First signs of spring 😁

Renovating the first house has been a long haul.  The guys have been so busy bagging and delivering coal and food . Between loads of coal they have been working h on the house. 

So far they have dug out , installed in floor water pipes for heating and poured new floors. And replaced the water boiler .

The interior walls have been completely stripped out and repaired . And then the old ceiling was all pulled down.  Now they are starting to bring in drywall to put up new ceilings . 

 A lot of work but the end is in sight.  We are hoping to get a bit more work done and some repairs on the truck before the next load of coal arrives. 

Fortunately we are seeing the first signs of spring in Kyrgyzstan .. a glimmer of hope. 

Amazon wishlist

 

A couple changes since I last posted this . As we are preparing to head back to Kyrgyzstan this spring , I have created a wish list for some of the things we would like to bring with us. 

On the Amazon site I have also added several bottles of Tums.   These are not available in KG and there popularity has caught on with many that we know and support,

 Amazon needs Registry

This spring we have a more direct flight that is slightly more expensive , but it allows for 2 checked bags each .. something we have not had for a couple years .  Plus as a bonus we have someone traveling with us who will also have 2 bags This will give us an extra 300 lbs and an opportunity to get stocked up with some of the items we need .    Any items purchased from this wish list will be shipped to my home in Canada and we will be able to pack them over with us .  

As items are purchased, Amazon will indicate how many left that we would like .  

Please note that for some reason. Some areas in the United states are not able to access this link.  If that is you and you would like to participate, please donate at the top right side of the blog, and send me a note what you would like to purchase, and I can do it for you from my end.   

Spring'll soon be here, Oh God I hope it's not late !

Phil Collins wrote a song called "the roof  is leaking".  In it he shares how things are getting harder and the winter continues, but he is says he is getting stronger by the minute as he turns to God in hopes winter will be over soon.    I think that right now there are a lot of people turning to God asking that winter would soon be over.  

This morning the guys loaded up and headed to a remote mountain village that has a lot of families in need asking God to bring an answer to their sorrow. 

But first they will need to load up the truck and make the drive across some rather torturous roads. 

Getting up is a little easier with so much weight on the truck but the trip home might be a little harder.

Everyone was so happy, and relieved to see them when they arrived. 

 With the update photos I received a short update from the team . 

"Good afternoon, John. Today, our team delivered coal to 15 families.. It was a difficult day. We saw a lot of poverty and suffering around us. It's sad that we can't help everyone. Thank God we are doing what we can. There is enough coal left on the farm for 10 days. Thank God for everything. Thank you, brother."

They shared how difficult the day was .  I know this well.  When you start off on a day like this you think it is going to be "fun" to bring needed supplies to people. but very quickly that excitement starts to turn into sorrow and morning .  Seeing so many people in such difficult circumstances is very hard on you.  It is easy to start questioning .  I can remember Talking to my friend Ron and saying "where is God in this ?" I simply could not understand seeing so much sorrow.  His response has stayed with me .  He said that the fact that I am asking that question if proof that God is there.  Maybe yesterday no one was asking that,  but God knew and has sent You. Now the question has to  be asked "What are we going to do about it."

Thank you to everyone who has been sponsoring these coal deliveries, and thank you to our team for being there "With skin on" Bringing Hope to the hurting helpless and the lost.   

"You have turned my mourning into dancing for me;  You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,"    This is my prayer for the Guys.  Just hang on, winter is almost over.   

Preparing for our return to Kyrgyzstan

I am looking forward to going out for lunch today with a good friend / old boss.  I worked for him when Emma was born so about 35 years ago.  He loved Monty Python and could recite many of their skits. One that was his favorites was 4 guys trying to out do each other about how poor they were when they were kids .. one of the guys was so poor that they lived in a paper bag in a septic tank.   I used to thing that this was funny until I got to Kyrgyzstan and found someone living in a septic tank. 

Here is the clip from Monty Python.  

I realized that no mater how difficult things get, there is always someone who has it worse,  but knowing that we all have it in us to make things better, can be a driving factor in our lives.  

Last week we had the privilege of sharing twice in Florida, at a men's breakfast in Cincinnati,  then shared at two more services on Sunday before heading home.  We were so blessed to spend time with so many friends and sponsors, bring encouragement and be encouraged.  

We got to spend a bit of time on the beach, although it was a little chilly .. there were only about 10 people as far as you could see either direction .. other Canadians no doubt.   But cold as it was there, it was -35 at our home in Canada, and in Kyrgyzstan winter continues. someone always has it worse !  

a small mountain village snowed in. 

The guys had gotten a little carried away and gave away all our coal except for one bag .  Fortunately we were able to get another couple of loads in.  The boys have bagged it and tomorrow they will be back out on deliveries. 

Young Sergey has been baking breads with the other boys and has been sending me some pictures .. I have ordered some fresh bread for April 8th when we arrive. 

Next week we will be back in Newfoundland with Amelia before we go, well with Bekah and Azamat as too.   one time Julie said to  Amelia "We are coming for a visit, what would you like for a present?" her response was priceless. "OH Grandma You are my present, that's all I want." 

When we return from Newfoundland,  we will be sharing at a seniors club in Norwood, then heading for Virginia to connect with more friends , with a stop in NY on our way home for a International dinner with friends there.    then on to Kyrgyzstan a week later.  

 

Deliveries continue .

The guys were busy all day , trip after trip delivering coal and food packages to those I need.

Still so many needs .. it truly is heart breaking. 

There were a lot more food needs than we anticipated. People were so relieved for the help

Families that started the winter off with coal are finding that the coal is almost gone or is gone and there is still more winter to go. 

There were just so many in need that the boys kept delivering ... But when all the dust settled , they realized that they may have gone too far.. this is what is left for on the farm. 
 

We will need to buy some more coal if we can .. not too late to help,  if you would like to help with this please donate now.  We will get more coal delivered as soon as we have the funds. 

Tanya has been in hospital with her new baby since before Christmas, but as soon as she was out she made sure to get food to some of the seniors she supports. She wanted to give a great big thank you to everyone who supports her with that.

Hand in Hand

Freezing and hunger often go hand in hand. 

Winters are long and hard.  Work is scarce and not much money to be made.   Some times people have coal and have to sell it to buy food, and for others they have food but have to sell it to buy coal.   Either way it's not enough and on the end they are cold and hungry.  The worst part is that when you are hungry you can't battle the cold as well. 

That's why today the boys are packing food bags to go with them on the next deliveries. 

They have identified some families that need help.

Thank you for those of you who have supported us in our efforts to help people this winter .