From Dump to Doma

In my last update I was telling you about Laura and her getting a new made-over home. During the reno's we have had a lady and her daughter staying at the home during the night to be sure things were safe. I thought the woman was getting paid a bit of money and was from the local church. I found out two days ago...as did the rest of the team that this lady and her daughter were living at the local dump as they were homeless. A couple of my team members flipped when they found out that we would have to send this lady (who by the way worked her "butt off" during the day with the team)back to the garbage dump. They had heard about this apartment that could be bought for $1000US...they decided...we need to buy it. So a post was made on our blog and between replies and team members here....we had the $1000US. However, the next day the apartment was sold before we got there.

Thursday evening a young man on the team (18 years old) came to me and said that they heard of a house that was for sale for $2500US and that he really felt that God was telling him that we needed to buy the house and that he would be responsible for raising the money. He told me Sergei (the leader of a humanitarian company we are working with) would give the difference and this young man could send him the money borrowed over the next couple months.

I looked at the young man and said, "Are you prepared to give the difference ($1500US) if you cannot raise one cent?" He looked at me and said "I am...God told me we need to buy that house!"

So yesterday I get a call (as the young man and a couple guys from the team were going to look at the house) and he tells me that they have bought the house....that it has its own well...lots of land with vegetables and fruit already growing on it and that the family is moving out by Monday...and that they got it for $1800US!!! He was pumped.

So yesterday after the party with Laura...she got her new house...that was wild in itself.....we took the team and the homeless lady and her daughter to the new house we just purchased. All the lady knew was that we had another makeover and we needed her to stay in another house for us.

When we get there....oh my goodness....you should see the land on this piece of property....the house needs some work, but when you have had to dig a hole in a dump site to find shelter....this was going to be heaven!

After looking around the young man walks up to me and says, "So tell me how did I do Dad?" That's right, it was my son Scott by faith who stepped out. You can only imagine how this father was feeling as I walked around the property. It will be finalized on Monday...it will be in Sergei's name.

So...we tell the lady that though she does not own the house....we need her to live in it over the next couple years and help us make it over. She did not understand at first....but when she did ....it was wild!

We bought the chickens that were there...we bought the coal that was there....we negotiated that we would take care of the owners half of the closing costs with lawyers fees and such ($150US) and they would leave a bed, chest of drawers, a couple rugs and a few other things.

So what do you have here....

You have a 15 year old girl and her G3 that have a new made-over home.

You have a new house purchase and a lovely homeless lady and daughter with a new home with all the trimmings.

You have a team that walked in circles for about 35 minutes weeping.

You have an 18 year old young man who learned a lot about listening to God and taking a step of faith.

You also have an 18 year old that must raise about $1000US and/or come up with it himself.

At this point he does not care....he cannot wipe the smile of his face.

No pressure but if you want to help him(with any amount) you can email him at scooterboy37@hotmail.com .....I am sure he would love to hear from you.

There is also a picture posted with this story on the blog www.actofkindness.blogspot.com

Passionately Connecting Canadians...
...helping orphans and the elderly in their distress.....

sammyweltenpi
www.possibilitiesinternational.com

__________________________________________________

A Cry for Help

We are coming along great with the renovations at the village for Laura and her great grandma. It is so amazing how God works through us to flesh out His will. It is a great blessing for everyone of us on the team to be able to help the widows and the orphans; especially for me.
If you could, take a few minutes and ask someone to read this to you.
Close your eyes and picture a heaping pile of garbage, the pile that you see at the dump that reaks of rotting waste and sewage. Then picture yourself with your bare hands digging a hole the size of a 45 gallon drum in the side of the heap of waste. Then picture yourself laying your 5 year old daughter or son to sleep at nite in that hole. This is what this mother does every nite for her daughter and then lays beside her to try and keep her warm at nite. Okay Open your eyes!!!!
Now we have been able to somewhat provide shelter for this mother and daughter for a short while as we are renovating the house for Laura and her great grandma, but we are now coming to the end and we will have to send this beutiful little five year old and her mother back to the "hellish" dump they call home.
THE OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!!!!
We have found an apartment that can be purchased for a $ 1000 US that will provide a warm and dry place for them to live. The other kicker is she has another daughter who is 7 yrs old that is deaf that lives at an orphanage to be trained in sign language. Her deaf daughter could then visit for six months at this new apartment and then can be sent back for more training.
So here is where we are at.........
We need to raise a $1000 dollars US to purchase this apartment which will be bought and owned by the chartibale foundation that we are working with here. So that' s where you come in, could you help us with a gift of $25, 50, 100......... or you may just be able to give the whole $1000.
We are only here till Tuesday but would love to let this mother know that she does not have to return to the dump and that the only crying that she will be doing is not for help but for JOY!!!
Evacuating the Dump one life at a time,
Dave Gatto
IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE EMAIL julie_johnwright@yahoo.ca

Home again Home again jigiddy jig!

We went to the market this morning to purchace the final supplies for the house in the village. We will now go and start furnishing the house. This is a photo of us returning with our mornings shopping .

Following in his Footsteps !

In a small village which stands on the edge of the mountains in Central Asia works a group of men. They follow in the footsteps of the Carpenter's son which you can read about in the Gospels. They are doing what they can to defend the widow and support the hurting, helpless and hopeless. If you didn't know better you would almost swear that you catch a glimpse of Jesus out of the corner of your eye. Hope, joy, and love are visiting that village. The life found in the Carpenter's son is flooding that village.....and like a gentle cool breeze on a hot humid summers day....there is a refreshing taking place that is breaking down walls. Mike Delsemme (picture to left) is just one of the men that are modelling the love and compassion of Jesus...and having the time of his life doing it. In Hollywood right now, they have no idea who Mike is, but in this small village Mike is well known and has celebrity status. The children gather around him so much at certain times it is impossible to work, but Mike just smiles and lets the life of the Carpenter's son shine through him.
So what about you? Why couldn't you be like Mike? Take a chance...live a little...step beyond all the reasons as to why you could not do something like this.
There are lots of young girls 15 years old that are counting on you...actually heaven is counting on you....Jesus, the Carpenter's son is calling you. Will you answer the call? Will you make a difference? There is no greater feeling than celebrity status in a mountainside village...knowing that it is all about making the Carpenter's son known.
It's "GO" time.Passionately Connecting Canadians......helping orphans and the elderly in their distress.....sammyweltenpiwww.possibilitiesinternational.com

A days work is never done in town!

Report From Rose
Coming home from a day's work we found a homeless woman at our doorstep. She smelled of alcohol and hadn't washed in some time. She had fallen and injured her hand and face. She had difficulty walking with the use of two canes. Anya and Lena are two young ladies working in Central Asia looking after the poor and homeless. They had been working with us. This lady refused to let us take her to the hospital as she didn't have a passport so they wouldn't accept there. She had been living with a step daughter who no longer wanted anything to do with her. What to do? Anya was able to obtain some clean warm clothing from the Mercy Organization, which is in fact where the doorstep was. It's as if God directed her to a place where she would get help. She finally consented to go to the hospital. While there she was examined by a doctor who determined that she had a broken leg, broken in two places -- underneath her knee and at the ankle. She said she hurt herself two months ago. The doctor consented to keep her -- remember that she didn't have a passport and she was homeless. The poor are not looked on favourably. Anya said that it was also a miracle that a doctor was working at night in the hospital because that doesn't happen. We then had to go back and get two team members to assist with carrying her up to the third floor (leg problems, back problems and xray on the third floor) as there wasn't an elevator. When we returned, the lady had been bathed using supplies Lena had bought. Lena then offered the soap and sponges she had bought to the nurse. The nurse was very surprised and said that she had never heard of this being done before -- where supplies were freely given. We're leaving our mark!! The lady was finally settled in and the nurse indicated they would look after her until Monday. This meant that they would feed her and give her supplies she needed. In Central Asia, medical care is free to the indigent. Families of all patients, however, are responsible to bring in food, sheets, supplies and medications.
We visited her today. A doctor wanted to speak with us immediately upon our arrival. He was insistent that she be removed and taken to a mental health hospital as she was delirious. She was also not able to control her bladder and bowel function. Remember, her leg is broken in two places and can't get to the washroom. She had been drinking, and she was also in pain when we found her. Alcohol is cheap and she may have been using the alcohol to control her pain. Perhaps she was in alcohol withdrawal. We finally convinced him to keep her for another two days. We requested that he complete the surgery on her leg before she was moved anywhere. We even offered to pay for the surgery but he said that he couldn't accept our money because in reality her medical care should be free. We completed our visit with the lady. Her name too is Anya. She was very lucid. We provided her with new sheets and clothing that Lena had bought. We also brought her food and juice. Lena suggested that we prove to the doctor that she isn't delirious by having one of the women from the local church spend the day with her tomorrow. This woman will be able to assist her to the bathroom, as well as determine how clear her mind actually is. We will then speak with the doctor the following day about her care.
Rose

Holy Xtreme Team

This team is amazing!
Crazy stuff happening.
I see Xtreme Teams going out 5-6 times a year.
Jump on the wagon baby!

Break through !

It was a sight to see. You could harly move in the house today because there were so many from the village there helping. It was amazing . Here are a group of the locals with one of the men from the team. So thats how the story stands now, but now you need to know how it started.
When our friends here in Central Asia first started helping the girl with the great grandmother, the people in this small village started to get mad because they did not want our friends around because they are Christians. They got even more upset because they were helping this girl and not them, even though they are better off, not much, but better off non the less. When we first started there yesterday, they kept their distancee, and very few where around. Today when we got to Town, we had a bag of gifts for the kids, and even some small things for some adults. slowly the word spread and people began coming out of the woodwork. then the lid came off. some one came with a bag full of icecream cones and started giving them out to us and the local kids that gathered, and before you know it there where locals digging the hole for the out house, kids scraping paint of the floor, teenagers wheeling dirt around, and the ladies sorting and washing cloths and dishes. Like I say it was amazing,
Today we found what was the towns drinking water source, and found that there is a washer that is no good. We are going to see what we can do to get the pump fixed, then throw a great big party for the whole town when we are done. Stay tuned for an update.

It's Just Wrong / Seulement mauvais

And that's how we felt when we saw a young girl and her great grandmother living in house that I could describe as a barnyard. Doors don't lock, windows are broken, there is no heat and the only source of water is a ditch in front of the house. Alone and poor, hope is impossible to find. The fifteen years old girl was excited about the prospects of having a door with a latch to keep out unwanted visitors. Taking care of her great grandmother she tries to keep her grandmother from murdering the old sick lady to take over the house and be kicked out and left by herself in the street. Now for the bright side, because of the support of the people like you who are reading this, we are able to make a difference. On top of renovating the home and making it secure, the girl and great grandmother will be treated in a holiday away for a personal makeover. Stay tuned for more updates.

Voici le sentiments qui nous a envahit lorsque nous avons vue cette jeune fille et son arriere grand-mere vivant dans une maison que je decrirais comme une grange. Des portes qu'on ne peut barrer, des fenetres brises, aucun chauffge et petit cour d'eau en avant de le maison. Seules et pauvres l'espoir est impossible a trouver. La jeune fille de 15 ans etait tres excite a l'idee d'avoir enfin des portes avec une serrure pour garder les individus indesire loin d'elle. Prenant soin de son arriere grand-mere, elle essaie de tenir loin sa grand-mere qui tente de faire mourir la vielle dame malade pour pouvoir prendre possession de la maison et etre jete dans la rue. Maintenant, voyons le bon cote des choses. Grace a vos dons, nous sommes capable de faire une difference. En plus de renover la maison et la rendre securitaire, la jeune fille et son arriere grand-mere seront traitee comme des reines durant les renovations. Restez avec nous pour de plus amples nouvelles.

Day one in Town

We we landed in the capital city at 5:30 this morning , a little late, but a great flight. The plane was not very full so we were able to spread out. We drove to the foundation in town, and found our rooms and had breakfast. The team had an oppertunity to meet elder Yang, and to hear about his vision for the nation of Central Asia. We then went to the market to by some tools, and some other things that the team needed. We also purchased a washing machine and fridge for Lenya...a first for her... she was so excited. We will get some photos of them in her home. She will now be able to have a place to keep supplies she gets for the seniors. We found a new resteraunt in town. Very nice, we payed for the local staff as well as the team the team it was only 200 com for each team member (about $5) we also found out that a 1500 sum Tip is enough to make the server cry!
Tomorrow we will be starting on Two different projects. I will tell you more tomorrow, and hopefully have some Photos working by then.
Blessings John and the entire Missions 1:27 Team #1

Final countdown

Final countdown starts for team one. We will be leaving in three separate groups , two different flights out of Toronto, and one group out of Montreal. Wed. we will all meet in London, and will travel on to Central Asia together from there. With only two weeks, and so much to do, we will hit the ground running.
We will post a journal of the daily events. The team members will have opportunity to introduce themselves. If you wish, you can ask questions or make comments by clicking the comment line below…….stay tuned.

Praise him on the stringed instruments too !

So we were in the middle of removing a wall in an orphanage in XXXXXX when all of a sudden the local we had working with us got all excited. you would think we had just found a lost treasure. It was about 10 feet of what looked like telephone wire. Excitedly, the worker began pealing the plastic off of the thin copper wire. He then went away, and a few moments later he returned with his guitar, and he showed us the new strings it had..... you got it ... thin copper wire. If you know anyone from one of the teams , Why not pick up a set of strings to send with them. !

PTL Guyana will be getting a new PAIR of shoes

Wow.
That did not take long. We have money in place to buy a new leg for our friend Guyana. Arrangements have been made with Lenya, and when she returns to town, she will take Guyana the capital city to be fitted for a new leg. A group of our brothers and sisters from Millbrook rallied around and met this need . $100 for the leg $100 for the fitting, and $100 for the day trip to the capital city clinic ( & a couple new PAIRS of shoes).

Espanola Meets the Village

(Kids from the Village Children's Home enjoying a day of sun and fun at the Lake )
The last two weeks, Central Asia was graced to have Roger Pilon and Kelly Deschamps from Queensway Pentecostal Church in Espanola visit and minister in the Village Children's Home. They did a tremendous job of connecting with the kids and workers, fixing up a new shower room, providing 13 new bicycles (amazingly assembled from near scratch!) and treating everyone to a day at the lake. Everyone here enjoyed their presence immensely!
(Kelly working late in his mobile bike assembly shop)
Over the past year or so that I've been visiting the village, I've noticed a huge change in the kids. When I first met them, they were mostly indifferent with anyone coming from outside. Gradually, they've become more and more friendly, smiling, shaking hands and giving hugs.
Emotionally, they are becoming much more open too. On Roger and Kelly's last day as they were saying goodbye, a majority of the kids were crying uncontrollably as they hugged their visitors for one last time. I've NEVER seen them this way before! As sad as the event was, I was so encouraged by what I saw in these kids and their development. The love of God IS changing them!
Mike M.
silkroadnations.com

A Leg Up, Une Jambe En haut, Нога выше

(Vous souvenez-vous de cet homme ? (voir postings de l'octobre de 2005) son Nom est Guyana et il était le destinataire d'une maison transforment l'année dernière. Sur l'avion sur la voie à la maison, j'ai regardé le ED et ai dit que "je crois que nous avons manqué l'évident" ici nous avons réépluché sa maison parce que Guyana a une jambe seulement... Donc nous pouvons l'acheter une nouvelle Jambe. Je me suis assis avec Lena ce soir et ai demandé combien pour une nouvelle jambe.
$100 pour la Jambe et $100 pour l'essayage et l'excursion de jour dans la Ville clé de la Capitale Ville...... celui que je fouille..... C'est $200 .

Do you remember this man?
see postings from Oct 2005) His Name is Guyana, and he was the recipient of a home make over last year. On the plane on the way home, I turned to Ed and said " I think we missed the obvious" here we fixed up his home because he only has one leg... So lets bye him a Leg. I sat with Lena tonight and asked how much for a new leg. It seemed out of reach for her, $100 for the Leg and $100 for the fitting, and a one day trip to the Capital city ......Guess what I am looking for .....That's right $200.

Вы помните этого человека? (см. регистрацию с октября 2005), Его зовут Гьяна, и это был адресат дома, передача в прошлом году. Самолетом на пути домой, я поворачивался к Эду и сказал, что "я думаю, что мы прошли очевидный", здесь мы восстановили его дом, потому что это только имеет одну ногу ..., позволяет, покупают его нога. Я сидел с Линодж сегодня вечером и спросил сколько относительно новой ноги. Это казалось вне досягаемости для нее, 100 $ для Ноги и 100 $ для приспособления, и одной однодневной поездки к Столице Столица ...... предположение, что я ищу..... Это - правильные 200 $.

Un Nouveau Coup d'oeil... A New Glance ...Новый Взгляд

Если Вы следовали за этим блог, Вы признаете мое опрометчивое игнорирование основных принципов английского языка. Старт сегодня я расширю мои горизонты.!!!

Si vous avez suivi ce blog, vous reconnaîtrez mon indifférence imprudente pour le fondement de la langue anglaise. Le commencement aujourd'hui j'élargirai ma cible.!!!

If you have been following this blog, you will recognize my reckless disregard for the fundamentals of the English language. Starting today I will broaden my horizons .!!!

Visas a No Go

Well it's official and we have delivered the bad news to our friends in XXXXXX, the visas are a no go. We have been offered humanitarian visa invitations for half the team, and the other half would have to get tourist visas. Un fortunately this still does not guarantee the visa. You only find out if you are excepted after you pay your visa fee. The other problem is to go under false pretences does not sit well with us.
Although this is difficult for the workers in XXXXXX, there is so much to do in Central Asia. It is also a much more open country, and safer for the team. The projects that we committed to in XXXXXX will still be completed, we will send a small "landing party" in to XXXXXX to take our workers out for dinner, tour the many works there, and bring the finances raised. So here we are six weeks away and it's back to the fund raising as we can't arrive in Central Asia empty handed.
Well God knows, and he always provides.

But just in case it's you he is speaking to,..... We can issue tax reciepts!

Fall 2006 Missions Trips

This fall we will be following two back to back missions / humanitarian aid trips into central Asia. The first will be to re-visit projects in Central Asia that the started last year and the second will be into XXXXX to aid in the on going support of those that are working there.

Stay tuned for a running journal of those involved.

News From Amanda

Jambo!! (hello in Swahilli)Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to begin! I feel like there is so much to tell already, and it's only been a week. First off, I apologize if there are typing mistakes, but I'm just trying to get as much in this email as possible!Things are going great in Africa! I love it here! This is a dream come true for me! It's incredibly gorgeous and wonderful! The people are amazing! The flying part of getting here was a little long, but we all made it safe and sound. We had the chance to spend the afternoon in London, England on our way to Tanzania, so we were able to have a bit of a rest and explore London for a few hours. Incredible!We arrived in Tanzania and were hit with the heat! My goodness, you just sat there and were sweating! BUt we started to get used to it! We did our orientation in Tanzania from Friday until Sunday, and then 16 of us headed off to Malawi, where I am now.Malawi is much cooler -- this morning, we had sweaters on! But it warmed up through the day. Its their winter season here, but its still warmer then Canada! I always think that God blesses His children! When we were leaveing for Malawi, we didn't really know where we were going to be staying or anything. We just knew it was a place. But honestly,its the most beauitful place I have ever seen.Its in the foothills of the mountains, and the trees and flowers are incredible. God's creation is unbelieveable.I just stare in awe of what He as created. WOW! We feel so blessed by Him!!Today was our second day on campus at Chancellor College and things are going amazing! God is movning and using us in big ways, its awesome! Please continue to pray though, and there is still alot to get done!Our vision for being here, is to raise up leaders; to start a movement here on campus. The campus is full of students who say they are Christians but don't share their faith -- so we want to build into these students and start a movement on their campus. We want to win people to Christ, but then also build into them, so they can build into others. So please pray for these students, that leaders wuould be raised up here in Malawi and also back in Tanzania (where the rest of the team is right now). PLease also pray for my luggage, as it was lost somwehere between Tanzania and Malawi. So I am without a suitcase right now, but I luckily packed a good carry on, that is helping me get through. It's not a huge deal, but just something that can set you back and make you worry and distract you from what we are doing here!Also, please pray for Esela and Aisha, two girls that I have met here and have developed a friendship with. Aisha is muslim, and Esela we want to build into. So please pray for them, and also for all the other students we have connected with!Just yesterday,we had around 100 spiritual converstaions, and had around 5 people accept Christ! In one day! So please pray that we wouldn't burnout but that God would continue to use us here! So things are going great here in Malawi! I do miss home some days, but am so thankful for the experience of being here!There are so many stories that I could share, I feel I could write a novel! I can not wait to come and share more stories with you all!The internet access is very slim in Malawi, so I am not sure when i will be able to email again, but I will try my best to do so!Thank your for your prayers-- i know that you are praying, I can feel it!God is so good, and I am so excited about the amazing things He is going to do at Chancellor Collge and the University of Dar Es Salaam!The others are waiting for the internet, so I must go!Blessings from Malawi,
Amanda

Me and the Potato Man: 2/11/2006

This is a post from a friend of ours adapting to life on the mission field in Moscow. I thought it had some humer to it...

Dear friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day! God is love. Let us love one another.
Let me tell you just one story that might help you understand what daily life is like for us. This is the story of Me and the Potato Man.
The potato man, like many merchants here in Russia, sits on the street all day in freezing cold temperatures, selling his potatoes. He always looks a little bit dirty, kind of like the potatoes themselves. He is missing a few teeth and has replaced a few with gold (that’s really in style here). His fat fingers are brown and calloused and cracked up from the cold. Even in minus 20 degree weather, he can be found on the street selling his potatoes. Remember that the side streets were not designed for cars. They are walkways for pedestrians or horse and carriage that have been converted into narrow streets for vehicles and pedestrians. Many people walk and take public metro, instead of driving. It is likely that hundreds of people walk by the potato man every day. There is always a line-up of people waiting to buy his potatoes because his prices are good, and he has to have new large sacks brought in to him several times a day. His outdoor "store" consists of a scale (for weighing the potatoes in kilograms), a big bag full of plastic bags (to put the potatoes in), and a wooden crate to keep his bottom off the freezing cold pavement when it isn’t busy. His cash register is his pocket.
When I first arrived in Russia last fall I did not know the language or the currency or the customs. I found shopping in the market rather stressful since I needed to know how to ask for the groceries and I needed to know what I was buying. That’s why I chose instead to walk a little ways to the "western style" grocery store. After a few months of carrying potatoes on my back along with all the other groceries, I decided to try to buy potatoes from the potato man, since his little spot on the sidewalk is very close to our apartment. Well, my first attempt was a disaster. I knew the word for potato and I knew my numbers, but that was about it. I just happened to arrive when he was low on potatoes and was waiting for his next bag to come. He tried to tell me this, but I had no idea what he was saying. He snickered at my ignorance of his language, and finally, when he saw I was not going to leave without potatoes, he reached down to the bottom of his pail and got me some potatoes, but when I got home I realized what he had been trying to tell me. The potatoes weren’t in great shape. I ended up throwing out half of them.
That put me off the potato man for a while. But, since he sits on my path to the metro, I see him daily (and he sees me – and I’m sure he also talks to his buddies about "the foreign lady who tried to buy potatoes but didn’t know anything"). I noticed that he always seems to have a line-up of customers. So, his potatoes and his price must be good. After the horrible experience of being falsely accused of stealing a measly pack of gum at the "western style" grocery store, I decided I would give the potato man another try. Besides, I had learned some new words. I knew how to say, "Half a kilogram, please." So I plucked up my courage and went back and used my new Russian phrase… "Pole kilogram, pazhaloosta." But I wasn’t expecting him to talk back! I had no idea what he was saying. But he wasn’t giving me any potatoes. He spoke louder at me, trying to get me to understand his Russian. I had no idea. But he wasn’t giving me potatoes. So I left. On the walk home I mulled over his words and figured that he only sells potatoes in one or two (or more) kilograms – not half kilograms. It took a few more months of walking past the potato man every day to pluck up enough courage to try again. This time I looked up some phrases in my Russian handbook and wrote them down. I practiced saying them over and over before leaving the apartment. When I got to the potato man’s spot on the street, I stood for 5 minutes and watched people purchase potatoes from the potato man, listening to every word. People stared at me, wondering what on earth I was doing standing there watching them, but I wanted to make sure I knew how to do it right. I could see that the potato man was looking at me out of the corner of his eye. But he knew what I was doing. When I was certain I could do it, I got in line. When it was my turn, I stood before the potato man, with my head held high and said, "Daighetey mne dvah kilogram, pazhaloosta." The potato man looked at me, smirked, and weighed out my 2 kilograms of potatoes. Then I said, "Skolka stoit?" I already knew the answer, though, because I had been watching others buy 2 kilograms of potatoes and then hand him 30 rubles. So I already knew that he would say, "Tritsat rublie" – about 75 cents, and I had my roubles ready. On the way home, with my potatoes in my hand, I smiled at the babooshkas gathered in the park to walk their dogs and gossip with each other. I was so happy. What a feeling of success! I had bought potatoes, just like a Russian woman, no smile, no nonsense, chin up and head held high.

Are you called NOT to go ?

Now for some exciting news. In Feb 2008, we (Julie, John, Emma, and Bekah) will be going to Central Asia for five months. The town is in a valley surrounded by the beautiful Himalayan mountain range. The people are so friendly and the area is rich with culture. In Central Asia we will be working with Ed Dickson and Loads of Love. http://www.loadsoflove.org/ and our goal is to be a host family for groups of people like yourselves that would like to come for a 3 week short-term mission, humanitarian aid trip, and make a difference. We will meet the teams or individuals at the airport and look after everything; food, lodging, transportation and translators. The itinerary and projects can be tailor made to your needs and abilities.
In Canada , we are working with Sam Welten of Possibilities International.
http://www.possibilitiesinternational.com/ With Sams’ help we will look after booking trip dates that work for you, flights, visa’s, and support for fundraisors and team meetings. If you are concerned about traveling, we can link you up with experienced travelers. With Possibilities International, nothing is impossible. Pastor Sam is a dynamic speaker and has a desire to support missions any way he can. The next blog will be a letter explaining what Possibilities International is all about. So now it is your turn.
If you or someone you know would be interested in this type of trip, if you would like to make a difference, if you would like to go and not just send, the possibilities are limitless. , email us @ mailto:julie_johnwright@yahoo.cav