We have talked about HOPE, now lets look at Dignity

One of the things that we have become known for in parts of Central Asia is bringing the orphans to to Bazaar and buying them clothes and shoes... I have shared many times the impact you can have when they get an opportunity to choose there own outfit, or better yet they get something that actually fits.

Many may remember the dilemma we faced when we had a large orphanage we wanted to outfit, but could not figure out the logistics of it with our small group, so we did the next best thing, we brought the bazaar to them.

There is one vendor at the bazaar that was always so kind to the kids, he treated them with respect, and he even gave us great deals... so we went to him, and he agreed to pack up his 2 stalls and move to the orphanage for the day. That way the kids still got to go to the bazaar and choose there own cloths and shoes... I have not seen him very much since then... I watch for him in the market, his older son works there in the booth now.. I even brought him an official team Canada Jersey last spring...

Well I just received the latest report from my friends that we work with for the operations, and was so amazed that I had to call to confirm... My friend from the Bazaar's little girl was just sponsored for a cleft pallet operation. I never knew he had this need, and he never asked me.... Yet today I found out that we have had a small part in bring a smile to the face of a friend... So often the families can be nameless of faceless... I often wonder the storey behind the situation... you like to think that somewhere deep down they are GOOD people, or if nothing else by our interaction, they will become GOOD people... If he had asked for help, there would have been absolutely no doubt that we would have taken care of his daughter, but instead a system is now in place that he did not have to ask me, he was not forced to feel like somehow he was not capable of looking after his family...we did not require him to come cap in hand. A system is in place now that is designed to not only meet the need, but to do it with Love and understanding... .. if this is not what restoration of Hope and DIGNITY is about I don't know what is....

Back to school shopping

With the return to school comes back to school shopping... now just imagine if you had 45 orphans that you had to take shopping, and no money to do it with .... That's the task that the orphanage directors face every September... fortunately you guys were there, and through our PI friends and the sponsorship program, the director was able to get a little help with that again this year...

but of course... what is any outing without a little ice cream...

that's the kind of thing that puts an outing "Over the top"...

thank you to all our sponsors for your on going support...

Sugarplum Boutique.... Helping ophans worldwide

It never ceases to to amaze me the generosity of our supporters... truly understand what it is to be an "Every day Philanthropist" Daily giving of their time energy and finances to fulfill the simple dreams of the hurting helpless and lost...they get it... In fact they have us in their sights, and have already done some amazing things for the cause... For over a year now, families have had stable homes so there kids would not have to live in an orphanages... but the impact does not end there... special days, special Christmas gifts and outings, clean running water, life saving operations, and now .. get this... a new playground to be built while I am in Central Asia next month.... EVERY DAY.... they strive to put a little hope and dignity into someones life.... This desire to help has help lead to Sugarplum Boutique...an on going on line fundraising store .. with it's sole purpose to make a difference. Why not follow this link over and take a look around . You never know what you might find.

So Whats the Big Event all about ?

I promised that I would explain what the Big Event is all about....

It is a time when we gather together sponsors and dream agents... together in one place to not only hear of some of the amazing projects of PI first hand, but it is a time that we step up to practice what we preach.... but first we need to be reminded what PI is all about.....

P.I. exists for 2 main reasons... To fulfill the simple dreams of the hurting, helpless and hopeless wherever we can, AND to raise up a nation of Everyday Philanthropists.

A Philanthro-who?

Philanthropist... (from the greek root "loving people") "a person who practices goodwill towards fellowmen" - Webster's Dictionary

At P.I. we believe everyone can be a philanthropist! We want to make it easy for folks to give a small gift that makes a huge impact in the life of someone who is struggling. That's why we have created our "iam1ru" on-line gift catalogue. But, what makes us unique is that we have 30 P.I. agents living around the world who are our hands and feet. We entrust them with funds,they buy the gifts and distribute them personally to those who most need them. What most people don't think about is the resources it takes to keep these 30 "Dream Agents" provided for themselves. We are committed to these amazing folks who do all of our fieldwork, and P.I. sends compensation to them on a monthly basis. You have come to know a few of them right here on this sight .....For our work to continue and to expand (to meet more needs) we need an army of "Everyday Philanthropists" who will sponsor us for just a dollar a day (get it "every day"?) We will use these funds to keep this organization healthy and strong and keep our Dream Agents mobile and active with the resources they need to meet needs and fulfill dreams on a daily basis. We are looking for people of like mind... people that believe in what we are doing ...Would you consider being an "Everyday Philanthropist" with us? We would sure appreciate your help! And to show our gratitude, we are giving out our limited edition "iam1ru" Everyday Philanthropist t-shirt, with our thanks.

I know that many of you can not be there for the Big Event, but that does not mean you can not be a BIG part of the special night....

How 'bout it? I am an Everyday Philanthropist - R U? Subscribe below to become an "Everyday Philanthropist".For a dollar a day!(you will be automatically billed each month for $30) include your shirt size and we will mail one out to you...

Great weekend

We just got home from an incredible weekend with our friends in Espanola...Jody, who came with us to Central Asia last March, and her husband have a beautiful place on a lake up there, but what is even more beautiful is their family and friends that we have come to love and appreciate.. Over the last few years, they have not only made the journey them selves but have continued to support the on going efforts of our friends. Along with themselves, there are many others in the area that sponsor children through the sponsorship program. Emma has been busy putting together reports for them this summer. One of the sponsors, we have a special connection with... Along with being Jody's, Mom, Carol is also one of Altynai's sponsors... Last spring she had sent an art book to Altynai, and right away, Altynai went to work and drew this picture and sent it back for Carol... Yesterday Carol proudly showed off the new addition to her wall... Carol is an accomplished artist herself, in fact the most common desktop photo on my computer is this one that Carol painted.

In fact this photo was turned into a greeting card and sold at a recent art show, and enough money was raised to purchase another 20 mattresses... how awesome is that... In a land where a warm mattress can be the difference between living through the winter... or NOT... this donation will be appreciated more than Carol will ever know... Once again it is so cool to see a small entrepreneurial project turn into a massive Philanthropic blessing

One last chance to go to the beach before school starts.

Last weeks, I showed a bunch of photo's of when Paula brought the kids from the orphanage to the beach... it is such a big deal there.. you can not imagine... Emma sold another painting, and really wanted some of our other friend to have a chance to go as well ... They are always so busy helping and looking after the orphans and families that are in need, but there own children do not always get the same opportunity... We really think that to be able to continue to pour into others , it is very important that their own family life is strong..

It was an extra special treat, because we were able to pay Esar our bus driver to drive them,( that is the only way we would be able to get him to take the day off) but at the same time we had him bring his family along for the day as well..They don't get to see much of him when we are in town, and we appreciate all that he does... those that have had the chance to meet him all agree that we are so blessed to have him as part of our team.. They all had a great time , great food, and even had enough for a boat ride.... not the yacht...by any stretch, but then they did not have Paula with them to broker the special deal..

Now Emma fun's over... get back to your painting!

Kyrgyz lessons

I think I have it bad trying to learn Russian, but I am so proud of my girls . they are learning to speak Kyrgyz... Emma does not like to talk on the phone at the best of times, but now to have to do it in Kyrgyz ... but they are doing great. if you are reading this from facebook , you will need to go here to view it.

Paruski lessons....

I have been trying to brush up on my Language skills

We have been trying so hard to learn Russian, but have not succeeded in doing much other then butchering it... A common comment I hear now is that "They understand what I am saying, but is my grammar is ooshis....I think that's bad"... since I started learning Russian , I have even lost the little French that I knew, and what is worse is that it now only takes a month or two to lose my grasp of English... like I ever had a grasp on the English language.... LOL..

Well the best way to learn I think, is to just spend lots of time with the kids... especially the Kyrgy kids... they are just learning Russian them selves, so their vocabulary is small...

When it all shakes out, I seem to have a good command of Rusklish...and if ever lost for words, the odd Kyrgy word will do....

Every Day Philanthropist

- Every Day Philanthropist -

" a person who daily gives of their time, energy, passion and resources to help fulfill the simple dreams of the hurting , helpless and hopeless "

www.iam1ru.com

PROJECT MACFRICA :

P.I. is at it again!! Another CRAZY IDEA! This time from our Brand New Dream Agent; MATTHEW SCOBEL ...Computers for Kids in KENYA, AFRICA! At PI, we are thrilled over this new opportunity to bring computers right into the homes of these orphan children! These kids have been rescued from oblivion and taken into newly constructed homes with their own set of foster parents; and now will have the opportunity to learn computer skills right in their own home on some of the most high tech computers in the world! That's CRAZY:) You need to read Matt's personal account here - we applaud his sharp thinking and his drive to give these kids the shot at life and education they deserve... That's an Everyday Guy practicing Everyday Philanthropy at its Best!

iam1ru?

Wow...

Things are coming along great for this next trip into Central Asia. The tickets will be bought this week... The Mad money Fund is over the top... I am so excited to see what this fall has in store.

I know that there are a lot of projects on the go that many of you are a part of... mattresses, tuition's, baby food, birthdays, and operations just to name a few...

Next week, I will have to start transferring money and collecting crisp US bills... By bringing it with me we can save a bundle in money transfers. so without sounding forward..it's time to get the donations in. Thank you to everyone for being a part of something special.

Waiting at the door !

I have posted a lot about our friends in Central Asia recently, but have not talked a lot about where we are at as a family...
Every day brings us a little closer to drastic life changes... When we first thought about moving to Central Asia, there was so much we wanted to hang on to... there were so many obligations. I don't know why we hang on to things so tightly.. We have started to purge..some by choice such as the truck loads of STUFF that we have sold , given away, or simply taken to the dump... and then there is the STUFF that has been ripped from our hands over the last few months...Like the loss of Julie's mom or the un resolved devastation of my mom's house, and now the need to sell... Even our own home, rather then seeing it as a refuge or a home base, is starting to feel more like a millstone dragging us down...
The stress of Julie's job continues to grow, as her head is definitely in a land thousands of miles away... The girls have no excitement about returning to school, Bekah is ready to return to Central Asia today, and even has her correspondence courses picked out... Emma on the other hand has her room completely de cluttered, and is "ready to move"...I thought that with a busy work schedule this summer, maybe Bekah would get distracted, and not be so locked in to returning, but instead, with all the work, the girls have their "flights home" almost paid...
At this point all we can do is to be ready for what ever comes... there are still so many obstacles to overcome before we finally take the step, but at this rate, when the time comes...all that may be left will be 8 hockey bags packed and waiting at the door....

Back to School

One more week , then it's back to school for all our kids. Anya has been busy doing the back to school shopping with the younger kids. Our friend Paula has just spent 2 weeks there teaching a refresher course for those that are preparing for university. . I look at this new group of students , and I see such potential, such a display of hope... they all believe that life for them is full of possibilities... All these kids have faced incredible odds and have had to work hard to get to where they are today...
We also have several other sponsored children that are now off to college or trade school this fall... for them life is also full of uncertainty... yet there is an excitement in there voices... Again it is a time when they are taking steps to a brighter future.
The part that is interesting to me is that a lot of the kids we are working with have a strong social conscience... they had aspirations, and dreams for their lives, but are now struggling with a new desire to do something that is both meaningful and beneficial for others... I guess they have seen the impact in their own lives, and want to be used the same way...
This gives me great hope for the future , to know that we are not just a one hit wonder, or a flash in the pan, but what we are doing is changing not just a child, but the world around them for generations to come....
This summer as we are helping our kids here cope with the whole back to school, and all the stress and excitement... and financial pressures it. Please take a a few minutes and remember those kids that without our support would be facing it alone.

The return of the big event

I can still remember the first big fundraiser that we did for a trip to Central Asia so many years ago.. I really did not know what to expect... but it certainly was more exciting then anything I could have dreamed... There is something electric that happens when a group of people come together for a common purpose... and it is even more exciting when that purpose is to forever change the lives of the Hurting helpless and lost that the rest of society has brushed aside or forgotten... It is powerful it restores your faith in humanity... Something funny happens... people begin to understand the significance of what is happening and that NOW is an opportunity to really make a difference... it becomes one of those defining moments... like a remember when moment... Over the years, I have been to my share of these events, and it never ceases to amaze me when the generosity starts to move... I have witnessed peals of laughter as the bidding on a box of Crispy Cream donuts auctioned off for $75 , only to be handed out to the crowd... or there was the time that someone donated a Porsh... then when it was not selling for enough he started bidding on it himself, then got carried away, and by the time it was over, he hid bid it up so high that he did not think it was a good deal any more for the young man he was bidding against so he had to keep bidding to make sure that the boy did not get in over his head.... Every year, we come away just amazed.... this year the venue has been moved to a larger venue so we have a bit more room....

We will be holding our annual "Big Event" Fundraiser on Saturday, October 17th at the St. Agatha Community Centre in the Kitchener / Waterloo area The "wildness" begins at 6:30 more details will follow but I wanted you to get the date on your calendar. ... Of course the Sisters will be there with stories of their work in Central Asia and we will have the "Kevin Pauls Band" there as well. There will be desserts, coffee, choco fountain, all that jazz as well as a silent auction and a live auction. The cost of the tickets will be $25/each with all proceeds from the evening going to Possibilities International and our work in Central Asia. We presently support 20 workers in Central Asia as our dream agents. Please make this evening a priority! As I said...more details to follow.

I am always so encouraged and wound up after one of these events that I have even made a point of making sure I am in country... I will likely arrive back the night before, just in time for the excitement... If it's worth the trip for me from Kyrgyzstan , then it would be certainly worth the trip for you from what ever part of the continent you are from... If you would like more information, or help with hotel or flight information, just let me know....

Another day to remember

Paula just got home from a wonderful weekend at the beach in Issyk Kol.

The kids had an absolute blast ... this is the kind of thing that they will remember for there whole lives... It is also the kind of thing that they will be able to hold on to to give them hope for a future... It assures them that someone cares for them... The timing of this trip was so awesome...

My young friend and his brother were able to go along. It will give his mind something positive to think about ....
So many of you have had a part in making special days like this happen.. I can not say enough how grateful we are for all the support. Sometimes we think that the economic crisis's is only here, and that the kids would not know of the worlds woe's, but that is not the case... every day they hear of the crises as there care givers are cut back, as the food budgets are slashed, as they hear the worried conversations from every one around them.... In the middle of such hard and uncertain economic times, It sends a loud and clear message to them that they still matter. In a time when an event like this would have been written off in their minds as not possible this year.... You guys pulled it off.... and a special thanks to Paula and Sergey & Anya for all your help and planning... I hope you enjoy this little video of the day at the beach... as you are watching it, try to imagine just how this has impacted these kids.....

If you are reading this as a facebook note, you will need to go to www.actofkindness.blogspot.com to view the video.

As it turns out .....

So few posts ago I told you about the overwhelming feeling my friend was having when he heard of 5 kids that were all in need... Well now the pieces are starting to come together, and it appears that I may be part of the cause for his distress.
I got a call from Acel this morning... She shared with me how blessed they were that they were able to call my friend, and that he is going to help them to get on the right track with a couple families that they are helping...

They were simply lost, and did not know how they were going to proceed... Well now it's starting to fit together... Those families that My friend had just heard about are actually a couple of the families Acel and Talant have been trying to help. They had contacted me and said that they new people who were in such incredible need, but they did not know how to help, what the problems actually were in English to describe them to me, and they had no idea the cost of the operations...
I just got an up date from my friend

Hey John... wow did he ever have some families.... I have been to two of the places to visit and we will try and help both of them if we can. I will send you the info on them all and some pictures as well. One little boy needs an operation micro cephelis and on Monday we will see the surgeon together and see what he says. I will send you a email soon with the update.

He then went on to say

the contract with the hospital, we signed it ,so now we need to get going on the shunt operations and cleft palate as well. We need to do 15 more shunt operations and 13 more cleft palate. I will send that info ....it was a good conversation though with t he director of the hospital we will get the official numbers now to start fund raising for. As well still need to see some big gifts to come in we are down still about 1/2 of what we were getting before not sure why yet. No one has changed anything that we are aware of could be vacations and summer time stuff .

There is a somewhat larger window of opportunity for a cleft palate operation, but the operation for a Hydro cephalic babies is an urgent one... with the operation, a child can lead a normal life, with out one, a child's brain is under such pressure that permanent and saver brain damage is caused... totally preventable... It is no wonder He is getting overwhelmed... he has met the kids first hand, and he knows what the future may have in store for them... he is also a bright guy and I am sure he has done the math... 15 operations at $600 =$9000 and another 13 @ $200 = $2600... that leaves him behind $11600. and that's not including the 5 kids we just sent him...

On another note, I am excited for Paula and the orphanage kids , they along with my troubled young friend will be heading for Issyk Kol in just a few hours... Paula was so excited when I spoke with her this morning, she was at the Bazaar and found a dozen large life rings for the kids to play with . I can't wait for the photos from that day to come in .... The cost of a day at the lake for the entire orphaage... $100 ... the cost of a group of orphans knowing that someone cares....PRICELESS

Her last day of class was today. She had a great time ,and the kids where all so thankful for her help. She was then offered a job at the institute. now if she could just turn that into a payed Job, she might have something...lol... one of the students thanked her for the awful class......as in full of awe. or awesome.. .... Ha Ha Ha....

Troubled

I can remember a day when the kids all looked the same to me... then I remember when It was just all the strange names that seemed the same, but as the friendships have grown so has the individuality of each precious child... that is what makes it so hard when A call starts of with ..."You know _____"
I hesitated to write this post, but I feel we need to share the good and the bad. I received word yesterday that a young friend of our had attempted to commit suicide. He had got himself a rope, then climbed to the roof of the orphanage... Another young girl we know had tried to stop him, but could not hold him back... she finally ran for bigger help, and the security guard arrived just in time to cut the rope that was hanging him. We are so fortunate that he survived this time.

The first question is why would he do that... I was there the day he had arrived at the orphanage with his little brother... I have seen just a glimpse of the pain that he has faced, and I guess the question of why is the wrong one... the real question is why NOT.... We try so hard to present HOPE to them. to give them a reason why NOT... but try as we might, every now and then, we miss the mark...

Today I sent him a letter telling him how much we loved him and cared about him, I reminding him of all the good times that we have had, and to let him know that we loved him so much, and also told him that I will be back soon, and we will have a good visit then...


He shared with Anya that he just felt that there was no one that loved him... today when she read him the letter to him he began to cry... My poor boy has such a hard life ahead of him. If I had not seen and experienced it before, I would lose hope myself... This is one of those lives where we need to continue to Make A Difference.

Paula Give's her OK ...

Paula is a good friend of ours who is in Central Asia right now. She is spending her vacation teaching an English refresher course to a bunch of students from a local institute.. As you can imagine, there is so much else for her to see and to do when class is over each day. She has been traveling around to some of the projects that we are working on. Today, she was out to Aigoola's house to pick up mattresses to furnish an apartment that our friends just presented to a family... It was great for her to have a chance to inspect the work... she was very impressed, and passed her scrutiny. As the production has increased, they have had to start up the second sewing machine to keep up.... The demand is growing.... ... We have done a bit of checking, and calling in a few favors, Paula can take an entire orphanage to Lake IssyKul for the day for $100... If you would like to help with that, or maybe purchase a mattress, let me know.

STRAIGHT TO THE KITCHEN

Just a quick thank you to all that are helping with the baby food and juice for the baby orphanage. The weekly drops continue to brought to them. I was able to send a bit more money over today that will cover them for another 2 weeks . This has been a great blessing to the orphanage as they struggle to provide for the kids. Normally when we bring food, it is brought to the store room to be recorded... today it was brought straight to the kitchen as you can see from the photo of Sergey below.
I have also received word that there has been a bit of a rumpling at a government level, and that by the first week of Oct the food budgets will be increased at the orphanages, and things should be back on track for them .. we had financially committed to help until September. I would love to be able to stretch that to Oct. now that there is an end in sight... The Director is very thankful for the support and wishes us to pass along her appreciation ... Thank you again.

One of my friends

There is a certain man in Central Asia that I have not shared much about. He is the Man that set up the foundation for the kids operations as well as working with the disabled. He provides walkers, wheel chairs, and physiotherapy. He is also helping set up resource centre / support centre for parents with disabled kids... all in an attempt to get parents to either keep there disabled kids, or in some cases bring them back home from the orphanages....

He has been a great support for me. Many times I have come to him with children in need, and he has helped me to get on the right track ... he and his team have been a great resources... What has meant more to me is that, at times when I am over there and feeling overwhelmed , or disoriented, a few minutes with him, and I have the wind behind my sales again....He understands what I am feeling before I formulate the sentence. Today I am understanding him as I read part of his latest post....

I just heard about 5 kids who all need help two need operations, one needs a wheelchair, one needs a heart operation and the other I don't know what they need going to see two of them on Friday. Can you say "overwhelming with little resources to help?"

My friend... I wish I was there to help .... I wish I had the resources .... I recognises that overwhelming feeling.... Just remember you are not alone...I am believing for an opportunity to Make A Difference. Hang in there, I will see you soon.

Cap in hand ...

Once again, I seem to be coming cap in hand... It is so hard, but I have to just remember who it is for ... I don't ever want to get into a position again where I say to myself "if only you had Asked"..

The clock is now ticking for my next trip into Central Asia. I have a lot to do before I go. I would like to raise $5000 for this trip ... In fact the budget is going to be considerably more, but we have an incredible group of business people fro Quebec that are coming along... They have committed to raise a ton of coin to do some projects while we are there. One of the projects is to help get heat into the new seniors home before winter. The other project is one that has been in the works for a while, but I have not mentioned until I was sure we could pull it off.

In one of the cities we work, there is a baby hospital that need our help.. This hospital is the place that babies and mothers are first brought to if they are going to be put up for adoption, or if they have been found abandoned, in fact many of the little ones we have come to know and love have likely come through these doors at one time... The director / chief Dr. of this hospital is an incredible lady, and is always eager to help with an of the children that our friends bring to her for help. The hospital is in very serious need of work.. the roof has been leaking for a long time, and the walls in the ICU are deteriorating. Some of the beds and the cribs have tarps set up over them to prevent debree from falling on them... As hard as they try, it must be almost impossible to keep these rooms sterile...

We will be starting one room at a time, and begin renovating . There is so much that is needed, but we will start with baby steps and continue the project as finances come in... This is a place that has no attention from any outside help, and until someone starts, it will continue to fall through the cracks.... and hay that's what we are about... bringing light into the dark corners.. to those that have fallen through the cracks of society. I wish I had photo's to show you of the before, but the director is very upset about the condition of things, and I just felt it would be almost a form of violence toward her if I got my camera out... When they said , "Won't it be harder to raise funds with out photo's" I told them that we could post the before photo's when we could post the after at the same time, and that I would just ask people to trust me o this one..."

I think that if we can help maintain a little dignity some times, we would not have to work so hard to restore it....

Along with these two projects, there are so many other smaller things that I would like to do... I have a few errands to run for some friends that have invested of themselves in country, as well as bring some encouragement for other friends that are still stationed there. I need to touch base with everyone that we have helped over the years... I never like to go empty handed, so I would like to have about $100 a day for the month I am there so that I can put together some care packages and meet the small needs... My friends call it MAD money ... Making A Difference Money .... If you would like to help make a difference, just follow the donation link on the side bar, and type MAD in the memo box .

Hands of Hope .

Today is a very special day... It is a day that marks a new beginning... While in Central Asia, our friend Paula got the privilege of presenting not just a new apartment , but a new way of life to a special family. Many of you know and have been following the life's adventures of Altynai and her brothers and sisters. Today Paula gave them the keys to the apartment that the kids have been renovating the last few weeks. It is located in the same apartment block as Three of our friends, and is beside the school the kids go to... This city will be much safer for the kids as well as provide more job opportunities for the older kids... There are just so many pluses to this ... They were all so excited ... jumping up and down and crying... I teased Altynai.. I said, are you sure that the wallpaper in the Girls room is not too pink... she laughed and said "Dad.. I was the one that picked it out, it's beautiful. !"...lol.... Then very solemnly the father said, "Well if this is my home now.... every body better get back to the door and take their shoes off..."

This is going to be a lot of work for every one involved , But I am confident that the work will be worth it....

I wish I could afford a lawyer !

I guess our Courts have run out of things to do ... I wish I could afford a lawyer so I could get Moms house fixed!


WHITEHORSE, Yukon - The Yukon Supreme Court is to hear its first capital case in living memory when a judge decides the fate of a dog.
The two-year old German-shepherd-Rottweiler cross named Trevor was rescued from a home last January where he had been neglected to the point where his collar had grown into his body.
The Whitehorse Humane Society adopted him out, but Trevor was accused of biting people and turned into the pound this month.
The humane society says that, legally, Trevor should have been returned to them and that he remains their property.
They want to use provisions that allow people to keep dangerous dogs under secure conditions, but city bylaws call for Trevor's destruction.
If every dog has his day, Trevor's will be Aug. 6, when his case is expected to be heard.