By way of a kind heart !

Beauty  over the green house on the farm 

Winter  has slid down the mountain and is settled in.  Cold days and colder nights for the next few months.  Growing up in Canada I know what it is like to be cold .  I also know the feeling of desperation putting the last stick of wood in the fire on a cold night, but then having a truck pull up to the door with a load of wood and a box of groceries ..  I have experienced first hand the relief that comes by way of a kind heart.   

Maybe this is why I feel so blessed that we can be a blessing to others and facilitate these blessings .  The boys on the farm are able to bag 100 bags of coal a day... And tomorrow. About 40 of them will be delivered to the family that Vera is helping.  

This morning I got an email from Vera .  This is what she writes .

sent Today at 6:27 AM

Vera  sent Today at 6:27 AM

This is a family in the house now . Today they were visited, they took the children to our school, and tomorrow the studies begin. We bought them a kettle and shoes for the boy. Mom was taken to the dentist, her tooth was removed. Thank God, with your help and support, we can help this family and support them. Thank you very much.

 So much can be accomplished by way of a kind heart!

Good news

Today we received a load of coal just in time.  There had been a shut down of the coal yard while they sorted out new management .   The boys will start to bag the coal right away , and will be ready for more deliveries tomorrow . 

Thanks to everyone who helped us with this coal purchase ...

We had more good news last night when a donation came in to help with the documents and start up needs for the family Vera is working with.  As donations come in from this point we will be able to continue to support them over the winter until they get established.

 

Giving Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day on the farm.  We truly gave thanks for all that we have, when so many are suffering around the world, we have been safe. 

There are a few missing from this picture , Nuric is off doing chores, and a few others that are out side this bubble right now 

They made a traditional Thanksgiving dinner .  Stuffed and cooked turkey was Nicks job. They say it was perfect. tender and well cooked what great flavor. 

They also made stewed Beef , and mashed potatoes.

Dustan was responsible for deserts.  He made a pumpkin pie and an apple pie . 

Vlady and Dr Tatyana joined them for a great meal . 

we were able to buy some more vitamins.  There are several people that had been waiting who who needed them so they were able to start getting them distributed . 

More coal deliveries as well.   They are expecting to be able to get another transport truck load of coal in the next day or two so we will be able to keep delivering .  The coal yard had been shut down while they worked out some management issues leaving a lot of people in the cold.  Thankful we were ahead of this and able to help . 

 Blessings to all of you from all of us . 

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends

Happy Thanksgiving friends .  We have so much to be Thankful for.  We have been blessed that so many of you have continued to support so that we can make so many others thankful . Every day I get messages from people sharing just how thankful they are, like this message from last night 

"Thank you so much for all that you do for us and all people in need in difficult time you help us.. Thank you .We never forget and remember ... the grandfather was so happy ,he hasn't money to buy coal ... I saw him on the street looking for something to burn  and he told me that need coal ..!!!! Tanya "

Grampa heads home happy, thankful and relieved with his grand children and a cart full of coal 

through out the night people continue to show up at Tanya and her grandmothers home looking for coal.

The guys out at the farm decided that they should celebrate the American Thanks giving as well this year .  They have so much that they are thankful for and always love an opportunity for a party .  Haunz II not so much . They texted this morning for instructions on how to cook him . 

 

Feeling raw from the emotions.

Every day we are being lead to more and more people in desperate situations.  I know all to well  feeling raw from emotions after a day of delivering aid .. you get home at night and just want to cry after holding it together all day .... our friends and workers are doing this every day, and we don't see an end in sight .. Just in our immediate area, so far this fall there are 74 new children brought to the orphanages.  The fall out from covid sickness and the economic situation is crushing .   

  We are encouraged that we are finding families who despite the hard times are not giving up and are doing their best to hold their families together and provide a caring home.  With just a little help , sometimes food , some times coal , or clothes and vitamins , we can help them through this season . 

All hands on deck ....Tanya's grandmother busy preparing portion bags to go into the food hampers ..

These are the faces of those that our friends visited today ..  with your on going support we will be able to continue to meet the needs as they arise ..  please take a moment and look through the Christmas wish book  

http://actofkindness.blogspot.com/2020/11/actofkindness-christmas-wish-book.html

  and see if there are any areas that you would feel led to help  .. 

Vladislav Khan sent Today at 8:35 AM

I have included a little information on some of the situations that correspond with the photos .. ( I have mixed the order up on purpose )

3 children. Husband lost a job, -Single mother. 5 children, -Father left the family. Mother died. 7 children. The eldest is 18 years old, -Father left. Mother went abroad and lost, - Single mother. 4 children, -Single mother and she is disabled. One child, -Single mother. 3 children, -Single grandmother. She looks after her 3 grandchildren, - Grandparents look after grandchildren., -Husband lost a job, Husband lost a job, -Family has 5 children. Husband lost a job because the border closed. He was working in KZ, -3 children. 1 is disabled. Husband doesn't have a stable work, -Grandmother looks after 4 grandchildren alone, -Single mother. 4 children. Father died, -4 children. Father does not have a stable work. They rent house, - Father is disabled

This is what Vlad was up to today , but it was possible because people like you donated .. thank you.

Press in !

I did a quick google search for stop for the one in front of you , and what came up was all kinds of information about safe distance to keep between you and the cars you are following , and information about keeping  back for safety ... Not exactly what I mean , in fact it is quite the opposite  .. some times to stop for the one in front of us we need to PRESS IN 
Our friends have been making the rounds with food and coal etc.  Vera is the director of a boarding school for children with learning disabilities .  This is a little dear to my heart, 1.  because Vera is dear to our heart and everything she does she does with excellence and 2. because having a learning disability myself I know how challenging things can be .  Any ways , Vera has made a point of connecting regularly with her kids that have been home because of covid.  Many are in a difficult situation but time to time a family just seems to jump out in front of you, and you can't explain it but you just know that there is a bigger purpose for your interaction, and you are to do more .. My friend David would say "Stop for the one in front of you"  Today is one such day when we need to stop.  

Vera has a Family with a couple kids in her school .  They are living right now with friends in Bishkek temporarily , but they have to leave soon and had no place to go. They also don't have proper documents so until they get that issue fixed they can not get proper work, or even their own home.  Even to get a cell phone, to pay your utilities etc  you need documents .   The other need is that the only phone they have access to is an old phone with no screen , and they need something so that the kids can get on line for school.  

Vera has done a lot of planning and made many phone calls over night , and here is what she has come up with .  She has been able to find them a home to live in close to the school and close to Vera so she can help them out.  We have agreed to supply them coal to heat the home this winter, and we will be able to bring some groceries to get them started .  Vera has also found truck and driver that will be able to move them .. What's left ?  We will need to get started right away at getting their documents in order .. this could end up $150 to $200 by the time we gather all the supporting documents needed .  And another $150 to $200 to get the kids on line for school .  I am sure that there will be many other incidentals like bedding and things that are needed, so we are hoping to find sponsorship totaling $500 right away and also $50 a month over the winter that Vera could use to help them were needed . Again I can't tell you why this family and what the lasting impact will be, but I can tell you that we have never gone wrong when we "Stop for the One put in front of us".    

Coal deliveries have continued daily.  There is a bit of trouble at the coal yard right now and they are shut down this week because they are finding a new director.. The first cold snap is a bad time for people that are in need .  We have a big delivery coming as soon as it opens up again, and we have coal in our barn for back up so we will be ok for a while however we are anticipating a lot of small deliveries of a bag or two here and there to help cover people until coal is available again.  

 

I got a message from Victor at 3:00 this morning ..... he does not exactly understand the time change ..hahaha. and I leave my phone on so I can be reached in an emergency .. Julie says turn your ringer off so you can sleep, but If my ringer is off I can't sleep and wake up and check the phone all night.   But it was not a problem he was having, he was just so excited to show me the new winter clothes that Vlad helped him get.    He has grown so much .  He says that he will have lots of clothes he has grown out of for us to bring to the orphanage or to families in need.  But he just wanted to send a BIG THANKYOU to everyone 

 

Cold winter nights .

It was a hard night .. the cold has hit hard and fast in Kyrgyzstan and we have felt its sting.  Establishing a routine is always something difficult for our boys, and last night we learned a hard lesson.  Temperatures got two low and the Tomatoes in the green house got froze off.   I did not ask to many questions because that is not going to change the facts.  Those facts are that someone did not do their job and keep the fire going in the green house .  Lesson hopefully learned .  Its times like this that I remind myself and Vlad that the farm is not about raising animals or tending to crops, it is a place to keep orphans safe as they learn and grow and learn valuable life skills .    I shared yesterday  that as good things are happening, I am not always on top of things and know them by name, but I trust in God.  Today the same lesson is there for us that we need to trust in God and carry on.  We will not pull them just yet, but we will plant Lettice and spinach under them since they are a hearty crop and will be our back up if this happens again.    Someone that will not freeze and will keep her fire going is this lady ... she is one of several that just got this load of coal under the tin.  

 We have just about run out of vitamins, and winter is just starting and covid is on the upswing.  Food prices have started going through the roof and the value of the currency is becoming worse every day.  We have just ordered $1000 USD worth of good quality Vitamins that we will be able to start distributing this week.   As well I have just sent money for a big food drop for the blind society and others we help in the city .  

Its because of the on going suport of so many of you that as things are getting increasingly more difficult, we have been able to continue reaching out to those in need .. so once again ... Thank you.   

Calling each by name .

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.

  I have a confession, As hard as I try to keep on top of things, I just can't keep everyone strait.  We have been working so hard to get coal,  winter cloths and food delivered to people in need .. not just those we normally help but so many others who find them selves in a hard situation .. they are friends and family of people we know.  They are people we shop from or family and friends of people we shop from. They are people that are on the radar of other NGO's who simply do not have the resources to help at this time. They are people who have heard we might be able to help and  sought out help from us. They are people that have been referred to us by different government and hospital workers .. They are PEOPLE ... Each and every one of them is special and although I have lost track of who some of them are , NOT ONE SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS MISSING 

We have several friends out bringing help and supplies and each day I know who to expect updates and reports from .  This morning I got some update photos from Vlad that I was not expecting .. 25 families .. I don't know who they are or what their story is. I don't know how they found us or how we found them .. and You know what ... I didn't ask ! I was just so thankful that today they are warm and today they have food .. and I rest in knowing that He knows them all by name.