An update on things happening in the communities around CSC.
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:14)
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Cebu City
We mentioned in our last post that we would be doing a "three-part update" this month. In part 2, we want to spend time reporting on things happening around Cebu, hopefully giving you a feel for life in the city. Our mission, vision, and calling is to glorify God as we serve orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children, but we also live our lives, and share our lives, within a greater community with abundant opportunities to share the light and love of Christ.
Shortly after returning to Cebu, there were two large fires in barangay Santa Cruz, not far from the Shelter. Barangay Santa Cruz is near the Fuente Osmeña Circle, a large round-about which kind of serves as the heart of the city. The fires broke out in late September, and while fires aren't uncommon in the Philippines, these two were exceptional for their size, and for having occurred back to back in a single week. 79 families were displaced and sadly, seven people lost their lives. Even more heart-breaking is that those seven that perished were all from the same family.
... while fires aren't uncommon in the Philippines, these two were exceptional for their size, and for occurring back to back ...
48-hours after the fire, we visited the basketball court where the displaced families were staying. All 78 families were living in temporary tents created by ShelterBox. We joined with friends from the Rotary Club of Cebu who led the charge in handing out portable stoves, mosquito nets, water cannisters, and other items (that's Roberto operating the pallet jack in the above video). The mood in the basketball court was noticeably somber and quiet. The families were clearly in shock, and fearful that their tight-quarters would make them more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. The time spent connecting with this community was profound.
You may be wondering why fires are so frequent in Cebu City. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is manned with extraordinarily brave and skilled fire-fighters, but they regularly face impossible situations. Most sitios in Cebu are tightly packed and cramped communities that are hard to access. Winding roads into sitios are often too small for a full sized fire-truck, and many passageways into a sitio's interior are barely large enough for a fire-fighter and his/her equipment. When a fire breaks out, the maze of pathways and alleys often trap residents and make it hard for first responders to perform rescues.
Children who have lost loved ones in fires and who themselves have suffered from severe burns are not uncommon at the Children's Shelter of Cebu. Pray that we will be able to continue sharing the Gospel message in word and in deed, speaking love, compassion, and the Gospel in even the darkest of circumstances. Thank you for praying with us, partnering with us, and empowering us as we serve Him!
(A big shout out to the Rotary Club of Cebu, Pres. Jacob Ong, Bernard Sia, Edward Tan Ting, and Hugh "Mike" Edenbern who appear in the pictures below, Stanley Go who took the video of the fire from his office, as well as fire fighter Michael Tan who appear in the three pics of the fire above).
Undás
While many Americans are celebrating Halloween today, October 31st is celebrated differently in the Philippines. It's wrapped together with two major holidays set aside for honoring the dead. Like many countries where Roman Catholicism is dominant, there are two days dedicated for honoring the faithfully departed (those who have gone ahead of us to be with the Lord): November 1st which is known as All Saints' Day and November 2nd which is known as All Soul's Day. You may also be familiar with the term Allhallowtide or Hallow Mass which is what some Western countries call these feast days (which is why October 31st, or All Hallows Eve, is called Halloween).
Traditionally in the Philippines, these observances are a mixture of the somber and the celebratory; somber and reverent church services coupled with festive gatherings at the cemetery. Parties in the cemetery are extremely common; so common, in fact, that the government has closed almost all cemeteries this year to prevent crowds from gathering during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Families will bring blankets, chairs, and food, spending the day cleaning-up and repairing the tombs of their loved ones while taking robust breaks to eat and be merry. November 1st and 2nd are collectively referred to as Undás in the Philippines, or Kalag-Kalag as I've found it more commonly called here in Cebu (far less common is the traditional Spanish name Todos los Santos).
Cemeteries in Cebu are hard to describe. Because of the level of poverty in the city, public cemeteries are often occupied by informal settlers; the living seeking Shelter among the dead. Cemeteries commonly have endless rows of shelf-style mausoleums containing the bones of the deceased. If families are unable to afford continuing their payments for these spaces, they will lose them. This means that the bones of their loved ones will be removed and piled up in rice sacks or bags in shadowy corners.
Above ground concrete caskets are also very common and often built one right next to the other. This makes access to the interior of cemeteries difficult, but it is also where families can stack decorations and food for their ancestors during Undás.
Pray with us as we minister in this space. Cebu is a mixture of East and West; a confluence of the modern and the ancient. Modern Christian values often operate in tandem with old world superstitions, where robust mausoleums of the wealthy provide shelter for the least of these. Have we had children at CSC that once lived in places like this? Absolutely. Will we have more in the future? Most definitely. Thank you for praying with us.
Cheese
Here's just a funny update from our family. After having lived for so long in Minnesota, we became spoiled with the tremendous variety of fresh and delicious cheese choices in the Midwest. If you've had the pleasure of biting into some fresh Midwestern cheese curds, then you know what we're talking about 😊.
Being an island nation, our cheese options in the Philippines can, at times, be limited. Sure, we can find all manner cheeses in the fancier grocery stores downtown, but they often come at a premium. For example, a 2kg (~4lbs) bag of mozzarella would cost at least PHP 800 (~$16.00). The super smooth and melty kind (those of you reading this in the Midwest know what I'm talking about) can cost 2-3 times this.
The other day, while picking up groceries, I think the desire for some good cheese overtook me, and I came home with what you see pictured above ... haha. For most of us, it did the trick 😊.
A Message From The Kids
And now, some random quotable quotes from our children:
"A quote is a quote, no matter how complex" (Bastiaan).
"Bubble tea is really yummy, and pop-corn flavored Kit-Kats are funny" (Juana).
"Books are for life" (Tessiana).
"Books are expensive 😂" (Dietrich).
OUR NEXT UPDATE—PART 3—WILL BE ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SHELTER OF CEBU. See you then!
PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
Today we also bid farewell to one of the little girls at our Shelter. As the government slowly opens up, the paperwork of our kids is starting to move forward and local adoption matching is finally starting to take place. You may have read about international adoptions in our previous posts, but our first local adoption of 2021 was completed today. We praise and thank the Lord for this sweet family from Cebu which adopted one of the sweetest little girls you could ever imagine. After a lengthy process, the family was finally united today and we had a special farewell ceremony up in the parking lot of the Shelter. Please join us in continuing to pray for this beautiful family which the Lord has brought together.
Our box of school curriculum from the States finally arrived!!! Praise the Lord! Before we left on our return flight to Cebu, we sent two large boxes (balikbayan boxes) filled with school curriculum, snacks, and other fun things. They arrived last week, and the kids are both overjoyed (for the snacks, of course) and saddened (I think they were hoping that their school work would end up somewhere in the bottom of the Pacific, giving them half of this school year off ... haha).
Please pray for our family; that we will be able to continue spreading God's Gospel of love, grace, mercy, and salvation, both in word and in deed.
Please pray for the continued health and safety of everyone at the Children's Shelter of Cebu.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING WITH US! The Lord's blessings be with you and yours!
Learn more about the Children's Shelter of Cebu here.
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