Starting plans for Christmas

Our friends are still very busy in Kyrgyzstan .  The last few days were coal delivery days , and before that was an exam week and all our students including some of our main workers were busy studying.   After the Osteopaths were with us, they identified a few difficult cases that will need a lot of follow up treatment.  Larisa, Tanya and Kamalla are all on that list.  They have been making trips into the Drs in Bishkek and will be going for another 3 or four each.  We have also been working with the dentist a lot.  Beksolten was having teeth pain before we left and it turned out to be some serious extensive work he needed doing.  He has had all the teeth fixed now, but just needs to go back for a deep under the gum cleaning so that his issues don't  come back any time soon.  Sasha is doing well with his drivers training, so we are hoping he can hang in and this summer we will have an extra driver to shuttle guests up and down the mountain.  

We will be starting to sell produce from the green house this week, and they have been planting the isles now so that we have more started for when we start pulling up the existing rows.   The sweet potatoes we are starting have finally started sprouting.. the first stage in planting new ones .  

We have started making some plans for Christmas around the Valley .. We have probably close to 1000 people who's workers  this year that have already asked about help so we are hoping for some Help with that .   We are also working on our Christmas Catalog that will be up on the site here in a couple days .. it will include ways to help Orphanages, seniors, Olga's center, the farm  and many other needs , some big and some small ... something for everyone.. 

Here is some great news on this side of the pond .  Yesterday Jengish and Emma went to the final interview for Jengish's Residency status .. all went well and he should have his card in a few weeks .  

Coal Delivered

Final coal deliveries ( that we have funds for ) have been made .   12 tones today alone .  This has been delivered to 5 families including one depot where as many as a dozen families will come to get their coal as needed through out the winter. 

These coal deliveries do two very distinct things .. They keep children out of the orphanages and seniors out of the grave. 

"Hello Mr. John, thank you so much for your help, today coal was brought to grandmother"

"Hallo John. Received coal. Tomorrow we will begin to distribute. Thank you so much"

This last photo you can see Misha ( second from the left )  You may recognize him from the farm a couple years ago.   He was with us for about a year  then has been working in Bishkek for a year now and doing well.   Where he was working is closing until April so he has come HOME to the farm for the winter .  We are so pleased that in a shame based culture, he recognizes that there is no shame in coming home. 

“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him."

they that wait upon the Lord

Did anyone else notice the heart in the logo for Giving Tuesday... I think that is trying to tell us that we are all to give to the work in Kyrgyzstan ...  Hahaha    Over the last 10 years we have had a Christmas pie challenge to provide Christmas for the orphans , seniors and disabled in Kyrgyzstan that we support.  upwards of 2000 people would receive a party, and a small gift as well as vitamins.  Over the last few years the interest has started to drop off , and many of those involved I think would just make the donation  themselves rather then asking others to support.   Over the same time period that we have been running the challenge, #Giving Tuesday  has become a well known event . right after two days or shopping ( Black Friday and Cyber Monday ) and kicking off the Christmas shopping season.  There are so many worthwhile charities out there, some that Julie and I know and support personally, and will make a special donation to on Tuesday. 

But where does that leave us with Christmas this year?

While waiting on God  wondering what to do,   It has become clear to us that we will do just that,  WAIT.  All that we have is because God working through all of you  has given it to us.  and not just on one special day of the year.   all through the year as needs arise the needs have been met. Thats because the finances do not dictate what we do , it is God that dictates  and He is the one that calls the finances into being, and sometimes that involves your and my obedience. 

If you would like to be a part of a special Christmas in Kyrgyzstan this year, please consider what He is asking of you.  

When we get closer to Christmas, we will take stock of what we have been blessed with , both material and financial and we will make a plan . 

We may have a few less chickens after Christmas, and one less cow to feed,   and the green house is doing great. so maybe we will start there.  after all we are blessed to be a blessing.   

The boys are putting plastic up on the windows to keep the chickens warm, meanwhile  inside the green house  the gardens are flourishing.

Lettuce and spinach are almost ready to eat  and we have started picking tomatoes 

Cucumbers will be ready soon, and the pepper plants have taken hold and started to produce.  

    If you would like to help out this Christmas season, please use one of the links below to make a donation. 

From Canada 

 

From the US

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas !

Its like Christmas is coming. Our workers have been busy .  Fist at the orphanage, Kamala had her hands full at the big bazaar.  With a donation from the team of osteopaths, she was able to get socks and underwear for ALL the kids at one of the orphanages.  

She even took a bus out to deliver them all.  Julie had told her to take a taxi but she said if she went by bus then she would have enough money to buy extra underwear... this little guy is sure happy she did. 

Over at the mens they too were excited with the shopping that Larisa and Tanya did .  Everyone got a new pair of winter shoes, as well as many of them got some great thermal socks that came with some of the teams .  

What a blessing for them, and for us to have a part in this.  Again thank-you to all of you who donated towards these great needs. Its hard to put into words just how thankful they all are. 

Happy birthday Slavic

 Closing the orphanages at what ever the cost seems to be misguided movement out there. We always maintain, Yes close the orphanages , ONE CHILD AT A TIME , not one orphanage at a time.  We have seen so much damage as a result of rushing to close down orphanages , in fact several of the kids we work with at the farm are a victim of this thinking, and others like Slavic are still in prison as a result.  

  Slavic was sent to live with a sick grandmother when his orphanage closed with out notice.  She was not able to provide a safe home for him and his family members stole him and sold him to the slave traders in Kazakhstan for the equivalent of a bottle of Vodka.  It took a little over a year before he was retrieved, but buy that time the damage has been done.   As well buy that time he was in the 17 year old gap... the time when the state does not allow them to have a full time job but no longer supports them.  Slavic did not make it through this and ended back in prison where he remains.   
 Tomorrow is his 21st birthday. We have a friend that will be visiting him to bring him some new winter clothes and some extra food from the farm.   Thank you to everyone who still remembers to pray for Slavic and thank you to our friends who continue to have contact with him.  Maybe one day he too will have an opportunity to start life over again.     

People are smiling

She is smiling because a couple groups of foreigners came to visit her. 

When the teams came to see her and bring food hampers to help her family heading into the winter, they noticed that she was not doing well.    

 When they dug a little deeper on that they found that her teeth were very bad and she was not eating. 

That was something that thew team was happy to take care of for her .

Another couple ladies are smiling because the teams came to visit. 

Olga's center got a call from the government that a family's home had burned down and that they needed help.  We were expecting a pile of chard wood, but what we found was that the house had been almost completely rebuilt in just 6 weeks 

The first thought might have been , " They are doing fine they don't need our help" but when we stopped and talked to them, we found that this field worker and his parents, wife and 4 little kids did not just curl up and wait for help, they dug in and worked hard to have a home for the winter.   They had just run out of money and building supplies . What they needed was windows and a door .. Between the team and some of you, they got a new door and 6 new windows, and are in before winter ..  

Another person is smiling because of the teams .. that me when I think back to how we had such a great time with them as they spread the joy. 

from the teams perspective

One of the teams we had visit us was from our home town. On that team was a young lady who we have traveled with before, and is a good friend of our kids.



 Lisa had put together a small video for a presentation when the team returned.

 I can't share it in full, but I wanted you get an idea of what a short term trip might be like. What a blessing it was to have these friend with us. Hope you enjoy .

The Activity Center

I wanted to show you a few photos from the progress of the Kashar  "Activity Center".  

It is amazing to see how things are coming along .  We have already had so many people and groups using the center.  Kids from orphanages for day use and over nights, men from the mens home, conferences for adopting parents, trauma training, and so much more .  We have come to realize that there is a huge opportunity here to be a blessing to so many . 

We are setting things up and furnishing for 50 people .  This will place where people , groups and organizations can come to experience this awesome property and the peace that it offers.  We now have the main structure completed and next up is  the trim and furnishings .  

here are some before and after shots 

and some construction photos 

  the outside is finished, now to start on the inside 

So many have experienced life at the ranch over the summer. We can't wait so see what the future has for this incredible place.

We have the yurts down and packed up for the winter. water is turned off and the pipes are drained .. see you in the spring .