Its up to YOU

We are very excited to have spent the afternoon with Larisa and Tanya.  We are literally exhausted, but in a good way .  So much was accomplished.  The best news is that everything is a go now, and next week we will be going out to the mens home and start pouring the new floor for the dinning room.   

  Poor Larissa has a huge list of other things, but we just kept saying , "When the floor is done, we can look at what is next."  I did get an accounting of other things on Larissa's list, So I will share with you some of those items so you can see where her mind is going. 

She has been working on flower beds around the grounds at the mens home, and would like flowers to plant, she figures the cost for this will be about $50. 

There are 12 families that she has identified that need help with food and supplies right now, most of them have children that are disabled.  the 12 families have around 25 kids between them .. the cost of the food packs will be around $250

There are many children from the village that Larisa works with, and she would like to take them on an outing, we are thinking that we would take about 40 kids for a picnic, maybe fishing, and to the hot springs.  the cost for this will be around $250 ( we will plan on doing this as one of Cody's mad money events )

In the big yard at the mens home where we have painted the fence with teams, Larisa has started to put in a fountain .  the hole is dug, but to do the cement work and to put in the water jets will be about $100

It is time to get some new underwear for the men as well.  It was a couple years ago that we bought them all a pair,   can you imagine having only one pair of underwear to last for 2 years ?   So they have some men at the home that can sew,  and for $300 they can get enough material to make 270 pairs so they can each have a new pair. 

Then Larissa reminded me that June 1st is childrens day, and for that she would like to get icecream and a small treat for each of the kids that she works with .. all 500 of them.  She has asked that we find a sponsor for this for $500

We have put in a washing machine and hot water in the showers for the mens home in the section that the sick men are kept, but the do not have soap or shampoo.  she would like help with that as well . 

Then she shared about a fimaily that needs help.  There is a mother with three kids, on of them with CP.  The husband took off and took everything with him.  They are now starting over, and Larisa has asked if we can help to get them beds, sheets, furnature.. anything at all .. they have nothing and what ever she can do to help them would be a blessing to her .   

It was at this point that we said that we had to go .. my head was just spinning ..I can just imagine how Larisa feels .. She knows the people personally behind each of these needs , and like us , she does not have the resorces to meet them.  She has asked " John Please ask your sponsors if they would like to help... "  I told her I would ask, but for her , please just get the new floor done... 

The next thing we discussed was a little more fun.  Larissa has been in school now for 4 years, and has just graduated with a Social work degree.. 4 long hard years of study, and she if finally done.  Her graduation service will be in June and we will not be here for that so we have planed a party for her on the 13th so that we can celebrate while Lynn and Ruby are still here . 

We had a couple more tasks today before we went to see Larisa.  Emma and I stopped at Bacute orphanage to look at the paining that we had shared about a couple days ago.  The main part of the work needed is at the front entrance where there will be a Children s day party in a couple weeks, and there will be many government officials there .    We figure that if we can find a donation of $150 before Friday we will be able to get it done on the weekend. 


 The week before we came back this spring , someone asked us .. " So what do you need ?"  Julie quickly answered " A million dollars" to which the person replied    " No that would still not be enough "... He was right.   If we had unlimited resources, we would still manage to find a way to run out..  So what we really do need is WISDOM ..   as I look over the requests of the day , I have to ask what are we able to do ?  .. but I rest in knowing  that it is not up to me ... its up to you