Sunday, September 29, 2019

a bit of a scramble

Over the last couple months I have been told many times to take it easy.  While our summer was "interrupted" by my health issues, we did manage to speak at eight different churches, and even catered a wedding , along with planing and organizing a team to the farm along with many other guests through out the summer.   
  What I have noticed is that my multi tasking skills are a bit limited .. It seems to take everything out of me to "take it easy " and accomplish a task at the same time.  
  So here is my problem.  With everything that has gone on,  Seniors day has completely slipped my mind.  
  Seniors day is a very big event in Kyrgyzstan.  It you are a senior that does not have family, and is living on the edge , it can be a real reminder to them of their situation.  But when we show up with a little blessing for them, it can bring such joy. 
   But this year I forgot !.. Olga just reminded me and said "What are we going to do this year for seniors day ?"  It will be a bit of a scramble this year, especially since I did not do any fundraising for this yet.  So I guess we will see what donations come in the next 24 hours and go from there.  I would like to raise at least $500 for this.  I think other years we have spent about $1000.  If you would be able to help us with this in any amount, it would be greatly appreciated.  





  

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Back in the saddle



A friend told me about a seat cushion he uses that was on sale at Canadian Tire, so we picked one up .   So now that I have my saddle we will be good to go.  We will head out tomorrow, and stop and see my brother up north on our way to Espanola .





   Last weekend Julie and I had a couple days up at the lake in Quebec. It is always a restful time for us, and I knew I would soon start doing things I shouldn't if I stayed home much longer .  So we stuck a mattress in the back of the van and I slept as Julie drove... I could get to like that way of traveling. We will have to try it again this weekend as we head for Espanola to catch up with the team and hear more of the incredible things that they did while at the farm.   

Right until the end, they worked hard.  The last couple days was full of canning and renovations on the boys house . 



On their last day they took the kids fishing .. Here you can see Nuric with his lunker ,  Its great to see Akbar on the right . This was only his second full day with us, so it was awesome to have such an outgoing team there to make him feel at home . 


Yesterday I had an appointment with the Urologist.  The biopsy has come back clear, and everything is healing as it should .  He has given me the go ahead to fly in a couple weeks, I will have to take it easy and not push it to much, so it will be a little shorter trip, but we are so thrilled to have the go ahead.  We came home from the Dr and sat down and booked our flight .  We will be departing on Oct 7, and leaving KG on the 19th. of November.  




Friday, September 13, 2019

Exceedingly and abundantly more then we could ask or imagine.

It was three years ago that this team from Espanola made headlines literally around the world , TV, Radio newspapers and internet was a buzz about how a group of foreigners came inn to a small city in Kyrgyzstan and rebuilt a home / life of a pensioner who had lost everything in a fire, including her son. 



They even brought with them needed fire fighter outfits for the local fire department.  They fire department did not have these before this so they were not able to enter the burning house to save her son.  


Nadia was so pleased when her home was restored. 


Now here we are three years later , and tragedy struck again. This time a young widowed mom with three kids ... they lost everything.  Through Sergey, we were able to begin helping right away with some basic needs , and this time word spread and un like with Nadia, people started pitching in and helping them to rebuild their home.  I think that when we give people examples of what is possible we can make an actual long term difference.



With the house rebuilt, and school starting , the team arrived just in time to take the kids back to school shopping,  These kids had nothing , but this day they had a fresh outlook on life and could return to school with everything they needed.


Now here is the God part ... Exceedingly and abundantly more then we could ask or imagine.  Thats right, this is the part that I watch for and love the best. Never would this mother have asked or imagined that the team would return a week later and take them shopping for new furniture for their newly rebuilt home .. And throw in an automatic washing machine as well ... what an incredible thing that is ... something many would only dream about.  



After shopping the team brought the family out for a nice meal ... what a great time to introduce them to a special guest ... Remember Nadia the fire grandmother from three years ago. 


She sure remembered the team .. 


Now I was not there, but I can just here her in my head "Why did you not come and see me sooner " hahahaha



So back at the farm, in the boys house the team has been working with Koder in their spare time , hahah . They are building a small kitchenette that will also have the washing machine, making more room in the bathroom for the boys new shower.  


In one of the big rooms , they did some renovations as well.  Its kind of funny actually , This room had a relay cheep linoleum  floor .  One day we sent one of our boys over to wash the floors ( with our supervision ) .. when we went over to check on him, he had pulled up the floors and had them outside on the lawn and was washing them with a garden hose ... needless to say they have just had carpets over the cement floor since then .

Then last year we put down a new wood floor in the cow barn son they would be warm in the winter.. From that moment on Nuric was offended that the cows could have a wood floor and he had to have a cement floor.  Well Nuric got the ear of the team and while they were renovating the boys house, they put down a wooden floor and then a good quality linoleum on top of that.   Then here is the exceedingly and abundantly more part... they bought them a new couch. 




If you have been watching this team over the last week, you will see so much that they have been able to do .. Some of the funds have come from some of you, but the vast majority of the funds they have raised themselves with the help of the Light House in Espanola .  For months they have been working on the schedule and raising the funds for each specific need . Focusing on  how they can be the most effective and how they can bring the greatest long term benefit to everything they do.   It is a lot of work and planing , but man oh man have they every accomplished  what they have set out to do... and they are not done yet !




Thursday, September 12, 2019

Larisa would be smiling !


Last night the team moved to the Kashar and yurts to make room down on the farm for a large team of dentists coming to bless the underprivileged in Kyrgyzstan.  Of course they brought the party with them.  They began the day with hosting  a picnic and horse back riding for the dentist team.  Then after lunch they gathered up the leftovers from the morning and the night before to have snackes down at the farm for a bus load of guys from the mens home.  After a quick snack ( because the guys can always eat )  Then back in the bus and up into the mountains to go fishing.      




This is such a blessing for the guys to experience something like this.  It is especially nice that Tanya was with them.  They miss Larisa so much and can start feeling alone, but this is a reminder to them that they are still cared for .. I am sure that Larisa would be smiling.  

After catching a nice big feed of rainbow trout, they went up to the Kashar to eat , relax, and be free.... another big thing for them to experience.  We are so blessed all the different people that are able to use the kashar.  

On a side note, just last week while the team was busy in Bishkek we had a group of about 30 students brought by there teachers to the kashar for a day apart.  We have a group of friends that had actually help us build the addition on the Kashar that send a small donation every month so that we can keep it operating as an activity center and be able to provide it at a reasonable price, or like this group of students we could offer the facilities free of charge ...  

Up at the Kashar they had a great picnic with fresh rainbow trout that they caught themselves . 


If that was not enough, "exceedingly and abundantly more then you can ask or imagine" ( my friend Ron always challenged me on this because that is  the way God does things )   We had the horses there for them to ride as well as the eagle hunter came so they could experience that as well .. 





The first time we met these guys many of them were lying on the floor with no or hardly any clothes on, and could not even engage. But over the years with an out pouring of Love from Larisa and those of you who invested in her work, we have seen such a difference in their lives.  I am so glad that we have been able to continue to support Tanya so that she can continue her moms work .  Here is a plug , If anyone would like to invest now in Tanya and things like today's outings, you can donate through the blog and we will make sure she has the resources when needed.   

The team did manage to sit down from time to time despite all the work, but even then they were beacons of love to our kids. 


I guess it is fitting that they come from "The Light House" in Espanola 





Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Changing hats

The team has done it all , they landed a week ago and put on there hard hats right away and started renovations around the farm. Then they switched hats and became purchasing agents and brought the farm kids and families we support to the bazaar.  I don't kn ow what hat you would call it when they found themselves in an old building paint-balling with the kids.  The next hat was putting on the migrant worker hat, and headed out into the fields to harvest crops.  Next up was the hat of the Humanitarian aid worker as they start delivering to the orphanages and families in need.   
One of the ways that the farm works to support itself is the guest house business, it not only provides needed funds, but it is great life skills training for the kids. Today the team packed away the produce to make room for a group of dentists coming to the farm for a couple days .. It was all hands on deck today as they cooked, cleaned, made beds, and even got all the fishing tackle ready for the new guests arrival.  


Vlad is welding up the trusses for the roof over the out door kitchen 

Table is set and ready for 60 people for lunch and dinner ... I wish it was 62!


The team is all smiles despite the work, but what I notice is that the biggest smiles are from some of our girls on the farm, it was not very long ago that they did not have much to smile about, but today they are part of a big loving family, doing what Kyrgyz do best .. hosting big celebration meals. 

 






After lunch while the team cleaned up then moved up to the yurts to make room for the guests on the farm, Sergey took them all to a nice little fishing hole to catch supper . 


 Back home at the farm for a shore lunch , fresh trout on the fire . 


And they are still smiling 


I have no idea where these people are getting all their energy!


still have time for some couple time , relaxing and reflecting on the last week , and thinking about the week ahead.