Be a part of something special !

One of the main reasons that we go to Kyrgyzstan is to promote family life ..it is to show Orphans what it is to be part of a family, and it is to show families the importance of family life and a family commitment. We attempt to show that there is value in the life of the seniors and that they should be cared for and respected... Yet in order to fulfill this , we have to leave family behind. Kind of an oxy moron. Yet I look at this photo of our son Benjamin with grandson Jonah, and I see so much that is good.. I see what thousands of children in Kyrgyzstan will never experience, and thousands of men in Kyrgyzstan would never know was possible....
How could we know about this and not share? ... How can we not go? ... 20 years ago we sat with Benjamin, snuggled under the same quilt. Raising our kids was a number 1 priority then, and that is still our #1 priority now , but as they are older , FB, email, Skype, and Phone calls all keep us close... I guess not all life's lessons take place with your kids on your lap under the quilt.. there comes a time when they stop listening so closely to what you are telling them, and start focusing more on what you are showing them. What I struggle with is how children in an institution will ever get to experience such life lessons ...

For years, people in former soviet countries had been taught that the state could do a better job parenting then they could. I don't know if this was ever true, personally I don't believe it was, but that argument aside, the tough economic times have the entire institutional system to its knees. Daily we are hearing stories, and our workers are visiting orphanages where the basic necessities such as food, clothing, toilets and school supplies are all running short . The situation has become so bad that it's short fall is un deniable. The government and the workers are doing their very best, and must struggle daily to simply maintain. They have such dedication to their jobs and the kids they support ... jobs and situations that we in North America would have walked out on long ago, yet they continue to try. They have called out for help, and at LAMb, we have the experience and the expertise to help them. Through proper training and implementation of some key child welfare principals, we are beginning to see that change take effect.

The creation of the Dayspring Family Life Resource Centre will be such a big part of that. A home that is not designed to keep families apart, but a home that is designed to either see children reunited with their families in a safe and sustainable fashion, or to see the kids placed in permanent homes where they will beloved and cared for ...

The building has been purchased, and the renovations are under way. The most incredible caring , loving family... ok so I am a little biast..... have been chosen to be the house parents. .. and things are all starting to come together... so what next ?
We are in need of basic furnishings to make this house a home.. rather then a striped down institutional life, we want this home to have the feel and the substance of a real home... so it is time to start moving in. It is such an exciting time for us, that we did not want it to feel like a chore to get the home ready, but feel it will be a real time of blessing and excitement for every one. A time when we can , in a tangible way show the children that they are more then just a new kid in a new building, but that they are special, and are part of a family.. Jayne thought that the best way to do this would be to involve all of you in this project... with a house warming shower.. sooooooo if you have not done so already and would like to be a part of something so wonderful, you are invited right now to come to our ON LINE shower for Dayspring Family Life Resource Centre. and be a part of something special.