I am sitting here this morning getting a presentation ready for tomorrow. I have been going through old photo's looking for the right ones that would be relevant to the group that I will be speaking to, and came across a video clip that really makes me stop and think..
It is a clip that was taken in the dump in Kyrgyzstan. We had just finished dropping of some food for the people living there.. in a back drop of garbage, and nearly unbearable smell, this old babushka with a dark tanned weather beaten face says to us, "We know that God has not forgotten us" I play that over and over, and it still hits me every time... How can someone with nothing living in such terrible conditions say that God has not forgotten them... it sure puts me and my faith to shame... We have so much, and yet as soon as something does not go our way we are asking "Where is God" ... If we can't look around and see him in the blessings around us, maybe we do not deserve them... maybe they would be better served in the hands of someone just a little more grateful, like my friend in the Dump who KNOWS that God has not forgotten Her!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Delivered
We are so thrilled to be up north with our friends. Finally, I am no longer responsible for the china teapots that Anya sent me home with for her two special friend... Anya , they loved them , but they love you more...
Tomorrow it will be a fun filled day of boating, fishing, and finishing up with another Kyrgyz picnic for all our northern supporters...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Making a house a home... the first steps !
At our house in Canada, we had a big room off of our living room. When we decided that it would be a good idea if my Mom moved in with us, we new that we needed to renovate if we were going to make this "room" a " home" we needed walls . I have seen the same thing when I was in construction. I would walk into a big open room, and it was hard to picture a Home, but once the walls started going up, character and charm of the "HOME" emerged. I guess there is something about walls, they help us to feel secure and organized.. they can bring comfort... funny how we build walls to feel comfort and safety and we work to take emotional walls down when we are dealing with hurting children... Maybe when you have no physical walls, you are more inclined to build emotional ones...
If you have not seen the exciting news coming out of Kyrgyzstan , you need to pop over to the LAMb site. The divider walls are going up... they are the first step in turning this over sized monster building into a home... not just an building, but a real home where life can be as individual as the child. So often orphans are brought up in large open concept institutions were they are fought that they are just another kid... we want them to know and understand that they are special... that is why we are working hard to create a special place for them. I have heard that there is a bit of a buzz around town that says ... "what would you make a house so nice for an orphan for"... One day they will understand.. It is all part of the example that we need to bring... thank you to everyone that is having a part in this project, we have come so far in such a short time, that I can hardly believe it . If you have not yet made an investment in this incredible project and you would like to be in on the ground floor, again, pop over to LAMb and check it out.
If you have not seen the exciting news coming out of Kyrgyzstan , you need to pop over to the LAMb site. The divider walls are going up... they are the first step in turning this over sized monster building into a home... not just an building, but a real home where life can be as individual as the child. So often orphans are brought up in large open concept institutions were they are fought that they are just another kid... we want them to know and understand that they are special... that is why we are working hard to create a special place for them. I have heard that there is a bit of a buzz around town that says ... "what would you make a house so nice for an orphan for"... One day they will understand.. It is all part of the example that we need to bring... thank you to everyone that is having a part in this project, we have come so far in such a short time, that I can hardly believe it . If you have not yet made an investment in this incredible project and you would like to be in on the ground floor, again, pop over to LAMb and check it out.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Hanging on to a dream !
We have been missing Emma a bit... OK so more then a bit ... a lot... I have been talking to her a lot on Skype and on Facebook chat recently. She shared all the things that they were doing, They are taking the day off tomorrow, so they will go to Western union and get the money I just sent , and will do a little shopping to get ready for the next day when they will be going to visit the kids in the disables orphanage, then they will be attending a 3 day conference in the city.
Its funny, it was not that long ago when going to the bank and going shopping would NOT have been considered a day off for Emma, It would have been the stressor that would have kept her on edge, yet today that is considered something that you do on a day off. I told her how proud I was of her for being so responsible and for being able to keep so busy Helping others in a strange land when nothing was familiar, and nothing was planed or expected.. She told me
" I have changed a lot here" I have seen that in the determination in her writings. We were never really sure what Emma was thinking, and she certainly never vocalized what she thought, but like the Girls said, the Russian Emma is not the same.. The Russian Emma has seen injustice and not just internalized it like the English Emma, But the Russian Emma is telling it like it is, and not apologetically... She has 80 more men that are at the invalid home that have not had a chance to go out this summer.. She has seen past the " BIG DIRTY SMELLY MEN" and sees the child trapped in that body.. the child that grew up in a post soviet institution, and never got to experience what it is to be a child... The Russian Emma is determined to make sure that they experience what it is like to play at the beach .. to have a picnic... to be out of the small "Cage " that some of them call home...The Russian Emma has asked again today for help with this.. She is looking for a $350 sponsor so that 80 BIG CHILDREN will have a summer to remember ... she is not letting go of this one !
Its funny, it was not that long ago when going to the bank and going shopping would NOT have been considered a day off for Emma, It would have been the stressor that would have kept her on edge, yet today that is considered something that you do on a day off. I told her how proud I was of her for being so responsible and for being able to keep so busy Helping others in a strange land when nothing was familiar, and nothing was planed or expected.. She told me
" I have changed a lot here" I have seen that in the determination in her writings. We were never really sure what Emma was thinking, and she certainly never vocalized what she thought, but like the Girls said, the Russian Emma is not the same.. The Russian Emma has seen injustice and not just internalized it like the English Emma, But the Russian Emma is telling it like it is, and not apologetically... She has 80 more men that are at the invalid home that have not had a chance to go out this summer.. She has seen past the " BIG DIRTY SMELLY MEN" and sees the child trapped in that body.. the child that grew up in a post soviet institution, and never got to experience what it is to be a child... The Russian Emma is determined to make sure that they experience what it is like to play at the beach .. to have a picnic... to be out of the small "Cage " that some of them call home...The Russian Emma has asked again today for help with this.. She is looking for a $350 sponsor so that 80 BIG CHILDREN will have a summer to remember ... she is not letting go of this one !
Monday, July 26, 2010
From deep shadows to star bursts...The power of HOPE
Yesterday after sharing with some family and friends about our time in Kyrgyzstan, and upcoming trip, Benjamin's father in law , my friend, drew my attention to a chapter in a book that he knew that I was reading .. In this book, they talked about how the people were living their lives in such darkness and distress, but had witnessed HOPE... and because of that HOPE , Those people living in a land of such "deep shadows and darkness" experienced LIGHT, but not just any light it was the "light that was like star bursts all around them" , it gave them such encouragement that they began to live their lives again .. there families and villages began to grow in the Joy that came from that HOPE.. then it says that there joy expanded into "a festival of JOY... Great celebrations, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings" when they were in the presence of the one that had brought them the Hope and the Joy... Then it went on to say that powered by this spreading HOPE
"The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
was gone, done away with, The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
were piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that would burn for days! "
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
was gone, done away with, The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
were piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that would burn for days! "
The imagery of that just sunk so deep into me I can not explain it ... I always talk about bringing HOPE and restoring Dignity. Could it be that after all the distress we have seen, a turning point when a nation can rise up is just around the corner.. They say that the night is darkest just before the dawn... I am believing that we are seeing now is the dawning of a new day for a people and a land we love...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Bringing peace
I really like this photo that Emma took of Sergey and Anya. It is the two of them at a peaceful moment, Something that we never got to experience a lot of when we are with them. When you put yourself out in the front line, and actively seek out people that are not able to advocate for themselves, there is not normally a lot of peace, yet they work tirelessly to bring peace to others .
I Was talking to Anya yesterday on skype. We had been on different schedules for the last few days and had not had opportunity to talk .. She shared about some of the latest issues we are facing with school tuition's having to be in now etc, and how we were going to decide who could go to school and who we would have to turn down. ( I told her that we have not given up hope and that I have no thoughts of turning any of them down, and am sure that God will provide) . We then discussed some other issues with a few other families we are helping , as well as a few kids that are still being juggled around in the orphanages that really need to be settled in somewhere permanent if they are to thrive.. Then Sergey started telling me about how in the middle of his day, he had an old Babushka "Dumped into his lap"... She had worked for four years as a nurse maid for someone, but then she hurt he back while moving a patient, so she was fired and kicked out onto the street... how is that for Workman's comp! after a few weeks on the street, someone found her and brought her to Sergey. After an entire life as a nurse, caring for others, she is out on the street with nothing but a few bags.
I Was talking to Anya yesterday on skype. We had been on different schedules for the last few days and had not had opportunity to talk .. She shared about some of the latest issues we are facing with school tuition's having to be in now etc, and how we were going to decide who could go to school and who we would have to turn down. ( I told her that we have not given up hope and that I have no thoughts of turning any of them down, and am sure that God will provide) . We then discussed some other issues with a few other families we are helping , as well as a few kids that are still being juggled around in the orphanages that really need to be settled in somewhere permanent if they are to thrive.. Then Sergey started telling me about how in the middle of his day, he had an old Babushka "Dumped into his lap"... She had worked for four years as a nurse maid for someone, but then she hurt he back while moving a patient, so she was fired and kicked out onto the street... how is that for Workman's comp! after a few weeks on the street, someone found her and brought her to Sergey. After an entire life as a nurse, caring for others, she is out on the street with nothing but a few bags.
What was particularly hard for Sergey and Anya is that when they were talking to her , she shared how she had become the target of a couple very sick men, and was scared to be on the street any more.. right away they brought her over to one of the homes our friends have there, and got her a good meal
and a warm bed. She will stay here for a few days and Sergey and Anya will have her checked to make sure she has no serious medical issues needing immediate treatment, as well as see if there is any family..
After that, once they understand her whole storey, she will be brought out to the seniors home we work with . She will be well cared for there and we know she will be safe. Sergey is thinking that once she has some rest and some good food for a week or two, she may still feel that she wants to work a Little longer before going to a seniors home... I suggested that maybe she could work at the Seniors home on light duty if she really wants to work more. But for now it's nice to know that she has a home and will experience a little of the peace that Sergey and Anya are able to provide...
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Missions Fest
It was a long day today . We were out of the house very early to travel down to a large summer camp in our district. There was a missions fest... a day designed to show case missions work all over the globe. I was very proud of Bekah. She has worked very hard at setting up the both and having it organized just right . It is easy to feel a little out of our league in situations like this . some of the most well known and respected missionaries in the region with years of experience were there ... but I just had to remind myself that their kids are no more or no less important then ours. Our friends need to have their storey told. I thought at one point that I sure wish we had our girls here rather then in the Ukraine to tell their storey, but as I watched Bekah interact with people , I saw that she was doing just fine. We have been focusing on tuition's for all our college and University age kids this last couple weeks... it kind of crept up on me.. for some reason I was thinking September, but of course the tuition or part of it needs to be in with the registration. We have done quite well.. I have to send more money over on Monday.. it will about $3500 total for everyone to go to school this fall, and after today , we are just about half way there. Tomorrow we will be sharing with My sons C. family. Planing to encourage and inspire. Then Next week we are heading up to Jody's neck of the woods, we will be meeting with supporters in Lively and in Espanola... We are really looking forward to that as well.. they are always such a blessing to us, and real partners in the work we do. It will be really great to see Rodger and Jody again.. There has been a lot go on since we last saw Jody off at the departure gate in Kyrgyzstan , but it is kind of strange to know that although we have been so far away, our common burdens have kept us all so close.
Friday, July 23, 2010
To My friend flying out to Osh today.
Sorry I missed your call, you were well on your way when I got it. I do not have your email address, and would like to talk with you.
Please email me at sunmasterjohn@aol.com Have a great trip, and maybe we will be in touch with you soon.
Blessings John
Please email me at sunmasterjohn@aol.com Have a great trip, and maybe we will be in touch with you soon.
Blessings John
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Dreams to Reality
It was almost two and a half years ago, Julie and I were faces with a recurring problem, and were feeling desperate to do something. Let me explain ..
We spend a lot of time in the orphanages.. Although they try their best to provide a good home for the kids, they are just to big and institutionalized... and lots of times, the child and the institution are just not a good fit.. Not all children can adapt to that life style. A new family of kids had just arrived, and they did not fit in at all.. We knew right away that there would be trouble.. and there was. We tried at the time to figure out what else we could do, but nothing was working . What we knew needed to happen was that we were to purchase a house that they could live in and find a Family that could be their Parents...
We spoke with Acel and Talant, and they knew of these kids, and agreed to take on the roll of house parents if we could find a house. We tried everything, but it was just beyond us .. There is so much red tap and Government paperwork in something like this , never mind the financing. Yet we knew that it was necessary... Something needed to be done, but it was more then we could do on our own. A few weeks later we headed for home with heavy hearts . Things fell apart for these beautiful children, and they left the orphanage... they returned home to a very difficult situation.. over the next few weeks, two of them were beaten so badly that one was left cross eyed and one started having seizures.
This is one of those things that has just haunted me since then... Had we been disobedient to what we knew , or were we just given a small window to see into the reality of the lives of so many orphans in Kyrgyzstan.
There is so much that we see and experience that is so far beyond what our abilities are , and we know that we need to focus on what we can do, and not be distracted by what we are not able to do, but always in the back of my mind I could vision a HOME... A safe place with Acel and Talant waiting at the door to love and care for the children that for one reason or another just would not fit orphanage life... A HOME that provided more then just a meal and a bed, but a place that took the time and effort to figure out the needs of the individual.. a HOME that could
work with families to help solve issues to bring families back together... a HOME that could train up the children and properly prepare them for the future...but most of all , a HOME were they were not beaten and abused.... A HOME where the heart is .
Today , that home has become a reality. our friends at LAMb international were given the same burden... They have the expertise to do all those things that we could not.. Today Acel and Talant, and their girls are standing at the door , ready to step into the roll that we discussed so long ago.... You must go here and read this post to see the full storey..
For me, it is My Dream come true ...
Priceless
Most of us have seen the comercials from Visa... you know the ones.. "The cost of a fishing poll...$50" ....."The cost of a weekend getaway...$750"......"the cost of watching your son catch his first fish....PIRCELESS"... "For everything else there's VISA" ... I had to think of that when I read the letter I just got from My girls in Ukraine.....
Hi dad, here's the story of what we did today, We went on a picnic with the men and wmen from the invalid home. We were responsible for feeding them breakfast, lunch, supper and snack. We sang songs with them and they went swimming in the river. We prayed with them before every meal and at the end of the day we asked some of them what their favourite part was and they said praying together. I was expecting them to say swimming, or singing, or candy and bananas, but they were so happy to spend time with God.
We were assigned to a table of 16, so it was nice to see them in a small group getting lots of attention and care from their workers. They are such nice men, very polite and kind to us and to each other.
After we were done everything we had our supper with the other volunteers. Ira, who is in charge of this picnic said that she is praying for a sponsor so that they can do this again with the other half of the men. She said it would cost about 300$ to take the other 150 people. I think their church sponsered this one and the first picnic with the kids from the orphanage. Our sponsors helped to pay for the second picnic so that the rest of the kids from sunshine orphanage could go too. I think she said this in my presence secretely hopeing I would help her to find sponsors. When I first heard the number 300$, I imagined how much more we could do in Kg for 300 dollars, but then I remembered the great day that these men had, and the pure joy on their faces and I realized that it was priceless. It was definately worth it for them.
Can you please help us find a sponsor for this ?
We were assigned to a table of 16, so it was nice to see them in a small group getting lots of attention and care from their workers. They are such nice men, very polite and kind to us and to each other.
After we were done everything we had our supper with the other volunteers. Ira, who is in charge of this picnic said that she is praying for a sponsor so that they can do this again with the other half of the men. She said it would cost about 300$ to take the other 150 people. I think their church sponsered this one and the first picnic with the kids from the orphanage. Our sponsors helped to pay for the second picnic so that the rest of the kids from sunshine orphanage could go too. I think she said this in my presence secretely hopeing I would help her to find sponsors. When I first heard the number 300$, I imagined how much more we could do in Kg for 300 dollars, but then I remembered the great day that these men had, and the pure joy on their faces and I realized that it was priceless. It was definately worth it for them.
Can you please help us find a sponsor for this ?
"For everything else there is VISA"
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
SOMEONE NEEDS TO SHEAD A TEAR !
Every day we are in touch with many of the different groups that we work with . Some times Skype some times FB chat, or email. but team we talk to the most right now is our "Team Ukraine.".. This is more then just a missions team our bringing hope , they themselves are growing and stretching more then those they are helping.
I was on the skype chat with Aiperi, I asked how she was doing ...."PLOHA" ( BAD ) was her response. I knew right away what the problem was. This was their last day with the kids from the orphanage and the boys Rehab centre and they had to say good bye.
I don't know if anyone could ever fully describe this emotion...you have to live it to understand. The girls have seen us and many others come and go from the orphanage over their years there, and still could never have imagined seeing it from this side. I am not sure just what it is... maybe it is that you open yourself up fully to loving and caring for this time, it could be that although you talk about hope and show hope, as you are going , everything that is hopeless about the situation jumps right out at you, or maybe it is because you never know if you will ever see those you love so much again... what ever the reason , it is nasty. We have tried saying good buy in big groups , small groups, out in public or at our own apartment... nothing works.
As I spoke more with the girls, they shared that it was like there was this big hole in there hearts that was left when those kids were riped out... I share with them that I know the whole well... The thing is , that was not a part of the original you! that is a space that was never there before. it got there because you let that seed of love grow in your heart. and now we have to trust God to fill that hole with more seeds. Many people will never experience this kind of stretching . Some because they are scared of this very moment, and others because they do not know so much love can exist. They asked if it will get any easier... I told them NO it will get harder but this is a special calling... SOMEONE NEEDS TO SHEAD A TEAR FOR THESE KIDS!
I was on the skype chat with Aiperi, I asked how she was doing ...."PLOHA" ( BAD ) was her response. I knew right away what the problem was. This was their last day with the kids from the orphanage and the boys Rehab centre and they had to say good bye.
I don't know if anyone could ever fully describe this emotion...you have to live it to understand. The girls have seen us and many others come and go from the orphanage over their years there, and still could never have imagined seeing it from this side. I am not sure just what it is... maybe it is that you open yourself up fully to loving and caring for this time, it could be that although you talk about hope and show hope, as you are going , everything that is hopeless about the situation jumps right out at you, or maybe it is because you never know if you will ever see those you love so much again... what ever the reason , it is nasty. We have tried saying good buy in big groups , small groups, out in public or at our own apartment... nothing works.
As I spoke more with the girls, they shared that it was like there was this big hole in there hearts that was left when those kids were riped out... I share with them that I know the whole well... The thing is , that was not a part of the original you! that is a space that was never there before. it got there because you let that seed of love grow in your heart. and now we have to trust God to fill that hole with more seeds. Many people will never experience this kind of stretching . Some because they are scared of this very moment, and others because they do not know so much love can exist. They asked if it will get any easier... I told them NO it will get harder but this is a special calling... SOMEONE NEEDS TO SHEAD A TEAR FOR THESE KIDS!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Say it fast and it's not so bad !
Our kids are growing up, and with that comes the growing pains of going off to collage or University, and eventually leaving home.
Aiperi will be returning to her second year of sewing and administration school... Luba has a storey that continues to make me ill today... Yet she has been able to trade her sorrows for joy... I don't know where she will decide to go, but I do know that this is one girl that is not going to be "sold off" to some school where they will own her for ten years.... She will never be "sold" again !
We experienced this for the first time many years ago when Benjamin went off to Bible collage, and then got married. We should be a little more relaxed now, Benjamin has done so well, and we are so proud of him and his family.. it all turned out OK... I remember when He came to me worried about tuition, I told him that the decision for his future should not be only based on money, and that he should worry about what he wanted to do, and that I would worry about the money... He received a full scholarship, so I kind of dodged the bullet there... next up was Altynai, no sooner had we decided to tell her the same thing, that we would be the ones to do the worrying, and a two year scholarship was provided for her.. Then the next up is Emma.. she is a little different... she paid her own way through the ESL training at a local university, and she packed up and moved to Kyrgyzstan... who are we to argue with that...
This summer, many of our kids have completed high school in Kyrgyzstan and are trying to decide what to do next. We took a big gulp, and have told many of them the same thing... You worry about where you want to go to school and I will worry about the money...
That was easy to say last spring, but now that it is time to start sending out the deposits, things are starting to mount...
It would be easy to just step back and say that the money was just not there, but these kids have one chance at breaking the cycle of poverty, and that is a good education... We have toughed them to have hopes and dreams... now it is time to bight the bullet....
Aiperi will be returning to her second year of sewing and administration school... Luba has a storey that continues to make me ill today... Yet she has been able to trade her sorrows for joy... I don't know where she will decide to go, but I do know that this is one girl that is not going to be "sold off" to some school where they will own her for ten years.... She will never be "sold" again !
Of course you know our Altynai and her family... this year, her scholarship has run out, and if the timing was not bad enough so has the scholarship for her siblings ...
Larisa and Tanya continue to go to school again this year to work on their social work degrees as well as linguistics...
Ahh and our Torat... "He is such a good boy"... wise beyond his years, and forced to grow up way to fast, Torat has struggled with weather to return to school or get a job. The school that he was interested in has closed, and it looks like the closest one is in Kiev... we are looking into that. Sergey and Anya will have a good talk with him and make sure that this is what he would like to do... if it is , we will be looking at the mountains to GET OUT OF THE WAY ...
Our dear sweet Jildez, she is such a beautiful tender young girl.. I am sure she is being pressured to take a path that is not the direction she wants to go... She has great musical talent, but being an orphan growing up in a very poor orphanage, she never had an opportunity to develop that talent... she dreams of attending music school... I want that dream to come true
Then there is Shakir.. He his a fun kid, he is always quick to help out, and has a real heart to share. His mother is the assistant director of one of the orphanages, and any extra that their family has is always put back into the orphanage to help make ends meet... he has had to sacrifice a lot for the sake of the orphans around him, I would hate to see him have to sacrifice his future too. We talked to him, and he would like to become a customs agent. This is a good job in Kyrgyzstan, but the collage course is an expensive one.. I think it is because you do come out with a job. It got a whole lot more expensive when I got notice yesterday that today was the last day to register, and that 1/2 the years tuition had to be in with his application. Not only that but they are a half day ahead of us so it actually was tomorrow ... gulp... thank goodness for Western Union ...
Once the dust settles, I am sure that there are a few more kids that we will need to steer back onto the right track, and a few more who's funding has not come together for them, and that with stretch things a little further . All in all, my guess that this years scholarships total will come in around $3500. I guess we will know better as September approaches. really it is not a lot... if you say it fast...
I am always trying to teach these kids to put faith in their fathers provision... something that I have had to do a hole lot of recently, but have never been let down yet... I HOPE that this is a lesson that they will learn.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Fwd: picnic 3
-----Original Message-----
From: emabugs12@aol.com
To: sunmasterjohn@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 15, 2010 4:27 pm
Subject: picnic 3
the picnic today was great. The kids were all Lenas girls that she has been visiting regularely for two years. They are such good girls and we had a really good time together. It was nice to have a smaller group this time. They really love to swim. A couple of them learned to swim today and they were so proud of themselves.
From: emabugs12@aol.com
To: sunmasterjohn@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 15, 2010 4:27 pm
Subject: picnic 3
the picnic today was great. The kids were all Lenas girls that she has been visiting regularely for two years. They are such good girls and we had a really good time together. It was nice to have a smaller group this time. They really love to swim. A couple of them learned to swim today and they were so proud of themselves.
Another pot of Ploff...
I wanted to share a bit about the great week we had in Quebec. It is always a time of refreshing for us when we are there with. Although they are not actually related, our hosts , the Wright's , truly are our family. We could not think of a better place to finish off the match week then with a Kyrgyz picnic on the beach for some of the many supporters from their community . If you noticed the comments on the last picnic, the girls said that we did a good job at setting up the picnic with out them, but that "where are the salads?"... so this time we made sure to do it right .
It was a beautiful setting and a beautiful day.
We even had some special visitors like our friend Brigitte who stopped by for the afternoon
When everything was over, Sobaka (the dog) got to lick out the pot.
and me ? I became best friends with a fan .....
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A new perspective
The picnic yesterday was really great. It was really great to have the team from america and holland there. They had a great program for the people from berry ugly and invited our kids to join them. they really did great things there. They really treated them with dinity and respect. Everyone there had good clothed that fit them right. they were clean and they did their best to make sure they had appropriate bathing suits. they were so well cared for and entertained. They acted out the story of punchanello and there was a young boy on the team there who acted as punchanello, he did a really great job and did as much as any adult on the team. He handled everything well. Of coarse it's hard for anyone to go to an invalid home, but he really coped well there. I hope people will see that children can make a great impact in a missions team in a different way than an adult could. I also hope that someone will do something like that at our invalid home. after helping with "kids" camp for them, i saw the men in a different way. i saw them as little orphaned boys trapped inside dirty old man bodys. Except that they are more alone than a young boy in an orphanage because their bodys are old and dirty and they a little bit scary looking so nobody wants to get close to them. I'm so thankful for the people like Laurissa(in KG) and Max(in Ukraine... www.truehopeukraine.com) who come and show them love. i hope that people will look past thier phsycal appearance and start to adopt these kids too.
There is another member of our team that you didn't write about yet, Lena. We are here to help her with whatever she does here, but it seems like she is the one who helps us. She was living in and going to school in Kyrgyzstan for 9 years, so she understands the girls and helps them whenever they need someone to talk to. She has a big heart for her kids here and they love her very much. She also works hard to have good relations with the directors, which makes it possible for us to do everything that we've done here. This picnic was actually her dream come true. She really had a burden to take the rest of the kids who hadnt gone on the picnic last time and she worked really hard to make her plans work.
even though we are more independant here, Lena still takes care of us like a mom. She makes us phone her every time we take the bus to make sure we got there and home safely. She's a good leader for our team. We are so blessed to be able to serve together.
There is another member of our team that you didn't write about yet, Lena. We are here to help her with whatever she does here, but it seems like she is the one who helps us. She was living in and going to school in Kyrgyzstan for 9 years, so she understands the girls and helps them whenever they need someone to talk to. She has a big heart for her kids here and they love her very much. She also works hard to have good relations with the directors, which makes it possible for us to do everything that we've done here. This picnic was actually her dream come true. She really had a burden to take the rest of the kids who hadnt gone on the picnic last time and she worked really hard to make her plans work.
even though we are more independant here, Lena still takes care of us like a mom. She makes us phone her every time we take the bus to make sure we got there and home safely. She's a good leader for our team. We are so blessed to be able to serve together.
Monday, July 12, 2010
"The Russian Emma is nothing like the English Emma"
This has been a real time of growing for Emma, and we could not be more proud of her. For the first couple of months in Kyrgyzstan , Emma was staying with friends, and although she was busy teaching, most things were looked after for her. We have an incredible network of friends in Kyrgyzstan, and they ALL worked very hard to make this a positive experience for Emma. Many of the day to day things like banking and transportation, food, and scheduling were all over seen by the many that were there to help.
Life in the Ukraine has been a little different. Don't get me wrong, the girls are safe and they have had lots of help... even as they walked down the stairs off the plane, they were met on the tarmac and escorted to Ed who had everything arranged for them... but since they have traveled to Krovy Rog, Emma has had a lot more responsibility. There are schedules to make, and that includes having the funds available to make a difference. For some reason TD bank does not have any banks in that region that will except their bank cards... so Emma has had to figure out where and how to get money, as well as setting up Internet and other tasks that could be difficult in our own community , but as a quiet shy country girl she has been forced to step out of her comfort zone... Today the girls were laughing as they told me that the Russian Emma is nothing like the English Emma... she is loud and forceful, she can navigate the buses, the banks and has no problem defending their needs when things are not going as they should .. she has purchased Internet and installed it on the lap top, and has even set up Skype so they could call home... all this from our girl that would hand the TV remote to her sister when she wanted the channel changed. ..On top of all this she had managed to set up many special days with the kids in the orphanages along with connecting with other groups that are working in the orphanages. It all takes a lot of organization to keep it all rolling along... Emma has risen to the challenge ... I remember when Julie asked her if she would come back to Canada on her own when the visa's were turned down for the second time... she replied... " Mom we came here as a team... and we will stay as a team." As a team , these three young ladies are bringing hope and encouragement to hundreds of children and adults alike . With such a limited budget they have had to be very resourceful so that they can continue to work with the kids. Today they were telling us of a contact that they have just made that will provide them with new clothes and toys for the kids at their homes and orphanages.
Emma told me another interesting contact... It was a man from Minnesota who sat with the girls and told them of a storey that encouraged him so much .. It was the storey he heard from Ed Dickson of a young Girl who's family lived in an orphanage as she struggled to attend university and look after her family, then someone bought her a home and the family was able to be reunited... it was one of the reasons that he was on this missions trip... he was blown away, when he found out that the girl in the storey was Altynai... A dream come true for him, not just knowing of the storey, but now having that very girl working with them as a translator on a missions trip... must be a God thing..
Life in the Ukraine has been a little different. Don't get me wrong, the girls are safe and they have had lots of help... even as they walked down the stairs off the plane, they were met on the tarmac and escorted to Ed who had everything arranged for them... but since they have traveled to Krovy Rog, Emma has had a lot more responsibility. There are schedules to make, and that includes having the funds available to make a difference. For some reason TD bank does not have any banks in that region that will except their bank cards... so Emma has had to figure out where and how to get money, as well as setting up Internet and other tasks that could be difficult in our own community , but as a quiet shy country girl she has been forced to step out of her comfort zone... Today the girls were laughing as they told me that the Russian Emma is nothing like the English Emma... she is loud and forceful, she can navigate the buses, the banks and has no problem defending their needs when things are not going as they should .. she has purchased Internet and installed it on the lap top, and has even set up Skype so they could call home... all this from our girl that would hand the TV remote to her sister when she wanted the channel changed. ..On top of all this she had managed to set up many special days with the kids in the orphanages along with connecting with other groups that are working in the orphanages. It all takes a lot of organization to keep it all rolling along... Emma has risen to the challenge ... I remember when Julie asked her if she would come back to Canada on her own when the visa's were turned down for the second time... she replied... " Mom we came here as a team... and we will stay as a team." As a team , these three young ladies are bringing hope and encouragement to hundreds of children and adults alike . With such a limited budget they have had to be very resourceful so that they can continue to work with the kids. Today they were telling us of a contact that they have just made that will provide them with new clothes and toys for the kids at their homes and orphanages.
Emma told me another interesting contact... It was a man from Minnesota who sat with the girls and told them of a storey that encouraged him so much .. It was the storey he heard from Ed Dickson of a young Girl who's family lived in an orphanage as she struggled to attend university and look after her family, then someone bought her a home and the family was able to be reunited... it was one of the reasons that he was on this missions trip... he was blown away, when he found out that the girl in the storey was Altynai... A dream come true for him, not just knowing of the storey, but now having that very girl working with them as a translator on a missions trip... must be a God thing..
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Through Altynai's Eyes
Now that the girls have Internet, we have started getting more emails and updates. As part of their "New" plan, we have them working with Ed's people down in southern Ukraine. We have not had the time needed to raise a budget for them, but wanted them to have a good experience, so We have been giving them a budget of $100 a week to work with the kids... not a lot of money , but for us it adds up, and for them, it is one heap of money, and a great opportunity to be a part of blessing others. Here is one of the letters we got from Altynai. hello! how are ya?
how is Quebec? I hope you're having fun there and I saw pictures at the blog: I like this kyrgyz party that you made at Canada day :)
we're doing good and, you know, I want to say thank you for this opportunity to be here because, I think, I found what God wants me to do all my life!! and also I see that many people that wants to serve God don't have enough money to do these things that we do and I feel so thankful and want to do more. People say about us that we are missionaries and it makes me happy :)
thank you papa and mama, I can't wait to see you and I want to tell you more!!!!
love Altynai
At the Boys rehab centre, Altynai planned a day of fun and games.. she wrote Bekah to get her to send her a reminder of how all the different games went that Bekah had played with them when they were living in the orphanage so long ago... They had such a great time, and had a birthday celebration as well....
Then over at the girls home they had a party as well.. for them they bought ice cream and fresh berries... what an exciting thing that would be.. I have been at parties like that before, for many of these kids this will not only be a first, but they will never expect such a treat again.. we just take so much for granted.. but our girls don't.... Every time they meet with the kids, they have a storey for them of how life can hold out great hope and opportunity for an orphan, and that they are living proof that good things can happen...
Next I will tell you a little about things from Emma's perspective.
how is Quebec? I hope you're having fun there and I saw pictures at the blog: I like this kyrgyz party that you made at Canada day :)
we're doing good and, you know, I want to say thank you for this opportunity to be here because, I think, I found what God wants me to do all my life!! and also I see that many people that wants to serve God don't have enough money to do these things that we do and I feel so thankful and want to do more. People say about us that we are missionaries and it makes me happy :)
thank you papa and mama, I can't wait to see you and I want to tell you more!!!!
love Altynai
At the Boys rehab centre, Altynai planned a day of fun and games.. she wrote Bekah to get her to send her a reminder of how all the different games went that Bekah had played with them when they were living in the orphanage so long ago... They had such a great time, and had a birthday celebration as well....
Then over at the girls home they had a party as well.. for them they bought ice cream and fresh berries... what an exciting thing that would be.. I have been at parties like that before, for many of these kids this will not only be a first, but they will never expect such a treat again.. we just take so much for granted.. but our girls don't.... Every time they meet with the kids, they have a storey for them of how life can hold out great hope and opportunity for an orphan, and that they are living proof that good things can happen...
Next I will tell you a little about things from Emma's perspective.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
That's our Aipery....
It was a rough blow to all of us when the Canadian Embassy in Kiev refused Visa's for our girls... but that's another story... The girls are doing a much better job then I am at dealing with the disappointment.. I think they are a lot more used to disappointments then we are.
We moved them to Krivoy Rog where Ed has a home for them to stay. They are living there and volunteering in the orphanages and the invalid homes .
One of the things they are doing is teaching a group of kids. Aiperi has a group of about a dozen kids in particular that she has grown fond of. She has been able to share with them her storey of grace and hope. She told them all that God takes delight in granting the desires of their hearts... it just takes time some times. She shared how she had lived in an orphanage just like them, but after several years, her dreams started to come to reality, and now her family has been restored, she has a home, and is in collage, and now she is with them for the summer to encourage them. So her first project was to get them all to start dreaming.. and draw pictures of the things that they are dreaming of.
After they had done this she started looking at all the dreams that these kids had, and has determined that she is going to meet these dreams . They did not have Internet yet, and was not able to get her dreams through to me fast enough, so our precocious and resourceful Girl took maters into her own hands. She had made pillows that she was bringing to Canada as gifts for all the people that she was going to be visiting .. so she took the pillows and began selling them to raise funds to meet the dreams.. the first few were easy they were simple things like a pen or a plain book for writing, but then they started to get a little bigger.. one of the boys dreams was to have a skate board... a couple days ago, she had raised enough to meet that dream
She went out and got the skateboard that the boy had wanted, and wrapped it specially for him... well I am not sure if the wrapping job was for him or for me..hhahahaha.. she wrote in English the message to him... either way, he was so happy to have his special dream met.
We moved them to Krivoy Rog where Ed has a home for them to stay. They are living there and volunteering in the orphanages and the invalid homes .
One of the things they are doing is teaching a group of kids. Aiperi has a group of about a dozen kids in particular that she has grown fond of. She has been able to share with them her storey of grace and hope. She told them all that God takes delight in granting the desires of their hearts... it just takes time some times. She shared how she had lived in an orphanage just like them, but after several years, her dreams started to come to reality, and now her family has been restored, she has a home, and is in collage, and now she is with them for the summer to encourage them. So her first project was to get them all to start dreaming.. and draw pictures of the things that they are dreaming of.
After they had done this she started looking at all the dreams that these kids had, and has determined that she is going to meet these dreams . They did not have Internet yet, and was not able to get her dreams through to me fast enough, so our precocious and resourceful Girl took maters into her own hands. She had made pillows that she was bringing to Canada as gifts for all the people that she was going to be visiting .. so she took the pillows and began selling them to raise funds to meet the dreams.. the first few were easy they were simple things like a pen or a plain book for writing, but then they started to get a little bigger.. one of the boys dreams was to have a skate board... a couple days ago, she had raised enough to meet that dream
She went out and got the skateboard that the boy had wanted, and wrapped it specially for him... well I am not sure if the wrapping job was for him or for me..hhahahaha.. she wrote in English the message to him... either way, he was so happy to have his special dream met.
Aipery is going to continue working on the special dreams of her class over the next few weeks... she is now trying to sell enough of her stuff to buy one of the boys a bike...
Faced with the needs of others, she stops and asks herself... "what can I do, what do I have at my disposal to show love and bring hope to another..". I love when they start to reproduce what they have seen...
Tomorrow I will bring you an update from Ukraine from Altynai's perspective... more moving stuff...
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