 12 kids and their two escorts, Eric and Arlyn. The rest of us were walking up from the car port, identification cards and important documents in hand.
Among the twelve children that disembarked was Jerald who, along with Mark and Jack, was wide-eyed in amazement at the newness of his surroundings. It had been roughly 600 days since the Shelter had entered lockdown; since the nation entered quarantine. This outing, however mundane, had reached the status of a trip to an amusement park or a day at the beach. All the kids were beaming.
With my face mask on, it took a moment for the children to recognize me. JulieAn was the first, excitedly waving her hand. Unsurprisingly, her excitement wasn’t so much directed at me as it was towards my daughters who, like the scorching pavement below, were a reminder of a far-distance past; a time when minors were allowed inside shopping malls and movie theaters. Today, the halls of Velez Hospital were as good as those of SM SeaSide.
Eric, one of CSC’s counselors, began directing the group to a row of chairs neatly spaced 1.5m apart. They formed a line that led towards a check-in table at the hospital’s front door. It was vaccination day for the first batch of CSC’s 12-17 year-olds. Arlyn, one of CSC’s nurses, was standing at the front desk and spun on her heals when she noticed me approaching. “They need you to sign these, sir,” she said as she handed me a stack of Parent/Guardian Authorization Forms. The gentleman at the desk checked my documents and clarified that I only needed to sign one form for all the children present.
The process was smooth and simple, ending nearly as quickly as it had begun. In less than an hour, 12 more children were vaccinated. The L-300 zoomed away, and like the twelve who disappeared with Uncle Jerry, my children had mixed emotions. They were happy to see old friends, but sad that the experience was so brief.
“DQ at Cybergate?” Our kids’ eyes lit-up. “Oh, Heather, did you bring your wallet … I, uh."
“Don’t worry, I got it,” she said with an eye-roll, smiling.
A POST-TYPHOON CHRISTMAS REFLECTION
If you’ve never had the opportunity, I would encourage you to spend a moment each Christmas to ponder the concept of brokenness.
When the sun rose the morning after typhoon Odette made landfall, we peaked out of our windows and saw a world that was broken. Trees were broken, windows were broken, roofs and lamp posts were broken. In the days that followed, we found that the area around us was far more broken than we could have imagined. Entire villages were gone, and the countryside had transformed into an endless sea of broken trees and toppled structures.
Brokenness is not a foreign concept at CSC. Our children come to us from circumstances of brokenness; with trauma, both inside and out, not unlike the typhoon battered countryside post-Odette.
But the story of Christmas is the story of a Savior born to a broken world; a living love sent to heal the broken and battered. Your gift to CSC reflects that same story. You are a part of a movement to share love and healing to the broken; to wipe away tears, fill empty stomachs, and heal the broken-hearted. Thank you for bringing healing—bringing Christmas—to our children.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• As the number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines stabilizes, we are prayerfully and carefully moving forward with our plans for opening-up; that is, re-integrating many of the activities and processes that have been put on hold because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Please continue praying with us for wisdom and safety as we look at having more folks enter and exit the Shelter regularly.
• Please continue praying with us as we help to deliver relief goods and building supplies to hard to reach communities around Cebu. Many families have yet to receive government aid because of difficult road conditions and lack of power/telecommunications. Fortunately, our friends at the Rotary Club of Cebu have been able to plan logistics to reach hard-hit mountain communities and islands. Pray for continued grace, mercy, provision, and strength for all.
• Our family is spending a week in Batangas and Manila to visit family. For the first time in over two-years, children are allowed to fly for non-emergency/leisure purposes. This gave us the perfect opportunity visit my family; possibly the last time that our oldest son will be able to visit extended family before returning to the US for college. Please continue praying with us for safety as we travel, as well as for wisdom and guidance as we continue preparing our oldest for college-life overseas.
Learn more about the Children's Shelter of Cebu here.
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