Update

7:22 AM (14 hours ago)THE AMERICAN GIRL - KATYA - BREAKING NEWS!from LAMb International by LAMb International
WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE PLANS ARE PROGRESSING RAPIDLY
We just received an email from the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine. We have rapid progress from them and need your help to get Katya repatriated to Georgia. Here is a clip from the email:
"As we agreed during our phone conversation last week, this is to let you know that you can start making the arrangements for Katrina's flight to America.
According to the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), the repatriation case has been assigned to the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services.................
AND WE HAVE THE REST OF THE DETAILS OF HER REPATRIATION . She has a place to stay and help there that will help her find a job, finish her Senior year in High School, etc. She just needs a sponsor for her airline ticket and a friend!

We need some help---who out there in Atlanta will be willing to help Katya settle, just be her friend in need for a time such as this. She is 18 in age, but really just a little 12 yeasr old trying to find her way now as an adult.
Thanks so much....the LAMb Team

Update on Katya

Our team members Lynn & Ruby have just sent an update on Katya's situation....

WHERE WE ARE NOW -
Katya is approved to travel and will do so within the next several weeks. She will return to her home state of Georgia and study there - complete her grade 12. We will be calling persons we know in the area she returns to and will be getting her connected to caring adults who will help her settle and get started. If you are from Georgia (Atlanta) and want to help - contact us.

For the full storey , and to find out how to help, please go to lambinternational.blogspot.com

Funny how you know !

I know that this will be a real time of growing for our young friend . It is still difficult for me to think of him off in a strange land on his own. We have kept in contact with Turat, but the language is a real barrier, so we have even set up skype calls from our friend and translator to make sure he is OK . He says that he is great, but deep down, we just did not have a piece about it . We knew something was up.

This week, Ed, and Lynn & Ruby were down to Krovy Rog and had a chance to spend some time with him .. here is their report:

Imagine this young man here in Ukraine - attending College -all alone. Yet he is excited and confident he will someday go back to his homeland and become a pastor. Wow. He had a thin coat, no mitts for his hands and no heavy pants to help him with the sudden change in the Ukraine weather. It was well below zero and Torat would tell NO ONE that he needed a thing. He had $100 stolen from him - all the money he had. He did not have a coin! Ed replaced this for him. However, we had to really "squeeze" him to tell us what he needed. His computer screen had been broken and would cost $100 to be fixed, he was cold too. We are so greatful we could be there to be the extension of you John and do what you would do as his "daddy". He now has some funds for spending, his computer is on the way to the shop, he has a new heavy coat, gloves, a heavy new sweater and great lined jeans. He is a careful shopper and was most cautious to pick out just the best for the need. We were impressed.

We told him we would contact his mother to tell her why he has not emailed (broken computer) and this has been done. Praise God for this time with him. We were the ones that were really blessed. Here is picture of him....he is a charmer!

Love,
Your team members

I can't begin to express how greatful I am that they were there to stop in on him and help him out.

You know often people ask us what our next project is and what new and exciting adventures we think will be in store for us, but it is times like this that it is abundantly clear that the greatest NEW adventure is simply a return to an OLD one... for it is in the return that people know that they are loved and that they are "worth it."

In a couple weeks we will begin our tour through the North East US. We want to have an opertunity to meet with many of the families that have suported the work that we do. We also want to raise awareness for the many friends like Turat that we are blessed to know. When this trip starts, we will also begin a campaign to raise $10 000 M.A.D. money for March return to Kyrgyzstan. That is Making A Difference money .

Making a difference... thats what Lynn and Ruby did in the life of our friend Turat today when they spent a few hundred dollars on him , and as they said , as a result, " We were the ones that were really blessed."

Be careful what you ask for !

Julie and Emma where just sorting out a desk and came across a special photo of Emma . It was from a day that she learned a very valuable lesson... "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it ".. this is something that we could all remember from time to time.. there is so much that we think we would like or should have , yet if we ever got it, we would find that it was not all it was cracked up to be.

When Emma was around 4 , she was with us at Canada's Wonderland .. it was a beautiful day, and we spent a lot of time going around to the kiddy rides.. All emma wanted was to go on the roller coaster, but she was too small and too young. then we found the " Scooby Doo Goaster Coaster".. it had all the fun and thrills of the adult ride, but was geared more for a younger rider. Emma and her Aunt Kim came to us and said ." we have found a Roller Coaster that Emma is tall enough for.. can she Pleeeease go on it...

Now the neat thing is that these rides have a camera that takes your photo on the drop... I know its just a cash grab, but we really had to get this one as a reminder of this valuable lesson...

Home again

We had a great time in DR. the weather was awesome, and the resort was more then we could have imagined. as soon as I track down the patch cord for the camera I will post some photos. Time to time we would hear people talking about the weather back in Canada .. -32 with lots of snow... gulp.. a couple times we found our selves saying .. do you think they will be ok.. well the wood is on the porch, and we just had the propane tanks filled so yes they should be fine... but then from there we go to "I wonder if Aigoola's family are warm enough , what about the orphanage , and the seniors.. are they warm enough..." it was around that same time that I got some update photos from Sergey and Anya... They have a friend from Norway that does a lot of work in KG.. On a recent visit, Sergey brought him to the seniors home, they saw how we have been struggling to put heat into the home section by section as the need arises and the numbers increase.. this year we are one step ahead as he arranged for the final section to be heated.. The next photo they sent was another reassuring one. They had just run out of coal at one of the orphanages. Through the Possibilities International sponsorships, we were able to move quickly and get the heat back on.

One Happy Boy...

Many of you may remember the story about Bekah's friend Samat.. He has worked and saved for over a year so he could get a laptop for his I.T. program at school. With a little help from our friends, Bekah has been able to raise enough to help Samat buy a computer now rather then working for another year..... Jengish met up with him and took him in to Bishkek, and they found a perfect lap top for him.. Samat was so excited, and is so greatful for those of you who had a part in this ...

Do what you can ..and leave the rest to God ...

From the time we arrived in KG last fall, I started getting phone calls from a lady we had helped once before .. a couple years ago we had left KG and still had a credit with Isar our Driver, and had heard about this foster home that wanted to go to Isykol and had no way to get there.. We made a few calls, and Isar provided that transportation.. I had not talked to them since that time..in fact I had never spoken with them personally. We always say "stop for the one infront of you" but sometimes we alter our route so that we don't take on to much.. You can only do so much, and some times I am to ignorant to realize that we do not do this with our own resorces and our own provision, but that there is something greater at work here.

Venera, the home director, fortunatly was a little more persistant then me. Regularly she phoned me despite the fact that she speaks no english, she was relentless.. Please come to my home she would ask.. "YOU MUST COME".. Later she shared with us that she could not give up.. she had a problem, and she new that if she could just get us to come to her home, everything would be OK..
We had so much on the go, and our whole team had been so sick this trip, myself included, it just seemed imposible to take on more.. but Venera was persistant.. Finally we could not help but stop for a visit. It was later in the day and we had a large group with us.. Sergey and his friends, David and Jayne and other friends of ours from the city were with us one day when Julie was lecturing at the University in Bishkek. I had been perticularly under the weather and if it were not for drugs, I would have cancelled, but again Venera was persistant.. so we made the trip... I was so sick I could barely stand.. I mad it through the initial "Hows your Mama" and made my way to the couch where I slipped in and out of the conversation... But I did come around to here why the persistance... She had a young girl with a whole in her heart.. she had exhausted all other resources, and no one would help.. But she new that if she could just get us to her home then Asimba would be OK.. she knew that if not, at least she had done what she could do... Isn't that whats its all about.. If we all can persist long enough to do our part.. Amazing things happen...
I was so sick, I could not even get the story out that night, but I had brought with me friends who picked up the burden and posted the need over on their sight so it was easy.. we just linked and the word was out.. 2 days later, Asimba had her answer... This week she will have her surgery... not because any one person did it all, but because we all did our part.. some parts were big and some were small.. but together, a great thing is happening... Please pray for Asimba this week... she is a special little girl...

Invalid home men recruted to help bring Christmas to seniors and Dump

This morning when I checked the mail I found an update from Larisa, and a not from Emma that Olga had called.. Larisa has been busy with Christmas and a few other projects we had for her... one was getting new sheets for all the men at the invalid home... This was compleated and actualy ended up on TV in Kyrgyzstan.. The letter from Larissa I will let you read for yourself.

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS Merry CHRISTMAS AND A Happy New Year!
We wish you happiness, good helth and love.
Thank you a lot for Christmas joy!
Larisa and Tania.


Our guys are making a beautiful sheets and talking with each other all the time about a Christmas party in seniors home in Kemin . It was their first time going out to celebrate Christmas somewhere else.

The seniors home.
So they found senior friends for themselves.

Christmas in the dump.


When we arrived to this place we saw how people were diging dump in search of food and clothes
When they saw us with Santa they started to approach to us.Noticeably their faces brightened up. They asked Santa if John is here with his family. Santa promised them that John and his family will get our place by the spring but he sent to you Christmas greetings , presents and a lot of good wishes for this coming new year.The celebration was excellent each of them had a hot meal that was plov with chicken. In their present bags there were candys, chocolates, cupcakes, cookies apples, oranges and bananas and ofcours warm words with the books that gives a hope.

Disabled men`s home.
In disabled men`s home still a lot of things to do. We prepared 200 bed sheets to sew and the workers want to sew them by themselves. Today one of their big needs was a sheet for their beds was absalutly nothing to make up their bed. Thank you very much for this gift!

Spanair -Unexpected luggage

When I first saw this video, I thought it was kind of cool.. one of those feel good stories we like to hear about.. But I MUST need a holiday, because after a while it began to make me mad ...I went back and watched it again... First off they try to make it seem like we have a reason to feel sorry for these people .. when everyone else is enjoying Christmas .. they are stuck on a plane... Lets get this strait.. They are going to the STINKIN CANARY ISLAND FOR CHRISTMAS ....... you want to feel sorry for someone... we all know people worth feeling sorry for ...

They probably spent more on their bows then we spent on the presents for our kids ... what gets me more is that this has had over 213 000 hits , and comments like : Great Idea! Its so good, that there are people on this planet who think about some one other! Just think if spainair and the 213 000 of its fans got their head out of the clouds for a few minutes... the true impact that they could have made in the life of someone who truly needs it like Aibek...our young friend in the photo on my last post ....

Opportunity to Bless.

In case any one was wondering, the celebrations continue in Kyrgyzstan.. Or friends have been busy making the rounds .. Lots more photos to come . Below our friend Talant is visiting with a special friend to some of the families that we have been helping through the year. Like Ibek below ..

I have shared about my friendship with Talant on the blog here a few months ago... He and his wife Acel have been such a blessing to us ...

as well as a blessing to so many that have traveled to Kyrgyzstan as well.. They are just great people.. We are especially excited that they are the new house parents for the Day Springs home. They are the family that I entrusted my own Daughter to, so it just makes sense to me that they be the family that we entrust other children to...

Every area that we are involved from the kids to the seniors, Acel is an active part of...

As soon as the LAmb team is on the ground in Kyrgyzstan in March, the final registry will be done and the home will begin receiving kids, then the real work will begin for Acel and Talant. I was excited to hear that the first week of March Acel and Talanty have an opportunity to go to a conference in Turkey for a week. This will be such an incredible blessing for the two of them.

Talants work has agreed to cover all his expenses, as well as 1/2 of Acels expenses if she would like to go.

Now Acel did not ask, and I know that she never would , But I also know that without some outside help, this is totally out of the realms of possibility for them.. Acel will need to come up with $550. We will certainly do what we can personally to help them with this.. But I just thought I should mention it and see if anyone else wants in on this blessing...

Bellow is a little video I found that we had made a couple years ago.. Julie called it Ode to Acel

Feeling humbled.

Yesterday I finished the post with a picture of a beach we are headed for in a couple days .. Julie could tell that I was feeling a little funny about going . I know it is not necessary, but I felt like I needed to justify the trip... even if just for myself.. We always try to make the most of every minute, especially when we are traveling.. People have spent good money to support us, and I guess I did not want anyone thinking that those funds have gone to have Julie and John sit on a beach somewhere...
After posting this on the blog yesterday, we have had an incredible amount of encouragement from our friends, including sever financial blessings to use on our trip.. so un expected... so grateful, and so humbled....

wheels up in three more days !

After returning from Kyrgyzstan last spring, We had a lot to do. Julie had a small inheritance from her mother , and our house needed a lot of work. Although Julies Mom was always very supportive of us and what we do . We knew that she would more appreciate the home front being looked after. So we began renovations.. It was more then the fact that the ceilings were falling in and the wind howled through the old windows, and the furnace was not functional... My mom was coming to live with us , and we knew that it was time to down size. So this 150 year old farm house was getting a face lift... first was the living room ..which would become Moms living room..

Then Moms new Kitchen , Bed room and bathroom ... ( gone was our dining room , den, missions storage room ...)

So with Moms apartment done .. all but the door up, we headed for the Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan for 3 1/2 months ....... knowing that we had no living room or office to return to...

When we got back , we got right to it.. We converted an old storage room over the kitchen into our new Office / spare bedroom

and living room.....

Then finally the door was up and we were officially duplexed.

In this last two months, we have also squeezed in a trip to Colorado, Utah, two trips to Northern Ontario, , OH YA .. and Christmas....

We did however have just a little bit of inheritance money left over when it was all done..... Just enough for one week all inclusive in the Dominican Republic........

We arrive late at night... and will go strait to the compound of the resort...where I intend to stay until it's time to go... Julie asked about if I wanted to go on any city tours... I thought that it is best that I just stay put, or I will be spending my vacation putting a new roof on someones shack or something ..

I don't think I have ever had one of those sit still in one place vacations before, but I think I am ready for it.... We have a VERY BUSY six months ahead of us when we return... so in Three days its wheels up !

Kyrgyz Cuisine

We had friends over, so we took advantage of the chance to make some traditional Kyrgyz foods.

Bish bal Mak

We even made Borsolk

Coming to a town near you .

Over the years we have been so overwhelmed with the incredible support that we have received from all over North America. Many of you we have never met in person, but have become good friends through the cyber community. Before heading back to Kyrgyzstan in the beginning of March, we want to take some time and try to meet as many of our new friends and supporters as we can. We had such a wonderful trip to Utah and Colorado last month, and we realized the importance of doing what we could to share our experiences and build relationships.

On or around the 14th of Feb, we will be taking a driving tour through the North East US. We would like to set up about 4 or 5 locations that we can have open houses. This will give us a chance to share, as well as to raise some funds and awareness for some of the projects we are currently working on . The dates and locations are in the very early stages and are open to change right now, but here is what we are thinking ....

Take a look at the map... If you are on route and would like us to stop for a visit we would love to do so, as well we will post more information as it comes available about each of our stops... Maybe you would like to come out and meet up with some others who have a heart for Kyrgyzstan. At this point Sunday the 20th is open. If you are somewhere between Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and would like to have us speak at your Church, drop us a line as well. Over the next couple weeks, we will post more details as they are firmed up... We can't wait to see you soon.

Another 130 kids blessed ..and more to come

Today was a special day for the kids of another orphanage .. They were so happy to see Sergey and Anya again.. It is a blessing to me that they are able to be going to this orphanage so often.. It is important for the kids to have a lot of contact with them.. they need to know that someone cares.. If you look closely you will see a few faces you may recognize, I was going to just post the ones I new people might be looking for, but they are all special aren't they ! Take a moment and share in their Blessing, and know that you had a part in it...

Thank you again for all your help making these days possible