Easter Sunday with family

On a day like yesterday, I don't even know where to start ..  

The team cleared the airport without a hitch.. strait threw customs all bags arrived , no bags even checked , Isar and Jengish were waiting as we came out .. Isar in a beautiful new bus (I will show pictures soon ) and Jengish in our old Volga .. wide and smooth.. like the river .  

we were back in Tokmok within 30 minutes of when we had scheduled , not bad at all for a 2 day 7000 mile trip.  The girls had the apartments all ready , right down to the chocolates on the pillow .  The girls are in the guest apartment with Altynai there with them, and The guys are in another apartment close by with Jengish with them .. Jayne we drooped at the foundation with David, Lynn at his apartment with Ruby, and Costya home to Dayspring with his family.. 

some might think that as enough for the day ... but the day was just beginning .  A couple hours after settling in, we all gathered up and headed to church .  We sit up in the balcony at the back so we can slip out after the worship service.  .. the sermon is always very difficult for the translators. 

From church we went over to See Aigoola, and to pick up the mattresses and have a chance to say hello.  , from there we went to the bazzar to pick up chickens for Jeremiah house , along with some food for them .. we found some nice brown chickens 8 months old , so they will be laying right away .  

Lunch was at Dayspring with the girls , David and Jayne and Lynn and Ruby.  We had a pizza party, the team had a tour of the house, and then Lori from the team gave each of the girls a special letter and picture from young friends of hers from Parkside .  The kids were so pleased , especially to have a name and a face with each personalized letter .  

next stop was to Jeremiah house .  I was excited to go , and to meet all the kids .. this was my first time to  see it,  as well the team represents the sponsoring group from Parkside that purchased the home .  WE were all suitably impressed.. the home is incredible .. solid built, in great shape and has a great  garden with  fruit treas, a couple good out buildings wired with 3 phase heavy duty wiring , were we could set up a work shop  and a sewing room , or who knows what .. great potential.  there is a bonya ( sauna ) a soker tub,  and chicken coop as well as some great covered area's that they could put some tables to sit out in the garden to eat or for projects..    It was so impressive .. Lynn and Ruby did a great job you would think that the Jeremiah home has been here for years , you would never know that 3 months ago, some of these kids would have had no place to go.. but today they have a home where they can learn the skills for a new life. 

from there e went to do a quick shop, as well as unpack a few bags and put together some gift bags for our next guests .. tooth past, tooth brush , shampoo, soap, deodorant, an a chocolate bar.. all extra's for children  and young adults with limited resources

   There were 27 kids that cmae to meet us for supper , along with a few helpers and the team..   It was so geat to see them all again.  I wanted to spend some time with each and every one of them, but just no way . but this team was incredible .. lots of times , teams will become overwhelmed and clump together.. not these guys , they spread out with the kids and there translators , and took the opportunity to get to know the kids around them . 

We had a great meal ,  and weer also able to make some planes with the kids for a couple outings later in the week.. they were all invited to a soccer camp in the mountains , then they ere also given a choice is they would like to go bowling or to the hot springs.  we will bring about 15 to 20 kids to each event .. that way they will get to spend some time with the team when there are not so many other kids .   I have so many great pictures of supper .. it may look like I am posting them all, but really this is just a sample .. 

good heavens .. Colya is now taller then me... Victor is still such a charmer 

Alaks father passed away, and his mother is sick.  he had dropped out of school and was pushing a cart in the bazzar. for someone who was sick.. buit the man got better and he lost that job.  we are working on a plan wit him .. He is no back into school, our friend from the Tiwan Childrens fund help the family with food, and we are going to buy a cart and register it at the bazzar.. then Alak will be able to use it ..WHEN HE DOES NOT HAVE CLASSES... as well others we work with will be able to use it when they need work . 

Sibera is showing off her new teeth . for the first time in her life that she can remember she has not been suffering from tooth pain.. she is so thankful for her special sponsor for taking the pain away .. she saw the chocolate bar in her bag and said that she is not sure she wants it.. now that her teath are good, she NEVER wants to go through that again.. but was happy to see the tooth past and tooth brush .. that was special for her .

Ok I am going to stop there , it could just go on and on.. ut here are some more photos from the meal together...

What a wonderful Easter supper ...

Arrived

OK so here are the mornings photos... they uploaded in a mixed up order so You will have to make up your own storey about what we are up to...I will straiten it up later.. for now we are running out to have supper with a couple dozen of our young friends ,, 

"BUT DAD"

 
We have a saying that we use quite often.. " Stopping for the one in front of you "    We use this almost as an excuse , like " God has put this person in front of me , and I am spiritual enough to recognise that this person has been placed here so that I would stop. "    Where as this does happen a lot, some times it comes more as a plead from Bekah  " BUT DAD WE HAVE TO HELP" 

 

 and as many times as I try to ignore or put her off, she is relentless and keeps at it ..   Gee I wonder where she gets that from ..

 

 

The last couple months, so many needs have been really laying heavy on Bekah.. She has been trying hard to find sponsors for many of them, over at www.iam1ru and has done very well, but still its not enough..   She has been asking for help for a new family that she has come across. 

 

 
Bekah has listed one of their needs on the site .. see here but she tells me " Dad they just need too much help.. I can't post it all .. " Their mother just died, and there father has been gone a long time .. They have never been to a dentist and their teeth are black and falling out . The house needs sooo much work, and now they can not afford to keep the youngest in school .  

The needs are just too great .. where do you start .. food, clothes, medical, housing... or do we simply do what everyone else has done ... NOTHING... I really don`t know what we will be able to do, but I do know that we will do something .

IF THE SHOE FITS

We are just about packed and out the door .  just down to which shoes do I bring.  I don't have a lot by some peoples standards , I have a work pair, a pair of nice leather dress shoes that belonged to Julies Uncle,  My favorite pair is a pair from the Aurora shoe company , they were given to Julie and I by some great friends and supporters.. I also have a couple pair of Crocks .. then there are the sandals  , and the water shoes I borrowed from my son and forgot to return .   I  have to figure out which two pair would be the best mix and match  to meet by needs... 

Why do I tell you this ?   The same time I am deciding what shoes to were, Larissa is calling Bekah and asking if there is any way that we could get some shoes for the men at the mens home .. many of them have no shoes, and if they do, they are cheep fur lined rubber ones that we bought them in the winter ,,.. or like the pair below are 4 sizes to small .. but that's all they have . I think of the saying " If the shoe fits" .. well in this case , even if it doesn't ....

Of course there is always a solution..  We have a donation to help with this , but they can only cover half, so have agreed that if we find the sponsor for the other half, we can make this happen .    

over 200 pairs of shoes .. yet we need only to raise $250 .. I hear that some people pay that much for one pair... 

Well Bekah and her friends at iam1ru    have added this challenge to the dream board .. you can sponsor the whole thing , or you could just sponsor $10     click   HERE  
I have steeped out in faith and have told them that we will be there with the shoes on Tuesday morning ... What a great blessing this will be to them , and again we are so overjoyed that we can be a part of this simple dream , and I know you will be too.

Mens day celebration

   I still think of the first time we visited the Mens home .. what a dark place it was. My friend Dan referred to it as a glimpse of Hell.   

   Larissa has been through it all..and not just Larisa , but so many caring workers at the home.  We spoke with one nurse, she has worked there for over 40 years , she remembers when the Soviet system fell, she and the others continued to go in for work every day to care for the men, it was months that they worked with NO PAY.. she said that she did not even know if they had a job, but they could not just leave the men ... 
  Through the years, we have seen amazing things at the home ,  So it brings a lump in my throat , and tears in my eyes as I see events like this one organized by  Bekah's sponsoring organization through their web site iam1ru.com     

Stop for a moment and think of the worst of the worst that you could imagine,  a place where not that long ago 80 men died in a 2 week period of starvation and exposure .. in their own beds .. these are some of the men that survived .. 

But today , they do more then survive ... they celebrate LIFE... 

This was part of todays update from the girls 

 "We went with Larissa and Tanya and took the men to a movie in Bishkek. It was free for the movie thanks to a friend of Larissa's and it was also free when the kids went. He has an organization and connections and he asked if we ever need to take people somewhere he can help. PI sponsored the lunch at Faiza, the bus and the ice cream and rides in the park"

What a blessing to be part of something like this .. Thank you to every one who has had a part in bringing this home to where it is today ...