Larissa has a dream

 When there is no HOPE, it is hard to dream .. thats when people like Larissa step in and dream on their behalf !

When you spend your days in an institution with 270 other disabled people, the hope of one day feeling the fresh clean mountain air on your face, and the experience of salt water splashing your ankles .. all seem so impossible.     Well for some, thanks to Larissa, that dream my become a reality.  This weekend she would like to bring some of them for a few days to lake IssyKul .  We know we can not bring them all but we can start with half a dozen.  Larissa has asked if I would please put the word out and see if we can  help make this happen .. They have been working and saving and have raised enough money for  1 night , but she would like to surprise them and extend that stay a few more nights .  What she is looking for is $50 a person to make this possible    

Just imagine living here  

then waking up here

If you would like to help with this dream  please let me know , or you can donate on the top right side of the blog .  Thank you for anything you are able to do. 

time to get proactive

I had a friend that challenged my thinking one day, and that has followed me over the years since that time .  He said that there is a big difference between Proactive and Reactive ministry.  Reactive is simply responding to the needs as they appear. You know ... Stop for the one in front of you.  This can be an incredibly daunting task some times as the needs are so great. There are so many to help, but if we can start with those in front of us we have a start...   But here is the real challenge ..  Proactive ministry is not just waiting for the needs to appear, but it is going out and looking for those needs and responding to them BEFORE you are asked.  There can be so much HOPE and life transformation that takes place in the proactive..

Many times those in the most desperate places lack basic HOPE .. Hope motivates , HOPE encourages us, HOPE can pull us out of the dark places..but with out HOPE there is no faith , no drive , no motivation... those with out hope may not be found as" the ones in front of you" because they hide away in the shadows .. Proactive Ministry is found in the shadows seeking out those who have no name and bringing them into the light   

It was not that long ago that we had a farm full of kids with out HOPE .. this week they are starting University and Collage .. something that just a short time ago would have been impossible.  On top of that there was a small issue of  about $15 000 tuition and living expenses .. Take a look up at the thermometer on the right .. those needs have been met. So exciting .. 

So what does that mean now ... it means time to get proactive. 

Do not be Daunted

I remember at the end of one my first Missions / humanitarian aid trips feeling a sense of dispare .. there was just so much hurt that we saw and so much need that was left  and it felt like  what we had done hardly made a dent.   In my dis-pare a friend told me , "Even Jesus did not heal all the sick he did not visit all the poor, but as he was on the cross he said "It is finished"  What makes you think you can do better. ?"   

When the task seems to be so overwhelming I think it is human nature to just not start it at all ..but what if we all did not abandon the work, but instead thought " I can do my part?"  I have another good friend that says simply ..

We>i

Art in the park

This week we had 30 guests to the farm for the night.   With that many guests we decided to bring the things from the gift shop out to the garden where there would be more room . 

The first sale went to a couple that was walking along the road and saw the paintings and came in and bought one .  

 

We even sold about 40 ltrs of honey 

After breakfast we went up to the yurts for a picnic complete with the eagle hunter and horses 

Vlad and Ravil put on a great lunch . 

Tuition update

We are so excited for Argin. For many years he has had a dream to study at a tourism collage in Bishkek. Life has thrown so many hurtles at him, but after all these years and detours it all came together yesterday when he was able to go in and pay his tuition and sign his contract.  

The last couple months we have been working at raising the funds needed for everyone to go back to school this fall.  There has been a bit of an awakening at the farm and everyone has started moving from the past and started thinking about their future .  We sit in the cafe and dream with the kids and talk about what their likes and dislikes and what they see for their futures .. It has been really cool seeing them begin to dream .  Next was getting past all the hurtles with getting their documents in order, police checks, military certificates, medical checks, and the list goes on , but we did it ! they are all ready now.    

I am still stressing a little bit about suddenly having all the tuition expenses , as you can see on the thermostat on the side that we are a ways to go with very little time left.  About half of the funds raised so far are monthly commitments  so that puts us in need of about  $3500 right away and another $400 a month . here is a breakdown of those expences and what the various studies will be.

Please if you are thinking you can help with this , NOW is the time.  I don't want to push too hard , but soon we will have to start dropping some of the support,  something I can not bear the thought of after all the work planing and excitement we have seen . 

Back in Kyrgyzstan

Well here we are in Kyrgyzstan for another few months.  We had Bekah send a car for us at the airport .  We got a chuckle out of the sign he had, but there was no doubt it was for us because how many John and Julia Rits can there be out there.  After we booked I found out that Air France had changed its baggage policy and had gone to one bag , fortunately I figured this out while I was still in the window to cancel the flight as it was no longer the cheapest flight if I had to pay extra for bags . Before canceling,  I decided to call the airlines to see if there was anything they could do .  They told me that there was nothing that they could do to let me bring a second bag with out charge and that was reserved right for premium class passengers.  With very little persuasion  they agreed that if they just bumped us to premium at no extra cost  then we could get the extra bag each. DONE, We stayed with Air France, and it was wonderful, especially on the long haul flight.  

 We spent the first day with Bekah then the next day picked up some friends and sponsors and brought vitamins and Banana's to the Baby orphanage before heading to the farm for lunch .  It was great to be back .  

Amazin Grace

The operations have been a success. Our young girl with the burned feet is healing well from the skin grafts.   It has been a long haul for them but they are so fortunate for the support of people like you who have helped with the many operations and days in the hospital.  

Our team was out visiting them today.  They were one of the stops that was from  a day of food deliveries. 

We have guests on the farm right now that are dutch family visiting from Europe. They  had heard about the farm and the  food deliveries that we were doing and wanted to be a part of that.  They told some friends that they were coming to the farm guest house and were able to collect money to do a huge shop and then a couple days of deliveries.  There are a couple hundred people that will be happy fed and clean because of it. 

They filled a truck with things like soap , diapers, pasta, rice, flour, sugar, oil and much more .  Then it was time to relax after a long day . 

Today was an early start to the day with bringing food drops to families in need Like Auxana bellow .  She is standing in-front of the new barn that she has been building  herself.

Along the way they have been finding many needs like a family who's son had broken the light on someones car and now the whole family is in trouble and had no money to fix the damage .. kids ! Our guest was able to help with this .. 

There are just so many needs that we can not fix them all  like this other family that is behind on their water bill and if they do not come up with $40 then they are going to have their water cut off.  We don't have money right now to cover this.  But its funny, Is it just me or do others have a harder time paying bills, and  If I was told that for only $40 I could bring water to this mother and 5 kids I would think that was a great deal ...   so I am open if anyone thinks this is a great deal let me know . 

 

Others you know that they have many needs but they are just so thankfull for what what we are bringing them that they don't share their other needs .. maybe they are just shy .. maybe when we have more teams this fall we will be able to go a little deeper with some of the quieter or shy families and see if their is some way to help them to improve the quality of their lives 



Along with families, there were three orphanages visited today as well .. more then just food, we brought a lot of cleaning and laundry supplies .. Laundry soap is something that most do not think about donating yet it is so important for the kids to have clean cloths and not spread infections through clothing and sheets. Of coarse no visit to an orphanage is complete with out breaking out the bananas .   

even the workers get a banana today at the treatment home 

 Next up was the Tokmok baby orphanage , 

then it was out to Orlofka to the orphanage there 

After a long day of deliveries it was back to the farm where Aiperi had prepared pizza  for them.  

Tomorrow there will be four more deliveries to some more families in need .  

What awesome guests to the farm .  We have been so blessed by them and their desire to help us off the farm with so many of these needs .. very encouraging.