Happy Birthday Anara

We had a great time at Anara's Birthday . She turned 5 today . Anara is our darling little friend from Tokmok. In the picture below, Anara is teaching e how to make Laproshka. ( the Kyrgyz flat bread ) We also made Bish bal mak and borsolk. It was a great day. we had some other guests as well. A couple families that have adopted from Ukraine, and in the process of adopting from Kyrgyzstan .

We are always so touched by the hearts and the passion of the adoptive families that we meet. We recall being at the orphanage when a family was there picking up their new baby, the felling was so overwhelming as they walked out of the orphanage with their new jewel in their arms. this was such an example of HOPE for us. and now to have a chance to see these kids years later is equally as overwhelming at times. We pray that one day soon, the doors will open and more of our little friends will make it home.

update ..from Minnesota

We are having a great trip. Our first stop in Chicago we met a family waiting to adopt from Kyrgyzstan. We had a great time with them . They were such an encouragement to us then they even got us a room on rout at a hotel... So has anyone else heard about these "Heavenly Beds" Oh My ... They sure lived up to their name . When we were packing , my friend Cal was convincing us that a mattress in the back of the van , and a Walmart parking lot was all we needed . So we were prepared... it seemed like a good idea.. but our friend heard about this, and they were certain that we should not be sleeping in a parking lot... Actually it did not sound as bad when we said it...hahaha....but now that we have experienced "Heavenly beds "

Yesterday we stopped on the way to Hilary's and visited a couple more kids that are from Kyrgyzstan..... they are sooooo cute...

The kids posed with us with their new Kyrgyz outfits.

We got a letter from Ruby the other day with an update and photos of Emma.

They had just come back from a watermelon day at the mens home where they delivered a watermelon for everyone.. you can imagine the excitement.

"Emma would like to give 100 bags of rice away - the price has skyrocketed here and it is the MAIN diet for so many - it keeps them alive in the winter. 100 bags would cost $3,133. I suggested to Natasha that she buy three bags the other day for three persons who are widows and in need. In suggesting this - Emma said - I know 100 more. Wouldn't that be wonderful if we could give 100 more before winter!"

Now there is something to work toward. It sure would be a blessing to so many ..

Updates from Emma

Aipery planned a picnic at her house for Bekut orphanage. Aipery and I take the kids swimming once in a while at the little wading pool at the American playground, but every time we go, some of the younger ones aren't allowed to go because they are sick or were sick recently but Aipery really wanted to do something with all the kids, so she saved up her money and took the kids to a little "forest" near her house and gave them a picnic, hosted by Aigula. I brought some string( thanks Bekah :) ) and beads and we made bracelets with them and played ball and badminton and had ice cream on the way home. It was a really great time and the kids didnt want to leave. Aigula's family has really adopted this orphanage and her children have made good friends with the Bekut kids. They want to keep doing fun things like this with the kids. It was also nice to see that others in the community helped out. The bus driver let the kids ride for free and Aigula's sister sponsored the ice cream for the kids.

tie one on

There is a tradition in Central Asia.. when you have a special need, you clime to a high place, and there you find a tree, and you tie a small piece of material on it. This material remains their as a "Monument " of sorts. for ever to remind others to pray for all these needs. Over time the tree becomes covered with these "Prayers".

Last week, a group of parents and that adopted Children from Krygyzstan, and are waiting to adopt children from Kyrgyzstan went to a high place .. they went to Washington DC. and their they found a prayer tree, and they tied their prayer cloths on that tree for our young friend Slavic. This photo was so precious to me . I know , and I am sure that they know and understand that no mater how hard we try, this situation facing Slavic right now is all to common.

The future for an orphan is one of despair. I am not certain of the exact statistics, but from what I understand 2/3 of orphans do not last a year after leaving an orphanage before they end up in jail , prostitution, slavery ..or dead... It's not because we think that we are perfect, or that we know all the answers that we want to "Change the system" .. I know that there are a lot of people railing on aid workers and saying that we think we are special or have the answers... We do our best to come at things with an ethnocentric approach, and in most areas I try to be open and teachable... but NOT on the issues that directly affect the most vulnerable.. This must be why justice is to care for the widow and the orphan... pure religion is to visit the widow and the orphan....

We will avoid using terms like change of correct... we will NOT support, or condone, let alone keep quiet when it comes to the mistreatment of the most vulnerable, but we WILL continue to embrace and encourage Kyrgyz customs and traditions that bring Hope and are in the best interest of all... Thank you to all our friends that were in DC last week and took a moment to remember Slavic in true Kyrgyz fashion.

Update on Aerkin ...

On the ground and right to business. Ruby has so much on her plate in Kyrgyzstan this trip, from training to child protection issues, but one of the top items has been our young Slavic/Aerkin.

Ruby meeting with Government minister..

As soon as Ruby brought up about young Slavic, the minister offered the weight of her office to help us. They have come up with a few plans , and in a few hours will be hot on the trail.. it is still very much a "BUT GOD" situation, but we are seeing his hand move.. please continue to pray for our young friend. For more of Ruby's update, be sure to go to her blog at this link .

Aerkinbeck... Freedom

we are up in Espanola right now, and once again in true spirit of the north, they are blessing our socks off.. We even have friends here that are as radical about Kyrgyzstan as we are.. like Kelly here , sporting his Kyrgyzstan tatoo

Sunday morning, I was sharing at the Light House. They are an incredible group. They have been such a great blessing to us and the work that we do in Kyrgyzstan. I finished with the sorry of our young friend Slavic...

When I was done, a young man cam up to the mike and asked that we pray now for Slavic, but first he wanted to say something.. He said that when I shared the story, he started repeting his name , and in his mind was calling him what he would is he was a friend and was calling him Slavy... and then realized how close that was to Slave... so he asked that before we pray, we start by choosing a new name for him.. and that from this point on he was going to name him Freedom....

We were so amazed at this... this is not a Canadian tradition, but it is a Kyrgyz tradition to Give people different names.. We thought of Talant and how he is always giving special Kyrgyz names ... with meanings to people.. So I had Bekah make a few calls, and found that the Kyrgyz name for Freedom is Aerkin or affectionately would be AerkinBeck....

Please join us in continued prayer for Aerkin as we take the first big step towards his Freedom...

"It to hurt for me write for you my eyes full of tears."

This mornings report from Anya

"We visit babushka, we not find here in her apartment. We talk with her neighbors and she said what Babushka have now stroke and she with here ( brother or some people) and other what she said what His mom sold him for 100som for people from Kazahstan. In this situation I don’t know what need to do. OHHHHhhhhhhh My heart more and more cry what we need pray for social workers in Kyrgyzstan who really will work special for kids not for money. It to hurt for me write for you my eyes full of tears. I see again and again how our country is pure, in this time I not say about pure for money I want to say about pure for heart ( not have love. Of course if not have love, people not have compassion, not have sympathy ) and more and more understand what God is LOVE. People need God. I pray for my heart what it not will never start love die. Last time I see more and more how God show me people who have not love. And more and more I pray for my heart. How we can show for people God if we will haven’t LOVE."

We have begun the search to try to find and return our young friend. Like Jayne said on her blog... We have known all along that it goes on, and have spoken out about it in the past, but it sure hits home when it happens to a friend....

Bellow is a photo of us at Easter supper last year in the village

I think that in the letter, It is clear what Anya's hearts cry is... she asks what we need to do, and she knows the answer... To pray for social workers in Kyrgyzstan... At LAMb we talk about the three parts of our team... I think this situation exemplifies the need for ALL three .. Our part they have dubbed " Search and Rescue" and that we will do... But it is comforting to know that when, and I am believing WHEN we do find him, David and Jayne will be there to help restore him, but most comforting to know is that while this is going on , Lynn and Ruby will continue to work tirelessly with the Government in Kyrgyzstan to address this type of issue and to help them to put safe guards in place to see that this type of thing Stops... otherwise... where would we get the strength to continue.

Next week , Ruby will return to Kyrgyzstan, please lift her up in prayers.. she has so much to deal with this trip.. there are so many children like our young friend here that are depending on her and the work that she is doing. If you would like to help with some her expenses on this trip, I can assure you that this is good soil... I would hate to think that the battle was lost for the sake of a dollar.... or in this case $2.25

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?" Luke 15:4

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Updates and heart aches

I was talking to Emma a few hours ago. She had spent the day with Sergey and Anya today. They were traveling around checking up on the different projects that we are involved with . One of the stops brought them to a small village where we help with a young boy we knew from one of the orphanages. The orphanage closed, so he went to live with his Grandmother. Today when they stopped in to see him. he was not there .. they did some asking around and found out some terrible news.. From what we can gather, the Grandmother had a stroke, and our young friend went to live with relatives that were drinkers... They decided to sell him to a family that took him to Kazakhstan to work for them.. He was sold for 100 som..thats about $2.25 . What do you do with that ? We are now trying to get any information we can about where he was taken and any information we might be able to use to find him, but there is not a good history with cooperation from the Kazakh government, and this is a common thing. As soon as we can find any thing, we will figure out what to do next, but we can't just leave him there... This is only one of the on going difficulties that Emma has been stumbling across in the last couple weeks .. It is very hard for her.. she has a strong sense of social Justice, and that is what drives her, but it is also what will be such a burden for her at times like this..I will be honest , it has been a difficult time financially as well. We have been back for one month now and are at the end of the one years budget, and we just don't have the funds to continue to support many of the little needs that are being brought to her attention. Please pray for the resources for her to continue to be our hands and feet .

I just received this update from Sergey and Anya about another matter ...
---- Original Message ----
From: Bajenov Sergey
To: Sunmasterjohn@aol.comSent: Wed, Jul 6, 2011 12:17 am
Subject: From Sergey

Hello dear John.
We hope what you all OK.Yesterday I was in the baby hospital and bought baby food. Anara ( doctor) phone for me and ask about baby food 3 days they found one new baby boy. This boy have a nervous problem. I send for you check what I spend for baby food ( from our budget). I’m sorry what not ask you before about can I buy or not, but I feel what we can’t wait. John if you can find some sponsors who every time can give money to buy a baby food for that newbabys. Is will be grate. I never pray about this but now I will pray. When I and Arthur bring baby food and open door in the room where boy was he was cry and was not only just he and many flies. I start take off from packet the baby food but Arthur start take off fly from baby face. I can believe what in that time happen with me. Arthur did more important thing what I did L. And baby not stop cry , I start speak with baby and stroke. He start quietly and nurse was with us too and I told to her what he need some speak with him. I not saw Anara because she did documents for that new baby.When we back to home with Arthur from hospital I told to him “Thank you what you did today “ he said “ No problem, it is easy”
And yesterday we was in parents dacha. Dad very happy what Azyz help to him. Today Kumushay and Alymbek will back from Ysykul-Lake camp.
Bless you John and all your family. And we hope what you all OK.
From big family.

I do have a bit of money left in my budget for the food relief for the Baby hospital, so Emma has given that to them today to reimburse the food, but this will leave us with enough for just one more big food purchase. I guess I have been a little slack for the last couple weeks.. and I should be doing a better job at sharing the needs and concerns.

Here is what I am going to do .. If there is anyone or any project that you have been following and would like an update on, someone I might have missed, email me of leave a comment, and I will do a follow up story on them.
As well we are back on the road bringing updates to our many sponsors.. if you are in the Espanola area, give Jody a call, we would love to see you the weekend of the 16th 17th . We will be speaking at the Lighthouse in Espanola on the morning of the 17th.
We will be at the PAOC missions fest on the morning of the 23rd in Cobourg Ontario, then we will be heading that night to the Detroit direction... if you are in that area and would like us to stop by, let us know. Mid week we will be in Minnesota, and then by the next weekend we will be in Kansas before heading back to Ontario... If you are anywhere on rout, let us know and we will see what we can arrange to personally stop and bring updates .