Shechem Newsletter - Thank you for Donors

NEWS FROM THE SHECHEM CHILDREN’S HOME The Shechem Children’s Home continues to provide safe, Christ-centered care for child survivors of online sexual exploitation in the Philippines. Below, read news from the assessment center, where children are receiving trauma-informed care and love.

Analyn Ablao, the house manager, shares a praise report for this season despite the circumstances of the pandemic: The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. He is our stronghold, the same as yesterday, today, and forever. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness and provisions. To the only God, be honor and glory!

GROWING IN SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY Spiritual care and mental growth are a big part of children’s lives at Shechem. Once a week during the fall and winter, they participated in a devotional activity led by an intern from the nearby Nazarene seminary. The children always enjoy activities and interactions with those who can visit safely.

Learning about God is part of daily life, too. The house parents lead the children in daily Bible reading and encourage them to lead devotionals and prayer themselves. Taking the lead helps the children build confidence, and the spiritual activity is part of their therapy. The therapist they work with said many of the children often talk about daily prayer, reading the Bible, and creating art.

Like many parts of the world, most of the children’s lessons are still remote. Some of the children have not attended school for years, which makes online learning even more challenging. The house parents

and a tutor are helping guide the children through the lessons,

though, and the children are still motivated to learn.

Each of these is an element of their holistic care, and it is clear they are thriving. All of the children are also at a healthier body weight, a good indicator of good nutrition and overall health.

GROWING THROUGH ACTIVITIES AND PLAY Every day for one to two hours, the children play and do physical activity outside. Often, they play basketball and other Filipino games. These strengthen their bones, muscles, hearts, and lungs, as well as helping develop motor skills like coordination and balance. The playground in the yard is especially helpful to the newly admitted children because it provides a place where they can play as children should. According to one ten-year-old girl, time to play basketball and run around the playground helps her smile, laugh, and not to think too much about her mother.

The children also participate in a wide variety of educational activities together.

Recently, the older children made cement flower pots out of old pieces of fabric, and the younger children filled them with plants. Eventually, these will be sold in the surrounding community.

All of the children are proud of the work they did and the product they created.

SUCCESS STORY All of the children work with therapists and social workers regularly to begin the process of addressing the trauma they have experienced. Many of them struggle to regulate their emotions, something that is common in child survivors of trauma. Their therapy sessions can sometimes include art therapy and play therapy, which are particularly helpful to the younger children.

Isaac*, age 12, explains that the therapy sessions are helping him learn not to act out violently when he feels strong emotions. “I used to punch either a person or things if I felt bad or disappointed, but now I learned to control myself through deep breathing,” he says.

STAFF CARE From the beginning, creating space for the mental and emotional health of the staff at Shechem has been a priority. Staff now have accountability partners as well as specific times to share together, something they say is having a positive impact. In November, the staff gathered for a one-day retreat at the Shechem Home facility. There, they experienced an environment of rejuvenation through fellowship and God’s word.

One of the staff members shared how challenging it can be to live with love and unity in the face of the trauma and challenges they face daily, but that it was possible through God’s grace. In the final months of 2020, Shechem welcomed two new staff members to the team: a Finance Officer and the Liaison/Utility manager.

LOOKING FORWARD IN PRAYER Prayer is an important part of the community of Christ that surrounds the Shechem Children’s Home. In addition to prayers for the children, the staff, and overall transformation through Christ’s love, you can pray for the specific requests below.

• The staff social workers are carefully considering the best placement for a 14-year-old child with special needs and are continuing to coordinate with other organizations for placement possibilities.

.

• The house parents and tutor need time, energy, and fresh ideas as they assist children in the modular academic classes. The tutor’s time gets taken up with school requirements, and the children would benefit from an additional tutor and laptop to help with online learning.

• Shechem is also in need of a driver for better transportation options, especially in emergencies.

CELEBRATIONS Placement: Through strong partnerships, Shechem facilitated the placement of the three teenage boys in therapeutic facilities. Regular case conferences with the partners guided the care team to the proper placement of these children.

Psychotherapy: One-on-one therapy sessions are extremely helpful to the children. They are developing strong skills in self-regulation through emotional coaching. The trauma the children experienced is complex, so healing is, too. Children are learning to be more mindful of their emotions.

Spiritual Activities: Children are also experiencing therapeutic activities through devotionals and Bible studies. The children are enjoying both the daily devotional and regular prayer, especially when they get to participate actively. *Children’s names are changed for protection..

Your choice to live compassionately makes stories like this possible.

Thank you for being a part of Shechem Children’s Home!

Learn more about Shechem at NCM.org/Shechem