Exceedingly and Abundantly... how cool would that be ?

This morning Vlad was able to bring some necessary Cleaning and hygiene products to one of the orphanages we help.  Fortunately we had some undesignated funds come in so we were able to meet this need.    

We are expecting the seeds we ordered to arrive shortly and will need to pay the second half of that .  We had given a 50% deposit when we ordered them. We still have $600 to go to be able to cover the ballance when we pick them up, so its not too late to "PLANT SOME SEEDS IN KYRGYZSTAN"

 

Update on the student Yana we are helping get caught up on her tuition so she can continue to study.  

We brought in $300 right away and offered to cover the rest over time .  They Know us and recognised that we have helped others at the University so they have agreed to the terms .  So that gives us another 3 weeks to find the next $300 in time to transfer it over.   In speaking with the director of the University, he was very relieved that we are going to help her .. He says that she is a top student and her high moral standards would make her a great student president.  She has a lot of potential, just living in difficult times.   My friend Ron always told me to look for the "Exceedingly and Abundantly"  Many can meet a need, but God has a way of doing much more then simply meeting a need .. Wouldn't it be cool to not just meet this need, but to also put together some food for the family and some school supplies  or clothes for Yana .. That would be  Exceedingly and Abundantly
 

Great fundraiser

We are so happy that we could attend a fundraiser for such a great organization.  We first met up with UPLIFT working at the baby orphanage . 

 

Work and play

Its that time of year again when we start the maintenance on the tractor for the next season . Check the fluids and the seals, change the filters and charge up the battery.  When the plowing starts , the tractor can be busy all day every day for weeks as we prep our own gardens and many of the neighbours.  

 

This year we have a little extra work that we have known has been coming for a few years.  The cultivator has about 40 blades. They need to be sharpened from time to time, but every year there are a few more that are bent or broken right off .. This year we decided it is time to give it an overhaul and replace them all so that it starts working better . 

 The cost of the new blades , oil , filters , coolant and possibly a new battery will be about $400.  We will start on these as the funds become available , hoping to be able to start plowing by March 1st . 

This is such a blessing to so many and makes it so that we can plant so much more .  If you would like to help with this please let me know .  

We had a storage room that we are working on setting up s another guest room so that we can give a little more space to spread out when we have guests .  This week the wiring has been replaced, and the walls are being plastered with a textured finish We will have guests here starting in March so it will be good to get this done .. next up is some in floor heating . 

Soon the seeds will arrive and we will need to pay the other half .. so we are still about $600 to go to cover them , we will need to reach $2500. on the thermometer by then.  I have some seeds that I will bring with me this trip.  We are working on getting the Phytosanitary Export Inspection Certificate so that we can transit through the EU with them . 

Its not all work , Some times we get to stop and play 😀We had a gentleman come out to the farm today and met up with everyone and took them skiing .. this is a first for them and they had a great time  

He then took them out for lunch  after .  What a blessing this day was for them .  Thank you Yura for thinking about them and making this day special 

Urgent need

I just received is letter from a good and trusted friend looking for help in an urgent situation 

Hello Brother John. I'm sorry that I'm only writing to you on business, but I have a request for you. We have a girl in the church, she serves very well in the church, plays the piano and participates in worship.   She studies at the university at Ivanovka station. So, her mother works as a cleaner at school, her father works in a taxi. This year, they failed to raise money to pay for the university. They have accumulated a $1,000 university fee debt that they need to repay, but they don't have the ability. If they don't give it up, they'll kick her out. She asked me to help her pay for the university. I understand that this is not a typical request, and also that this is a large amount. I will look elsewhere, but if you can help in any part, it will be a great help to us. She is actively involved in the ministry, and I would like to help her. So if you can contribute in any way, please let me know.

 We know this university well and have had several kids like Sybera and Azada attend there that we have sponsored in  the past.. This is also the university that Isar's son attends now,  so they know us .. I have sent them a request to please allow her to continue her studies and we will guarantee her payment starting with $200 a month until I have time to find a sponsor .  It would be a real blessing if we could get this covered right away if anyone would like to help with all or part. 

Aiperi has been busy as well working in the Afgan refugee camps . She was working with the kids this week and had some special gifts for them .  She wanted to thank everyone who has been helping her with this . 

Blessed to be a blessing

 Along time ago we had someone share with us that they recognised that God had blessed them so that they could  be a blessing to others , and when giving they looked for people who would receive the
blessing and in return bless others.   This has always stuck with me .  Since then we have always looked for ways we can bless as many as possible with each transaction , like purchasing chickens from Teen challenge for the food hampers or knitting from seniors to give away so that they are blessed as well . Until recently I always looked down the line at the blessing, all the people who are impacted , but have you ever stopped and looked back ? 

I have always felt so blessed when I could pass the blessing along , many times brought to tears by the power of giving .  This last few weeks , with coal, seeds, Christmas, and truck repairs and so many other needs , something has stood out .. where it is us that are the appreciative ones, the response from the sponsors blows me away ..

 " Thank you for letting us be a part of this " 

 " Thank you for all you are doing " 

" So grateful that we could help" 

"Thank you Jesus for giving us this opportunity" 

"This makes my heart happy"

"Jehovah Jireh. Our Provider! 🙏🏻"

I think this happens because  when we follow Gods direction , we are blessed .. it is a form of worship and brings us closer to him .  but there is another reason.. With out fail, every one  we help responds with "God bless you" .. it seems to be a built in response , believer and non believer alike , they respond the same way ." God bless you ". I know I do the same , so in the same way  as the blessings flow down and multiply , the prayers and blessings like wise flow up and multiply , finishing at Gods feet. ..  I think that's why in the end,  it is more blessed to give then to receive . 

2 Corinthians 9: 8-11 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. 

 12-15 Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they’ll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!

On the road again

I shared a couple days ago that with the harsh weather conditions and the heavy pay load on the truck, we had a major break down. the transfer case packed it in.  We did not have time for this with thee next coal deliveries arriving in a couple days .. This little truck is literally 

 busy every single day al year long .. it has been such a blessing .  

The guys got right to work on it  and were able to get the parts to rebuild it .  Today the job was finished and we are back on the road again .. The total cost of repairs was $500 USD.   

As hard as that is to swallow, that has been the only major repair in Two years of hard use.  If there is anyone that would like to help us with this repair expense that would be an incredible blessing. 

Below is a wonderful sight to see the truck back on the road again .

 

A couple Needs, and a Want !

 I was chatting with Vlad today and he told me that the seed supplier had just contacted him to tell him that we would need to get our seed order in this week, so we were discussing how many families to purchase for and if we could give a deposit now and then the rest when we pick them up. He then dropped a bit of a bomb shell.  Our little white truck is broken . 

With all the thousands of lbs of coal we have been delivering and then the barrels of water we have been moving to supply water when the villages lines froze , that along with the crazy cold conditions, we managed to blow the transfer case .. No Idea how much this is going to cost, but we NEED to fix it right away.  We have more coal arriving any day and families waiting .  I will know in a day or two how much this will be. 

 

Then I got a message from Sibera.  She and her mom have been invited to Germany and will be able to spend some time with her brother Turat and his family who had to leave Ukraine almost a year ago. 

 The family has managed to raise some money towards this trip, but Sibera has asked if we can lend her another $1000 . The immediate answer from me is an easy one .. we simply don't have any money right now, never mind an extra $1000 .  I did however tell her that I would share her need here with you and see if there was anyone who would like to help them with this.   

God has not forgotten them

 I am preparing a message for a seniors group in a couple weeks .. **spoiler alert if you are part of the group.**  I was wondering and thinking what I was going to share about, then I was reminded about James 1:27 .. caring for the widows and the orphans  in their need.  We often share here about the work we do with the orphans, but not as much about the widows, so I figured that would be a good place to start.  I have many photos from over the years , but I thought that maybe it would be interesting to see what Tanya could do will $100 Canadian $$ now.. 

So Today Tanya was able to put together 6 food hampers ( including 500ml of farm honey ) that she delivered to them .. here are some pictures from today .  

Hello John... Thank you very much from all grandmothers. All of them were so happy that they were not forgotten... They cried with joy and were thankful . could not believe.. . seldom who helps them and rarely comes.. no one cares, there are no children.. they hear and see badly. And every day they sit in their house without light alone.. pension is small, there is not enough money for food and medicine., But they live and survive.. five grandmothers are over 90 years old.. I told them that God did not forget them and through believers from Canada brought help, they cried and thanked, were surprised.... This grandmothers said terrible words that they want pass away, but God does not take away.. . My heart was touched when I saw the conditions they were living in. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to bring them joy in their hearts yesterday. And remind that God has not forgotten them. 

This is an example of the impact that just $100 can make in the right hands.

We really are blessed that we can do this , and sure we will be back soon .