The fateful fridge lives on

Some of you may remember the story of the fridge that was turned into a dog house .. If not it is worth a read at this link .  Well the fridge lives on.  We arrived at the farm a week ago to find it along the pathway filled in its side filed with flowers.  It has now been cut in half and they are going to make a wooden boarder around the top and make a new bottom for it.    

we have been doing a bit more planting in the rock garden in front of the cafe.  Hopefully no pumpkins get planted here like last year. 

We are so happy to have Misha back on the farm. He worked over the winter in green houses in Bishkek. We will train him as the breakfast cook for the summer and in the fall would like to go to cooking school.

weeding the gardens this morning ... My back is rather sore tonight 

 After lunch we went up to the Kashar to work.  The view never gets old .

We worked on more trim on the windows, then put down the stair carpet and sanded and put another coat of varnish on the bottom steps .

The little room has been finished and we put the wooden box that Marat refinished in it as a night table / blanket box . 

 

Back on the farm they are working on a couch / twin beds for the top floor loft.  It will be made out of Palets that they have sanded and refinished. 

I wanted to give a little update about the fund for Laris's daughter Tanya and mother.  

We met with Tanya and were able to give her the money to pay all the funeral expences. As well we were able to give her the good news that we have had donations come in that will replace Larisa's salary for one year.  

Tanya was very blessed and said that she would still like to continue her moms work in the future. 

They have worked  so closely with so many people in the hardest of times that there is more then just Tanya and her grandmother to think about.  There are so many that will be hurting.  We are thinking that if the donations are there in a couple weeks we will start going with Tanya and bring food hampers around to all the people that Larisa helped.  This will be good for Tanya who still cares for them, and will be important for those hurting to have her visit, and let them know that they are still valued.  From this point, any donations that come in honor of Larisa will be used for this.  If you would like to donate toward this, you can use the donate button on the to[p right side of the blog and just put "Larisa's work" in the memo line.

No division of race religion or class.

Todays tribute to Larisa was a testimony to all that she stood for.  We pulled up at her home an hour early, and already there were about 40 people on the street and another 20 or so in the house.....If you know Kyrgyzstan you know that it is not common to be early.    We counted about 30 cars and 4 buses.  all the way from her home to the grave side, the lead car threw flowers out the window so the route was lined with fresh cut flowers. 

There was one thing that could not be over looked.. There was no division of race religion or class,  They were all there and all showing their respect.  

 As we were looking around we saw so many people that we knew from over the years working with Larisa.  Below is a photo taken at the dump 10 years ago when Jengish and I visited with a couple boys who Larisa was helping.  Today we saw these same two boys again.   

As they were closing the grave, I stood with a boy from one of the villages that through Larisa we had helped get an operation on his leg and helped with tuition.  He is doing well and has a good job.. looks like a fine young man.  As we stood there watching I said to him "this is a terrible thing." He looked at me with such peace and joy and said "No Not terrible .. this is fantastic.... She is with Him now."  This is what her life was about.   

We have had donations in so far that cover the expenses to date, but are still excepting donations toward a commitment to cover Larisa's salary for the next year to help Tanya and Larisa's mom.  We will need $1800 or $150 a month.  Any extra that comes in will be provided to Tanya to continue the work that Larisa began.    If you would like to help with this with a one time or monthly donation in Larisa's honor , you can use the donate button on the top right side of the blog.  Thank you all for your prayers and consideration  at this time.   

Heaven has gained an angel and Kyrgyzstan has lost a saint!

I have some very sad new to share tonight .  Our dear friend and co-worker Larisa passed away yesterday from a very rapid cancer. 

I have tried to put into words the feelings we and our other co-workers have right now.  One of our friends put it very well, here is what she had to say. 

"Heaven has gained an angel and Kyrgyzstan has lost a saint! Larisa was the most selfless person Always serving others. She spent her days helping the least of these. 
 For those of you who have adopted and have had to leave behind a friend (one you couldn’t adopt) She was the person going into the men’s institution and loving on those left behind. She took on a horrid men’s home and turned it into a tolerable place. She gathered the men and took them on outings. She loved on them. She advocated for them. She fought to make the institution a better place. She taught them about God’s love for them. She fed and cared for those living at the garbage dump and in the village. She worked so hard for everyone and life was not easy for her.
 She didn’t complain though physically she was hurting. She tended to her house, her animals and cared for her family all while taking care of the village, those at the dump and the men’s home. Larisa I am going to miss you Friend! Though we only got to see each other every couple years you were so special to us!! Tanya you are in our prayers. Your mom was awesome!! We love you!"

When men from the mens home were lost and forgotten , Larisa was there to bring the light into a dark place.

When an apartment complex burned down leaving 18 marginalized families homeless, Larisa  held firm and found and renovated a new home for them all. 

When families living from the dump where hungry and their kids could not go to school, it was Larisa that found them food and uniforms and school supplies. 

When seniors were huddled together in an abandoned building with no heat, no Hydro and no food .  Larisa was there to show someone cares. 

When children from the orphanages were struggling as they try to raise a family with out the life skills and support needed, It was Larisa that was a constant in their lives . 

When a single mother with three kids passes away from a common cold and no medication, it was larisa who was called to come and tell the kids and comfort them .

When 80 men died in their beds from starvation and exposure , it was Larisa that brought heat and food and nursed the other 190 back to health. 

It was Larisa who arranged to bring water to an entire village when they had none for 5 years . 

In the winter when families are out of coal and freezing Larisa delivered  coal, 

When they are expecting Larisa brought  them prenatal vitamins and nutritious food . 

The list can go on and on.  Basically when there is a need, Larisa was there with out falter.  She could always be counted on. 

Now that Larisa has passed, we need to care for those she has left. 

Many have wondered what we can do to help, but we did not want to say until we had an opportunity to talk with Tanya. 

There are a couple immediate needs.  The funeral expenses will be around $400 as well we have hired some buses ( $100) to transport everyone from her house to the cemetery and back to the village . 

Then there will be the on going support.     Her daughter and her mother relied on her small salary  to balance their budget.  It is our goal to guarantee the salary for one year ,, $150 a month is needed .  They will have enough to contend with  besides the financial difficulties and the stress that comes with that.  Tanya worked closely with Larisa, so any extra funds will go toward the continuing of her work in the community.   Please consider a one time sum, or monthly donation toward this need.  We can not imagine the hole that will be left in Larisa's absence.  Together we can continue to show the Love that Larisa had for her family and her community.  

great joy in the ability to help

Today was a very busy day around the farm. We were trying to finish up planting before the rain came at 2:00.  Right now there is no water in the village so I went out early to get a few bottles of drinking water.  It is a dangerous time of year to show your face in the village.  Everyone is needing their gardens plowed .  The owner of the store was rather insistent that I plow his before the rain. I told him that I did not have time at the moment but would have Beksoltan come and see him tomorrow if the rain help off.  

As I walked away I felt a check in my spirit.  Here is the whole story.  The tractor was purchased for us by a good friend who wanted to bless the farm and those around us. This man is one of the kindest most generous people I know and is also the first one to step up and help if anyone is in need... As I walked away I thought to myself how my  friend would have stopped everything he was doing and take great joy in the ability to help someone else.  The tractor has been such a blessing to us that how could I not follow the spirit of generosity and stop what I was doing and go plow the field.  So I went back to the farm, doped off the water and climbed onto the tractor to do what should have been a 15 minute job

No sooner had I started and I noticed that the tractor was having a hard time .  upon investigation I found out why.  This spring we had the boys spread manure on the garden, and Nuric has this habit of throwing the bail strings into the manure pile ,  We are always having him go through and take them out. I think he missed a few. 

Along with what seemed like miles of string, we also found lead ropes, halters, wire and even an old jacket. An hour later we were ready to plow . 

I was now running very late and needed to go.  As I was just about finished the next door neighbor came over to ask for me to plow his field .  I apologized and said I could send Beksoltan back tomorrow.  As I started to drive away I looked back and saw the mans son come out to see what we were doing .. The son had C.P.  So does my friend son... Ya so I turned the tractor around and went back to do another field ..  It was given  great joy in the ability to help.  

I got back to the farm by lunch, then gathered up the boys and headed to the Kashar.  We had to steak down the yurts before the storm.  Then we were starting painting some wales in the kashar.

 

Today was Baktagols last day on the farm .  Tonight she will stay with Kamala, and tomorrow morning early she will head for Turkey.  In a few weeks she will be getting married and beginning her new life .

At the end of the day, I stopped in to see how the little ones were doing. They were quick to come say hello.  

Rainy days.

Today was the second day in a row when it was raining.  Tomorrow will be clear then we will have another week of rain every day.  This is perfect conditions for us to plant the tomatoes and peppers .  We got the gardens all plowed and hilled up before the rain so we are all ready to plant. 

with the rain coming we are starting to work on inside jobs for the next week .  I bought an old painted blanket box at the bazaar for $4.50.  I had Marat strip it down and we are re finishing it.  Today he put a coat of stain, and tomorrow he will start varnishing it. 

We have also started painting the trim for the windows at the kashar. 

The rain did hold off for long enough today for us to get Julies rock garden planted.  

The new calf is doing great,  Momma cow did not want to get up to see us but the calves don't know that they have to lie down when it is going to rain.

a busy weekend at the farm

Last weekend we put the yurts up.  I had a great vantage point to offer some instructions and keep track of the 61 guests we had join us for the day.

While some where puting up the yurts, others were busy making the ploff.

great meal enjoyed by all 

it was nice to see the kids from one of the orphanages that we do stuff with .. the boys on the farm love to spend time with them 

Dianna came as well to see the farm . She is hoping to get into the University in Tokmok and then stay at the farm weekends and holidays 

On their way home from the bazaar 

 

Julies cow Carol-Anne had a calf a couple weeks ago and she is producing more milk then the calf can drink, and this is her first calf so she is not very used to us milking her.  So Sunday we got her a second calf. She came right over to the truck to claim the calf as soon as we got to the farm. 

We sold 3 of the geese and bought 11 more babies to go with the one female goose we kept .

Our big Turkey died a week ago, so we got a new male turkey since the females are all starting to sit so they need a male .. He is a little smaller then Hans was but he is a showman like Hans 

 

So Julie says that  in one day we arranged 7 marriages and facilitated 12 adoptions .