Kyrgyzstan Waiting Children Pie Challenge

As we are getting ready to start the 4th annual Christmas Pie in the face and Vitamin Challenge for the kids in Kyrgyzstan, I came across this video from last year ... It has hit me particularly hard this year.., since this was made we have traveled to 18 states, and met with many of the families in the video . Now when I think of these kids, and visit them in the orphanages, we see their forever families in our minds.. we have seen their new rooms. we have seen the fields they will be playing in. I also think of all the brothers and sisters, Grand parents and extended families.. the communities that are praying and fighting to get these kids home.

It's so sad.. I wish there was more that we could do.

This year , we will be traveling to Kyrgyzstan for Christmas to be a part of the Celebrations.. Maybe we can't get them home by Christmas , but they will know that they are loved.

Emma was at one of the orphanages last week for the birthday of one of our young kids, He was happy enough to see her and get a few toys and some new clothes, but when Emma mentioned his Dad's name, he suddenly lite up.. Just the mention of that name brought Hope and Joy to him..

I really need a little extra help this year getting volunteers for the pie's Other years we have had 20 volunteers, but this year we need to double that to 40.. I know deep down that We have to get the vitamins there. We have all heard the stories, and seen the photo's , We need to do more then a hit and miss approach that we have been taking to supplementing nutrition.. we need to get all these kids, big and small, the nutrition on an on going basses that they need , and that begins with vitamins.

The way I figure it , we can either find twice as many committed pie targets now, or in a few weeks , we can try to convince all our donors to give twice as much ...

Just think $10 will not only provide the kids with a day that they are reminded that they are special , but for the next 365 days, they will be provided with the building blocks of life when they need them most.

Please email me with your commitment to receive a pie, as well, please help me to recruit a few more...

sunmasterjohn@aol.com

In time for winter

As the winter is approaching, fear beginning to settle in the valley. This time every year, although it is still warm, our friends have one eye on the snow line in the mountains. Every day the snow is a little lower. Let me tell you , when you can't just go turn up a thermostat, or when you have NO heat at all , like the dining room at the mens home, winter is not something you look forward to.

Along with Lyn and Ruby joining Emma in Kyrgyzstan this week, we have a couple other short term trips on the go. You all know Jody from our spring trips, well she is on her way next week, along with our friend Gabriel... two incredible women with hearts of Gold.

When she first contacted me she asked what the most pressing needs were.. "COAL" was my answer. we now use close to 50 tones of coal a winter... The seniors home, Dayspring, the rehab centre, and the many families we watch over... Last night Jody called me to let me know she will take care of that next week. WHAT A BLESSING... Just as confirmation how serious this is, with in 5 minutes of hanging up the phone from her I received an email from the director of the rehab centre asking if we could help her with coal.. she was worried about what she was going to do... especially since places like hers become emergency shelters in the winter.

I was able to respond right away that Jody was on her way and would be making arrangements for her coal. Just in case she thought that maybe we had forgotten her,the response was so quick that she knew right away that she had not been forgotten, in fact this need was in the works BEFORE she even asked... I just love that.. Stay tuned for some more amazing things that Jody and Gabriel will be doing ,... the coal is just the beginning .

Another exciting thing happened. I was talking to Dave Wright about the trip at Christmas . His friends have money that he was going to bring for work at the mens home. The have agreed to send it early so we can get a start on the renovations there, and maybe even get the heat in before winter. But what is even more exciting is that 3 of his kids will be travelling with him.

They have been incredible supporters of the work in Kyrgyzstan for years, and last winter, they travelled to Guatamala on a missions trip. They are incredible kids , and it will be such an honour for us to have them along. and hay .. that's 120 more lbs of vitamins we will be able to carry on this trip.

family and friends.

Tonight we are at the retirement party of a dear friend of ours. He followed the call, changing his career path, but still spending 25 years in the ministry. He was a big part in my life, and had a lot to do with the reason I am on the path that I am.

Before going to the party, it was nice to have a visit with some of our kids .. We went for a visit at Benjamin and Rachels, and spent some time with Jonah.. I had a nice visit with Altynai on FB chat.. She is helping us to organize some events while the team is there over the next month. As well we had a visit with Emma.

While Julie was chatting with Emma, Emma was sharing about her first day with Dasha .. She was very quiet when she came , not a lot to say. Emma slept in the living room last night, outside Dasha's door so that she could listen to make sure she was ok... Then while Emma was on FB with Julie, Dasha came out and crawled up onto Emma's lap and watched intently while Emma typed . Emma shared with her the conversation she was having with Julie. Then Dasha started typing ... It did not make any sense to us, but she then shared with Emma what it was that she was typing . She began to open up....

7000 miles apart, yet Dasha understood that there was a babushka on the other side of that screen that loved her already.

Lynn and Ruby will be in the air right now on there way to Kyrgyzstan.. We are so blessed that they will be there for the next month to be the hands and feet of LAMb.. we are a little envious.. we wish we were there ourselves, but we know that there is a lot to do here right now. But please remember them in prayer as well .. there is again soooo much on their plate, as they not only break new ground, but keep the everything rolling ...

The first child arrives ..

This is a very special day for Emma. She is concerned, she is excited, and she is ready. Today Emma and the rest of the family and staff at Dayspring woke up with a new child in their care.

Her name is Dasha, and she is a beautiful little girl. I said that Emma is concerned.. she knows Dasha's story, and she knows that important role that Dayspring will play in Dasha's future. As you know , Emma takes her position in Kyrgyzstan very seriously.. and the life of a child is a serious matter.

Emma has shared with me some of the issues that Dasha will be facing , and as I read her letter, I realize that the work we do and all the connections that we have , will all be needed to meet the needs of these children in a manor that would be right , and pleasing to God. I also recognize that we are going to need the help of sponsors to do this. If it was just "Three hots and a cot " it would be one thing, but it's not .. it is a life we are talking about .. we have a commitment to love and care for these children as our own..

At this point, Dasha does not have a sponsor.. in fact at this point, we are not certain how extensive her medical needs medical needs will be , but we do know that she needs people in her court .. fighting for her , and standing in the gap for her. Yesterday Dasha may have been alone , today she has the LAMb team , Maybe tomorrow she will have YOU.

To read more about this exciting news, check out The LAMb Blog ...

Happy Birthday my young friend .

Today was another busy day for Emma , We missed on of the kids tuition... well not really missed, just overlooked. but all is worked out now.. Then Emma went out to one of the orphanages to celebrate a birthday with one of our special friends.

He was so close to going home, but now this has been the third birthday that he has celebrated with out his family. I just got this note from Emma

".here's one picture of Amir, theres a couple more i'll send when I can get to better internet. Amir was really happy with his sweater and soccarball, but his smile was biggest when I mentioned Bob. I think today was a special day for him because you remembered about his birthday and also when I got there they were all getting ready to go to a play near Bishkek, so he probably felt pretty special to wear his new jacket there. I couldnt remeer exactly how many kids were there, but we took at least 10 cakes I think last time, so i would have had to take a taxi, and also then there wouldnt be enough left for much of a present, so instead of cake i got 3 or 4 kilos of those fancy truffle chocolate and 2 boxes of cookies. and went by bus."

For a girl that does not like shopping , Emma is sure getting her share. I can remember when Amir stayed with us he loved the chocolates she is talking about... they are individualt wraped truffles, and they are incredible. Far better then a cake any day.

Emma also had a meeting with the director.. Part of any visit to an orphanage is the "How's your momma .. when you sit and visit and talk about family and friends, then there is an opertunity to share the needs of the orphanage.. then you get to what you are there for...

The most common need is food and school supplies.. both of which we have been helping with here for years. Today it was a little different.

Over the last year, US Aid has been doing a lot of work at the orphanage.. renovating and repairing the buildings. They have done a great job... We are listed as parteners in the project... yet the work done is soo fare out of our leage.... but we did do our part... We provided the food for the workers that were there for the summer.. I figured that they would be fead any ways... and we did not what them to cut into the food for the kids, so it seemed like a good trad off.

Now the renovations are done, and the director is asking Emma to help her out.. All the rooms have been repaire, and repainted, all with new windows, but they don't have any drapes, and they are wondering If I can help with that. To do all the buildings will be $700 .. this will cover the materials, and they will make the drapes themselves. I don't really have room in the budget for this, but I guess they don't have to do them all at once, so I will give them a bit to get started... if anyone wants to help with this , you can use the pay pal button on the side .. But in time we will get it done...

Looking for Multi Vitamins

As we are getting ready to start the Christmas pie in the face challenge, I am looking for Vitamins. We need another 1500 one year supplies of multi vitamins . I have several leads I am working on, so I expect that number to come down. If there is anyone out there that would have some leads that they would like to track down for me that would be great. As well maybe you are part of a group or Church that would be interested in pledging as well.. every bit help.

Incredible news

I have mentioned several times before, but it is worth repeating ... Vitamins are literally life savers for many that we are working with. We are so diligent to make sure that we have our kids in North America receive a good balance of Vitamins..... and that's why almost everything that we buy now that is processed is fortified with them... we know that they work. Now if I am honest , I don't notice a big difference by taking them, but we do know they are working..

When we are dealing with our friends in Kyrgyzstan.. it is a totally different situation . We work with kids that are surviving on pennies a day... home ground flour and a bit of oil, fried and served with sugary tea.. this is the staple diet.. everything else is a bonus. We find so many are small , under developed, and have very week immune systems.. Many have rickets, TB is everywhere, and it is not out of the ordinary to die from a common cold. When you add vitamins to a child living in a situation like this, the differences are like night and day.

We have seen sick and listless kids , turn completely around and begin to thrive in as little as 2 weeks of regular vitamins. So much so is the difference, that we had decided that, next to some creams and ointments, we will only be focusing on bringing Vitamins when we go from now on.

Something that has been burning in our hearts for a few years now, has to do with our Christmas Pie in the Face challenge.. We currently bring hope and dignity to well over 2000 people every year... One day of the year makes such a difference to their mental state, but how much more could of a lasting impact if we also focused on their physical state. We see the success this has had in the Ukraine where our friend Ed Dickson has been providing vitamins and a trip to McDonald's, which he calls McJoyful Christmas.. Just think of the difference we could make.. think of how much more effective our food drops would be to the orphanages if they went along with a Vitamin project..

I am really excited about this, and have been sharing this idea with many different organizations looking to make it possible... I

just got off the phone with an organization called

Vitamin Angels ..

Today they truly are our angels. They have agreed to donate vitamin A for all of our kids up to 5 years old , and multivitamins for the women who are pregnant or nursing ....you can read more about

their program at http://www.vitaminangels.org/ .

What a blessing it is to have an organization like this step up and support. more then that, it is a real encouragement to me that this dream is possible.

Over the next couple weeks, I will begin contacting our Pie in the Face challengers from previous years to see how many are interested in taking part again this year.. If you would like to take part in the challenge , let me know .... just to remind you how it works... I register you, and right on the blog we provide pay pal link and a tracking thermometer, along with individual totals. You get your family and friends to donate $500 and someone gets to throw a pie in your face, and we post it right here. It's lots of fun .. it's exciting , and we get to make an incredible difference in the lives of the orphans.

Previous years we had a goal of $10 000 , thats 2000 @ $5 each.. we had 20 pie challengers each raise an average of $500... this year, we are going to stretch our faith.. With the increase costs in Kyrgyzstan over the last few years , along with the added expenses of transportation and delivery of the vitamins, we are now looking at raising that to $10 per child.. So this year we will be looking for 40 challengers. for a total of $20 000. I believe it is possible .. and I believe that our kids are worth it. Please think about it ... maybe this year your friends can through a pie at you.

On December 26 we will be flying out of JFK, heading to Kyrgyzstan to be a part in the festivities as well as setting up the vitamin program and touching base with the many other programs that we are involved with. If you are interested in joining us, drop me a line. You could come and witness first hand the impact that you are making .

Orphanage and hospital food drop

Emma was able to fit in a few hours of shopping this morning before Melody's birthday party. We received a donation for food for the Baby orphanage, so Emma was taking care of that . She arranged some help, but they could not stay. It was taking so long for the shop keeper to put the order together... once again the Yogart appeared to be the issue.. all priced different... But Emma was able to bring fruit, Yogart, carrots and potatoes. and had a little left so she also got a few bags of cucumbers . Then she had "Had enough" so she loaded the Tatchka and headed for the baby orphanage ..hahaha Unless you have spent some time in the Bazaar, you would not totally appreciate this.

But she did have a few other stops before home. She made a quick stop at another store, and then the Baby Hospital.. She has continued to make sure that they have had enough formula for the new babies there .

We are so proud of her and the way that she has managed to continue the work in Kyrgyzstan, Especialy with Sergey and Anya away, Emma has had a little extra to do . There is a lot going on this time of year ,.. with all the tuition's and other needs .. But she has been able to somehow keep it all strait.. Shopping.. paying bills .. working the bank machine ... something I was always fighting with ... internet... All things that we take for granted here, but are things that test your patience there .

We appreciate all of you who have continued to support all these special needs, and have helped to keep Emma so busy.... Lynn and Ruby will be there next week, and will be helping Emma deliver large bags of rice to all the families on her list... When she said she wanted 100 bags, she sort of picked that figure off the top of her head... now that she is making the list up, she is up over 150, and is now trying to decide who to remove off the list ... Unless her Dad can come up with another $1500 for her before then..haha

p.s.

Emma did get to have some time playing with the kids .. We will post a few more photos of that when she gets to a better internet ...

Not just the needs ... but the desires ...

So I have spent the last hour looking through thousands and thousands of photo's looking for one...

One special picture .. it is of a young girl that probably thought we had forgotten about her... but We had not forgotten.. I just lost her photo..hahaha

This young lady came to us in the spring with her mother asking for help... When I asked what they needed, the mother told us that she needed an arm.. It was missing just past her elbow. We had not even noticed.. she was so confident.. in fact it seemed to be more of a concern for her mother then it was for her.. she wanted a computer for school... But the arm won out ...

I made some calls and thought we were on our way... just needed to raise a little money and she would have an arm... During the summer, we got an email from some kids that saved their vacation money and rather then buying some things that they felt they didn't really need, they wanted to get her an new arm. Well getting anything done in KG in the summer is almost impossible because of all the holidays... well now that I think about it, getting anything done in KG at any time is a challenge... .. But finally everything came together and Larissa followed all the leads, and what do you know ... not sure if it was as a favor or what, but the arm was free.... Sooo exciting ...

I will have some pictures in a few days.. but then we were left with the decision of what to do with the donation. I contacted the sponsor and spoke with them .. It was a no brainer.. and Our young friend will be getting her new laptop for school that SHE wanted ...

I am reminded that God not only provides for our needs, but He DELIGHTS in giving us the desires of our hearts... It is just so cool to be a part of something like this.. so for a young girl that a few weeks ago was feeling that we may have forgotten about her... she is sure going to get a thrill.

I am just thinking back to that day and chuckling . We had a new translator that day, and it was a particularly buisy day . We seemed to be in about 10 different directions at the same time.. ( possibly why I can't find the photo ) when things slowed down a little , I got a chance to sort of debrief the translator to make sure she was OK and following ... she said ... "I just have one question... How is it that you know a number of where to get a fake arm ?" It just struck me as funny ...

Lessons to be learned.

I just sent some more money over to Emma . She had three more tuition's to pay. When things got desperate for these three kids, they decided that they would not return to University this year. Finances were just not there , and despite the fact that they had already invested everything they had and one full year, they knew they could not incur more debt. We heard about this, and told them that we would cover the short fall in their tuition.

It took a bit of coxing, but they returned to University.. it was not because they did not want to go, but it was that they did not believe that we would help. The University agreed to give us a little more time and allow the kids to start without paying the tuition up front. We are well ahead of the agreed date, but the kids have still been nervous that we would not follow through, it sometimes seemed like a struggle to keep everyone on track because of their fears ... .. Donations came in and today we were able to pay those tuition's...

For me it seemed like a no brainer.. I told them I would pay, I reassured them , yet they still could not relax and believe. Maybe because they had no frame of reference for anything like this from their past... yet today they received a blessing more then they could ever have imagined.

It made me think... God has promised us so much... he reassures us regularly, and he HAS given us many examples of provision in the past ... yet at times we are just like these kids .. full of amazement and wonder when He is faithful .

I wonder how much God has struggled to keep me on track... and if he shakes his head like we did when we start to get nervous... I hardly know these kids ... or at least I can hardly keep them all strait in my mind yet I expect them to trust me... How much more should I trust a God that not only keeps me strait in His mind, but he has the hairs on my heads numbered.

Tomorrow we will start work on the Seniors day celebration .( Oct 1 ) , a food drop for the Baby orphanage and Hospital, as well as shoes for the men at the rehab center. Not only am I feeling blessed about Gods provision, but I am excited to see what the future has in store .

this and that

Had a nice day today. I dropped Bekah at school and then went for a visit with Lynn. He is up at his cottage for a couple days while Ruby is doing some training in New Hampshire. We had a nice visit and got caught up on the exciting things that they have been up to in Ukraine, and set some plans before they head back to Kyrgyzstan in a couple weeks.

In Norwood , there is a big fall fair that draws people from all over Southern Ontario. I stopped by to see about setting up a booth there this year. We have brought A LOT of Kyrgyz felt crafts that were done by the kids at the orphanages, and hope to sell them, as well as raise awareness. When I spoke with them, I was told that they had only one spot left, and they were saving it for something special and unique.. And we fit the bill.. It's a great spot, in fact it is right where I would have chosen if the choice had been mine. I just love it the way God works things out like that.

Got a nice letter from Emma today . It was full of good news about many of our kids. I just had some money clear the bank as well, so she will be back at it again tomorrow..

David and Jayne will be winding up their stay in Kyrgyzstan shortly. It was for a short trip this time, but they packed a lot into it. They have found that the situation at the University is much more serious then even they had imagined.. We really NEED to get some sponsorship rolling here. If any one is interested in helping with this , PLEASE let me know.. even if you were able to only get a few sponsors, for those few kids.. it will change their lives.. We will do what ever we can to help find sponsors with you, we will provide you with brochures about the program, posters, and video's to show. As well there is a web site set up to assist. www.iucascholarshipfund.org When I see the options for these orphans when they time out of the orphanages, it just makes me sick... By keeping them in school and giving them a good education, we get 4 years to try to reverse what 16 years of institutional living has done for them... this may be their last chance....

Shaping the future

Interestingly enough, as a follow up , or A-Men to my last post, I received an update from one of our friends in Bishkek.. I thought it was fitting ...

He writes ;

Bishkek the capital of Kyrgyzstan 3 million people limitless Internet, coffee shops, new buildings, I pad’s, etc… sometimes I almost forget I am in the 7th poorest country in the world until I take another look around me! The other day I passed an older Russian man sitting next to a scale (where people weigh themselves) asking 1 Kyrgyz som for this service and about block later a Russian lady with two small wooden stools next to a cardboard box reading peoples fortune’s for a small amount of money. I also noticed a small boy with clothes that looked like they had never seen a washing machine and he hadn’t eaten in a long time. There was no smile or joy anywhere on his face only sad resignation that his life was in the pits. It hit me right in the gut this boy had NO hope for today, let alone a future. These children are supposed to be the future for Kyrgyzstan?? What will happen if these boys and girls are left alone? Well our news tells us every day what happens: drugs, murder, sex without love, more abandoned children and the cycle goes on and on. The Taliban get most of their recruits from orphaned boys, drug lords all over the world get their new recruits from boys with no fathers, and the girls end up in prostitution or single mothers with children they can’t take care of, our societies becomes numb to the need and these children are forgotten! The GOOD news is that God doesn’t forget and wants us to reach out to these children and put them into loving homes and families to help reach the potential God has given them. When we invest into these special children we invest into the future of the countries we live in. The children of today will be the future leaders of tomorrow either good or bad depending on how we respond to them.

As I red this , it hit me even stronger how the tools and experiences the future leaders of Kyrgyzstan will draw on will be what they are learning and experiencing today... please take a look over at www.iucascholarshipfund.com and see how you can invest today into the Kyrgyzstan of tomorrow.

Who Knows

Some times I think about how the things that we are involved with in Kyrgyzstan have evolved. we have gone from a time when we go and just have fun with the kids, and do the little extra's that our kids would experience, but the kids there would never dream of... I can remember a time not all that long ago that we gave out bars of soap as party favors and many were overwhelmed... you know ..the simple things ..

Today we are dealing on a whole different scale.. We have over 400 students at a University that we are trying to help with tuition...we have a $20 000 kitchen / dining room renovation at the mens home that is only 1/2 financed so far .. we have major operations and feeding programs.. we have need of 40 ton of coal ($3200) to help the orphanages, seniors home, rehab centers, and families that we work with , and only a couple months to come up with it ... and that's just the tip of it.... So many BIG and IMPORTANT needs..

I really appreciated an email I received from Talant this morning ... It was from a group of about 100 kids that got to go to summer camp this year. The camp had been great with us, they agreed to make room for about a dozen of our kids after the cut off date, and after the camp was full, but they understood the importance , and made a way for them to go. Before we left KG, we gave them a small donation above and beyond the camp fees. We told them to use it to cover any kids that were having difficulty coming up with the camp fees... then the rest , do something "extra" for the kids. In total they had 100 kids ranging from about 8 to 18 , and this year they were each given a monogrammed ball cap .

It may not seem like a lot for us, but for them it would be just the most amazing thing... I have walked through some of these little villages, and recognized old shirts or hats that we had given outback in 2005 ... still being worn .. still cherished .. still reminding them every day of a time when someone showed them love and concern...

One day , not to far in the distant future , these are the people that will be making the decisions.. they will be the people that we are trying to work with on an International level... making the deals.. signing the agreements... when that time comes , I don't want them just focusing on the big money issues... I want them to remember the little things , and how every person is special.. how some one took the time and cared about them... Who knows, maybe one day one of these caps will be hanging on the back of the door in the presidents office at the KG white house... reminding him/her of the lessons that they were taught about Mercy and Justice, Hope and Dignity..

Fwd: maksat and aibek

---- Original Message ----
From: emma
To: sunmasterjohn <sunmasterjohn@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 2:42 am
Subject: maksat and aibek

maksat and aibek shopping for flour, oil, noodles, salt, dry milk for sisters baby, tomato past that they were really excited about, ice cream and drinks, transportation etc. 2270 som. ( $50.50 )
 they say hi and thank  you very much and the lady where we buy noddles from says hi too :)

More Garden photo's

Exercising their faith ...

I just had a great afternoon with some like minded friends. They are a group of radical folks from Newfoundland that are riding bikes across Canada to raise funds to provide operations for orphans. They heard about the amazing work being done through Ed Dickson, and knew that they needed to do something. There goal is to raise $100 000, and so fare they are just over have way home and just over half way to their target. I got to spend some time with One of their new riders I picked up in Toronto, He just flew in from Newfoundland to join them for the home stretch.

Real Religion is to look after widows and orphans..

Just one more way to exercise your faith ...

anyone that wants to be a part of this, can go to http://www.ocbd.ca/ and click on DONATIONS

CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE

Can You just Imagine the sense of pride, and excitement, and the whole pile of other emotions at the mens home as they are harvesting from their very own garden. I am on my way out the door to pick up one of the Bike riders from the airport, but I will post more when I get in tonight .

Doing what they can for the kids ...

Tuesday afternoon, we will be meeting a group of incredible people from Newfoundland that are doing what they can to make a difference.. They will be stoping at the Burger Hut in Norwood ... if you arte in the area, why not stop out and thank them yourself.

. Here is there story

Hi,

For several years now I’ve had the opportunity to work with a group of friends and family in Newfoundland and across Canada who have been diligently raising money to assist Ed Dickson’s mission of helping orphans in the Ukraine. One of the projects developed by Ed Dickson and his team is called Operations Can Be Done. This is a program where handicapped orphans receive life-changing surgeries or operations that are otherwise unattainable.

In August 2010, while cycling on vacation in Gros Morne Newfoundland, God spoke to me through a vision that showed me a way of helping as many handicapped orphans in the Ukraine as possible. He told me to put together a team and raise awareness for Operations Can Be Done by cycling across Canada; from Vancouver to St. John’s! Even though this was outside my comfort zone and there were many sleepless nights as I considered it, I knew in my heart it was what God wanted me and the team to do.

So, here we are; headed to Vancouver on August 13th, 2011 with a plan to tag-team bicycle-ride across Canada with the finish line in St. John’s, Newfoundland in late September or early October.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 to help improve the lives of as many orphans as we can. All of the money we raise (every cent) will help change the lives of these children forever. We’ve been raising monies through bake-sales, penny collections, bbq’s etc.; now you too can become involved by making a donation online. Your donation will be a gift from your heart and received as a gift of love by these children.

Please help us to do as God has instructed through His message to help His children.

Thank you for your support.

~ Tony O'Grady

Altynai's Legacy Adoption Fund...

I am trying to write this post but my mind is all over the place.. I know what I want to share , I want to share of a wonderful new charity that is doing great things, but my mind keeps throwing me back into one of the most desperate situations I can remember... I try to think of the positive, but am still overwhelmed with all the hurts and anguish surrounding the birth of this charity... as in most cases where memorials are set up.. there is a degree of pain that they follow... The pain here is on so many levels... I want this to be a positive and up beat post, but for me, the memories anything but.

As many of you know , or have read here in the past, There are a group of children , about 60 of them , that are waiting for adoptions to be finalized so that they can go home to America. There have been a lot of pointing of fingers and lobbing of accusations that have caused the process to drag on. I hear that huge steps were made today to allow these kids to go home.

From what I am understanding from some of the parents is that they now must do another batch of documents in order to re establish the connection with there kids . This all comes at an incredible cost. A few weeks ago , I was asked to share a link here to a fund that has been established to help these families with these expenses. I must say that this has stirred up a lot of emotion this fund is set up in the memory of a child that did not make it . One that in all likely hood will be alive today if there had not been the delay. One that I held..I hugged..and I had tried to help, and that we all failed .

The life of this particular baby has already made an incredible impact in my life and the life of so many others . She was the first baby that we helped with the microsophalic operations that began a program that has seen over 20 hydrosophalic operations conducted, along with countless others surgeries including cleft palate, brain tumors, skin grafts, eye operations, and many other surgeries.

I had met baby Altynai when I was already stired up , and knowing that I was to do something. It was only a couple days after I spent a day with Larisa delivering food to some of the families she supports .

I had no idea that the day would have such an impact on me. After visiting one lady, she brought me in to the house to meet the rest of the family.

That's when we met her children. Her baby had Hydrocephalus.

Then she handed me her baby and said " Please I am giving you my baby" she had tried everything that she could to help her, but could not get the help needed... she felt that if she was my baby she could get the help that she needed.

This was not the first child I have been offered , but it did make the greatest impact.. The feeling of helplessness as I held that baby.. and unfortunately.. even if she was my baby, I could not save her..

When I met Baby Altynai, I though to myself... we are not going to loose this one... Everything looked like we could make a difference here . We quickly put together a team that would care for her, but however hard we tried, It would never be the same as having her own mother care for her.. some one who was so close . yet so far away... helpless to save her...

I try to think of good things .. I try to put this all into perspective.. but it is just so hard. The worst thing is that this is the life of only one of the estimated 6000 children currently in orphanages in Kyrgyzstan... I have always maintained that international adoption may not be the best answer for all of them, but for many like Altynai.. it is the only answer.

Despite the undeniable friendship and great respect that we have developed with many of the families waiting to bring their children home, My first and foremost thoughts and prayers are for their children that we know and have come to love. They have spent their lives in limbo waiting .. To think that some would remain there for the sake of finances is just not unacceptable ... Altynai's Legacy Adoption fund has been established to make sure that these kids make it home ...

Please go over to the site, and have a look , you will read the stories of some of the parents struggles to bring their kids home.. Also stay tuned here, We will share more over the next few months.. we are even considering a trip to Altynai's US home to help raise awareness .. please take a few minutes and consider how you may be able to help.