Update from Larisa and Tanya

It was great to get our update from Larisa and Tanya .  they have been busy the last couple days with Emma and Bekah ... spending time with the kids as well as getting organized for the team coming over ..  here is part  the update from them ... 

"Hallo John and Julie .  How are you?  We are very glad  that you come back to Kyrgyzstan.We wait you. Welcome to  Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you so much for blessing for us.  We very  appreciate our friendship and we thank God for good friends like you.

Thank you so much John and Julie and your sponsors .

Yesterday  was very good day we with poor children and    Bekah   ,Amma were  at theatre  and after were  Faisa café . Children were so happy especially they like food. Several boys told that shashlik they try first time .  All were happy 

 .Thank you so much for simple dreams .  ( sponsored by iam1ru.com )

  We bought different seeds for men’s home .We with men planted seeds and covered with rubber sheet for fast grow and protect from cold weather. I send you pictures. Thank you.    Men wait you and give you regards 

See you soon when we will do more planting with team      .Let Lord bless you.

A special day for a special girl

Happy Birthday our dear Baktigul .  We are so blessed to know you and to be able to be a part of your life .  We will see you in a week but until then , hope you have a great birthday .. by the way .. I love your candle 

Update from Emma

 One of the things Emma focuses on while she is in Kyrgyzstan is those at risk kids.    For an Orphan it is just to easy to disappear, especially when they don't have anyone looking out for them .  Emma tries to keep regular contact with all the kids that we have helped at one time or another ..    One of these girls is Nastya.   We knew here from the Tokmok orphanage before it was closed and many kids scattered ... Emma has worked hard to keep track of many of these kids , not an easy task ...  Here is the update from Emma a couple hours ago  

So i went to see Nastya today, I decided to buy the stuff in Bishkek instead of carrying a big bag all the way from Tokmok, so I went shopping with Nastya. I started with fruit, but she when i started buying other things like potatoes and rice, she wouldn't let me, she said she has enough of that right now , so i bought her a book and pencil that she needed for school and some hair elastics and some dried kiwi's for a treat( because she doesn't like fish) then i asked her what else she needs and she said she has enough food, (the government gives orphans a little bit of money every month and other girls at the dormitory put all their money together and buy food, ( about $10 a month )  so she had the basics already like rice and potatoes) but she wanted a tea kettle and an iron, (for her school clothes) I hope that's ok cause its not food, but she was really happy. she lives in the dorm and those are 2 things that she is always trying to borrow from people and nobody seems to have

. we also sat in the park and had hamburgers (a treat I always get her when i go to visit her) she says hi and thank you very much

AW MAN THOSE ARE TOO SMALL !

This morning we shared with the kids at our church about where the funds that they are raising for missions will be going .  We showed them lots of pictures of the people that were helped with the last round of food donations from Possibilities International as well as a bunch of donations sponsored thew Lamb International.    

I had the contents of one of the bags and as I unpacked it onto the table, we talked about why each of those items are so important to the people receiving them .  Then we got Emma and Bekah on Skype to share first hand what it is like for the people receiving the food hampers .  Bekah pointed out that It is so much more then just food ... food that they desperately need.  She says that the real impact is when they try to understand why Emma and Bekah are there bringing them food .  Many of the people they are helping are people that the girls  have heard about and gone looking for.. the people have no idea who the girls are .. they just know that they were hungry and alone, and the girls showed up to tell them that someone cares about them and sent them .. they share that God LOVES them and knows about their situation...  

After a little visit with the girls,  the kids were shown the little banks that we are going to fill up to raise funds ... 

The response was great ... "AW MAN THOSE ARE TOO SMALL, WE NEED BIGGER BANKS THEN THAT"  I love the enthusiasm... and they may be right .. today they raised enough to provide 2 bags of groceries.   Tomorrow morning , the girls will be heading to the bazzar to pack some bags and make some deliveries.   I can't wait until next Sunday when we bring an update and photos to show the kids who they helped this week...  

What a blessing that would be

Yesterday I posted a story about the food hampers that the girls are delivering .  Tomorrow I will be sharing this with a group of kids ( missionaries in training ) , and thought that it would be good to do a little comparison so that they could see first hand what they were able to get for each $25 donation that they raised .   I knew it would cost a lot more here in Canada , but I was careful to look for the deals and to get as close to the same size and quality that the girls are giving out... the picture below is the grocery shop I just did . 

The actual cost of the same groceries here in Canada is $48 .. compared to the $25 that it costs in Kyrgyzstan .  But here is the astounding part ...this represents  20.8 % of the monthly income of the average Kyrgyz worker , compared to a whopping  1.2% of a single Canadian workers income .

is it any wonder that this is such a blessing to a student or a low income family.. and that also explains why this will last them a month ...

Now here is another way of looking at this ... for the average Kyrgyz person to bless their neighbor in this way it would cost them 20% of their income .. Here in North America you could bless some one you know in need  for only 1% of your monthly income ... and what a blessing that would be !  so go ahead ,... I dare you !

The sap is not the only thing running .

We have been getting ready for our return to Kyrgyzstan in a couple weeks .. lots to take care of before we go, but glad to be able to spend some time with Jonah. Today we were out tapping some trees.  It is our hope to be able to boil down enough sap for us to have a big pancake breakfast in Kyrgyzstan with the kids there .  I think they will be quite interested in how to make maple syrup and I know they will love the taste . 

Jonah pounding in the spigot into the tree 

anxiously waiting for the sap to come out 

This Sunday we will be sharing with the kids at Norwood Church .  They have decided that they would like the funds that they raise for missions to go to the work of Emma and Bekah  in Kyrgyzstan .  In particular they would like to buy food hampers ...   what fun .. and as the funds are raised, the girls can deliver the packs and send pictures back right away  to keep the kids excited .. They will have no problem finding homes for these little blessings 

 NPC Sunday School MAK Bank                                

   $25 is enough for a one month supply of groceries.  Special thanks from your missionaries to the kids of Kyrgyzstan, Emma and Bekah Wright 

The photos's above are from the last food drive . it was sponsored by the good folks over at

  Possibilities International .

  If you are not from Norwood area, and would still like to be a part of this special blessing, why not go on over to www.iam1ru.com . Where it says support a dream agent,  click on GO and choose Bekah from the drop down screen .  

While you are there , take a moment and check out the dreams that Bekah has posted, and have seen filled already ,  as well as some of the others that her counterparts have posted from around the globe.   

a little spring cleaning ...of sorts !

 Hearing the needs at the children's hospital , I had  asked Anya to give me an update on a few others that they work with as well.. figuring that it would not be long before they too were contacting us .  It was as we had expected.. the winter has been long for them as well.    What seems to be the most in need is cleaning and hygiene supplies as well as spring shoes..


Hello dear John. this is report about needs  
1.  R orphanage
 a) tooth- pastas 
 b) soap  
c) shampoo  
d)  soap powder for wash machine
 e) shoes 

   2. one babushka need check her eyes and I think need after make operation  

3. Kemin dom pristorelyh ( seniors home )    food         
                                        
  4.. O.  orphanage
  a) shoes
  b) fix roof 
 c) food 
 d)  tooth-pasta
 e) shampoo 
 f) soap   
g) toilet papers 
 h) fix some rooms paint 
 i) pay for  electricity $200

Its not that I am looking for ways to spend money that we don't yet have, but I have learned after the years that many are waiting for us to return each spring, and they will all have needs ... I want to be ready ...




If you would like to help us put shoes on kids and do a little spring cleaning so to speak, please consider making a donation using the buttons on the right hand side of this blog .

Thank you so much for all your help as we care for those around us .

It does not go away if we simply bury our heads .

Some times I just want to bury my head and pretend that the needs don't exist, but that will not make the problem go away .    There is a hospital that many refer to as" the orphanage for bad kids". it is actually a children's hospital that services the surrounding orphanages .  When children are ill , or have serious behaviour issues ... like bed wetting   ...ugh  .. the kids are sent to this hospital. Threw Sergey and Anya , we have helped a lot here in the past , with things like water to the building, food, clothes, painting and repair to the building .  It is always a difficult situation, we were not necessarily pleased with the place, but worked hard to keep a good relationship with them for the sake of the kids.  Many of the kids we know have spent time here for one thing or another .
  There is now a new director and staff there, and they are working very hard to make it a better place.  They have come to Sergey and Anya and have some needs that they would like help with .

Every now and then we have situations like this, that for some reason strike a   cord with us , and something in me says that we need to step up.  This is one of those situations .   Here is the list from Anya of possible area's to help them, along with what I would estimate would be the cost to meet the need ...

"a) spoons 30  .... $25
  b) plates for porridge 30   $45
 c) towels big 30 and small 30     $100
 d) tooth-pastas      $40
 e) toilet papers     $50
 f) fixt play ground ( some need change woods) and paint   $750
g) sheets complete  30 or more     $200
 h)  Mattresses 30 or more    $600
 i) toys LAGO a big size     $100
  j)  puzzls a big size for kids     $50
k) vitamins   We will bring some with us 
 l) some medicine  like fluu and if have temperature  $200
 m) komputer     $400
 n) priter     $100
o) fax      ?"

If you say it fast $2600 is not a lot of money , but the reality is that it is insurmountable for an already cash strapped orphan health care system  , and is also out of my price range right now , but that does not negate the importance .   It is also not necessary to do it all at once .. we can  take small bites out of this ....starting with the mattresses....

Emma has a bit of money left with her until we get back.. I have asked her to use it to order 25 of the matresses for them.  They should be ready by the time we arrive in a few weeks .  Aigoola and her girls will be busy sewing them for us .   It is my prayer that by the time we leave at the end of March, we will have the funds not only for these mattresses, but for the rest of the list to be filled.

If you would like to be a part of meeting this need, please use one of the donation options along the side of this blog . 

    

a little here and a little there ....

The girls have been busy this week .  The beginning of the week, Bekah and Emma were giving out food packs for students and families .  These were all donated through sponsors at www.iam1ru.com . 

Then today was Womens day .  The girls were busy around town bringing a little gift to many of the Women that we work with and that we come into contact with on a daily bassis .

While they were working, we got to spend a day with Jonah.  We went to the Ontario science center with him. We had a blast.. Jonah was so thrilled with everything .

Who can I visit ?

The girls have been busy this week , so many little things .. or at least they may seen little to us but huge in the  eyes of the kids she has been visiting .   It's difficult at times , Every time you visit with one of the kids , there are so many things that jump out at you.  I guess we are wired to help .. Fortunately sometimes the greatest help we can bring is to simply visit.... James 1:27 talks about pure religion that God loves is to visit the widows and the orphans ..   There is so much that can be read into that .  VISIT.  is that to meet there needs , to help them out of difficulty, is that to build a support network around them to care for them.   Does  VISIT  mean to protect them from the parells  around them .. to be a defender from all that would seek to harm ... I think that it is actually all of the above, BUT if we focuse on that , it is so easy to become overwhelmed and say what can I do .. I believe that if we just start with the Basic ...VISIT.. just that .. VISIT.. what healing power there is in that .  It cost nothing but can change a persons world.  

  

To Visit carries so many messages with it .. Visiting some one shows that they are not alone , it shows that although time is valuable, they are more valuable. Visiting lets people know that they are a part of something bigger then just them .  It carries a message of HOPE, and DIGNITY.. 

I was sharing this with some friends in and one of them said that in his mothers nursing home, they greatest commodity there was a visit.  Every one there new when someone got a visitor. they know when someone comes, and they know who is getting visitors.. they all gather around after a visit to hear all about it .  It is not about how much money , or how many things you have, but the greatest wealth is the VISIT, and you don't need to go to Kyrgyzstan to do that .. 

nursing homes across North America

While you read Emma's letter below,  think to your self ... WHO CAN I VISIT ?

• Hi dad, today i went to Bishkek to meet with Nastia. It was her birthday a couple days ago, so i got her a journal, she was so happy. She said she went to the store to get something and saw all the pretty journals and had been dreaming of buying one.
• she was also really happy to hear that Ivy remembered her and that you and mom asked how she was doing

  she brought her friend  Dilya, who is from an orphanage in Jalal abad

  they study together and live together, and in the summer when everyone goes home, it will be just them at the dorm.

  Tomorrow we will go and visit the men at the mens home .. just to spend time with them . 

AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.

There is a family that lives just down the street from us in Tokmok .  LAMb has worked a lot with this family , with renovations on their home, medical care for the kids , including a new glass eye for one of the girls.  We have even helped  by hiring the father to work at many of the projects we do around town.   Unfortunately we have not had  much work for them in a couple months, and the jobs are scarce right now.  Yesterday They came to see Emma with a concern, and were looking for a little help.  One of there boys is ready to start school, but they do not have clothes for him or the school supplies that he will need ..

They were wondering if they could get a small advance on the next work that he does for us so that they could get the things that they need for him, as well as a few groceries.   They were looking for $20 .. This may not seem like a lot to some people in our society, but for them, this is an insurmountable need.
  Emma was able to tell them that she does not normally have this type of extra money  , but today she does, and that we would be pleased to help out.  She will go with them today to get the things that they need .. As well she told them that this time it is a gift, and he will not have to work it off..We will still try to find him more work, but this he does not have to pay back.... They were soo blessed and send a BIG thank you to the donor .   BUT lets flash back 24 hours.    Grammy Pammy had just come home from visiting some friends , a few of them had each given her $20 to give to Emma .. two had specific kids that they wanted to help, but one of her friends just said .. Emma will know where to use is .    AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.    

the family is growing

It has been a very special week for us .  We welcome our new grandson, Eli William David Wright , William David Wright was my father .. he would have been so honoured .  

Eli looks just like his big brother Jonah. We are so happy to be in town for the next few weeks to spend some time with them before heading back to Kyrgyzstan. 

Exciting times in Tokmok as well.  this week we welcomed our God sons new baby .  Arsen is a beautiful boy.  we are looking forward to seeing him soon.

Whats Bekah up to.?

Many of you will remember our friend Kolya.  He was one of the first kids we met when we came to Kyrgyzstan.  We have been part of his life since then.  He was in an orphanage at the time, but the orphanage closed , and Kolya went to live with his Great Grandmother .  

  We help with things like glasses and medical care for both Kolya and his GG.  Also when ever we do back to school shopping , or fun outings, we bring Kolya along.  

Kolya is one of many kids like him that we work with on a regular basis .. Kids that with out a little help could be in a very difficult place.  But what we give them that is more important then any material thing, is the knowledge that some one cares for them and is looking out for them .

Before we left in the fall, we made arrangements for several of our kids to attend a very good , accredited English class two or three times a week.  Bekah went with Emma to meet with their teacher this week .. here is what they reported    

" we went to see Kolyas English teacher Karina to pay for him and the others and she always gives updates on how the kids are doing and she was so proud of and pleased with Kolya. He's such a good boy and such a good student. He comes 30 mins early for class to review his lessons and ask questions. The other teacher loves him too and wants to award him with an Oxford Russian English dictionary.

The others are doing good, going to classes, Meerim decided not to go, but Jangil has started. She comes late cause she has music lessons right before. Aizada and aziz are doing well and she said they are all good students

Kolya's paid this month and the next 3 months"

Bekah was so excited to be able to help Kolya with his English class.  This was one of her simple dreams as a PI / iam1ru dream agent .  You can check out other dreams that Bekah has posted at www.iam1ru.com 

 Here is the way it works ..Bekah is a dream agent for P.I.  as such, she finds ways to make maximum impact in life changing ways , for minimum investment ... ie. simple dreams .  As a dream agent, she has these simple dreams posted on the im1ru site .. , like this one  and when people like yourself go on line and meet the need, the funds are sent to Bekah and she fulfils the dream and reports back like this 

why not take a few minuted to check out the site and see some of the other projects that Bekah is working on.

many firsts

There are so many rewards when you reach out to help someone .   We have been so blessed to be a part of Kamala's life .  Its very exciting to be part of so many firsts for her .. 23 years old , and there is so much that she is just now experiencing .  

Before we left in the fall we read the riot act to each of the girls .. We were very gentle , yet firm with Kamala about the house rules ... This was difficult for her .. not that she had rules, but it was the first time that any one has cared enough about her to have safety rules.  

Then there was Christmas .  It was with wonder and fascination that Kamala experienced her first Christmas.  the stockings , the decorations. the gifts from friends and her sponsor . surrounded by people that cared about her .. Not only that, she was able to give back.. she worked hard helping  our friends celebrate Christmas with so many  as  a result of the Christmas pie in the face challenge. ( thank you to every one that sponsored and had a part in that great event ) 

Yesterday was another special day for he,r Emma and Bekah , along with a bunch of the kids  that we know , put on a Birthday party for her .

What a great group of kids ... each with their own story of how God has brought them  through difficult times, restoring HOPE and DIGNITY ....

Happy Birthday Kamala , we Love you and are thankful you are a part of our lives ....

On our way home again ... maybe

Great morning in at Parkside in Cincinnati.  We had a really fun time with the team that will be joining us in Kyrgyzstan in the end of March .  They have such a wide range of experiences and gifting s , but what they do share is a genuine desire to be used by God to bless the people of Kyrgyzstan, we are looking forward to great things ...    

then its off to the Airport  ,  We are so blessed to have friends like Julie and her family who went out of there way to make our time in Cincinnati so wonderful  

Many of you will remember Kola , our young frind from Kyrgyzstan shown below with Ann

He and Jengish contacted us this morning with a great concern .  His 2 year old nephew swallowed some sort of Acid and has burned out his throat   ..the Dr's have rigged up some sort of feeding apparatus  but it is not working .  They are now told that the only way to save his life is to send him to Russia for an operation.. Kolas family does not have the means and do not know what to do , so they are asking us if we can help.

I have Jengish contacting organizations in KG that we know that may be able to assist with organizing this, and we should know shortly what it is going to cost to save this baby 

Please pray for Gods hand on this poor child, and pray for wisdom for the Dr's.   I will keep you posted as I learn more about how we can help.