Goji Berry honey + + + farm basket , Bidding starts Monday

 

Its that time of year again for the Rotary Christmas Auction. 

  We have gotten some good deals here in the past, but more then that I love to support the Rotary when ever we can.  They have been such an incredible support and blessing to the people of Kyrgyzstan .  They have supported so many wonderful projects like the building of a Baby Clinic, the purchase of beds and equipment for the baby hospital , and new windows for a small village hospital .  Last year they supported the back up water system  on the farm.    This year we were home in time to be able to get involved with the auction in a small way.  We have put together a basket of goodies we brought back with us .  So if you are looking for the Goji berry honey , here is an opportunity to get some at a great price, and know that your funds go to support community, not just here but around the world .    Then take a look around the auction and see what else you might like . 

To bid on this item follow this link

Preparing for winter .. here and there .

We are so happy to be getting the coal deliveries back on track now .   We have been able to do a few bulk deliveries to orphanages and shelters ,  and are working on a rehab centre right now .  

The coal has started to arrive at the farm to be bagged up for deliveries starting on Friday .   We have about 80 families on the wait list.   

Sunday afternoon we were blessed to have a visit from our friend Ed Dickson .  he was passing through and stopped for a short visit  ..  Its always a blessing to spend time with him , it helps to re-focus ourselves . 

 Snow arrived here in Ontario on Sunday as well.  Last spring in the ice storm we had a lot of destruction on our home .  A group of guys came out and helped clear downed trees , and the hole time we were in Kyrgyzstan another friend came regularly and cleaned up branches and took them away .  That just left the green house to rebuild before the snow,  All the windows were broken and it was a real mess.  Saturday I finished installing all new windows and the new door.  

It was nice to get that cleaned up before the snow hit.  Now I can get the salad greens planted , and hopefully will be eating them by the end of the year .  

I just got a request from Vera for some funds for disabled children's day in a few weeks as well as to start preparing for Christmas .  If anyone would like to help with that, I am sure she would be blessed . 

We are her family

Coal was delivered to one of our adopted grandmothers .  The first time we delivered to her she was so very upset that she had to be helped by a foreigner. She felt embarrassed that she was Kyrgyz and that she did not have any Kyrgyz family helping her.  Trying to distract her , I got out my phone and started showing her pictures of my family .. She was suddenly overjoyed when she saw my grand children and that my son in laws are Kyrgyz .  She then started almost giggling and said " You are not a foreigner ,   You are Kyrgyz family coming back to help".  Now here is a funny thing, the one she thought was most Kyrgyz was Benjamin hahah 

 Since then she has adopted us at the farm.  she calls regularly to make sure everyone is ok and she makes bread and treats for the boys if she knows that we are coming through.  For her, we are her family!

With the days getting shorter , the little mountain school house was happy when our guys went up and installed some good lighting in the class rooms.  

"Look at this monster we found in the garden " that was the message that came with this next picture .. I am fairly sure that they are referring to the zucchini, but it is entirely possible that they were talking about Vlad. 

 

Thank you so much for prenatal vitamins. One of our workers  is meeting with women, helping them with encouragement, vitamins and her expertise as a birthing Doula.

We were able to send coal money today , so we will be back at the coal deliveries again soon .  We still have a huge wait list of families and orphanages needing coal so please keep the donations coming.  

On The Way.

The night before we left Kyrgyzstan I had a meeting with Sergey and we discussed the state of the coal .  We have enough for the farm but we have given out all the extra coal , so we had to stop the deliveries until we can raise more funds . ,then this happened 

Winter hit hard and furious in the mountains and now even down on the farm.

Suddenly for some of the most volnerable we could not wait .

For this senior, this delivery could be the difference between life and death.  So she got some of the green house coal .  We will just plant one green house until we get more coal donations in.

World travel is so hit and miss.  We had booked a three hour layover in Ankura Turkey ,a nice small airport.  but at the last minute our flight was changed to Saw Istanbul with a 1 hour and 15 minutes layover .  The plane left on time so we were ok , but some how landed 1/2 hour late leaving 45 minutes for the connection .. then the plane did not pull up to the gate, they parked a 20 minute bus ride out on the tarmac .. leaving 25 minutes .. Then the airport was absolutely swamped leaving us with a 15 minute RUN to our gate .. fortunately the connecting flight was delayed as well so we made it .. and then found this treat when we got on board.

Yes that's a full seat between us as well. 

We made the connection to France. Caught the train to Lyon then drove on to LePuy where we are walking the french Camino for the next three weeks .

Our team is walking right now, I cleaned up from breakfast , packed the car and checked out of our bnb, and am now sitting in the far in the french post card country side doing the blog and waiting until lunch to meet up with them with coffee.

Back on the farm they have found some materials to put the roof on the water storage shed.

Also Cap. Is removing calking from the shower and replacing it with grout so that hopefully it will hold water.

Traveling, crossing time zones and odd hours are always difficult for my blood sugar .  Tis morning I checked my levels and they were perfect so that is a great way to start this next adventure . 

 

Land flowing with milk and honey

 

We have a great day in Orlofka complete with a fellowship meal.  The team brought honey for everyone..

Three hour lunch break

Everyone worked hard this morning .. renovating the boys house , welding the garage doors, preparing the banya and holding tank for siding and sorting supplies ,then after lunch we headed up to the kashar for a couple hours of horseback riding 

Yesterday we had a mishap , but today we got the new window .

 

Coal deliveries and working around the farm

Lots of canning today .. 45 litres of pickled beats .

Some repairs done to the garage door.  Long over due after the car fiascale.

30 jars of pickled peppers  , then on to the beats .

Stoped at the mountain school so set up a battery back up for the computer so we had a little play. 

Oops .. loading lumber one board went a little long . But a new window is on its way . 

Out on more coal deliveries  .. we brought one older gentleman to tears when we arrived . 

Quentin is off to do some hefty pruning in the orchard .

Stuffing peppers 

We were given some wild bore so we cooked it u last night 

Yesterday we hosted a ladies conference up at the Kashar. 

Each lady was given a bottle of honey and a choice of seeds . 

Lots of little repairs around the farm.

More honey bottled .

The team is hard at work chopping veggies .

And more coal deliveries 

 We are still on need of $695 for a load of coal to be delivered to the orphanage that we took shopping .. please consider helping.

We started delivering high into the mountains , and so far we have stayed in front of the snow line as it moves down the mountain ..  today we picked up a couple hitch hikers that got stuck in the snow last night in the mountains where we were delivering coal.  We brought them back to the farm , gave them a nice hot Late and a warm lunch before they headed off ... Heading south ...