On Assignment !

We are preparing for a long distance trip to some of the more remote places that we have been supporting.   Our friend Dave and another guest will be arriving in a few weeks and they will be helping us by visiting two orphanages and two rehabilitation centers and several families along the way. 

It is a very long drive through the remote mountain regions, and is difficult for us to make the trip, so Dave has agreed to make the trip for us.   He will be bringing supplies such as Honey, Vitamins nurses uniforms and clothes. As well he will take each of them shopping for food and cleaning supplies that they need.  How much we will be able to deliver will depend on you !    Dave will cover the transportation costs, and we have the honey and vitamins and things from the farm.  What ever donations come in from the blog towards the food drop will be divided up between the stops.   

I have to say how much of a blessing it is for us when teams come.  Not only do they help out and bring needed  resources , what they bring the most is encouragement and it remind us that we are not alone.  That will be the purpose of this trip.  It will be such a blessing for those that will be visited to not just receive the support but have it personally delivered .  

Last fall while visiting  the women's rehab center with the team from Espanola 

Please help us to bless those along the way .  It is our goal to raise $2500 toward this Assignment. 

The first couple days of the MN team

We have been having a great time with the team from MN.  Saturday and Sunday were spent in and out of Tokmok at the bazaar to shop for the kids spring clothes and a lunch out with friends,  We also did a lot of shopping for products for us to give out during the Amazin Grace.  Of course we did make it to the animal Bazaar and got a few good deals along the way .  Today Julie and I are at the apartment. We are making lunch for the team as they are out delivering food.    Here are a few photos along the way. 

two of the four new mountain bikes that the team bought the kids on the farm 

one of the sellers at the animal bazaar really wanted  her picture with the team 

great deals on three chickens and an incubator 

packing bags for the Grace

on the starting 

first detour.  getting potatoes to plant for Auxana

 Sammy got some new clothes and a new high chair .. 

Beautiful day up at the Kashar 

 

The boys are hard at work filling in the foundation ready to put in a patio.

Tony and Caleb checking out their yurt 

getting ready for teams

Yesterday we had the opportunity to share some of the work on the farm with the Local Rotary club.  I am always encouraged when I see the great work that they do around the world. 

The roof is finished front and back, and now we are ready to start putting in new windows and doors .  I need to raise $800 and then we will be able to get this done . 

 At the farm we are working on an outdoor cooking center that will have two large kazans and a bbq pit.

The kids will be taking turns going up to the kashar every day to care for the animals and take them out into the mountains .  We thought it would be great to get them some mountain bikes for the 3 km trek each day .   We found this first one for just $80.  We would like to have 3 more for them.

As we are getting ready for several teams over the next couple months, Marat is busy working on some of his paintings to sell in the gift shop.. He really is getting very good. 

On to the next phase..

We can do this .. that was the feeling I had when we first arrived at this burned out house.  If you have not been following, this is the home of the parents and grandmother of a friend of Jengishes .  She is living in Russia and contacted us to see if we could help.  

We have now completes the second half of the roof and ready to start inside.  Its great to have this done as they are now calling for a week of rain.   

Next up is to start the windows and the doors.   this will be about $100 each. we have one sponsored already and will need $900 more then we will do this .  It is such a blessing to see this come together and slowly hope being restored .  

we got the deck varnished at the yurts   Everything made it through the winter with out any trouble 

we made this center in the eating area to scrape plated and sort garbage .. it will make everyone's  job a little easier and more organized 

We have started raising Brown Brahma chickens .  We bought a rooster and eight hens.  They are beautiful and very friendly.  An average chicken here is worth about 300 som and a Brahma  hen sells for about 1300 som. 

the incubator is fully automated and computer controlled with temperature and humidity as well as turning the eggs every two hours .

we have gotten a start at planting in the fields by putting in long low hoop houses 

We are enjoying the daily coffee break at the cafe.  Its a great time to visit with the kids. Everyone loves the time , it helps them to feel special and is a great motivator .   

"START BY DOING WHAT YOU CAN DO"

The first half of the roof is on and a few patches on the back side .  we were slightly under budget and found that the back half will no need new trusses, so we will be able to complete it for just $400 ..minus the donation we have in for $100 so we are now ;looking for just $300 to finish the whole roof.  I am often reminded of what a friend told me one .. "START BY DOING WHAT YOU CAN DO , AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU WILL BE DOING WHAT OTHERS SAID COULD NOT BE DONE "   We can do this !

Coffee is on

It was still a little cool outside , but the late's are hot . 

After putting the cafe back together for the summer, everyone drifted over for a coffee, a dozen late's later I got to sit down and join them.  The coffee shop is such a great place to be able to sit with the kids and visit .  It is like they leave troubles and work behind when they sit down, and get to have a moment of normal ... what ever that is.  

The farm bees are up in the mountain, but there are still lots of bees in the fields at the farm.  One of our neighbors a couple doors down works for us part time.  He does a walk around the farm properties every night to make sure everything is ok and that the fires are on, especially the one in the green house .  All that to say, that he has bees as well as a big  part of his income.  This winter he had a large die off as a result of the extreme cold   

I sat down with him a couple days ago with him and he showed  me a bee house that is used in the north of Russia.  It is like a condo for bees that holds 40 separate families of bees.  By keeping them all under one roof, they generate enough heat as a group to keep the hive temperature correct.  There are many other benefits to this as well.  It is much more compact then having 40 separate hives.  From the inside there are windows into the hives so that you can at a glance monitor the haves to see how they are doing.    Servicing the hives is also done from inside the house which will lead to optimal honey production and health of the hives. 

We are thinking that we could take this up a notch and be able to make this an educational tool that he could open it up to visitors to safely see the inside workings of a hive and include some of the processing tools to view and sell the honey right from inside the house.  Situated beside the guest house and across the road from the museum, this could add to the draw of the community. 

We are expecting the total cost of this project to be about $2000.  We are hoping to provide the funds as an interest free micro loan, that will be paid back toward other micro financing projects once it is up and running and the honey is flowing.   If any of you are interested or know anyone interested in providing a micro loan for this project , please pass on the information.  This would be a donation so would be tax respectable.   

We have several teams coming this spring, with the first one arriving in a couple weeks.   This fist team we will have them working on the farm, but will also be helping another family in the village . 

There are always a ton of kids at the park, and we found out that 14 of them live in this house .  

There are a collection of kids from a few different families all living together in this one house. 

The house could use lots of repairs, but the most important right now is to fix the roof so that the rains don't damage the house any more, and they don't start having a mold problem.  

I stopped in to see them a couple days ago.. three more kids are out playing while this photo was taken ... likely out at the park . 

WE CAN DO THIS !

We visited the fire site we shared about a couple weeks ago.  This is the home of a friend of Jengish's.    We brought or friend and builder Koder with us to assess the damage and to make a game plan.  Half of the front side of the house the roof is completely gone.  step #1  We have $500 in donations in so far and will be able to replace the damaged rafters and put on a new roof on this side. This will cover things up so that it is not exposed to the elements. step #2.   Then when we raise another $500 we will replace the back half of the roof.   

step #3  The house will need to be completely gutted .  It will also need  8 new windows and a new door.  this will be around $1000. this will close in the house and then we will be ready to continue.

step #4   We will need to pressure wash and completely seal all the walls ceiling and floor with a special oil paint so that the smell will be eliminated,  This will be about $500 

and step #5 the walls will all be re plastered  and then the walls ceiling and floors will get a final coat of paint and they will be ready to move back in .   This step will  cost $1000   

So if you total that up  we will need $3000 to complete this project.  So work will start on Monday of the first step, then each will begin as funds become available.