More summer camp requests

The next up for summer camps are the kids that we work more directly with , like those on the farm and those in our breakfast club in the city . 

They work so hard all year and we try to have special days for them, but I know that they were all talking about going to camps before we left a few weeks ago.

 Because they are older kids and we do not have other sponsors for them they will be about $75 a week , so we would like to have about $500 on hand so we can act fast as soon as camps come available .  For those that we could not get into a camp, we will try to rent a place on the lake for a few days and have our own outing with them .

 

Helping Vera make an impact

 All fall kids recount the time that they spent at camp, and then all winter and spring they dream about returning to camp in the summer.

 

 As I mentioned , there are several camps that we would like to support. .   Yesterday I shared about the mayors camp.  The next up is Vera's camp in her village.  When I think of a small village, I think of a hand full of kids .. but for Vera, when she thinks of a kids event, she knows that there will be a huge turn out.  

For a week every summer, with your help. They have games and events, crafts and meals for the village kids .  

This year , Vera has set a budget of $400 USD for the week of camp. This is always GOOD SOIL for those wishing to make an impact.  

 

Camp season begins

Every year we have many different kids camps that we support.  Some are kids from orphanages, some are for disabled kids , some for the kids of families we support and of course there are the boys from the farm as well that love camp.   Over the next couple weeks, I will post some opportunities for you to send some kids to summer camp . 

a group of kids supported to go to camp a few years ago

 So to start off the season, we were just contacted buy the city hall to ask for some help.  They have arranged camp for the kids from some of the families with needs .  There are 35 kids on their list.  The Mayors office has found the budget to cover their camp expenses, as well as a sponsor to cover the transportation.  Here is what they need. Each child should have 1000 som ($12.50 USD) tuck money for the week .  We have agreed to help with this so to make the summer a special one for 35 special kids we are looking for just $400 USD .  

It would be a real blessing if you would like  to sponsor in part or in hole this outing .. 

 Photos to follow 

Getting ready for the next team

Getting ready for a larger team, and the summer air bnb season.  We are planning on renovating the old bathroom and Banya but do not have the time before the season starts so we did some quick repairs and painted everything with a nice clean white washable paint.  Also to help the musty smell from the Banya, we put in a fan and I changed out the old window and put in one that opens 

When we were in the city we did a little shopping at the make shift market and bought an old mirror and some paintings from an artist that we really like . 

When the team comes we will be expanding the patio and putting up a fence . We started gathering up the supplies needed.  The fence will be wood burned then ground off and oiled .. this will make the wood so it does not rot and will not need to be stained or painted . 

With a team of 10 plus drivers and translators we need to have space for at least 15 people, so we set up an extra table at the café where people gather in the morning before breakfast or after supper  

Knowing we had an extra 15 mouths to feed and that we would be busy, the guys helped me to start prepping some quick easy meals .. this day we were making Lasagnas  and chilli .   We also had some guests at the guest house during this week .. they were such a nice family . 

Lots of shopping to get ready .. like this day we were buying drinks. 

We had a meal out with some of our breakfast club kids .. We gave them a choice of restaurants and they chose the KFC. 

Back at the farm. one of Ruslan's rabbits had babies so he made a new cage for the last batch of babies.

Over the next couple weeks we will be doing  lot of work at the farm, at the Kashar (ranch) and most importantly we will be spending time out in the community bringing Hope and Joy to many .. 

The next 10 days

After saying good buy to a fun and enthusiastic team from Minnesota, we had a few days to get ready for a friend coming for a week from Slovakia.   

The plants we had started in the green house were ready to start moving out into the fields .

This year there is a water shortage so knowing that we have set up a drip irrigation system so that we can bring in water from the river .  

Across the road at Sergey's house,  they are working on bees down by the farm as well as the mountains.   Over in the shop the guys wold work in the evening building bee frames and setting up houses . 

It was exciting when Paul arrived .  Paul has been an active missionary for over 40 years, and he is not done yet.  We have many of the same sponsors in common so we were thrilled when he said he would like to come and bless those that we work with .  When we heard he was an avid bird watcher , we know it was time we invited the eagle hunter and had an excuse for a picnic .  we invited many of the refugee families we know to join in the days fun . 

As much as we know Paul was there to encourage those we work with, It was such a blessing for Julie and I to get time of sharing with him every day. It was a special gift to us. 

When not sharing with others , Paul came with us for some of the outreach we do , like to the hospital to bring funds for a needed operation , and to the dump to bring food hampers and seeds to many of the families living there. 

Up at the kashar we had "parties" with 4 different groups of 12 - 15 people  to encourage them as well.  We had Ruslan join us there to help with preparing lunch and snacks each day .  We even fit in a little fishing with the guys on the farm . 

One of the most memorable meals was when he had a hotdog roast when they all got a chance to roast their own hotdogs .. just like they see in the movies ... its funny the things that we take for granted.

And what picnic would be complete with out a game of volley ball ... I think Paul even taught them a thing or two on the court as well 

This was such a blessing to us to have this time of sharing and reconnecting with so many.  The next 10 days after Paul left we had a time to get ourselves organized and ready for a large team coming  from Petrolia Ontario .  Stay tunes to see what a week of down time looked like . 

The first 10 days in Kyrgyzstan .

We arrived at the farm just a few days before the first team from Minnesota.  There was so much to do to get ready for them , as well as delivering the seeds, we had lots of shopping to do .  It was great to have an extra driver on the farm.  Ruslan completed the drivers classes and not only got the regular licence, but he got just about every class possible. This means that he can drive the porter on coal and food deliveries as well as water runs.   

When the team came, they helped us put up the yurts for the season as well as lots of other little jobs around the farm.  

They spent lots of time with the boys on the farm as well .  they went shopping for summer clothes and out for lunch. 

One of the jobs on the farm was to help us finish up the renovations on the  corner rooms, giving us more space for guests.  

The rooms turned out great 

We used river rocks to do a bit of landscaping to make it look a little more appealing . 

They spend lots of time visiting and playing games.  They even made a game in the shop that the kids can play .  Then on the teams last day they were at the skate board park in Bishkek where they gave out skate boards as well 

One very exciting day, we had Tanya choose 5 of her Babushkas that she helps , and bring them to the grocery store . Most had never been to a big grocery store before, and certainly never spent $100 on groceries before.. but this day as different.  We helped each of them with a huge shop then drove them home so they could get things that they normally never get.   We then took them out to a restaurant.... another first .. they had such a good time , and so did we .  

With the Minnesota team came a huge donation of gourmet hole bean coffee .   One of the guys on the team works as a Barista and his employer  was a real blessing to us .   

After the team left we had a few days before our next guest, so we did some work on the memorial tree garden .  We added a stone that we will make a plaque for , as well as a Tamarac tree for Julies mom and dad and brother and a Sumac tree for my dad.  

We were encouraged that the other trees we planted last fall had all survived the winter 

We did have one tree that is having a little trouble .  It had an encounter with the new lawn mower, but it is marked and caged and has started to come back so hopefully it survives. 

My next post I will be sharing about the next team .. a team of ONE .. Turned out to be one of the most impactful teams we have had... stay tuned .