and the work goes on

The last few days while we have been celebrating the wedding, our friends in Kyrgyzstan have been busy .. Life has a way of marching on doesn't it.

This weekend one of our young girls had her baby .  Mother and baby doing well.  Acel was there to visit her and help her come home from the hospital

Bringing food to the new mom ( in KG you are responsible for your own food and bedding ) 

Acel met with the director and paid the medical expenses .. It is about 2000 som, or about $40 to have a baby in the hospital 

heading home 

This is her mother in laws home where she will be staying 

Kamalla has been busy doing some food drops and visits with some of the families.. as well as running some errands in the city for us .. she brought funds donated in to Bishkek to the director of a summer camp to cover the transportation of a couple hundred kids to camp this summer .  

Kamala visiting Fatima's family to bring food and supplies 

Oil - 2 lit., 160 som Rice -2 kg,150 som Sugar-2 kg, 120 som Macaroni- 1 kg, 60 som Tea-1 big-pack, 70 som Condensed milk -1, 40 som Duck breast-1 kg, 160 som Soap-1 pack, 30 som Shampo-1, 50 som Soap powder-1 pack, 35 som Taxi-120 som

Sergey met with the director of the Orlofka orphanage and got the list of kids that need university scholarships this year .  There are five of them to add to the program.  

At this point, we have around 40 kids that are looking for tuition assistance , most of them are orphans who are out of the orphanages now.  Along with the tuition, many of them will be relying on the dorms for a place to live.  For many this is their greatest hope for a future and a life off the streets. It also gives a level of stability to them and an opportunity for Emma and Bekah to remain active support in their lives.   

There are other scholarship programs out there, but most have certain criteria  .. mainly the kids have to have high grads to receive and maintain their support.    The kids we support most times do not meet that criteria , they are more vulnerable and with out the support would fall into those statistics that say 75% will end up dead , in jail or in prostitution with in one year .  throughout the year we face a lot of trials , emotional , physical , and financial     It is a lot of work, and intervention  for Emma and Bekah , but we have seen almost 100% course completion over the years .  

This year we anticipate a $15 000  budget for 40 kids .  We have $5000 so far, so that will leave us $10 000 to raise before the 1st of September .   It is a great way to invest in a child's future while keeping them safe in the present. Please consider how you may be able to help. 

Many of you will remember our friend Kolya .  He was the first kid we meet when we came to kyrgyzstan , and he has become one of the family .. in fact he has even changed his name on face book to Nick Wright.... He has been living with his great Grandmother since 2009 and it has worked out very well.  His uncle has some how moved in and has taken the house over and is selling it on them and Kolya no longer has a place to live . Kamalla and the team are working with him to figure things out , Samat  ( our God son ) and his wife have taken him in, and Sergey has helped him to retrieve his documents , so things are under control until we get there to help him find a permanent solution .  We love him dearly and know that this is just the next step in his journey to being a strong and self sufficient young man . 

Summer camps are well under way in Kyrgyzstan again this year , and many of our kids are there now, and have sent back words of thanks for the opportunity .  A special thanks to sergey and his team for opening up another 100 kids a week at a mountain camp.  Kids that otherwise would never have the opportunity , are going to experience a life changing week full of fun development.  

We did manage to get the mattresses and blankets to them in time .. this will serve them for years to come.. We have a VBS program at a church that supports the work from NY.  They are raising funds toward these mattresses and blankets... if you would like to help them out, you can go to iam1ru to help 

Still a bit more to share , but that is enough for one day .. I will leave you with this ... 

Thank you all for the incredible support that you have been to Julie and I ,  to our family, and to the ones we have come to love ....