Spring time on the farm

I love spring time on the farm.  it is so beautiful as trees come into bloom. 

Out in the apple orchard, we seem to have an extra heavy bloom this year.

The boys are cleaning up the garlic and have dug the irrigation ditches 

Next it is time to start moving the tomatoes and cabbage's out to the fields 

they were all started from seed in the green house .

the strawberry patch was freshly dug up and replanted  .. I can't wait to see how they do.

 

Something Normal

   Its been a long year, The farm has continued to provide a loving safe place for kids from the orphanage, Thousands have received food packages, hundreds have received individual health care , students have continued to make there way through the education gauntlet. The orphanages continue to be supported with much needed food, cleaning supplies, school supplies and much needed renovations. The kashar activity center and yurts have re opened in a covid safe manor,  and by the end of the week hundreds of gardens will be planted.   All this under the direction of Vlad and his wife Alina. ( and of course a whole lot of others that they work with )

    I wanted to step back from the emergency mode today, and lets do something fun and exciting and just plain normal.  Vlad and Alina have purchased a house in the farm village and are in the process of renovating so they can move in shortly.  This is their first home and along with the cost of the renovations there is so much that they will need moving from a furnished rental apartment.  

I thought it would be fun to have a house warming party for them.  A chance to show how much we appreciate all that they do and an opportunity to start them off in a GOOD way . 

If you would like to be a part of something NORMAL, you can donate using one of the links on the top right side of the blog and in one week we will have the party. ( please put "house warming" in the memo line)   Maybe a drop in Zoom event , details to follow.  
 

Now the work begins

A list was prepared with hundreds of families on it that have the ways but not necessarily the means to put in a garden this year.   When food is so scarce, its really hard to spend the money or give up the seed for something so far down the road.  To take a small seed and put it into the ground and have the faith and the Hope that it will turn into something.  It is kind of like giving.  We take a small blessing and put it out there and then trust that the blessing will multiply .  

Today at one of our depots, families arrived to pick up their blessings.  They were over joyed .  Many knew that they were going to receive seeds, but what they did not know is that they would receive so many and such a large selection of seeds .   For some, there will be enough seeds to share with others and for some they will be able to make their gardens bigger then they every have before.

At the farm , on a good day we can produce up to 1500 lbs of produce  that we bring to institutions and those in need.. Through this project, 10 times the number of seeds will go into the ground.   What a blessing this will be for so many 

So now the work begins as hundreds of little garden plots spring up around the valley. 

 

Into their hands .

 The team has been busy delivering food and seeds, getting them into the hands of those who need it the most  .. hundreds of people being blessed today. Here are just a few photos one of our friends sent. 

 

I think the message I got this morning from one of the families sums it up .

"Thank you for your help again. It is a great blessing to my family during this difficult time. I really appreciate it. Thank you 1000 times. Blessings."

Come take a drive with me !

If you have a moment , come with me, I want to take you on a virtual drive with Tanya.  Her heart breaks for the people around her, but she is doing something about it. 

"Yesterday. I with my grandmother prepared plov for the people to the dump.  Hot plov I brang to the dump . people were so glad.  They are told me that only has  water at the dinner , but today is best day of dinner.. I told you I bought meat, rice and everything I needed for lunch for the dump people..

 Next time we have donation, I'll cook the plov again and feed the people again. ..

 I wanted the word of God to be carried to the dump but people from the church they are afraid of Cavid. They are right to be.    So I'll go and feed people myself... Thank you do much. I was glad yesterday do it ."

"Lolas grandmother told me that she forget normal food, only food from the dump. she was so thankful."

A special Thank you to all who help Tanya to be a blessing to those around her. 

Pray for the Seeds

Pray for the seeds .. Let them grow abundantly and bless richly, not just the families that plant them but their friends and neighbors who will help reap the harvest. #blessedtobeablessing

 

Blessed to be a Blessing

Thank you Thank you Thank you to those who donated .. We raised enough to put together 200 food hampers .. And thank you Thank you Thank you to the  happy volunteers  who spent the day assembling and who will help to deliver .   Over and over again we have turned to them for help, and they have always been eager to assist . 

Here is a short video of the bags being assembled you might like to watch 

I remember the first year we had the farm, looking out at the garden and wondering how we were ever going to afford the seeds to plant. Thousands and thousands of lbs of produce have come off those gardens since that day.  Today we prepare to plant, not only our own gardens, but hundreds of other family gardens to others who are looking out at their gardens wondering how they will ever afford to plant this year.  Out at the farm, all the seeds are being assembled and will be packaged into individual packages for each family , and will be ready to deliver to our sub stations buy tomorrow or Thursday .   Each of our workers has a list of families that they will deliver to.  

20 lbs of seed potatoes will be given with each basket of seeds. 

 

We feel so blessed to be a part of such a blessing to others ... 

Blessed to be a Blessing ! 

What do miracles look like ?

Miracles are all around us if we take a moment to look.  Lets not always focus on the Bad but the Good .Remember Sasha .. The boy that they thought was paralyzed...  Well here is the latest update

"Sasha is good. He lives in the center . Sasha began to move his foot and stand, his head was not dizzy, his leg began move in the right position.. he is very happy ..Every time when we speak he is thankful the people who help him.. " 

Another Miracle .. Tanya's grandmother had recently lost her Son and her Daughter, and was depressed .. Today cooked a Ploff celebration meal for 200 men at the mens home .. 

I bet the men saw the miracle here 

Three days ago while starting to raise funds for a massive food delivery to families , we felt the challenge to get garden seeds delivered at the same time so that families will be able to plant and grow their own food.    We had no budget for this and today the seeds were purchased, paid for and are being packed in family sized packages for delivery .. Not something we ever could have done on our own, but people listened to Gods prompting and made this possible . 

Marat , a boy who came to us almost blind .. had his eyes repaired . went to art school , and now apprenticing with an auto body shop, as well as furniture maker .. last  week was able to purchase his own air brush and table saw .  

Two years ago we raised funds to purchase a truck for the farm .  The one we had our eye on was more then twice the price we could afford.    A few weeks ago one that is much newer and 4wD came available , and we were able to trade in our 15 year old Subaru  plus $1500 and we are the proud owners of a 4 year old Porter heavy duty crew cab. A miracle and a blessing.  

Here is a big one .. Vlad, Alina and Artur will move into their new home shortly after completing some repairs .. This is their first home .. an exciting step for them . 

Getting kids from an orphanage and poor families in to a dentist is almost impossible, and the kids that come to us are always in terrible shape.  Vera had a dream to set up a dentil clinic and find some dentists that would volunteer to come to her ... DONE  ... this has to be a miracle 

As we look at so many things that could never have taken place on our own or with out Gods intervention, I have to remind myself not to stress or get concerned when we are facing huge obstacles.  

Tomorrow we will start packing food bags to give out .. $2500 for $250 bags.. we have $1200 so far for this , and we just found out that the price of a bag has gone up so now we need $1500 more .. This is huge for us, but as I look back at this post I see that it is not so hug for God .  If you would like an opportunity to be a part of the great things happening, please take a moment and use the donate link at the top right side of the blog.