Update from Tanya

Here are a few updates from Tanya as she continues to  help some families sponsored from the 12th day of Christmas in the wish book .

"Hello John.!! How are you ? Very cold now in Kyrgyzstan. We were at the bazaar with a young mother who has two children and will soon have two more..... Mom and children told you a lot of thanks that you taking care of them in difficult times, helping them bought warm clothes and a phone... It was unexpected for them that people who did not know them can help.... The children didn't have warm shoes, no warm gloves, warm jacket, no warm pants and a hat because mom alone care of them... And mom haven't warm hat too That day at the street was -15 C when we bought them clothes the children shouted that they were frozen and couldn't walk... When we bought everything and the children warmed up and were happy, cant believe.. Very thankful to God that gave this family to help them. I told them that God takes care of them through people you don't know and that these people live very far away, but it is important for them that you are warm in winter . They were very happy., Their mother said that their relatives do not need them, and others care..."
 

I am not normally a person that thinks little kids need a phone, but in this situation, the mother works a lot and the oldest boy looks after his brother and he wanted a way to be able to be in contact with his mom .  My last phone the screen was broken so we were able to get it repaired so we could give it to him . 

This is a very happy family tonight 

 Another happy family was the grandmother who now has clothes for her grandchildren .  At school the teacher would chastise them for not having winter clothes but she did not do anything to help . 

"Hello John. Thank you so much for the opportunity to buy warm clothes for children. Тomorrow children can go to school and not be afraid that the teacher will scold and children will laugh that there are no normal clothes. They are now have new winter jackets, warm hats, mittens, warm shoes, pants... Thank you so much to you from Grandma... She told many good words for you.. Today she was so happy that children have warm new clothes .."

We are still looking for sponsors to help with the Christmas parties in the orphanages and institutions, as well as food hampers  if anyone would like to help, please use the donation button on the top right side of the blog . 

The Long Way Home

Julie and I arrived at the airport at 6:45 am to find out that our flight had been moved to 3:00 pm due to the smog conditions.   This meant that we would miss our connecting flights in Istanbul to Montreal, so they would send us to a hotel in Istanbul , and the next day because there was no flight available to Montreal, they would send us to Toronto , have us spend another night in a hotel and fly us on to Montreal Friday morning .  But since I was not able to change our train ticket, we convinced them to let us out of the airport in Toronto and we got a ride with our Daughter in law from the airport home .  so all in all we were only about 5 hours late getting to our home . 

  I bought a new phone in Kyrgyzstan and before I left I did factory reset and left my old one as a Christmas gift .. not with out forgetting to take my Canadian sim card with me .. Wen we landed and I got reconnected, I had lots of messages ..Vlad and Sergey had been busy with more coal and clothing deliveries. Tanya had been working on some of the Christmas wished that had been sponsored and sent me an update as well 

Hello John. Thank you so much for the opportunity to buy warm clothes for children. Тomorrow children can go to school and not be afraid that the teacher will scold and children will laugh that there are no normal clothes. They are now have new winter jackets, warm hats, mittens, warm shoes, pants... Thank you so much to you from Grandma... She told many good words for you.. Today she was so happy that children have warm new clothes ..

Along with the updates I received from Vlad, I also received messages from some of the individuals we sent coal to.  

"Thank you so much for your kind soul God bless you and your family. "

I also got word that the tuition was paid for one of the boys that contacted us for help.  He wrote me as well to say 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wright. Mr. Vlad called me. Thank you so much! Tell me if you have some job I will help. " 

We are home now.  Getting settled in and getting the house opened back up, unpacking and running some errands. 

I am in a bind !

   So I have a problem that I am hoping that someone can help with.   Back in August when we were raising funds for tuition payments, we had cut things way back because of a shortage of funds , so I was relieved when I thought that Davina had a sponsor for this years tuition and living expenses at a school in Cincinnati .  Then today I found out that it was a visit home in the summer that was sponsored and not her tuition.  She is now mid semester and the tuition is due , and it is $3000. I simply don't have that.  I am hoping that there is someone out there who feels led to cover her tuition this year .. Thank you in advance for your consideration . 

A few more days then we head back to Canada

Yesterday we delivered coal to a friend of Aigula's .. She lives in the village by herself and has only one leg. She receives a pension of just $23 a month .. while there she shared how she has fallen a few times at night walking out to the out house that is at the back of her property .  I also noticed that she had big glossy photos of Pizza up in her kitchen.

So today we stoped at her home with a portable toilet and a pizza for here 😁

Over at the boys we are finished the renovations and repairs , and even were able to find some nice carpets and paintings to make things more cozy.  We now have rooms set up for 10 with just two boys per room . 

Today we had a training day with all our workers . We discussed the structural changes we have made over the last few months as well as we had our on staff psychologist  give a training on dealing with Trauma and was able to gear it specifically to the kids that we are working with 

Marat had made an easel aboy 5 years ago , but yesterday decided to upgrade it .. There is a real difference in the workmanship then and now.   

We continue to try to meat our target for the Christmas celebrations .. many of the individual items have been covered , but the main items are still needing a lot of help.  The three areas that we have the greatest need are ; 

the Christmas in the orphanages, vitamins and the food hampers . At Just $10 / $15 / and $20 , these are low ticket items that have a huge impact . here is an update where we stand. Right now we have 

 130 of 600 Christmas in the Orphanage @ $10 

 18 bottles of Vitamins @ $15 

 79 of 500 Christmas food hampers @ $20

So much to do and so little time to do it.

Julie and I are down to the last few days before we head back to Canada. Winter has set in and we still have so much to do.  Last week we did a final trip up to the Kashar .. it seems so cold and lonely up there this time of year .. This year we have the heating system winterized so that they will be able to use the Kashar for tobogganing and skiing this winter.  

Our guys have been still very busy delivering coal to those in need .. almost every day the little whit truck pulls out with loads of coal. 

Yesterday I was told of one grandmother who is missing a leg, and has no heat or food, and was asked if we could help.  I said sure .. Then asked our guys to make the delivery, and was told ... we can't ... there is no more coal and no more coal money .. everything must come to an end but I was not ready for that .  Fortunately some friends from my home have been raising more funds for coal. We always have a second wave of needs in the middle of the winter when people that thought they had enough realize that they are in trouble . We have ordered another load of coal to come in so in a couple days we will have some , in the mean time I will bring the Babushka a couple bags of the farms coal and a bit of food. 

At the boys house we have been renovating again .. plastering some walls and painting everything a little lighter.  We have also changed the sleeping arrangements , rather then having a dorm set up with many in one room, we have spread out so that we have just two kids per room .  The top bunks will be only for extra beds if needed.  We have also done a lot of new wiring and added more lights to brighten things up for them.

Over the next couple days we will be starting to get ready for Christmas and distribute funds to those that will be doing the work. 

 You can see the complete Christmas wish book at this link Christmas wish Book 

The three areas  that we have the greatest need are ; the Christmas in the orphanages, vitamins and the food hampers . At Just $10 / $15 / and $20 , these are low ticket items that have a huge impact . here is an update where we stand. 

 Right now we have

 130 of 600 Christmas in the Orphanage @ $10 

18 bottles of Vitamins @ $15 

79 of 500 Christmas food hampers @ $20

 Please take a moment and go right now to the donate link on the top right side of the blog and help us with some of these needs.

 

Giving Tuesday

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.

So many of you have not waited until a special giving day , it is your practice to give and transform the world all year long.  That's why we are already half way to our goal and we are still a few hours away from giving Tuesday .  

Over the next couple days we will be starting to make plans to cover those items that have been sponsored .  You can see the complete Christmas wish book at this link Christmas wish Book 

The three areas  that we have the greatest need are ; the Christmas in the orphanages, vitamins and the food hampers . At Just $10 / $15 / and $20 , these are low ticket items that have a huge impact . here is an update where we stand. 

 Right now we have

 30 of 600 Christmas in the Orphanage @ $10 

16 bottles of Vitamins @ $15 

29 of 500 Christmas food hampers @ $20

 Please take a moment and go right now to the donate link on the top right side of the blog and help us with some of these needs.

As I was looking back at the Logo for giving Tuesday, I can't help but think that they had Kyrgyzstan in mind. 

 

Recap .. Just one more day of the challenge.

 The thermometer continues to climb .. thank  you to all of you who have taken the  time and   donated .  Tomorrow is the last day official day of the challenge, then we will begin transferring funds and getting things organized here before we go back to Canada.   Right now there are three areas that we have the greatest need are ; the Christmas in the orphanages, vitamins  and the food hampers . 

At Just $10 / $15 / and $20 , these are low ticket items that have a huge impact .  here is an update where we stand.  Right now we have 

12 of 600 Christmas in the Orphanage @ $10

3 bottles of Vitamins  @ $15

14 of 500 Christmas food hampers @ $20 

Please take a moment and go right now  to the donate link on the top right side of the blog and help us with some of these needs. 

Thank you all so much for making this all possible. 

Day 13.. The BIG ASK

This final wish of the wish book is the Big ask . it something that we have wanted and been putting off but would love to get it done.  We would like to do some landscaping at the mountain ranch.  We are situated on the side of the mountain and we have cut out of the hill so that we have a place to cook for the large groups that we regularly host.   

We make ploff and shashleek as well as prep all the salads out side .  

We would like to put up some Gabian basket walls and build in the spot for the kazan and the shashleek BBQ.

 We have a new soccer and Volleyball field that we would like to put up a fence around and plant some shade trees .  

We saw a design for a yurt Banya that we would like to build.  Banya's are a big cultural thing here, and would be great for when we have the groups come.   for all the landscaping and fencing, trees and yurt, we need $6000. 

But here is the big ask.  Please come join us.  We are limiting this trip to 8 volunteers to come in the spring and help us to do the work.  We have spread out a bit and have just 2 people per room now (great idea for a couples get away ) and  most of the work is out doors.  We will also bring people from the disabled homes for fishing and picnics, horseback riding,  as well as kids from some of the orphanages.  This is a great opportunity for those of you who have

been waiting to return but don't have a team .  We are planning to do the work the last week of April and the first week of May, however you are welcome to stay shorter or longer to fit your schedule.   We would love to have you a part of this.