Faces of Joy

Sometimes I look back through the blog, and at times I can depress even myself... I think "Man I would not even want to read this every day"... not that these stories should not be told, Life for me in Central Asia is not all like that... Yes we see things every day that could rip you up inside, but every day we are bringing hope and Joy to those we come across... When we are there we can do things to bring instant relief to difficult situations, but not only that , We can go over the top..... I thought that I had better share some of the faces of JOY..... As I started to compile those , I realized that even in joy, many of the faces resembled sorrow and pain... I think that is because the emotions are so close... But when I examined it more, I found something... those photos of Joy that most resembled sorrow were of Joy that came from a release of fear or concern... they occurred when people were given homes to live in, food when they had none, or an operation that would save them a life of suffering...... these all brought tears, Parents cried when we provided education for there kids, grandparents cried when we provided operations for their grand children. and men cried when we provided beds for the Babushka's.... But what I love about what I do and the guys that I work with at PI, is that , a release from a difficult situation is not good enough.... I have a "Mandate" so to speak... to take it over the top.... to push past the simple relief and bring people to a place of true joy.... let me give you an example ...

I think of one man we helped ... he had his hand severely crushed and he needed surgery and physiotherapy to save his hand... He could not believe that we would find someone to help him and that he would not lose his hand... we paid all his medical bills, then just to push it over the top, on his last trip into the Dr, we sent him in to the capital, not in a crowded bus, but in a taxi ... with his wife, and paid for them to go out for supper in one of the best restaurants in town.... Now consider that this man had likely never taken a taxi into the city before, and very well could have never eaten in a restaurant before...I told them that this is the beginning of his new life, and it was time for he and his wife to celebrate... .this Was over the top... yes... was it over budget ...yes... was it extravagant... yes... but what it did was to validate for his wife that yes she to had suffered with fear and concern for their family, and that my friends are not just interested in the status qua, but exceedingly and abundantly more then you could ask or imagine.... That's what its all about.... I know that many of you get that, and that's why we have people that send in donations undesignated... that's how we are able to take a simple dream, and give it a little push over the top.... Here are a few more FACES OF JOY ....not just relief...