developing a plan

tonight we had a dinner meeting with Aigoola and her kids .  there are several young girls that are out of the orphanage , and Aigoola is concerned about them as well.   So nwith company coming, Sam helped whip together one of my famous DEEP dish lasagnas. 

apart from Acel and her girls, everyone around the table tonight was out of the orphanage .

They cam to us with a plan.  The factory were Aiperie works in Bishkek pays their workers on piece... So their idea is that they get the sewing room up and running and buy a couple more machines and they will sew in Tokmok  for the factory were Aiperie works now .. they can live at home as well as provide a job for Jazgool.  even better, they are willing to have Jazgool live there until we have the Jeremiah house open...    

There will be a little bit of start up cash needed, but they have a plan for part of that .  They will sell the cow now before winter .. they can use the cow money, plus they will save the cost of the winters hay..  We will likely have to add a bit to that, but such a small amount compared to the long term benefits of this.  We will need to purchase two more machines plus get a better winter heat in the sewing room we built last year.  .. but today we saw HOPE, and we saw a good solid plan that actually looks like it will work... very exciting  to be a part of a plan , rather then simply being looked at for a solution .. and hay there is another one of the kids all set... Now we are setting an appointment on Thursday morning to meet with the next...

More back to school shopping needed

Education is one of the most important things we can give to the kids here .  They know the value of a good education, and they do not take it for granted for a minute .  The3 kids below are from the orphanage in Karakol where Davis and Jayne are right now  doing training .  They are part of an overrun we had this fall .. so many more needs then we ever could have imagined .  These kids needed knapsacks and back to school books  here they are below with that gift provided  

 

Emma has just come back from shopping with another group of kids .. as well as young Victor that we  found in the Bazaar this morning .

   There is one more group of kids that we know for sure need our help.   They are the kids from the Red River orphanage .   there are about 6 more kids there that have just been moved there from the baby orphanage .  they need new cloths and outfits for school .  along with them , the other 140 kids need shoes. to provide these needs we need another $750    If there is anyone that would like to help with this, as soon as the money comes in we will be able to fill this need .

What have we been up to ?

The last few days we have had the team from Possibilities International here with us.   As an added bonus we have had some incredible friends from another Central Asian country here for a few days of R &R .   This weekend was one of many firsts for them ,,, Golfing, fishing, hot springs, skating , bowling , what a weekend ... here are a few photos taken since Sam and Charles got here .

food and Vitamins to the folks at the dump 

re stocking the TB hospital with more vitamins 

this is a funeral procession in the village.. that same day one of the seniors we have been helping off the streets passed away at the seniors home .. We covered the funeral expenses for them of $150.

Vera was thrilled to show us the official recognition letter we received for the humanitarian work in her village .  Please remember Vera in your prayers.  she is in the hospital right now, she is expecting, and her blood pressure has just spiked , we have covered the medical bills for this .. so far they are up to $200  .. 

new school shoes for the kids at Orlofka orphanage 

Sam agreed to cover the tuition for law school for one of the kids we have been supporting ... he then had some words of encouragement and blessing for her.  

We then visited Luba and her new baby.  We had a donation come in specific for a baby girl.. so the timing was perfect.

Baktagool had a skype visit with her sponsor in Halifax Canada

loading up gifts for the kids at the blind society 

ready to start handing out gifts 

Sam says a few words to get things started 

hay .. the four of us ended up in the same place at the same time 

Charles giving out boxes 

packing gift bags for the ladies 

out bowling with the ladies 

learning to golf 

golf lessons 101... this is in conjunction with a swing for orphans golf tournament taking place later that day back in Canada  

trip to the hot springs and swimming 

the fishing was great ...  we stayed until they had all caught at least one rainbow trout... about 1 1/2 hours 

they were to heavy for the stringer .. check out the fish still on the ground 

they had fish at the restaurant that night as well 

we brought about 45 out for lunch and skating , including the day spring kids 

Dash got a little help from Sam and Emma 

I think some of the others could have used a little help as well

after about 1/2 hour, with a little help Amir made it off the boards, Tilik was a natural ..  

The last two days in review

Can you say BAZINGA !

Isar and I headed to the airport at 11 lats night , and by 5 am we had David and Jayne and the3 Possibilities International team into their apartments ...but not for long .  It was a busy day . 

we visited the Jeremiah drop in center, the Dayspring house, did shopping at the bazaar for the dump and the Orlofka orphanage, met with the director of Bacute orphanage to arrange to enroll the last of her kids into Akbata , all fun and exciting things, but today we had a couple events that show us the impact that we are making here ...

It was at the Baby hospital where we have done so much work in the past , the last two projects there were part of Rotary donations.  they were done in conjunction with the Bishkek Rotary.  Basically the funds came here with us, and the Bishkek Rotary signed off on the work when it was completed, and then stood in for the photo opportunity.  But here is the cool thing.. after two years of this, the Bishkek club has done a huge fundraiser, and is now going to replace the old windows with brand new thermal pain windows.  This is so cool t5o see a place that wss forgotten for almost 20 years start to receive support from with in country .. When we were here last we had learned that with the support LAMb has provided here in the last three years, this is now considered one of the best baby hospitals in Kyrgyzstan, and people come from hundreds of miles to here .. this has brought a new light to the hospital, and the government has taken notice.  We were told that this is the first time in 20 years that the hospital has received any new equipment from them .. and what a way to start .. 2 beautiful brand new incubators and a ventilator   .  this baby below is a newborn 2 months premature .  he is from a village over 4 hours away... No longer a forgotten place , but THE hospital to go to... What a blessing to see then turn the corner .    

The next event was equally a blessing to me .  We met for dinner with about 15 Universality kids that we have worked with in the past.  Every year we have a friend that sends them day planers that they love.  it has been 4 years now that we have had this gathering in the fall.. Today was special because on the PI team is the brother of that donor  .  He is the white guy in the middle with the black shirt..haha if you could not figure out yourself. 

With the day planers they also received a bottle of Vitamins 

Both items they have come to rely on for a successful school year .

So her is an example of something so cool .. like the young lady above, several of these kids have experienced what it is to walk out the doors of an orphanage , with nothing , and with no one.  

When hearing some of the plans for Jeremiah project, this young lady said to me .. `OH PLEASE let me volunteer  with you.. I know what iot is like to be alone, and I know how important your help is , I will do anything .. just let me help``  

As I sat at this table , I looked down the row at some awesome kids that have overcome such hurtles in life.. standing firm in their convictions in the many times chaos around them... YET they are ready and WANTING to give back in some small way ... they are the 20% that made it, and many of them have such a heart and an understanding for those that are facing the challenge now...  I see the potential for an awesome young adult mentor-ship program in the years to come .. We really are not in this alone ..the system we are creating is actually working... LAMb stands for Leadership Activating Ministry    and the b   just because it compleets who we represent  ....  Look at this row of kids above.... the future of Kyrgyzstan ... can you say  BAZINGA !

Back to school for 2 kids in our household

This morning Bekh and Jengish headed back to Bishkek early.  Today is Bekah`s first day of classes .. orientation is over and so it begins .   

I should go back and read the blog, I am not sure if I told you about Baktagul,  the last week has been a blur.   

We arrived here this trip with an urgency in our hearts to have a home for kids who have aged out of an orphanage .. Jeremiah house will be that home.  They first day we went out of our apartment here , we met up with some kids we have known for years.. and guess what .. they have just left the orphanage and  need he very kind of help we are talking about .. 

We have funds in the process now that will help us to make this possible, but for Baktagul , waiting was not an option .  So we now have he here living with us.  She is enrolled  in School  .. it is a computer / business school that is a University feeder school.. here she will receive both her grade 10 and 11 as well as the computer training she wants.    It was an exciting morning for her as one of our workers came to take her to school and help complete her enrollment and pay her tuition.

First day of school 

Once Baktagul was off , we headed over to Bacute orphanage to talk to the director... We sat and listened to her concerns, More important then the better education that the kids will receive, The school that they are in now, the kids are treated poorly by students AND teachers because they are orphans.  What brought her to Akbata to talk to them in the first place is our young Yuri.   Yuri is having  hard time in school, and will need some extra help..but because he is an orphan the school said that they would not except him and he should be moved to an orphanage for kids with special needs... Akbata has agreed to work with him, and with a little extra help from Olga's learning center if needed, .  Yuri will be just fine and will not be torn from this little orphanage that has become his family.   As we sat and talked ,  She asked us if all the boys could go... so if you remember , my sign was that I needed half the money in last night if I was to proceed with this , and since half of the 6 kids tuition came in, we agreed to move ahead.  Kostya met with us at the school this afternoon, and helped with registry and payment ... 

   That will leave 2 girls at the orphanage that are not at this school.. we are waiting on God now to see if we should just ask that they go to this school as well.. 

Between these meetings, we got the apartments ready and stocked with some basics for our team and David and Jayne.  The schedule for the Possibilities International team of 14 is all set and reservations are made all over the valley.  

Isar will be here at 11:00 pm tonight,  and he and I will head to the airport to pick every one up ...   so is jet leg when you arrive on a jet, or when you go meet a jet.. either way ... tomorrow is going to be a long day , but we are so excited to have everyone coming .  

Just when you think you have had enough... FOUND SOME MORE

Over the last week, we have paid the tuition or part of , for 31 kids .. I can not begin to express the gratitude that they would like to convey for the help.    We have been to the bazaar every day bringing all the kids to get what they need.    It would simply not be possible for them top go if it was not for the level of support that we have provided.  We re getting tired, but in a good way.  It has been very hot, and the bazaar is supper crowded  Yesterday , Bekah got a little overwhelmed, and actually fainted.. we think it was more because of the smell coming from the meat stall beside  us .   But she is good now, but just in case, she has stayed inside in the air conditioning for today. 

 today we brought a couple families, Baktagool, our new house guest, and the day spring kids for last minute  shopping, and now am cooking supper for the house guests that we have coming for supper tonight .  

Yesterday we had Sergey and Anya's kids and the kids from Bacute ( Emma's Orphanage ) shopping.  

We love these kids and are blessed to be able to spend time with them.  We have known them for a long time.  Many have known Yuri from the Baby orphanage, and 3 more of them are brothers of one of our Dayspring girls, and the rest we just LOVE... 

 We got a call last night  from the director of the orphanage.  She would like to talk to us.. She has been to talk to the principal at the really good school that we have already 18 kids sponsored at including our DaySpring girls..( This is one of the top schools in the region and will give the kids such an advantage )

  So now the big ask .. she would like to have the four boys I mentioned above go to that school.. the school is Russian, and they are the four kids that she has in Russian school.

I was so excited , everything in me wanted to scream YES... but we are out of school money.. But still I want to jump out in faith and say YES, but again .... I don't have the money to give the school right now.  It's always a hard call , we want to help everyone , and some more then others, but I have learned not to run in front of God.. there seems to be a fine line between steeping out in faith and running ahead of God... 

One day someone who has experienced this dilemma will have to explain it to me.  

  So here is what we have settled on .. this is what seems right in out spirits.    They need $1500 for all four for the year.  IF $750 comes in before we meet with the director tomorrow, we will have our workers go to the school with her to enroll the kids, but until then we will wait  and see.   I don`t think it is that I don`t have faith for it all, but we did not get to where we are with out 2 things,      1. being responsible , and 2.  Involving you, our sponsors.  If you would like to be part of this, please make a donation using one of the buttons on the side of this blog, as well since I do not have instant access to the paypal donation information, please email me as well at sunmasterjohn@aol.com .. and let me know .  we will be going to see her at midnight eastern time.