Monday, November 23, 2015

Where are we now ?


We are back at the airport again.   Feeling so blessed to be able to get away on a holiday.   One full week on a warm beach .. I never thought I could ever just relax and stay put for a week with out getting into some project or another, but I must be getting old because I am soo looking forward to doing NOTHING ... no excursions , no one is getting a new roof.  


a special thank you to our wonderful friends who nade this trip possible ..

Over the next week we will play the where are we game again .. if you all ready know  you can't play sory .. follow us on face book for more clues ..

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Julies therapy cow


When Julie was a girl, she always wanted a Swiss cow because they have such soft eyes. On their hobby farm they always had holstein for milk for the family.  She has always had a soft spot for them, maybe its the big soft eyes of the calm temperament, not sure what, but there is just something about them.  When we bought our milking cows a few weeks ago I did not have money left for calves, so our Jersey calf had to wait.  

This morning Jengish and Emma went looking for Julie's calf.  She is beautiful .. the calf too.  She will still need a name.  She is a Yearling cow , and will be ready to breed in the spring.  We will be able to have the vet inseminate her with a pure bread jersey .


She is already very friendly and in great shape.  We are asking each kid on the farm to spend one hour a day with her, brush her sit with her and talk to her .. we are telling them its to make her very friendly for guests to the farm, but we are hoping it will be a daily therapy session for the kids, and any one else who needs it.    


maybe you have a suggestion of what Julie should name her cow... let us know .

Friday, November 20, 2015

The next food deliveries from the farm will include MEAT / hospital update.

Back in Tokmok the baby hospital clinic is coming along great .   The exterior and interior walls are almost finished and the insulation is in .  They just need to finish the seismic belt ( the concrete cap on top of the walls that holds everything together and stabilises everything.  )

Next we will wait for the funds for the roof.  The director is trying to find people to donate in country for materials , and I am focusing on finding a sponsor for the labour .  We would love to get this all closed in before the end of the year .. that would take about $2000 total .

Out at the farm we had a small snag, the heating system at the main house did not start up properly , we never had this house in the winter, and it turns out that the water lines going to the rads are all plugged, and rusted, so will need to be replaced.., it is always something .. so we have moved people over to the shelter house until the work is finished .. we just got a bit of money through the banks yesterday so today they have started that project as well .

Our friend Sidula is helping with this .  Many know him from trips to KG, he and his family always host a dinner when we have teams .. He has been spending more time helping us at the farm.  We were having trouble with the grinder so he took a look at it ... It turns out that we don't have a big enough power supply at the barn to run it properly , so we  have moved it next door to the machine shop until we are able to re wire the barn and fix the electrical box at the house at the same time .. but Rome was not built in a day, and its a small inconvenience , but something we can live with . just thankful for people like Sidula that come and volunteer their time to help us through things like this.


back walls up on the clinic .. waiting for a roof 
Kadree the builder working on the interior walls 

back wall completed 

cinder block, , insulation and brick exterior 

this will be the expanded waiting room , procedure room, serialising  room washroom and utility room 

likely need some more windows soon 


our friend Sidula working on the grain grinder 

If all goes as planed, tomorrow we will be preparing the first bull for delivery to orphanages , institutions and those in need.  What an awesome thing that along with all the produce and honey, we are able to get meat to them.   We have three of these meat drops sponsored so far.  so we will do one a month.  If any one is interested in supporting a delivery, let us know and we can up the scheduled drops .. 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Come visit Kyrgyzstan

Here is a little update from Bekah.  She doing great at University and Lilly has settled in very nicely .. she loves being a city dog, and loves all the attention she is getting .   

Bekah has a winter break coming up, from the 13th of December till the 19th of January.   At this time she would be available to provide supports for anyone travelling to Kyrgyzstan, as well, we have put together a package deal . 

All inclusive from touch down to wheels up.   Transportation, translation, meals and accommodations for just $100 a day / person, family rates available   ( proceeds supporting humanitarian aid in Kyrgyzstan) 

Bekah will meet you at the airport, and be your personal guide to the sights and sounds of Bishkek.  Lots of museums, the opera / ballet , water park . Your time in Kyrgyzstan would be taylor made to your interests.  Also available would be day trips to things like the Baruna tower, or horseback riding and a visit to the farm.   

one of the many squares in Bishkek 

Bekah's place is warm and inviting and has everything you need 


One of the many local attractions located just minutes from the apartment 

Horseback riding near the farm
Accomadations are also available at the farm should you choose to stay over a few days  .. this option is included in your package.




If you are interested, drop me a line at sunmasterjohn@aol.com and we can discuss options.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Winter has begun.

Winter has arrived in the valley.   This year, for the most part we are ready for it .  We have jars of food in the cellar, some cows ready for market, and we still have some emergency shelter beds at the farm.  We are now up to 16 people out at the farm, and we are in contact with a young mom and he little one that may be moving there as well.  


Along with food hampers, we also have three locations were we have coal to distribute to families in need . 


Thank you to every one who has helped top make all this possible ..   Families have begun already coming for help, and we have been able to answer the call 





Monday, November 16, 2015

and life goes on

This weekend We brought more hay to the mountains for the cows.  We have to make sure that we have the winters hay in before the road closes for the winter. 


On the way up to the mountain, Jengish handed Roma the envelope with the cash, and made him figure out how much it would be for the hay and the transportation, then count out the money to pay the driver .. Not something he would have experience with growing up in an orphanage.    He then single handed, unloaded the hole truck ... 


the cows at the farm are doing great .  giving lots of milk. 




Our newest family is settling in nicely into house 5 , they have travelled from a difficult situation, and are so blessed to have such a nice home waiting for them.   A couple ladies from town came out to see them and help them settle in .  This brings us up to 16 people living out at the farm, and another couple in school that come out holidays and weekends.


Back at house three,  Acel is here for a couple days to cover for Aigula.  She, Emma and Alina are making pasta for lunch.  Now that things are slowing down, we have Aigula going to our apartment a couple days a week to get a little down time, and we have others taking turns holding down the fort .. Now that Jengish is milking the cows while she is away, he is thinking it would be a great idea to get a milker ..hahaha 


Friday, November 13, 2015

HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT

 I wanted to give a little recap about the hospital project.  Over the last 6 or seven years we have been working closely with the baby hospital.  Mainly we provide the formula and any other needs for abandoned babies that are in their care.  This has also lead to may projects in the hospital .  We have done extensive renovations there , new floors, walls ceilings , electrical and plumbing.  We have also replaced the old beds and a lot of the medical equipment such as the ventilators, and emergency response kits.  Last year we ere able to focus on a lot of the health and safety issues such as proper hand wash sinks and sterilising equipment.  With all the upgrades . the hospital has become very popular and as a result people are now travelling a long way to come for care here.  When they arrive at the hospital, they had no proper exam room or waiting room.  People would wait in the hall and outside for their turn to be seen .  then they would be examined in the small administration office on the desk or the couch.  

A few years ago we were asked if we could put a small addition on the side of the hospital for a waiting room .  We agreed , and the idea went to the planing commission , we had to get the approval of many areas , such as power, water, sewer, planing comity, ministry of health, and local government , then have engineered plans presented .. Ever step of the way the plans changed and grew, until we went from a small waiting room to a large free standing clinic.  The new structure made sense, it had a sterilising room for equipment, something needed buy the entire hospital, it had a procedure room, a waiting room, an exam room, and public washrooms as well as a small utility room. all in all it was all very well thought out, and were much needed.. the problem was that it was not the small waiting room we had agreed to fund.  

Rather frustrated, I was ready to pull the plug when Vlady pointed out that in Kyrgyzstan things take longer then I am used to and it did not have to happen all at once.  This could be a long term project.  That made sense to me so we divided it into stages , #1 build the waiting room and exam room, #2 build the rest of the building , #3 put a roof on, and finally #4 finish the inside and furnish . 

So last summer and fall we worked on the first phase and were open before Christmas.  for this we used a shipping container , this would give us the solid structure that was enclosed and secure while we had time to build the rest of the building .  We insulated and covered the outside with bricks, and used thermal windows.  Next we drywalled the inside and put in a drop ceiling .. you would never know there was a container in there .  at the same time we poured the full foundation so that we were ready for the next phase .   That's were the money ran out.  We had completed what we had originally agreed to, but there was still so much more needed .  I have been trying to find people interested in helping us with the next phase , but have not had much success despite showing the project to many.  A couple weeks ago I was talking to the hospital director and she had some great news.  She had a few in country donations from local business men, and from the Mayors office that could be used for materials if we would agree to continue covering the labour and over seeing the project.   

We have gone ahead and agreed to this, and the work has started right away .  My guess is that this will cost about $600 for the professional labour.  We will be able to keep that cost this low because a lot of the labour we will be able to do with our kids from the farm.  We are excited that this next phase that would have been about 7 or 8 thousand, we will be able to do for $600.. we just need to find the sponsor..   If you know of anyone that would like to be a part of such a huge project for such a reasonably small investment , please let me know .   

 I am reminded what a friend said "The calling does not follow the resources, BUT the resources MUST follow the calling "  .. so with that we have moved forward and the walls are going up .. 

Vlady and Dr Anara showing the approved plans the day we start construction
pouring the foundation 

the container arrives 

putting up the brick veneer 

putting the seismic belt on the top 

the waiting room furnished and in use 
a couple days ago the bricks arrive and the boys carried them and put them in place

interior walls going up and the double brick and block  wall exterior under way 

the back brick wall is almost completed 


There are so many projects that we are involved with in Kyrgyzstan. The orphanages, hospitals, the farm, the seniors home , education operations ... they all are projects that help specific people right way .. they are what I would call "reactive" .. we react to a specific need .. As rewarding as that can be, it can get to you .. always on the edge facing down problems that otherwise have no solution.. This project for me represents real HOPE .. it says that we are in a place hat we will not only react, but will be "proactive".. solving a problem or helping a need BEFORE it is in that emergency situation.  This project has already directly effected hundreds of people, that at the time, they did not even know they would need it .. the cool part is that this will positively effect people and even save lives for thousands, if not tens of thousands in the many years to come .. THAT'S AWESOME... and that's why it brings me HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT 

Monday, November 09, 2015

Good Job Boys

All summer long the kids on the farm worked hard to care for and harvest produce that we brought to the orphanages and people in need.  

They took turns going with us to do deliveries ,  it really gave them a sense of accomplishment .. When people would come to the farm to get food, the kids would run to the fields and in no time the cars would be filled to the brim.   I love that we are able to include the kids in this part of the farm.  It teaches them a sense of community and the need to care for others .  They grew up on the receiving end at the orphanages, so now it is great that they are experiencing the other side of the blessing. 

Now that the fields are in, we still what the kids to develop a social conscience.. Today they are volunteering at the hospital project. 


The concrete blocks have arrived and they needed to be off loaded and placed inside the foundation so that they are close when we start to lay the blocks, as well they are less likely to walk off on their own 






best part of the day is always the lunch break 


Good job boys 

Saturday, November 07, 2015

Lots on the go today.

Lots going on In Kyrgyzstan Today.  The Hospital has received some local funding to begin phase 2 at the hospital. The Funding has come in for materials on the condition that we continue to cover the labour and over see the project.  This second phase will see a procedure room, a sterilising room for hospital equipment , a furnace room, and the rooms that will be washrooms in phase 3.   Vlady is overseeing everything, and we have some of our guys from the farm doing the labour.  


Out at the farm, our new family has arrived, and the father and older son are busy painting and organising the inside for the rest of the family.  We have had a donation that will help them to get settled, but we will leave it open for more donations if anyone was wanting to help them out. 


Over at the base farm, we have a conference going on this weekend.  It is an awesome opportunity for all or kids.  Friends from KANCHA   a business making cool  leather computer skins, cell phone jackets and wallets,   have come out to the farm and are teaching the kids about budgeting and starting a business.  After the basic seminar, the kids will be divided into three groups.  They will be given a task to come up with a business proposal for a winter project at the farm, with a start up budget of 10 000 com ($200 CN).  Then when they will each present their idea, and the top idea will be given a grant of 10 000 com, and they will all work to implement the plan over the next few months ..  


That is certainly enough to grab everyones attention ..   What a great opportunity this is for the kids .  coming from an orphanage , they have very little experience or even understanding of budgeting , so this will be such a valuable life skill for them. 


This is such a blessing for me to see others come along side and want to invest in the kids.   


 Take a minute and go back and check out some of the cool things on the KANCHA  web site. You might find something you like, and its great to know that you are supporting  business that wants to make a difference .. thank you Kancha for pouring into the kids .. 


Tomorrow morning they will be bringing more hay up to the bulls in the mountain , and the first bull of the season will be butchered and sold off for meat.  We have a small fund that will purchase what meat we can not sell with each cow, and this extra meet will be donated to the orphanages and institutions. This way we don't have to have the complete cow sold before we butcher it .. and the kids will all benefit from the meat.  This is another area that we are always open to receive support if someone would like to help bring meat to the kids this winter.