Monday, April 13, 2009

Almost Overwhelmed

Today was a day like what appears to be the norm here in town very busy, and a slight sense of being off balance..never knowing what might happen . We spent the morning getting caught up on a few things, out to the Shirt factory to find clothes for the invalid home men, some shopping at the bazaar to get ready for supper... it just seemed too calm then Laurisa arrived... Now you have to know and understand Larisa... I have never seen anyone that cuts a wider swath then she does.... She brought the kids over for supper and a visit with David and Jayne and an opportunity for some counseling for them... It is such an incredible thing that I am surrounded by such skilled people that are overflowing with such gifting.

I asked Larisa to let me know if she finds any people with some urgent needs .... she said of course... with that she pulled out her files that she keeps on all her "clients"... this lady has a file about 2 inches thick of needs that she has come across.... We made it through the first 10, and I was totally saturated.... Jengish phoned from the capital city at the same time where he is working on a couple other projects, and Sergey and Anya came to the door as well.... to discuss something else... in a mater of only about an hour, my schedule for the next week is FULL ... the only day that I am not booked up is tomorrow.... And now that they see it is on the blog, the word is out, and I would imagine that tomorrow is going to be full as well....

Some of the stories and dreams that I heard today are simple heart breaking.... I will try to get them written and posted over on the iam1ru site tomorrow I just need to get them translated first .
I heard of a young boy that has volunteered at the invalid home, his family has started dying from TB.. first his mom and his sister, and now he has developed holes in his lungs... they have tried the "light version" of drugs and it has not worked... he needs a 6 month treatment that will cost about $150 a month, or he will not live.... another man lost his wife to cancer, and supports 2 little kids, and does an amazing job, yet he has to walk for 1 1/2 hours each way to work in the fields each day... Laurisa has a dream of buying him an old car for $250. another is a family that was in an accident, the mother was killed and the son was disabled, and the father can not forgive himself and has started drinking.... the boy now needs physiotherapy if he will walk again... then there is the family with the babushka and three kids... their parents died, and the babushka can not afford to look after them and has asked that we would please find the children new homes with someone that can care for them... about the only "fun" dream is to bring 15 of the street kids that Laurisa works with on the street to the amusement park and out for a meal.... then she said it would be wonderful if we could help clean them up and get them some clothes as well.... so the question is , How do you sponsor kids now that need to know someone cares , but we may never see them again... is that not all the more reason that we SHOULD help them now while we can, I always thought that we need to work with kids that we will have a lasting influence on so that we can truly make a difference... I am now realizing that if only for the moment, that there is so much power in HOPE that if only for a few hours, we CAN make an impact that will shape their future...I have to believe that..... Oh I just remembered that I have to get meds and blood test strips over to the girl with the failing kidneys tomorrow... and now that I am thinking medical, we have another young girl Aisolo that is not growing, so we have an appointment for he tomorrow in the capital city to figure out if their is a medical reason.... so much for the free day....
I have just sent Lena to try to extend my visa for another month..... I am going to need it just to get caught up. There is something else that I am going to need... Many of these dreams, I can not leave here without doing something about , some for my own piece of mind, and some because of their urgency.... . I was asked by a few different friends as early as today, "How are the funds holding out ?" ... I wish I had waited until after tonight to answer that question.... at this rate I have another couple weeks, but certainly not enough for the extra month.... I do believe that money does not play a factor in "doing the right thing" , and I have seen things happen in the eleventh hour time and time again.... yet it is a difficult place to be when so many around you are hurting...

4 comments:

Mala said...

John, I sent a donation (hope I sent it correctly). I wish I could do more! Thank you for everything you do!

Jack and Carol Wessel said...

"I am now realizing that if only for the moment, that there is so much power in HOPE that if only for a few hours, we CAN make an impact that will shape their future...I have to believe that"

John, in response to your comment in some situations, these people may not have a life time ahead of them, even with help. In those cases it is simply necessary to make an impact that will shape their DAY. May God keep you from being overwhelmed to the point of despair.

Julie and John Wright said...

There is no doubt in my being. God will provide for your needs and the needs of each of these requests, plus more than we can imagine.

Love Julie

Anonymous said...

How much are we talking about to keep you there another month
Dave