actofkindness

Message from Kyrgyzstan ...

2012-01-30T13:30:00.002-05:00

Message from Kyrgyzstan ...

" one more person became endlessly happy because you helped, thank you!"

Behind the scenes

2012-01-28T23:20:00.001-05:00

I was just looking through some of the photos from Larisa and came across this one of them giving out special treats at the mens home . Lots of times when we are there we will bring special food for them and have them give it out after we go.

Other times we send money for them and Larisa and her friends take care of it. In the photo below, Larisa has the help of the director and our nurse friend Bermit ( lady that had the apartment fire )..

What is often missed out is all the behind the scenes work that must go on to make it possible. There is no Starbucks or Tim Hortons to just run to , and with 270 men , everything can be a chore .

We are fortunate to have the support of Larisa's mom. She helps hold down the home front, as well as does a lot of the prep work for meals at the mens home. She is a beautiful lady, and we love her dearly. She was a soviet track star in her day. Today she has terrible pain in her legs and has some sort of skin rash that they have not been able to identify , but that does not stop her from helping Larisa, and caring for the home .. and all the people Larisa brings home ...

To just give you an idea of how tough life can be , Here is a photo of Larisa's mom at work. She works for one of the local farmers picking weeds . You might ask " What does she get paid ?"

the answer is NOTHING... she gets to keep the weeds that she pulls ...

Update from Talant

2012-01-26T17:32:00.002-05:00

Approx. 100 kids and there families attended an incredible bash It was such a special time for them to have a party and a meal, then to receive Christmas presents and a small food hamper for the family. What makes these kids special is that they are either blind themselves, or one or both of their parents are blind.

With out on going support, many times in the smallest ways, Children like this would end up in an orphanage.. Talant and his friends have worked hard to make sure thay they realize that they are not alone, and in a country that many times lacks the government social network to give families with special needs this the support, it is easy to loose heart

Thank you Talant for being one of our hero's..

Then these photo's of some of the potatoes and Carrots being delivered is just a little bonus to the storey.. Thanks again for all your help.

More info from Vlady

2012-01-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

In Kyrgyzstan, they do not have what we consider as a GP. It is up to an individual and their family to navigate through the system on their own. As a result, it is very easy for people to get very discouraged, and go away with out receiving treatment. Many times they simply do not know where to start. One of our valued friends is the wife of or friend Vlady . Tatyana is a heart Dr as her specialty, but she has a big heart of her own. Any time we have someone that needs medical care, we go see her. She helps us to work our way through the system, many times calling ahead and setting up appointments , something else that is not common in Kyrgyzstan. Most times when you go for a test, you go in the morning early, and wait in a line to be looked at. We simply don't have time for this. Tatyana explains our case, and we are often taken in as soon as we arrive at a clinic. As well Dr Tatyana reviews all the cases that we bring to her to make sure that the diagnosis seems correct, and equally important does the price of the procedure seem correct. It is entirely possible that a Dr would prescribe an unnecessary operation at an inflated price if they thought there was some money in it for them.

After several years of working with us, a couple things have happened. First, people have come to know that Dr Tatyana is a Dr that can be trusted as well she will take the time to help them and to steer them in the right direction. The othere thing that has happened is that Vlady and Tatya, more and more have started reaching out themselves, looking for the less fortunate that are around them , those that are suffering with out the support network necessary to get out of the mess they are in. Now rather then me bringing people to them, they are coming to us from time to time to find finances to treat those that they are helping.

A week ago I shared this story of a lady living in the dump that has breast cancer

"I met at dump woman with breast carcinoma, She is need a surgery. She worked before in Orlovka dump may be there she got radiashion she take care about 1 and half son She is living alone nobody help her she doesn't has pasport. Maybe we can help I bought food for her and need find sponsor who'll give donation for surgery."Blessings. LOVE. Vlady.

Vlady is never one much for names , as he simply refers to her as "Dump woman", but that does not mean that he does not care,,.. he just focuses on what he sees as important .

They now have "Dump woman " in a room with her baby, they have some food for her ,, I know where they could get potatoes and carrots... they have given her vitamins for her and her baby, but they still have a need .

they have found that her treatment will be $300 US, and as well , she will need her documents before they can operate. The cost of the documents will be $50.

LAMb International: ISKRA, KYRGYZSTAN - PROGRESS CONTINUES

2012-01-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

LAMb International: ISKRA, KYRGYZSTAN - PROGRESS CONTINUES: WE ARE SO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE EVEN MORE PROGRESS AT THE ISKRA HOME FOR DISABLED MEN! We are so encouraged to see the progress at Iskra...

We have stopped running .. Today we STAND !

2012-01-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

I don't think for one minute that we are doing anything that could not be done by any one else, In fact I know that if we did not answer the call, God would simply call someone else... and maybe that is what scares me ... I can not imagine being anywhere but in the center of Gods will.

Today was a big day for us... today we stopped running .. we stopped hiding ... A few hours ago, Julie handed in her resignation as mental health case manager. We could no longer give the level of commitment we feel we are called to , and maintain this safety net.. something had to give.

This last few weeks has been more then just a quick trip to Kyrgyzstan for Christmas. It was a time of true reflection and renewed commitment

We hardly had time to slow down, from the first meeting at 5 am the morning we arrived , to making arrangements for aid at 3 am the morning we were leaving . Every single event we attended was double and triple booked, yet so much was left un done.

What strikes me the most was the urgency in the hearts of so many that we met with . So often our friends new and old were carrying burdens that are crushing them. I could see that, and they knew it..

We don't have all the solutions nor the resources to meet all the needs , but we do have a trust and an assurance that we know one who loves them all, and wants them to have the peace that we have come to rely on. It's that peace and trust that we share with them, that we are now turning to at this time .

We don't have a plan for the future , we have Bekah going into University , and we have family ties and commitments on both sides of the Globe, but we know that we can not put off any longer, we are taking the next step.

We would ask that you would take time over the weeks and months ahead and pray that God would set up the provision necessary. I have been given the ability to share with great passion the needs of those less fortunate that have come onto our path, and I fully understand that for those needs to be identified and met, it takes a lot of support to keep our feet on the ground. Please consider how you can help us to do that .. maybe you can't go.. that's OK, we will go for you .. we just need your help.

Just a thought !

2012-01-20T08:07:00.001-05:00

Short Term Mission: Kyrgyzstan from Mapleview Community Church on Vimeo.

A little update since we have been gone

2012-01-19T18:09:00.002-05:00

Our last day in Kyrgyzstan we were introduced to an orphanage we had not had contact with before ,.. they came to us because they have heard of the work that LAMb has been doing in Kyrgyzstan, and they are looking for both training , as well as the little extra's that we provide. There was not a lot we could do at the end of a trip, but we were able to get them started on some winter clothes for the kids as well as a small Christmas party. As well they are now on our radar for training . here you can see the boys from Karakol orphanage get new winter coats .. next up... the girls

This mother and her 18 month old work in the dump. She has breast cancer from the radiation there , and came to Dr Tatyana for help.. Dr Tatyana has asked us to help find a sponsor to help with her treatment .. I will keep you posted as I find out more

Kids in Orlofka were thrilled to see a food drop as well when Sergey and Anya came out to bring the Vitamins

Ukana with her helpers will be overseeing the distribution of the vitamins

Dr Anara from the baby hospital was equally as thrilled to receive vitamins that are specially formulated for nursing mothers

Vanera's orphanare was happy to be part of a special day for about 600 in the capital. Children from orphanages as well as disabled and children whose parents are in prison, all attended a party to remember thanks to Kyle and his friends .

Anadyr was fortunate that sponsorship money was available for his emergency surgery , Although he personally is not sponsored, a portion of the sponsorship money goes for the care of the entire orphanage .

As soon as the need was known Sergey and Anya were at the hospital to make sure his operation was paid, then were at his bed side to assure him that he was not alone

You may recognise this wonderful lady. She is the director of one of the larger orphanages. She will personally guarantee , receive and oversee the distribution of vitamins here.. she understands the importance of them , and extends her appreciation on behalf of all her kids to everyone who had a part in this blessing .

Officialy grounded ...

2012-01-16T19:38:00.001-05:00

Well as of 2:00 this afternoon, Emma is officially grounded. Her passport is cancelled and the new one will not be here for about 10 days.

We also spent part of the day at the Health insurance office getting her re registered, and then applying for another out of province extension.

We have also been busy working on documents for Jengish. We are trying to get him a visa to come to Canada for a few weeks, then to do a tour through parts of the US with us . Everything seems to be in place there, and he will go in for an appointment tomorrow morning to start the ball rolling , lets pray that he has a better experience then the girls with the Canadian Visa.

I have also been working on a lot of reports from the last few weeks .. I can not believe how jet legged we still are, but we do appear to be on the mend now.

Lots of reports still continue to come in from the parties and vitamin drops in Kyrgyzstan. I will start posting them here tomorrow .

Tired, but in a good way

2012-01-12T18:33:00.004-05:00

We have been home a few days now. I can not remember a transition back that has been so difficult as this one. I think the team left Kyrgyzstan having spent themselves 110%, We all ended up with colds, then the 28 hours of travel finished us off. I told Julie that If I had woke up feeling this way with out knowing the cause, I would likely be heading for the hospital.

I have been in contact with our friends in Kyrgyzstan Altynai and Jengish who spent the entire time staying with the team have also shared how hard it is for them to be away from the team this trip.

Photo's and stories have continued to come in from parties that have continued since we left.. and will for some time to come I am sure. We are just over 3600 that received a special day, and party and a gift. There are over 1000 that have already begun a vitamin program, and another 1000 starting shortly.

I will be posting more photo's and some of the individual stories over the next few weeks .

We had an incredible team with us , Every one of them brought something special to the table, and every one of them impacted those around them.. They were such an encouragement , not only to myself and our workers on the ground, but they also where such an example of LOVE, JOY, MERCY, and PEACE to everyone that they came into contact with , from the restaurant owners and waitresses to the store keepers and shop owners.

When I think of the thousands that have been touched in the last few weeks, I can understand why maybe we are all a little tird, but, just say the word, and I think every one of us would be ready to return on the next plane.

On our way home .. but the work continues

2012-01-08T03:53:00.000-05:00

I just looked at the photos on the pocket camera and found a few photos I thought you would like

James delivering food to the Tokmok Baby orphanage

The lads , not so sure they are enjoying their frogs in a bamboo cup...

Yesterday we packed up early and headed to the rehab center. the guys were so happy to see us, and had a fantastic ploff meal ready for us. . we left by noon, and headed in to the bazaar in Bishkek to pick up a few things . Sarah went to the dentist, and met up with the team at Swetly put orphanage to pick up some Kyrgyz crafts. It was great that James and Sarah were able to get to meet the young guys that made what they purchased.

From there we went to the Department store for a bit more shopping , and I met with a friend of Jengish and Sergeys. His group has helped with many of the same projects as us. They wanted me to meet the director of an orphanage they have been helping for many years on the far side of Lake Isykol.

They have about 40 kids there , as well they work with many of the neighborhood kids. They where coming to us for 2 reasons.. 1. they would like training for their staff and have heard that this is something that LAMb does well, and were wondering if I could get them connected. The next was they are wondering what it will take to be on "our Radar" for help and for Christmas parties, and to have us spend time with their kids. An hour later Tabatha came to us with some money that she had left... so this week, Jengish will go see them and have another party. We told them that we are looking forward to coming to see them in April to discuss how we may be able to be involved with the work they are doing.

At 2:00 am this morning we headed to the airport, and said our final good buys to Isar , Altynai , Jengish and Sergey. |We even had some others show up at the airport to say good bye, and to thank us one more time for making it possible for them to do what they do... help those around them... So I am so humbled to be able to extend that Thank you to ALL of you ..

I am sure that this last couple weeks will take a long time for us all to process. so much has happened, it is almost a burr. We just saw Turat through passport control here in Kiev . Ed will meet him on the other side of the divider, More then one tear was shed..

A day on the slopes

2012-01-06T11:35:00.001-05:00

Today was an exciting day for both the team and many of the friends we work with here.

I had told them that this day would be about them.. they could all decide what they wanted to do today.. All the parties we are doing are done, and those we are not doing all all looked after . Now it is time for a little fun for them. They all talked and decided that they wanted to go skying.. and that was just fine for the team. After all it is not every day that you get a chance to ski in the foot hills of the Himalayan Mountains .

I was back sorting Vitamins , so I still am not sure of the final totals but I think there were about 25 that went .

Delivering Vitamins

2012-01-06T03:01:00.001-05:00

Packing and delivering Vitamins

Dr Tatyana receives vitamins for the many children she helps

We started packaging the vitamins in packages of 20 children . This will make it much easier for
the delivery to the orphanages in monthly doses .

on the schedule for today ...skying, meetings and Vitamins organized ..

2012-01-05T22:22:00.001-05:00

It always happens that as we reach the end of a trip, we realize all the things that we still need to do and just not enough time to do them. Today the team is off to the mountains for a day of Skying . We have three families joining them, so they have a bus and 2 vans full .

Julie will be spending the day with Aigoola and Acel, Bekah and Altynai are heading to Bishkek to spend some time with some friends/workers there. I have Sergey ( from the rehab center ) helping me today. We will spend the day at the container sorting and labeling the vitamins to make sure they are organized for delivery.

Our friend from KaraBalta is here now, and he was telling us that his mom told him that there is big news al around town... Get this . A group of Canadians came to town and took the orphans to the city and took them skating and out for supper, and even gave them gifts.

It's amazing how word gets out, and the impact this week has made , not only to the kids, but to the community around them. There is a new and fresh appreciation for the children. Even in the restaurants, we have watched as the owners and waitresses have broken down into tears as they watch the parties take place.

Its amazing how by coming to the lowest members of a society, the orphans and the widows, true love can be shown in a way that moves a society as a hole. Thank you all for being a part of this .

James 1:27

.

Dobra Noche

2012-01-05T08:49:00.001-05:00

20,000 lbs of potatoes and Carrots and out for lunch with our babushkas

2012-01-05T03:25:00.000-05:00

2012-01-04T20:22:00.001-05:00

We have had the privilege of working with some incredible people here in Kyrgyzstan ,Like Christy who works with the medical programs here .

The last few days we have had many of those on the ground doing the work joining us at the supper and lunch outings. We have brought them encouragement and resources like a camera to the medical team, and an MP3 player with speakers to another group that visits the kids in the orphanage regularly. We were thrilled when we met up wit our young friend Romma that had got to go home with one of these teams for the holidays. Many of those we have met up with have also assisted us with doing Christmas parties with some of the farther reaching orphanages. Again we are so blessed to have so many here in Kyrgyzstan that share our heart, and even more blessed that through your support, we have been able to encourage and provide resources to them.

oops

2012-01-04T11:28:00.002-05:00

tomorrow we will deliver ...OH MY Goodness .. I just did the math and realized I made a mistake, and Bought 10 000 lbs of potatoes and 10 000 lbs of carrots...HAHAHAHA..thought I was buying 1000 lbs of each. ... This is going to be fun...

Bishkek Skating and Men's home!

2012-01-04T10:05:00.002-05:00

Feeling OLD

2012-01-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

This one is for Ruby.. Bubba Anya says Hi

Dave met the new director at the mens home .

Julie visits with the kitchen staff, and see's the new hoods in the Kitchen

James and his new buddies

Nazgul came to see us and thank us for helping her get a new arm and a laptop

I could not believe the new ceiling .. It is totaly amazing . Now they are working on the walls . And just in we have the money for the floor. We were also told that US Aid has agreed to get them new tables and Chairs

photo op. in the mens craft room. with the cases of oranges and Banana's

Painting of Lynn and Ruby.

Dustan sang for us all at the celebration

Lunch with the director

It was great to see Cola today and be able to bring he and Maksat and Ibek with us Skating

The kids from DaySpring joind us today as well at the skating and out for supper

I think there were about 50 of us for supper

Something we are seeing a lot of... when we bring the kids to restaurants , the servers always seem to end up crying
... and that is BEFORE they get there tip..hahaha

Anya was amazing today as always..

Jengish fooling around. .. but check out Sarah's new glasses . We managed to squeeze in Eye exams and new glasses for Dave, Josiha , Saraah and I. .. As they were reading the results from my exam, the Dr looks up at me and says .
" You see here your problem is Ziis... YOU ARE OLD"

LAMb International: GATHERING THE TEAM FOR KYRGYZSTAN

2012-01-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

If you are watching this trip and thinking that you would like to be here yourself, Now is your opportunity, Check out the LAMb blog for more details. The Wrights will all be back on the ground here in Kyrgyzstan , and would love to have you join us.

LAMb International: GATHERING THE TEAM FOR KYRGYZSTAN: SHORTH TERM MISSION TRIP TO KYRGYZSTAN - OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE...APRIL 28 - MAY 11, 2012. We are inviting you to join us in Kyrgyzstan f...

Bowling in Bishkek

2012-01-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve!

2012-01-01T06:11:00.001-05:00

One Day Three Parties Many Blessings

2011-12-31T12:26:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,
This is James Weening from Barrie, Ontario writing. John asked me to share about our day on this blog post.

It was a busy day today as we managed to squeeze in three celebrations, a trip to the marketplace, and we have about an hour before we head back to the Beikut small home orphanage to ring in the new year with the kids there..

We met with our group from Canada this morning and had another fantastic breakfast cooked by John. If you ever have the opportunity to experience John's cooking don't let it pass you by. It's one of his many God given gifts!! Today was pancakes with good ol' Canadian maple syrup. We're hardly roughing it over here when it comes to the wide variety of foods. After breakfast we went over to another orphanage and had some time to spend with 10 - 15 kids from the ages 2 - 4. We sang and we danced with the kids there and they were very excited to see us there with our cameras out. From what I understand several of the kids from this orphanage are close to reaching the end of the adoption process to make their ways to new homes in Canada and the U.S. I think we will be able to share some of the pictures we took with the awaiting parents. John will be collecting the pictures from each of our cameras and sharing in a private facebook group once they are uploaded. The kids we're very out going and warmed up to different members of the group. A couple of the kids were upset when we had to say goodbye which was a bit emotional to see but at least confirms that our visit with them made a small impact.

After the trip to the orphanage we met up at a restaurant to celebrate the birthday's of two of John and Julie's newest members to the family, their God-children Altynai and Samat. There were about 50 people at the lunch and some of the kids put on some songs and danced for our entertainment.

After lunch our group head over to the "Bazaar" to pick up some gifts to bring to the Kemin elderly home which we we went to this evening. We brought men's and women's gift bags with some presents to the 20 elderly women and 10 elderly men. The Kemin elderly home is one of LAMb's major projects which they've come behind and supported since it's inception. Through the support of the sponsors and supporters of LAMb the once vacant building has become a place of refuge for these beautiful old souls. We arrived and unloaded off the bus and were escorted into the home by the director Tatiana. As we stood inside and set up our stuff, the seniors made their way from their rooms to the dining room where we had our time with them. For me it was a very moving experience to have the opportunity to look upon their weathered old faces and shake their hands to wish them a happy new year. It brought back memories of my Oma and the times me and my brother and sisters were fortunate to share with her throughout our childhood. Often I think we take for granted the relationships we've been given the opportunity to experience with those that have years of life experience. What really gripped my spirit was the fact that most of these elderly people have no family to share the stories of their trials and their triumphs with. Oh the stories that could be told from that little home. One thought I had which I haven't yet mentioned to John is that I may try get back there before we leave and sit down with one specific old man to hear about his life and document some of his own personal story. He was a Kyrgyz man with a traditional hat on. I'll try to post a picture of him but not sure if I have time. Picture a combination of Yoda from StarWars and Mr. Miagi from The Karate Kid. The little old man was very excited for us to be there and he was fully participating in the singing of songs and praising the Lord during the few songs that we sang. I made a special effort to get over to him before we left to shake his hand and wish him a Happy New Year and for a 75 year old little Kyrgyz he still had a hand shake that would rival my own Grandfather's. It was an amazing blessing to be with them and I thank those supporters which have given towards that project to allow these old souls to spend their final years in the loving care and comfort of a home and organization that value them.

Well we're now packing up to head back over to the small home orphanage to set off some fireworks with the older kids there. When we were there last night they asked if we would come back to spend New Years Eve with them.

I'm so honored to have the opportunity to experience everything that the Wrights and LAMb International have been involved with here in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan. We're only into the first week here and have another action packed week next week to see the amazing work that is going on in the lives of people here. It's just occurred to me that this will be the final post of this blog for the 2011 year. What a great opportunity to thank those reading this post. I've only known John and Julie for 3 weeks and only met Lynn and Ruby 4 weeks ago.

Six weeks ago I would never had imagined I'd be part of such a pure and noble organization. I can't find the words to express the joy and compassion I've felt this week. There is such a purity in the work that is being accomplished through everyone involved. It is only through grace and compassion of those reading this who follow the discernment and direction that John, Julie and LAMb is able to accomplish the work which we have the responsibility to carry out. Every person I've come into contact with is living and breathing the admonishment of one of the most direct verses from the New Testament. Thank you to everyone reading this and everyone that has supported John, Julie and all the projects which LAMb has been a part of this year.

Thank you for supporting this organization and please continue to follow the discernment in each of your lives.

James 1:27

Blessings from Kyrgyzstan,

James Weening

story to follow

2011-12-31T06:20:00.003-05:00

James and his little buddy

2011-12-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

IT MATTERED TO THIS ONE !

2011-12-30T21:41:00.004-05:00

Christmas with children day two!

2011-12-30T12:40:00.003-05:00

Concert and crafts

2011-12-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

Jengish joined in to the concert tonight

The kids loved the one on one time together

What fun

Bekah lends a hand

Photo update from Julies Camera

2011-12-30T07:59:00.002-05:00

Chatting with the editor of the paper

Enjoying a great meal

party # 4

A visit with MOM

getting ready to go

fooling around inside

And out

Now thats a perfect location to sell cotton candy .. actually it was ... Dave bought it all

Lunch with the team ..Yummm shashleek

every time I was asked where my sock were I would tell them I can't afford them...
thats when they took up an offering

waiting for food

Me too

Me three

Santa learns to break dance

Group shot

Children s shelter has some kids visit for the holidays .

They got gifts and supper too.

Now we are off to another orphanage to make some crafts with the kids... I will post more photos later tonight .

Overwhelming Emotions .....

2011-12-29T10:13:00.001-05:00

What a day . Started at 4 am . I was wide awake, so I made some really good smoked meat and cheese croissants and a deep dish cheese souffle. The team arrived at 8:00. After a quick breakfast, we had a little time of debriefing, then off to the office to pick up some of the presents that are all packed and ready to go.

Jengish had to go to Bishkek today to meet with the staff at the rehab centre , so James went with him to check things out there . They are getting along great.. , but then this is Jengish... Everyone loves Jengish...

The first orphanage was the Chui orphanage. It was great to meat some of our friends from there , but extra special to find a couple kids that we knew from the orphanage in Tokmok before it had to close .

It was a special time for Sarah as well.. She was able to meat the girls that her family has been sponsoring since the day we found them in the dump so many years ago. I could not help but think of this photo when Sarah's mom visited them last fall. , I guess the apple does not fall that far from the tree.

The movie was a short one because it was a cold day today. .. maybe it will be warmer tomorrow and we can watch the long movie .....hahaha. Then off to the restaurant .. We had a bunch of Bekah's friends from the University as well as Samat.. it was so awesome to see them interact with the kids...

After the first batch of kids , we took the team down to the Baby hospital. . Usually there are about 15 kids there, so we brought them presents as well. Once we got there we found out that there is something going around, and there were 53 kids there .. fortunately we had some gifts in the van intended for tomorrow.

The next batch of kids are the ones that do not live in the orphanages, but in the poorer families in the village. If you look closely you will find our princess from the dump.. she had dreamed of one day having a princess dress..

So many kids and so many problems and so many needs . It was overwhelming as Larissa was franticly telling me about all the problems. It was like she felt that if she could just have us see the child then some how the needs would be met.

Children living in such poverty.. living with poor relatives. not able to go to school because they had no winter clothes... or the boy she found who had fainted in her front yard trying to get to her for help. The new born twins who are both in desperate need of physio therapy if they are going to ever walk. then we found in the crowd another young boy we knew from the orphanage. he was a friend of Slavics.

When the orphanage closed, he went to live with his Grand parents... then last month his Grand father died. Now they have nothing to survive on, and Larisa tells us that he now has to work to suport he and his Babushka. ... He is like 10 years old for crying out loud... what do you do with that..?

Saturday morning, Isar will go out to the village and pick up 15 of Larisa's most needy , and we will take them shopping for winter cloths. Then Thursday we will bring there families a sack of potatoes and a sack of carrots.

There are just so many kids... and we have only Just begun...

Tomorrow, we will be doing this all over again.

the parties begin!

2011-12-29T07:45:00.003-05:00

a few Photo's

2011-12-28T19:50:00.004-05:00

The girls were thrilled to find this printed on their tickets !

Tabatha in the JFK airport

James

dinner at Dayspring

Tabatha playing the flute for us

Hit the ground running

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

It was an uneventful trip , just the way we like it. . We have team members from three different locations, 2 different provinces, and we traveled on three different flights to meat up at JFK., and traveled in 4 different countries charring 600 lbs of vitamins and about 200 gifts...

We got the special actofkindness "VIP" service at the airport, and cleared customs as a group , and with out a single bag being opened up. Just one delayed bag, but it is expected in the morning .

Our first meeting of the trip was 5 minutes after landing at 5:30 am . We had a family join us in the airport coffee shop, and got the pleasure of letting them know that we had a sponsor for their 3 kids tuition. Such a blessing for us and for them

All the apartments were ready, and warm, beds made and shopping done. even the internet was on and working . Everyone is having a nap now, then we will gather up the team and head for the first event.

A few months ago we learned of a group of people in Tokmok who where working to provide for the homeless They help them with food and clothes and try to find them housing. They are a group of nationals doing what they can with what they have. Trying to make a difference. This is just the type of thing that appeals to us. It is the type of thing that we want to incourage and support. in a couple hours, we will head over to a concert being put on for these homeless.

The young lady below , we have known since the first day that we came to Kyrgyzstan back in 2005. she is one of the ones leading the charge in this program. She does not know it yet, but we came prepared to make an investment in their work. we will talk to them today to see what our roll will be., and what potential there is for some of our suporters to partener with them in this incredible work.. Stay tuned , you will be hearing more about this .

I was just talking to Sergey.. the first 450 presents are ready, and Isar has the first bus of kids arriving tomorrow morning at 10 am ... on that bus will be out young friends Amir and Tolik. I will get some photo's up as soon as we can tomorrow ... the plan is dinner , movie and present. X 2 showings

Larissa is on her way over at 4 to make some planes for the week and to pick up funds to buy track suits, under-where and slippers for the men at the mens home, soo we will have them in time for the party there next week.

At 5 we will be having a special celebration. Since we were here last, out God Son got married. We will have a special dinner for them, and a chance to meet his new wife, Also we will see Turat and his family as they will be there as well.

Should sleep well tonight ...

Turat arrives home to a hero's welcome

2011-12-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

We are sitting in the departure lounge now. Bags checked through to Bishkek. no difficulties..

Meanwhile in Tokmok, there is lots of excitement. We have brought Turat home from school in Ukraine for the holidays. Jengish met him at the airport, and drove him home to where Sergey and Anya and family where waiting for a celebration .. Aigoola even made borsolk..

We can't wait to be there ourselves. soon enough,...!

Kyrgyz Pie Challenge ...Melissa Littlejohn

2011-12-25T13:25:00.000-05:00

2011-12-24T15:38:00.003-05:00

twas the night before Christmas... and the house is upside down

2011-12-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

Sergey and Anya vistit Orphanage with youth from Tokmok

Sergey and Anya have been busy. Not only preparing for the team and the Hundreds of gifts that they are warping, but they managed to fit in a trip to a local orphanage. This orphanage is one that is used to treat children from other orphanages. If they have medical or behavioral issues, they often end up here for "assessment and treatment."

I was so pleased to see some of the youth from Tokmok joining them on this trip. It is so important for the kids to have that connection. Take a look at this photo below. look at the expression on this young boys face... for him it is not about a gift or treats or even the entertainment .. it was the contact,.... that's what this is all about ...

Back on the home front, we are in the middle of packing .. the kitchen looks like a transfer station.. vitamins everywhere . Our friend should be arriving back from Quebec any time now. He and his son drove 375 lbs of Vitamins there for us, so the other half of the team leaving from Montreal will have Vitamins as well.

It looks like this trip we will be able to bring about 650 lbs of vitamins to get the program started. We will continue to look for other ways to continue shipping more .

This morning at about 4:30 am we had an exciting call . It was Turat. He was at Eds in Kiev for a few hours. We were able to bring him home to Tokmok for Christmas this year. I can't express enough how great it will be to see him again and hear about all his adventures in Ukraine over the last year . He will be home for 2 weeks, then will be flying back with us On the 8th.

We also spoke with Emma and Altynai. they are doing well.. One of our sponsors sent a Christmas bonus for all our workers , and Emma was thrilled to be able to use hers to get Princess dresses for all the girls at Dayspring, as well as to make a small stalking for each of them.

Well I better get back to packing . Merry Christmas to all .

Update from Emma

2011-12-20T12:28:00.001-05:00

Last month when Lynn and Ruby were in Kg , the helped Emma deliver over 100 bags of rice. They shared some stories of thanks giving that were very humbling. At this time of year when we have so much, they were sharing stories of how this rice will help people survive the winter. I remember one girls account of how she was studying at University in hopes that one day she would be able to afford to eat rice every day...

This week, our team has been doing some follow up visits to many of those homes. Emma shared how difficult it was. She said that many of the homes had absolutely NO FOOD , apart from a bag of rice.

How important that food drop was, and it just shows how desperate life is for so many. Then today we had another example of this . A young boy we know from the dump arrived at Larisa's door. He had walked about a mile to find her, and was almost freezing to death.. it is currently -21 in KG. As he came through her front gate, he reached his end and collapsed. He was carried into the house and warmed up, then they got him a good meal and he started to come around..

It just breaks my heart that we have not come up with a better solution for this young fellow yet .. I remember the first time that I met him . I was at the dump a few years ago with Jengish and got a chance to hear a bit of his story. Here he is bellow the first time we met.

Along with the rice, we also had 40 tons of coal delivered around the valley. We have set up emergency drop spots like Larisa's home . They are places that families in need can come to get some coal . In this photo you can see one older couple come for help. They are all so thankful to all of you who sponsored coal for them. A special shout out to the folks in Espanola who led the coal fundraising this fall.

Larisa's daughter Tanya continues to go out to the mens home to teach. I can't get over the difference here .. what a blessing to be part of something like this . We are looking forward to having a new years party with them next week . Through the donations of some other special people, we will have a special gift for them .

We are going to be delivering new socks, underwear, track suit and slippers to all 270 men . On top of that , we have the men from the rehab center will be coming as well and putting on a concert for them.

WOW

2011-12-14T22:06:00.005-05:00

WOW, WOW, WOW, Things are really coming together ... parties have begun in Kyrgyzstan .. the disabled families association in Tokmok was the first... photos to follow shortly

7 different NGO's have begun preparation for their part of the celebrations. Parties , concerts, outings you name it .. teams traveling to the remote villages of Narin, Osh, and Talas. The impact of the pie challang is reaching thousands.

We will arrive on the 28th and have our first party that night. Over the next two days , Dinner / movie/ and presents, four showings for over 500 orphans followed by a party at the mens home ..A couple birthday parties with the University students we work with ..like 100 or so and a new years eve party at the seniors home to finish off the next day. Then over the next week we have more kids and more orphanages having some incredible trips that they will never forget.. Bowling , skying, skating , and off to the hot springs... finishing off our week with a grand celebration with hundreds of kids in Bishkek ,

The traditional event “Christmas Miracle” will be held by ICSB for the 12^th time. Every year hundreds of children participate in the event and look forward to come there. children from orphanages, disabled kids association , children who's parents are in prison , and underprivileged families. The program includes performance, singing and dancing in a ring around the Christmas tree, puppet show and presents for children. This year YOU are the sponsor that will make it possible ...

We will even work in a few hospital visits, one to do the leg work to bring new beds, and another to put heat in for the winter.

Then there are the vitamins .

just some of the vitamins waiting to make the journey

..OH MY .. the Vitamins . We hope to bring about 1000 lbs with us on this trip, this will be enough for the first 6 months of the program. Then send more with anyone that we know of traveling over in the next few months.

As I am sure you are aware, celebrations of this magnitude , planed from over 7000 miles away can be difficult.. we are excited, but would ask that you continue to remember us in prayer , and join us in praise and thanksgiving ...

Pie in the Face For the Orphans of Kyrgyzstan - Nelson 2011

2011-12-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

Life is not so scary any more !

2011-12-11T23:33:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend in NY at the Littlejohns. They are such a wonderful couple, like many of the waiting KG 65, we seem to have developed a connection that has gone beyond the stalled adoptions... We are so thankful for the friendships that have developed. Not just in NY but all over the U.S. These friendships were evident this weekend, Not only did many greetings come in the form of Text messages from several of the Kyrgy65, but two families even traveled considerable distance to be there as well and bring greetings in person.

The night was a traditional Kyrgyz meal, served at ground level, about 70 people in total shared a relaxed pace meal, full of stories and interesting customs and facts about Kyrgyzstan .

As everyone sat around on the floor and munched on Candies, breads and traditional Kyrgyz salads, they experienced the feel of community, family, and a a general coming together for a greater good that seems to happen at events like this .. It is something that I always find special when ever we are a part of such a celebration like this... ... all the while , we had the Samavar and Kazan chugging away out side making Ploff that in true Kyrgyz fashion was served at the end of the meal..... when every one was full hahaha...

I don't really know why, but I have always found as we have sat around and shared at dinners like this, No mater how difficult life is at the time , and no mater what stress there may be... for a time , everything dissipated and there is a feeling like everything is going to be OK...

I think that this was achieved this weekend. Everyone had opportunity to make donations towards the Littlejohns adoption expenses, as well as learned about the work of the Altynai Legacy fund.

There is still a long way to go to bring Calab home, but when it was all over and we were back home at night, It was such a blessing for us to hear Melissa ... "It does not seem so scary any more ", I don't think that was a response so much to the finances, but the felling of being a part of a community that comes together to support and stand with you at times like this.

We more then most understand that feeling of support.. It is one that many have given us over the past few years . Take for example this morning I shared a little in their church

, and they put a basket at the back where people could support a project in Kyrgyzstan, I shared with the pastor and one of the board members that I was not really comfortable receiving this blessing at this time because I was there to support the adoptions this trip. I was reminded that I had talked about being prepared to "Stop for the one in front of you " and that they wanted to be a a part of that, and that they were just preparing us to help the next one that we are called to stop for.

We returned home to find an email with a request for help in it. One young girl we know from the University in Kyrgyzstan has had some difficulties. In the last 3 years she has lost her father, her Mother , and her Uncle... she is now alone. and has had to take on many jobs just to survive.. she has fallen behind in her tuition, and now her school work is starting to suffer... she was lost and not knowing what to do so she was encouraged to share her story with us . As I was reading her letter, I had my calculator going, and based on last weeks som to $ conversion rates, her needs to be able to finish school are with in $3 of what was in the basket.........

For this Beautiful young girl in Kyrgyzstan... Life will not seem so scary any more . She may have lost one family, but today she became part of another .

Off to NY

2011-12-09T12:49:00.005-05:00

Van is just about packed and we are heading for King Ferry NY to spend some time with the a family adopting from Kyrgyzstan. As I shared in the last post, they are adopting one of the kids we have come to love at the baby orphanage . They along with 64 others were caught up in a political mess that has held the kids in limbo for over 3 years now. Despite paying for all the documents once, they must all be re done now that things are opening up again.. This has left many in a very tight situation.. We can't wait to see them all home, so this Saturday we will be having a fund raiser to help with the adoption expenses. You can be a part of that . A friend of ours has set up a fund to assist the parents with these expenses . They are fully licences, and you can get a tax receipt.

You can go to the web site any time to donate, but it would be especially great if you could make a donation Saturday between 3 and 8 .. that's when we will be sharing in NY . the blog address to donate to the paper work is www.helpkg65.com

We had an exciting day yesterday . The money from the pie challenge has started to make its way through the banks, and the first batch made it there yesterday. Olga began distributing the money to the different organizations that will be helping to make this all happen. There are a lot of people involved with a celebration like this .

There was an extra special blessing this year . One of the sponsors sent extra and asked that our workers get a little Christmas bonus this year . So yesterday Olga delivered 16 cards and Christmas letters from the LAMb Canada/US team , along with a bonus ... It was such a time of joy and blessing for them all. It's good that they are all in good spirits now... they have A LOT of work ahead of them ...

helpkg65.com

2011-12-05T16:33:00.003-05:00

What Next. We have had a busy fall, a lot of traveling and a lot of sharing , and in the middle of it all we have had the pie challenge. We have been so blessed and overwhelmed with the response, not just of the pie challenge, but the spin off from that . things like a camera for the medical program, heat for the hospital, and financial help for operations... all amazing stuff.

When the calendar page turned to December, many more names where brought to us by organizations we work with , for Christmas in Kyrgyzstan.. I can not describe how great it feels to be able to step up and cover these kids as well... All the while there is another need that has been weighing heavy on our hearts, along with many of you .. There are the Kyrgyz 65... one more year that actofkindness will play Santa to these kids .. I pray that this will be the last. I can remember a time when we would watch for them in the orphanages , and it would bring us such joy to know that they would be home in a few months , but the months have turned to years, and they are still there .

Now when I see them, I can't help but ask, is there more that can be done? I don't believe so..

So many have worked so hard to advocate for them, and now it seems that there has been a break through and they will be coming home soon.

some of the 65 waiting

International adoption is expensive at the best of times, but now that things are moving again, many of the documents need to be redone. It will require another investment of Thousands .

Once again I wish that there was more that we could do. But this time there is something we can do. We checked our schedule , and we have a weekend that we were able to step up.

One of the little boys that we have come to love is Tilek . Long before we had ever known who was waiting to adopt him, or that any one was able to adopt him we fell in love with him. Then last year we had the opportunity to meet his family. We were so blessed to see the future that was in store for him. his family, his home, his extended family.. so many pulling for him... We even were emotional when we saw an ice-cream stand across the fields from his home , and we imagined him riding his bike over to pick up an ice-cream for he and his Dad who would be working in the field... I know it all just seemed so fairy tail for a little boy from an orphanage.. but we have seen the option , we have seen the future for so many of the kids in the orphanage, so this is a fairy tail that I choose to hang on to. If these kids do not come home, we know the years of work that will go into making sure that they are not part of the statistics.. so lets just get them home NOW...

We have also seen and felt the devastation when a child we are trying to help does not make it. Sadly this was the case with baby Altynai.... Extra hard for us because this is the name of our Kyrgyz Daughter.. When Altynai passed away, her mother had every reason to become bitter, but if she did, she sure did not show it. She purposed herself to make Altynai death about something.. Altynai's legacy fund was set up to help families with the overwhelming financial burden of adoptions .

We can not physically attend fund raisers for all the families, but we can stop for the one in front of us.. for our Tilek ... In a few weeks He will be sitting on my knee, and I am not going to look down into his eye's with out knowing I have done everything we can to bring him home. So this Saturday, we will be hosting a fund raiser in the finger lakes district of NY along with Eric and Melissa ,his parents, to raise the funds to Bring Telik home....

Here is how you can help... Please go to http://www.helpkg65.com/ on Saturday night between 3:00 and 8:00 pm and make a donation on our behalf to help BRING THEM ALL HOME. Maybe we can't be everywhere this weekend , but with your help, we can . So as we are traveling to help Telics family, please travel yourself over to Altynai's Legacy fund.. help us to help them all.

More blessings

2011-12-02T08:38:00.002-05:00

I hardly slept last night . There is just so much going on right now, But we have seen such incredible out pouring of support. Take for example last week I posted abut a need for a camera for one of our medical teams , yesterday that was covered by a group somewhere in Indiana ... but not just the camera, .. rechargeable batteries, a case, memory stick and a flash stick... exceedingly and abundantly more.... Then yesterday I shared about the need for heat t the hospital. with in 15 minutes the donations began to come in and by midnight, I was able to email Larisa to inform her that we have the funds to put in the heat.

Today we are busy running around getting ready for a great weekend. Right after Julie gets off work, we will head for Barrie to Lynn and Ryby's place. We are having a big fund raiser tomorrow from 1pm to 4 pm at Mapleview Community Church . Bekah Julie and I will be setting up the Beverage table.. It will be coffee house style with assorted tea's , flavors of Hot chocolate, apple cider, gourmet coffee, Bekah will be doing her fruit smithies and ice caps... always a great time .

There will be a silent auction as well. here are a few of the items that will be up for bids

- Round Trip tickets for two to Alaska
- Week at a lake cottage that sleeps 9 - with use of the canoe
- Lots of certificates for dinner out
- Photography sessions for the family portrait
- Oil changes
- Massages
- Facial treatments
- Leather hand bag
- Desserts for a year
- Gift Baskets
- Certificates for different services
- Tutoring
- Tax preparation services
- Cottage weekend
- 10 hours of long distance phone time
- on and on and on..

If you are in the area, be sure to stop buy and see us ...

I always love these events. When people get together to do something like this, I find that there is such an excitement... It always reminds me about the scripture that says that God loves a cheerful giver , but I was told one time that the original text uses the word Holari which translates as Hilarious ... He wants for us to be Hilarious givers... Now that sounds like fun. I have also seen scriptures talking about giving with reckless abandonment... now that's Hilarious.. because who knows you can't out give God... Many of you have tried this last few weeks... I love the challange that is give to us about giving ....Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.

Larisa Turns up the heat

2011-12-01T14:33:00.009-05:00

We had a great success with the pie challenge, and have been busy with Emma making arrangements for all the parties. I told her that the funds have began the bank transfers, and will make their way to Kyrgyzstan and be in the account in about two weeks. I did have some donations come in locally and early on through LAMb Canada, so I was able to get a bit there early for her to give deposits on places like the restaurants and the movie theaters. Then she drops the bomb...

" What about the disabled kids in Tokmok.." I said "yes of course , they are included" .. I had promised $1000 for a combined Christmas party with our team and the Mayors office.. Larisa has a huge event planed for them.. Then Emma says ,,. "that's Saturday".... NO ... that's only three days away.. less a day with the time change I can't do that .... Larisa thought that I understood that the first week of December is disabled persons day , and that would be a good time to celebrate their special day .. all the invitations are out and everyone is coming .... It was nothing short of a little frenzy here as we struggled to pull it together, and a few hours ago, Emma went to Western Union and picked up the money .

I sent another message to them to remind Larisa that I NEED three weeks notice unless it's an emergency... the reply came back, " OK I understand... In three weeks , we would like to start putting heat in at the Iskra hospital.. they have no heat, and the one tap has started spitting out ice chips now". I vented to Julie ..with the out side of my head voice... SHE DOSN'T GET IT.. does she not realize I don't just have money sitting around... but then Julie Reminded me " SHE DOES GET IT" Her job is to find the needs that no one else will help with .. the needs that will make the greatest impact, and the needs that reach to the center of humanity and bring hope and dignity. Thats her job... thats the position that she is in... and it is not my job to provide the money , its just my job to facilitate the burden that God will give some one to step up to help.

I remember visiting this hospital for the first time about 3 years ago... Once again I am reminded of "IF NOT US THEN WHO" This is three years that I have known about this , and it just has not gone away.. No other organization or group has stepped in to help .

I have thought about this place from time to time since then, but have been busy, always so many needs, waiting until the right time to post the need again. All the while things remain the same .. another winter and another winter, and here we go again, and still nothing has been done about this . I am always so excited when another organization or government comes along, but I think this hospital is just to far off the beaten path.

I think that it is a no brainier ..if it was in a big city , or closer to where there were foreigners and dignitaries that might see it from time to time, but its not.. It is a simple little hospital.. struggling to support those in the villages who don't have the ability to go to the city's for help...

What I find amazing is that they don't seem to have any less patients then any of the city hospitals or clinics that we work with .. they do just as much,... but with almost nothing .

This is a real opportunity for a group or individual to make a great difference this Christmas. Maybe pass the hat at a party, Be the answer.. start to finish, we could have heat in this place for $1000

If you are interested in turning on the heat here, please let me know

Get out !

2011-11-25T10:01:00.004-05:00

That's what Julie told me last week ... but let me tell you the rest of the story.

4 years ago the well went dry at our home in Canada. We did not have the money to drill a new one, so I rigged up a line and a pump from the kids inflatable pool, and we started purchasing water . This was less then ideal, but it kept us for 5 months, all the time waiting for the water to come back but it never did. As winter approached , the lines started freezing, and the situation was getting more desperate. Finally we could not take it any longer, we were at our end.

We know a man from our church that has a gift of healing . He even travels around conducting healing services . So we went to him and asked him to come and pray over our well. You have to understand that social graces may not be his strong suit, but there is no denying his faith. He came out to our home that afternoon, and we all went out to the well. He looked down into the empty well, then looked up at us and with a mater of fact crusty voice said ."If you haven't got faith for this, go inside , I don't want you around..." We stayed and he prayed. after a few minutes he looked up again and said " There , I'm going home.. tomorrow you will have water ". The next day, I turned on the switch, and for the first time in 5 months, we had water. Not only that , the water continued to rise every day by about a foot, until the pump platform at the top got flooded out and I had to get a submersible pump. The water did not stop rising until it had filled the whole well casing to the point that it was higher level then the surrounding ground... EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY MORE THEN WE COULD ASK OR IMAGINE .

That experience has served as a great reminder and motivator for us when things appear to be difficult, or impossible. It has become our way of keeping each other in check when we start to loose the faith, we just look up with a gruff look and say " If you haven't got the faith for this ..Get out "

Last week I was trying to make plans for all the Christmas events, and at the same time I was looking at the pie totals and wondering how they would ever come together.. I looked over at Julie with a bit of a defeatist look and said ... " I don't think we are going to make it, I was so sure that this is what God wanted us to do... .." and of course her response was "WELL DEAR , IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE FAITH FOR THIS , GET OUT OF THE HOUSE !"...

If you were watching the totals , you would have seen that the challenge really started to pick up steam over the weekend, but then stalled out.. I must say we did great.. we exceeded last years totals by about $3000... But we came up about $7000 short of our target.. that was until Midnight when God stepped in and exceedingly and abundantly more then we could ask or imagine, ALL the pies were covered ..... That's right .. we hit the $20 000 target, .. everyone is getting pied ... But the greatest thing of all, thousands of kids seniors , disabled, they will all know that they are special that they are worth it, and will have a day to remember , and on top of that, they will be receiving soooo necessary vitamins. you would think by now I would stop doubting .

Thank you to every one that shared in this burden.. who stepped out and offered up their mugs to encouraging other .. to the hundreds of people who gave, and to the crusty old man that taught us a thing or two about faith.

Now as a special celebration bonus.. here is a young friend or ours who raised $500 so that the brother he has been waiting for for almost 4 years will know he has not been forgotten.

Blessed to Bless

2011-11-24T16:04:00.004-05:00

There is a lot on the go right now, and it is easy to get distracted. It is not officially Thanksgiving here in Canada, that was last month for us. I must have a little Kyrgy's that has rubbed off on me, because like in Kyrgyzstan we are now ready to celebrate every holiday going, and hay there is nothing wrong with having 2 thanksgivings after all we should be thankful all the time .

I spent some time this morning helping my good friend and pastor pack. This has hit me a little harder then I expected. After all with us gone all the time , how selfish is that for us to expect things to remain the same at home. But it hits me, How is it going to be having someone as close as our pastor that does not have a first hand understanding of our work. As I share with my pastor the troubles and trials that we face on an on going basis, he knows , he understands.. he has been there, in fact it was Him that brought us to Central Asia all those years ago... IT IS ALL HIS FAULT..hahaha...

The pie Challenge is down to the last day. I sometimes feel like I am abusing my friends and sponsors . I am always coming to you guys with needs... granted they are not my needs .. as much as they are needs and burdens that others have given me..

I don't take offence at all when Emma writes me , yet more and more I can tell that she is feeling like me.. She now will often start with " I am sorry Dad that I am always asking but ... "I must tell you that this can be a hard cross to bare. Today it just seamed that much harder for me...

I received an email this morning .. It has given me more encouragement that you could imagine. I have opened it up and read it at least a dozen times ... I can't share it all , but I will give you a little tast ...

Dear John 
Here in the United States, we are preparing to celebrate   Thanksgiving.  I am about to put a 21 pound turkey in the oven.    Yesterday the kids made 2 pumpkin pies.  We have mashed potatoes,   sweet potatoes, rolls, etc.  More than enough to feed us and our   extended family.  As we give thanks today, I give thanks for people like you and your   beautiful family.  Who hear God's call.  Who lovingly draw others   into your mission of helping God's children half a world away.  Who   are the hands and feet and voice and heart of our Lord Jesus.  So, this Thanksgiving, as we count our blessings, we remember that we   are blessed so we can bless others.  In His Love, 
"Who lovingly draw others into a mission of helping ".. I needed to hear it put that way,  I then started to think back to this past year to all the people that have been touched though the generosity of those of you who have come along side... Literally thousands of people have had their lives changed because of the blessings that have come from you our readers , and your understanding and belief in the truth that lies in the conclusion of the letter I received...

'We remember that we are blessed so that we can bless others. "

So this Thanks giving, please remember as we are thankful for so much, That I have many friends in Kyrgyzstan that are thankful for you!

A need brought to my attention just now .

2011-11-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

One of the many areas that we support is a medical program. Life is hard enough in Kyrgyzstan, but when some one gets sick, life can become unbearable. We come along side families that require medical help of all types.. Cancer , Cleft palates, Hydrocephalus, heart conditions , you name it, we have helped. Every request that comes to us from our friends I respond to with .. Get me a picture... a picture often allows us to do preliminary work with the Dr's as well as provide us a before picture for potential sponsors, then we require after photo's for the records and for the sponsor.. it is an important part of how the system works... Before and after photo's are also very important to show those in need the past successes.. they often have not had any positive experiences with the medical system, and are very afraid, but seeing previous successes helps to relax them.

A photo is simple for us .. every foreigner in Kyrgyzstan has a camera in there pocket or around their neck... and some times both.. not to mention their i phone . Did you know that for many Kyrgyz, seeing a photo of themselves is still unheard of. In fact in the past we ave helped groups and organizations in Kyrgyzstan to purchase a community camera that they all share.

As we strive to empower nationals, and come behind them to support the programs so that they not only have ownership, but so that they can continue in our absence, it is necessary to equip them with the tools that they need. One of those tools that we need is a camera. Our friend that heads up the medical program that is such an important part of the connection with the hospitals , is back in the US until March. Now I am sure that they miss her for much more then her camera, BUT.. they sure do miss the camera.. we need to get them back into effective work , and that means that I need to bring them a good camera.

So here we are 3 days from the end of the pie in the face challenge, thousands of dollars to go to meet our target , and I am looking for a sponsor to help me purchase the camera. First reaction would be to wait until we finish one thing before starting another, but I have come to learn that it is not my responsibility to direct where donations come from or where they go... and very possibly some one that has already sponsored a pie, or may never sponsor a pie will feel a call to action here .. We all know the cost of camera's and the wide range of quality .. so I will leave this one open, and what ever comes in designated toward a camera for the medical team will be fantastic, and we will bring them a camera next month that matches the donation.

PS. the pie challenge is now over the 10 000 mark .. what a blessing

One more of the kids we will be visiting

2011-11-20T23:12:00.003-05:00

Standing at the door

waiting for Christmas !

Lets not disappoint her.

Please donate now...

One week left

2011-11-17T17:13:00.002-05:00

We have one week to go in the Christmas pie challenge , and we are not quite half way there...

The side of me that does not have the faith started going through the lists today to see who we could "trim" from the festivities.....That did not work out so well.. when all was said and done.. with just the "must " list, I am up from 2000 to 2150...

Oh Man,, I am going to have to stop listening to the side with no faith. The faith side is going to have to come through in a BIG way... Please take a moment and make a donation today... even as little as $10 will make a memory for a child that will last a life time... and provide the vitamins that can keep a child healthy for the year...

Aidar Update

2011-11-17T10:53:00.005-05:00

With great happiness we share a wonderful update story on Aidar. Many of you will remember sweet Aidar.

His story has touched so many from many countries around the world. And it all started because we stopped for the one in front of us. Aidar took our hands and grabbed our hearts first in April 2009. Over two years many of our supporters struggled to get him the Cardiac surgery that would save his life. Many routes were sought and finally persistance and faith has paid off. In September Aidar was given the gift he so much deserved. His heart has been repaired! His surgery and recovery was nothing short of a miracle. He is now recovering nicely.

We are unsure what the future holds for young Aidar. But one thing is certain he has touched many lives. His surgery and aftercare has been possible through the efforts of local friends who have collaborated to make a difference one life at a time. His aftercare has been fronted but we would love to find resources to support the friends who worked hard to make this happen...

Thank you to every one who has had a part in helping this beautiful boy, and to those of you who would commit to his on going care, we ask a special blessing .

Sam's getting a pie

2011-11-16T17:45:00.002-05:00

Your Jedi like reflexes are not going to save you this time Sam.

You have just reached your target of $500 to get a pie in the face.

The money raised will provide a Christmas party,

a present and vitamins to 1/2 the orphanage that Sam's brother is in.

One more Christmas apart, but Sams brother is going to know that he is not alone

.. that many care about them. Thanks Sam for taking one for the kids ...

update from Emma

2011-11-14T08:22:00.002-05:00

Emma just sent some more photo's , I thought you might be interested in some of them.

This is Luba. If you have been following the blog, you will remember her from Orlofka orphanage. We have been supporting her for 3 years now in university.

This photo is of the widow of my tatchka ( cart) driver friend who passed away last month . She is sick as well and needs an operation on her leg.. I should know more details soon and know what we can do help save her..

This is the home of a friend of Talents. He works hard, but like so many, he just can not seem to catch a break. He planted a huge garden of Garlic, but the conditions for garlic were not right this year, and they did not grow big enough to sell in the market, so Emma and family have an abundance of mini garlic that they bought from him to help him out...

While Jody and Gabriel were in Tokmok last month, they purchased coal for may in need ... unfortunately when they went to get it, there was no coal in Tokmok at the time, so Emma and the LAMb staff looked after that as soon as the coal trains arrived. They have provided coal for the: seniors home in Kemin, the community otreach center in Kemin, the safe beds in Tokmok, the Dayspring home, the rehab center, and 5 ton to be distributed in bags this winter to families in need. 40 tons of coal in total. We will likely only need another 5 or 10 tons over the winter .

Thank you to everyone that had a part in these blessings .. and all the creative ways you helped raise funds..

Grammy Pammy may be taking a pie ..

2011-11-13T22:05:00.002-05:00

We had to make one small change in the pie challenge roster today. I was sharing about the challenge today in our home church, and happened to mention that my mom ( Grammy Pammy) was letting her name stand... there was a gasp... WHO WOULD EVER PIE YOUR MOM was the sentiment... "NO ONE WILL PAY FOR THAT " sooooo I said "fine then.. Unless she raises $500 she WILL be getting a pie in the face".. tonight she raised $200 to avoid the pie.. if you want to help save Grammy Gammy from a pie.. you can do so by donating in her name.

Three of the orphans we would like to have join us for Christmas

2011-11-13T09:15:00.004-05:00

I don't know how many remember this story. Mother died two years ago, and last year the father got sick. There are actually three girls, the two here and an older sister suffered head trauma and has been left developmentally delayed. The two younger girls worked to look after there father and sister until this summer when the father also died. They were left with a home falling down, and only an income of about $ a week they earn cleaning and doing dishes and any other work they can find.They continue to look after their sister, and are trying to finish school as well.

when ever we have a little money come in, we have Larisa stop in to bring them a little food. Vlady and the boys spent a couple weeks there fixing the house,

When Jody and Gabriel were there last month, they bought them some coal for the winter. These girls are in such a vulnerable state.. Some one has to be there for them.. I am so thankful for our team members that have taken that on .

I would like to include these three girls in one of the Christmas parties, and I know that the vitamins would mean the world to them.... BUT for that to happen.. we need you...

A donation to the pie challenge of $30 make this possible... Please take a moment and give us a hand.

It does not have to stop there... we are looking for a permanent sponsor for these girls.. If you think that might be you.. please let me know and we can set up a monthly sponsorship.

Rotary recognition dinner.

2011-11-11T22:47:00.003-05:00

With over 1.2 million people in over 200 countries. The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

It was a great honor for us last night to attend the Rotary recognition dinner and be presented with the Paul Harris award for international service. In appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and freindly relations among peoples of the world.

As I looked around the room , it was a little overwhelming .. Attending were so many who have given so much to the community for more years then I could even imagine. I am just so humbled how this could all come together ... As we were introduced, they shared a little about Julie and my past, and what our future plans were , then she began to read off all the area's that we are involved in, and it almost overwhelmed even me... To think that every one of those area's has a Kyrgyz National at the lead, following the burden that they have been given...What an incredible network we are a part of.

So I guess here is the way that it works... I come to the Rotary and share the needs in Kyrgyzstan. They step forward and choose a project ( Hospital beds ) and send us back to Tokmok with cash in hand. We renovate and replace the beds in the Baby hospital, and the City of Tokmok Honors us with a citizens award for social service

Then we come home and present the report of completion to the Rotary, and they present us with this award...and choose the next project....

As I stood in front of this incredible group last night, I could not help but think about some of the incredible people that our family work with both here and there that make this all happen.. Our LAMb team is such an incredible support to everything that we do. they lead by example, and encourage us every step of the way. They are so well respected internationally, that just by association, they make us look good. Our sponsors and friends who encourage and make it possible.. and our friends and workers in Kyrgyzstan, like Vlady and the boys who I know that as I am writing this will be up a ladder working on the hospital renovations... Sergey and Anya who have such an incredible heart for the projects, and are such incredible directors of many of the projects... I think of Dr Anara the director of the hospital, and the incredible job that she does with so little.. ALWAYS there to help those in need... I also think of so many in the Government office that we have worked with like Janell who has such a heart, for her city, and was instrumental in making the connections that have made it possible to bring the degree of impact that we have .

Most of all I recognize my family.. Julie and the girls are not just a part of what is going on, but they ARE what is going on... They live and breath to bring hope and dignity to the people of Kyrgyzstan, and stand beside me every step of the way, many times driving us to DO more and to DO better.

We are also blessed that the family that we leave behind , both in Canada and in Kyrgyzstan, understand that we go because we must.. and though it is hard on them every time we make the move.. they support us...

So when I was told about this award and asked to allow my name to stand, it is in recognition of all of you that I except these awards... because it is all of YOU that makes us look good....

Thank you

Remembering the sacrifices

2011-11-11T08:42:00.003-05:00

I can remember my first Veterans day in Kyrgyzstan, I had some business to attend to the day before at the local police station. The police Sargent I was there to meet was away because he was trying to find the funds to purchase the flowers that he needed to bring to the cenotaph the next day. Suddenly it dawned on me the date, and I remembered ... I don't know why but I was surprised wen I realized that was a day that they remember as well.. Not only that, but that they were our allies.

Since that time, I started to take a little more notice of the veterans that we were working with... a little more understanding of where life may have brought them. I think of our seniors from the seniors home like "the General" siting beside our young friend Logan in this photo below.

"Blessed is the peace maker" I am so thankful for the sacrifice of so many so that we have the freedoms that we have today .. Please take a moment today and remember all those who have done their part.

This next video is a little treat from an old veteran we are friends with.. He has only one leg and lives on a pension of under $25 a month . Despite his own situation, he still tries to bring a little happiness to others. The neighbors know him as the little man who sits out on the bridge and sings to all those that walk buy.. He told me that singing covers up the hurts, and the lonesomeness.

hospital repairs under way

2011-11-08T13:07:00.003-05:00

We have the guys out working at the Baby hospital right now. The plumbing has been completed, so not they are patching the holes left by the blumber and repairing the spots that could never be fixed properly because of the constant leak.. but now it is dry and can be fixed . While they were doing that , it was brought to their attention that the steps into the nursery were dangerous. There was only a very small canopy over the steps, and it leaked. So we decided to replace it as well. Yo can see below . It is not finished yet, but it it almost twice as long as the old one, and sticks out twice as far.

Oh Ya .. Just bought our tickets over at Christmas.. we have a team of 9 going to help us celebrate Christmas, and bring bags of Vitamins ... I will tell you more about who the team is tomorrow .

Update from Altynai

2011-11-03T17:27:00.004-04:00

Bringing people together for a collective good .. This is one of our objectives, but is not always an easy one. But a group of students came together .. so many differences, but yesterday when they came together the focuses changed from the day timers we had sent them , to what they have in common.

From there it was only a very small step to what they can do to effect positive change in their country. Lets remember these young adults ... This is where real change will take place ...

"Yesterday we had pizza party for our brothers and sisters :

we had some students from 2 different groups

We had pizza and then everyone got a student planner.

All students thank you for these planners, we were happy to know

that you care for us.

At the end of the party students shared their vision

about creating a team that will raise money by auctions or concerts

and then spend them helping people in needs: orphanages or senior's homes.

It was great meeting, thank you :)"

YOU CAN SEE LA' JOY ALL OVER HER FACE !

2011-11-01T15:23:00.004-04:00

What is she smiling about ? let me tell you her story.

Last spring when we were teaching English at the men's home, a beautiful young girl came in and sat in on the class. She was the daughter of one of the workers there . It was a busy day, a lot on the go, making plans , as well we had other guests there with us. When there was a little break in the "confusion" , she asked if she could speak with me. Larisa, this young girl and her mother, and a translator joined me in another room... " Tell him what you have been praying for" said Larissa... " A computer for my studies " was her answer.. both Larisa and her mother practically climbed down the poor kids throat.. They had something else in mind.

They told her to show me her arm.... her head dropped, and I could tell she was uncomfortable when she showed me her arm was missing . Up until this point, she was so bright and beautiful that I never even notices that she had only one arm.

We assured her that we could do what we could to help her get a new arm. I contacted friends of friends and started the process. It looked like we could get her a new arm for only $250. I had mentioned her story here on the blog at the time.

A family had read the story, and some of the kids decided that they would not spend the summer vacation money they had been saving, but rather they would like to help her with her dream. Right away things were put into motion, and Larisa began the process of having her arm made. Little did we know, but once we started the process, something amazing happened... We had connected to the right people, because it was decided that there would be no charge for the arm.. A blessing that we never would have received if we did not have a couple great kids step out and get us started....

She was so happy, but especially Her mother and Larisa. They can hardly believe the blessing .. after so many years, for this beautiful young girl to get her arm... But that's not what she was grinning about... Remember I told you that when asked what she wanted , she replied " A computer " Well God delights in giving us the desires of our hearts.. and so do our young friends.. Once the arm was covered, it only made seance that they would get her the computer that she had been dreaming about. Last week, Jody and Gabriel had the privilege of giving her the lap top. On the desk top, there is a folder with pictures and letters from her new friends

I , once again, am so touched by the love and generosity shown to our young friend ... I am sure that she is looking at the world from a different perspective ....

And now you know the rest of the story....

A Calm Port ....

2011-10-30T19:31:00.004-04:00

A safe place to come home to... a clam port in the storm..

A safe place ...this is what one of our pastors visions has been for our home church , he reminded us of that Sunday morning as he announced that he would be moving on. It has been 16 years that he has been with our congregation, part of our family.

He is more then my pastor, he is a good friend . We have worked together across the globe.

This photo is from when we first recognized the call to missions in Central Asia, Ron encouraged us , and brought us along on a trip to Uzbekistan.

He has traveled with me when I was on the road selling sundries through Northern Ontario in the middle of the winter, and he was with me when I closed that business to go into missions full time. He was with me in Kyrgyzstan and was the one to tell me that Julie's mom had died. He was on the phone to help me to understand what God might be thinking the first time I went to the mens home, and he stayed on line with us during the revolution, encouraging us to continue to follow Gods lead. Many have heard me say .. "Put your trust in Gods ability to lead, not your ability to follow." That was from Ron, but today that's about Ron.

As we are situating our lives to spend more and more time in Kyrgyzstan or on the road, it is selfish of me to think that the life of the church should remain the same .

It's hard to imagine who will be sent to take his place.. and until they have come and hugged our seniors, played with our orphans, and danced with the guys from the men's home, how will they understand . When I come in and plunk myself down into a chair in Ron's office... there is so much that does not need to be said ... it's that calm port in the storm.

The next few weeks and months will be challenging for Ron and his family as they attempt to untangle themselves from a community they have been such big part of for the last 16 years . I pray that God will not only lead and direct their path, but that he would give them peace and a calm port along the way ....

Rice Project Report

2011-10-29T14:52:00.003-04:00

"Aika was dreaming that when she had a job and could support herself, she would eat rice every day"

I don't know about you, but when I dream of great success.. I dream of a lot more then being able to ear rice every day ....

This is one of the stories I just came across as I was reading through Emma's rice report .. I thought is was interesting all the variety of people and some of their situations .

Rice Project Report

1. Maksat and Aibek- brothers we met at the orphanage, who are now living with their aunt and uncle, but still need ongoing support.

2. Colia- teenage boy we met at the orphanage and have known since he was little boy who is now living with his grandmother and mother.

3. Vanya and Eelia- brothers we met at the orphanage who are now living with a relative. They weren’t home when the rice was delivered and we haven’t seen them since they left the orphanage. Colia met them in the bazaar recently and got their address. But don’t really know how they’re doing. We left the rice with their neighbour because they weren’t home. will check back .

4. Tolik and Andre- brothers we met at the orphanage who now live at home with their mother and grandmother, father is working in Kazakhstan. Their sister Luba is studying in school in Bishkek to be a teacher.

5. Luba- girl we met in the orphanage and is now being sponsored to go to teachers college. (bag still waiting because she changed her number will try contacting the orphanage director)

6. Slaviks family- a boy we met in the orphanage and then was living with his grandmother. He was most likely sold by his mother as a slave to kazakstan. His uncle drinks, but also works to support many of his relatives that have problems with their eyes and two small boys, they live in very poor conditions.

7. Aigula’s family- Aigula, Aipery, Turat, Beksultan, Aizada, Sabira, Ruslan- Aipery is in sewing school, Turat in Bible college in Ukraine, and the younger 3 are in school, Ruslan is a young boy whose mother left him with Aigula. Aigula is sewing mattresses blankets and other small orders.

8.Anvar- a boy who had a scar repair surgery on his face sponsored. He has a mother and sister, doesn’t go to school because he gets teased, and works to try to support the family.

9. Sabira eje- friend from association quit her job to stay home and take care of her daughter, now depends on her husband’s small salary.

10. Acel’s sister- has health problems, but was sponsored to receive treatment, has some young children, husband is a potato farmer in Narin, so their diet consists of mostly potatos.

11. Jibek- a student from IUCA, the American university in Tokmok who we met at the Kyrgyz youth group, she is studying in the linguistics program, but is taking a leave because she had a baby. Her husband is sick with liver disease, but is still trying to work when he can to support his famly.

12. Aigerim- jibeks younger sister who was living with her because their parents died of TB. She is now living and going to school in Bishkek and living with relatives.

13. A young family recently lost their baby that they were expecting because of the mothers health complications. It was very difficult for them to even affort transportation to the doctors in Bishkek, so Talant was driving them, but before he knew they needed help, they spent a night on the street, because they couldn’t affort to go back and forth.

14. Rahima children - lady we tried to help who has 3 children, ruslan who is living with Aigula, and two other small children, 2 and 5 who she left with an elderly lady and promised send money to take care of them, but hasn’t been heard of since. (bag still waiting because couldn’t find the lady’s house, aigula will try to find and visit them)

15. Adlette eje, Ainura, Gulnur- also have 2 brothers and a baby sister. Friends from church. Ainura was going blind and needed corrective glasses which were sponsored and Gulnur’s graduation dress was also sponsored, family is very poor and father is an alcoholic.

16. Aika- acel’s niece is a first year student at the American university in the linguistics program. Her mom had eye surgery recently and her father also has a small disability because of a car accident, so he can’t do any heavy labour, this has caused difficult times for their family, Aika was dreaming that when she had a job and could support herself, she would eat rice every day, so this was a special blessing for her.

17. Kamala- a student at the American university in the linguistics program. Has had many difficulties which put her behind in her studies, She no longer has a full scholarship from the school, but is persevering and continues to study.

18. souvenir apa- an elderly lady in the association who makes souvenirs and always presents us with some beautiful souvenir when we leave.

19. Aman’s mom- when she was away, her son accidently made a very big phone bill for her because it is expensive to call from a home phone to a cell phone. She is a single mom with occasional work, so she probably is in debt because of that phone bill.

20. Acel’s villager from narin had a tumour operation on her spine and is doing well now, doctors say it was a miracle that she can still walk. has many small children, husband is a taxi driver.

21. Juldiz- Acels knows, has a baby boy

22. humanitarian worker - Bishkek , havingsome financial difficulties, lost his cell phone and couldn’t afford to replace it, so Davina gave him hers.

23. Lady with a big list- lady from the association always has a need, her daughter is in school,

24. Aichurik apa- an elderly lady at the association

25. Aigula- from Tokmok has 3000 som debt.

26. Eshmurat- very poor man from association in Bishkek, Talant bought garlic from him because his garlics were too small to sell at the bazaar.

27.Maktabek- new family at the association that stopped coming because of hard times. Their baby was sick and needed treatment, is doing better, they are now in debt because of it.

28. Azamat’s family- left his family here and went to work somewhere, family is having difficult times.

29. Talant’s friend- has 2 kids no work and big debt

30. Humanitarian aid worker - has 11 children and big debt

31. Samat and Aida- newlyweds who chose acel and talant and john and Julie as their second parents( a Kyrgyz tradition), Samat is a student at the American university.

32. Tilek- a young man from the Kyrgyz youth group who is now working in Bishkek

33. Nurbek- a student at the American university in the linguistics program. Worked for us in the summer teaching English at the mens home and to some of our friends, Aigula’s family and Sergey and Anya’s family

34. Nurbek’s sister- has 4 children

35. Gulzat- a woman from the town , souveneer apa’s daughter

36. kizilgul’s friend- from town , in debt

37. Acel’s nephew

38. Another lady who has stopped coming to town was so thankful because she had been asking her husband to buy a bag a rice for winter

39. Rahat- talant’s older brother’s son, who is now living with talant’s younger brother because his father re married

40. Tolgonia- single mom with 2 teenage daughters in school,

41. Lola’s family- family who came to the north during the unrest in the south and are now staying so their children can stay in school here.

42. Ishar’s neighbour’s daughter has a heart defect and needs surgery

43. The girl at dayspring’s mom

44. Joldosh- our tachka driver from the bazaar, had liver problems and a drinking problem and recently died, rice was given to his wife and son.

45. Chingiz- student at the American university

46. Dastan- and Alina, aigulas neice and nephew who stayed with her during the summer and also when they were younger while the family were going through difficult times. Parents are now divorced and they are living with their mom.

47. karlagatch- Acel’s friend, single mom, does humanitarian work in kazakstan.

48. Eshin- Souveneir apa’s other son

People that laurissa works with

49. three orphan girls one is working, one is going to school and one is disabled.

50. young single mom with 4 girls

51. Very poor family of elderly people

52-58 other poor families that laurissa supports

59-100 People who live or work in the dump, every family who live in the small village of east Iskra( where the water was brought to the village and where the baby who had the cleft palate operation lives)

Renovations continue

2011-10-27T00:07:00.004-04:00

We sent Vlady back to the Baby hospital to assess the next project there. The plumbing is now fixed... It has been leaking for years , and there were areas that we could not fix properly because of the continued water damage , as well as there are some repairs needed after the Plumber finished cutting in the new pipes .

There is something special about this work that has just been done. It was done by the City. This is an incredible step... up until now the building was in such bad shape, and there was so little infrastructure money , that they never would have considered such a project... But today , the baby hospital is becoming a " Crown Jewel" for the city ... they are thrilled to have such a hospital ... This is what we strive for .. it is a big step in the process... to get others to start working along with us and taking a responsibility... Eventually taking over the project completely ...

Until that time, It is important that we continue to work with them to keep the excitement and momentum going . Starting Monday, our guys will be back at the hospital . They will be fixing the roof over the entrance to the nursery, as well as cleaning up after the plumbers ..

I thought that it was kind of cool ... Our friends from St Andre in Quebec provided the funding for the very first renovation we did here.... and when the request came in for help for this , they jumped at the opportunity. There is a saying that "Your heart is where your money is ".. We are so blessed that there hearts remain in Kyrgyzstan , and we thank them for their investment in its babies .

Good bye to another friend .

2011-10-26T21:50:00.004-04:00

What is it that defines a friend... It's funny but I seem to have a lot of people in my life that I think of as friends .. some even "good" friends.. Let me tell you about one of them.. Joldosh

( Joldosh with plants for Bermut's appartment )

Joldosh is the Tatchka ( cart ) driver from the Tokmok Bazaar. I do a LOT of shopping in the bazaar, some times 3 or four times a day I am there loading up with everything you can imagine.. fruits and Veggies, plants and household goods.. you name it and I have bought it, and most of it ends up on one perticular cart, and there is a reason that I look for this cart... When I first met Joldosh he had two young sons working in the Bazaar with him. The boys were working every day to help support the family, and that meant that they were not in school. that was back in the fall of 2007 .

I sat down with Joldosh and his sons discussed the boys futures. I hated seeing such bright young boys not in school.. But they could not afford to not have the boys working .. between them, at the time, they could earn about 35 som a day ..( 75 cents) . I made a deal with them.. I told them that as long as I never saw the boys in the bazaar during school hours, I would always look for Joldosh when I came to the bazaar , and I would PAY HIM WELL...

This arrangement seemed to work well.. The sons went back to school and were doing very well.. then last summer things began to fall apart. The youngest boy went to visit grand parents, and was killed in an accident. Then Joldosh started having stomach troubles at the same time... I think he always had a bit of a drinking problem.. after all, vodka at the bazaar was cheaper then water , but now He began drinking to cover the physical and emotional pain. This photo below was taken a few weeks after the death of his youngest son.

I continued to watch for Joldosh , and even had him help when I didn't really need it... We would attract attention and put smiles on everyone's face, especially in the spring when the bazaar was all icy and muddy... I would come in and hope up onto the front of the cart and and do my best imitation of John Luke Pekard from star trek... I would hold out my arm and say Engage.. and we would be off ... All the while we would weave through the crowds at break neck speed with Joldosh yelling JOKE JOKE JOKE.. which actually means get out of the way .. but made as all laugh non the less

most of the time I never had a translator with me, so we never really spoke... but we had fun together.. we looked out for each other and we would miss each other when I was not there . All they would have to do is hear that I was in the bazaar and they would off load what ever they were moving, and come looking for us . This spring, Joldosh was just not the same .. He was relieved to see me, and shared that he was having serious liver problems. We did what we could to help, but it was one of the most frustrating experiences... We could get him into the hospital for treatment, but as soon as he would start to detox, they would kick him out.. and we could not get him into a detox center because he was sick... all this was happening in the last few days before we left.. I just could not get cooperation with any one, and knew we would not be around to care for him ourselves. Right down to our last day we were making arrangements for a Dr to come to his home to continue treatment.. and had made arrangements that as soon as he was starting to feel better, he could go with Jengish to the rehab center...

But as I sat with him on the bench at the hospital, ( above ) I think I knew that I would never see him again... That was the day that by one in the afternoon, Julie took the cell phone away from me ( for the protection of whomever might be on the other end ), and sent me to bed by noon...
I just received word that Joldosh has passed away at 41...

( plants for the garden at the men's home )

Emma tells me my young friend is now working the bazaar every day to support the family... Talant is on his way to their home now to bring them rice and to see what we can do...

I will miss my friend .. his family was never a " project ", he was just one of those people along the way. He represented everything that was good, kind and gentle, and in some strange way he also represented everything that is hurting, helpless and lost... .. for me , he was KYRGYZSTAN

Look who's smiling now

2011-10-26T16:29:00.003-04:00

When you donate to the Christmas / Vitamin pie challenge, you make a whole lot of kids smile. But that's not all. you make LAMb and their helpers smile too.

Take a look at these smiles .. tell me the corresponding names to the smiles, If guess the most, we will give you a good reason to smile .

He is one of a kind

2011-10-25T15:58:00.004-04:00

The last few days and for the next couple weeks , I will be highlighting some of those candidates who have stepped forward to get a pie in the face..

Today I wanted to tell you a bit about Jengish . He is one of my go-to guys in Kyrgyzstan. He seems to have connections everywhere .. and is always eager to help.. but I think the reason we get along so well is because he likes to have a good time.

Facing the things that we do, it would be to easy to live in a state of dis-pare.. with Jengish, nothing is predictable.. but it's always fun. especially for the kids that we are working with .. They all love him ... mostly because they can read him right away and know that he cares for them.

This is a video of Jengish back about 5 years ago when his main focuse was working with people living on the street

Jengish continues to work with and advocate for the homeless, but now he is also the Kyrgyzstan director of a drug rehabilitation program that has one of the highest success rates in the world. Daily he hears the tails of abuse and neglect, all the reasons that would bring a person to a place of living on the streets. Many have no documents, have escaped from slavory, and are living in the sewers and back ally's. At night when we are all thinking it is a good time to settle down for the night , and stay in out of the dark, Jengish is preparing for what can be the most challenging part of his day ... going out onto the streets to show MERCY.....

Jengish has been a supporter of the pie challenge for a couple years now. You may remember this video from when he met his goal last year .

This year , the people that are in Jengishes care ... the lost and the forgotten.. will be part of the pie challenge. I am honored by the relationship that we have with Jengish and the work that he does. It is inspiring to meat a young man that not only cares deeply for his country, but is a driving force in making life better for so many.

Any one that has traveled to KG with us has met Jengish, and would agree with me when I say .." He is one of a kind"

Lets send Jengish a big thank you by making a donation to the pie in the face in his name .

Remember her ?

2011-10-24T15:46:00.008-04:00

You are probably asking " AH MAN.. why is he reminding us of this picture again ?" . It's because this is one of the kids that is looking forward to Christmas and the special day that she will experience because of the pie challenge. Not to mention that this year we are working toward bringing her a years supply of vitamins .. a lot better then what she was living on when got her out of the dump a few years ago.

This is a more recent photo of her with her sister when she met her sponsor Judy. I am not sure who was more excited, and who was more blessed.... but what was evident was the incredible power of transformation.

Yesterday we had dinner with a beautiful little girl, another example of transformation.. she is bright , inquisitive, smart, and a real joy to be around. Here she is on Bekah's knee beside our grand son Jonah on Julie's knee .

Jonah is just over a year and a half.. she is 3...

As we sat and listened to her story and enjoyed her company, I could not help but become more determined that we HAVE TO meet our target for the pie challenge this year ... The importance of the vitamin component means the world to so many .

When she was 1 year old, she entered the orphanage in Central Asia.. at 12 lbs one year later when she was adopted she weighed 16 lbs.

You would never know it today, but if someone had not been there for her, she might not be alive today .

Children are so resilient. as we come across evidence of malnutrition like rickets, or kids at 10 years old going gray, it is evident that we need to do something, and knowing that so many of these conditions can be reversed is just so hopeful. There is a lot that goes on... actualy more then I care to think about , that we can not do much about, but it is in our ability to do this .. we can make a difference ..

2000 this year is the beginning .. the funds raised will help set up a the structure to administer the program.. everything from transportation and customs to safe storage and distribution... if we can do this now, we will be putting into effect something that will impact the lives thousands .. for years to come ..

Our little friends mother Brigitte understands the difference nutrition can make , and that is why you will find her name on the side bar as someone willing to take a pie in the face .. why not make a donation now.... If you are not sure who you want to see take a pie... then lets pie Brigitte.

You will also find Judy over on the side bar, she too has been a faithful sponsor for years and is put her face out there for a pie... just another option....

A new challenger....

2011-10-21T16:09:00.001-04:00

We have a new challenger who is letting his name stand to receive in the face in the Christmas challenge . Don Buchman..

Don works quietly behind the scenes, but is instrumental in so much of what LAMb does. Take a minute and read his biography.

Donald A. Buchman, B.S.

Don Buchman has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and is a veteran of many community and church boards.

Don's early career was in the construction business building tract houses and custom homes, as well as agricultural and commercial buildings. His life took an abrupt turn after an auto accident in 1989 in which he received a severe spinal cord injury. This injury resulted in quadriplegia, complete paralysis below his shoulders. After this, he attended college and received his degree in 1995.

Since his injury, Don has gained extensive experience providing supportive, educational and advocacy services for persons with disabilities and their families. He has over 12 years experience in many capacities in church leadership serving as a Deacon, Men's Ministry leader, Youth Group leader, home Bible study teacher, and on a variety of other boards and committees. He is currently serving on the Board of Trustees and as a Co-Director of the Missions Department, along with his wife, Johanna.

Don has held several professional memberships including North American Association of Christian in Social Work, Promise Keepers and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.

His areas of specialization are advocacy, public relations, organization and design, providing consultations and leadership training

Don has been married to his wife, Johanna, for over 25 years. Their family includes two married sons, their wives and one granddaughter and three grandsons. They reside in Tucson, Arizona.

Don is eager to to receive his pie.. just as he is eager to do anything that he can to make a difference in the lives of the hurting , helpless , and lost. please follow the link RIGHT NOW ... and help us bring Christmas and Vitamins to the least of these.

Red river food drop

2011-10-18T14:38:00.002-04:00

a couple photos from the food drop at red river orphanage.

The kids are looking pretty happy about this.

good to see Isar breaking in his new van.. he has been kept busy with all the folks in town over the past few weeks... and more to come .

The Missions Bug

2011-10-17T16:20:00.002-04:00

Well maybe not a bug ... more like a pup!.

I have always contended that the missions bug can drive you to make some hard choices and sacrifices.. but how about this one .

This is Lauren . She is a first year college student and a good friend of Bekah's . Her dog had puppies back on Aug 9th, and homes were found for all but one of them. ( the one on her left)..

From before they were even born, Lauren had decided that they were NOT getting rid of them all , but they were keeping one...

That was until she got the missions bug. Lauren is now looking for a buyer for HER LAST PUPPY. It is pure bread, vet checked, first shots, tail docked and dewormed....... If you are interested in buying a puppy to support her trip, let me know and I will forward her information... or if you are like me and would pay someone NOT to have a puppy and just want to help her out, you can use the donate button on the side .

But that's not all... We have had donated two pure bread Lab puppies. All the proceeds from these puppies will go to support the work in Kyrgyzstan. If interested in one of these , let me know .

Shelley is Getting a pie...

2011-10-17T12:54:00.002-04:00

If you check out the side bar, you will see that Shelley Nelson is the first to reach her target of $500 for the pie challenge. We can expect to see a pie in the face soon.. but since the first $500 came in so quickly, and with the excitement in the house building , her kids Nick and Julia have decided to step up to the plate as well.. so they are willing to make it a family event ... Even Brian is laughing saying " OK I will if I am needed , of course" So it looks like some exciting times coming in the Nelson house hold . The word from Shelley.... Keep the donations coming ...

Just Saying ...

2011-10-16T22:35:00.003-04:00

Just off to bed, but before I do I just want to point out that Julie has $110 worth of people that want to see her get a pie in her face , but I on the other hand, every one must love, and no one wants to see me get a pie ... Just saying

is this what they call PTSD ?

2011-10-14T15:47:00.003-04:00

PTSD is caused by a psychologically traumatic event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury to oneself or others.

Some times I wonder if this is something that I am facing in a small way .

The first time we walked into the mens home, It was what you could clearly call a "psychologically traumatic event". and it did represent serious death and injury. and NO I never wanted to go back again !... This , the place that disabled children were sent when timed out of the orphanages.. the most vulnerable of society , sent to be warehoused until they died. The first winter we were trying to make a difference there 80 men.. that's 1/4 of the population died of starvation and exposure many in their own beds ...

David and Jayne were with me on that first day.. We tried to cling to the fact that we had brought a ray of light into such a dark place, but I am not sure if it was what we saw, what we smelled, or the desperation and Hopelessness that we felt, but it was a quiet sickening ride back to town that first night . I was determined NOT to go back.

I had a reader following our journey, and she suddenly was on this like a dog on a bone... and faithfully gave to see that these men were not forgotten. This was the beginning of a NEW THING for them...

I have shared before , but when I went back a couple weeks later to put in the first warming room, one of the men stopped me in the hall,... he said that people come and see them and say that they will come back, but they NEVER do.. and that we were the first ones that said we would come back and we did . he then collapsed at my feet and started weeping.

As you know, over time , we have seen incredible changes here, with many others coming on board to help. Yet I still find myself in an emotional state at times .

This morning a woke up and watched a short video on FB of a party that was held there yesterday. As I have gone about my day today, I have found myself having little breakdowns, and crying as I think about where we have come from ... I am just so relieved and so thankful for everyone that has had a part in this . It's like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, so now I can let my guard down just a little , and with it comes a flood of emotions.

These orphans have come alive.. they have become so dear to us .. and now to see such joy coming to them is just overwhelming

It was a party, sponsored by the Espanola girls, with no less then 8 different organizations, coming together to celebrate the beginning of the renovations of the dinning room. THE HEAT IS IN.. Now that in and of itself is something to Celebrate.. THE NEW WINDOWS ARE IN .. again unbelievable.. and that's just the beginning, The new ceiling is going up and the new wiring is going in... you can read more about this great day at http://lambinternational.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-you-love-these-men.html

We still have about $15 000 in renovations in the dinning room and kitchen, but as the saying goes.. "You eat an elephant one bite at a time..."

This would be such a great project for a church or service club to take on.. they could help raise funds and would be a part of the miracle taking place.. they could even send a representative or even a team and be part of the work.. For that mater , If they are serious, I could come and share first hand the situation and the possibility to Bring HOPE and DIGNITY to those who have been found!

another great day for the girls from Espanola

2011-10-12T13:51:00.003-04:00

This morning Jody and Gabriel were out to see Jengish at the rehab center. It is always a great time when you go there. There is such a peace in the mountains, and there is just something about the center that seems to elevate the feeling of peace. Jody overheard the men talking about winter coming , and that they did not have shoes. Little did they know that we had been sceeming about this with Jengish, and that was part of the reason for this visit today. Jody and Gabriel loaded them all into the bus and brought them to the bazaar for some shopping. They then returned to the center for a great osh .

Then it was off to Daysprings where they took part in a Kyrgyz lesson in making Borsolk from scratch

Stay tuned to see what great things are in store for tomorrow

From Hilary's perspective

2011-10-11T15:17:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone!

It's here! "Pie Challenge Time" is here! I feel totally out of my comfort zone asking for money. However, once a year I make an exception and swallow my pathetic pride to benefit some very precious children in Kyrgyzstan.
My little girl is in a family where she is loved, safe, provided for, protected, well fed and receives excellent medical care. Many children of Anara's birth country are not so fortunate. Many children in the orphanages of Kyrgyzstan are merely surviving and many will have life long medical issues due to institutionalization and lack of proper nutrition. This year's Pie Challenge has a new twist. The donations will provide not only a small Christmas gift and a meal out but, a year's worth of vitamins for each of the 2000 children that will be sponsored this year. Here in the United States vitamins are often just an extra added boost to our nutrition. In Kyrgyzstan vitamins can truly be the difference between life and death.
I understand that the holidays are fast approaching and money will be tight. Five dollars is a huge gift to these orphans. Many charities and organizations send you information and a place to check off a box with $20-$100+ leaving most of us to feel like cheapskates if we can't contribute that much. The Pie Challenge is not like that. Honestly, the change you dig out from under your couch cushions can be used to greatly bless someone.
Between now and Thanksgiving would you please join me in praying for these special children? PRAYERS AND PENNIES ARE POWERFUL! If you would like to donate you can follow this link: http://actofkindness.blogspot.com/p/pie-in-face-for-orphans.html There is a "DONATIONS" button on the right side of the screen beneath the list of Pie Challenge participants. Please be sure to put my name in the memo if you decide to donate so that it can be applied towards my total so that my children can take turns hitting me with the pies ;) Toby and Mia have both agreed that they will take a pie in the face with mom if we can reach our goal of $500 so that's 6 for the price of 1!. Together we can bring hope and health to the orphans of Kyrgyzstan. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Blessings, Hilary

This year A. IS FEELING A LITTLE BETTER hahaha last year she was not so amused

Last years results

http://bringinghomeanara.blogspot.com/2009/11/pie-video.html

A couple of links

2011-10-09T23:05:00.002-04:00

Just is a reminder of why YOU are so important ... this is a link from a storey back in the spring.. it's worth re reading ....

http://actofkindness.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-new-buddy.html

and another great read ...

http://lambinternational.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-village-gives-back.html

I can't wait t read the next posts..Lynn and Ruby on the ground , Emma's rice parties in full swing,...and now add Jody and Gabriel to the mix... Man it will be a high impact couple weeks ..

Norwood fair 2011..

2011-10-08T18:35:00.002-04:00

Norwood fair 2011..

What a great day at the fair today. The booth looked great, and very quickly attracted a crowd .

The best part was having a whole day were we could share about our love for the people of Kyrgyzstan. I think we were open for about 1/2 hour and we had some poor lady crying , she purchased a purse, then noticed a sticker in it and asked what the sticker meant.. when we told her it was Sasha's name in Russian and it was there to indicate that he made it and would share in the original sale.. at that point she lost it... it became a little to personal for her.

Bat that is what this is all about .. this is personal .. these are real kids lives we are talking about here .. real kids who's futures depend on how well we are able to share their stories, and the generosity of North Americans who what to make a difference in their lives. We even had another volunteer for the pie Challenge step up today ... that just leaves 4 more ...

"The heat is ....ON"

2011-10-07T08:59:00.004-04:00

Some times words are not enough... and other times pictures don't even cut it.

Today is a day to remember.. today the heating system is completed at the mens home . As you know it was only a few winters ago that 80 men died in a one week period there of exposure.. many in their own beds. Every winter as they watch the snow caped mountains droop a little closer, they get more and more freaked out. There was a time when they did not even have an option of putting on more clothes or a blanket.. they would just wonder if this was there turn to die...

Today that is a different place.. Today they have heat... Today they have mattresses and Blankets.. Today they have extra clothes .. and today they have what they should have had all along... HOPE and DIGNITY ... For more about what is going on today, go to

http://lambinternational.blogspot.com/2011/10/iskra-home-for-disabled-men-kyrgyzstan.html?spref=fb

RICE DELIVERY

2011-10-06T09:54:00.001-04:00

RICE KYRGYZSTAN

2011-10-06T09:25:00.001-04:00

Not that long ago, Ruby bought a bag of rice for the babushka's living in her apartment building. She brought this up at a staff meeting, and said out loud .." I wonder if there is more that would need a bag." Emma's reply was immediate.."I can think of about 100" and that began the rice dream... the more Emma thought about it, the bigger her list has grown.. then she re worked the list... Last week she reported that she had the list down to 150 nd was still working on it...
Through the generous support of a sponsor who picked up on this when I first posted, the money was provided for the first 100 bags. This is too big a job for Emma on her own, but Lynn and Ruby are in town now and were eager to help her ( after all.. this is all Ruby's fault for encouraging her ...hahaha) Today they began the deliveries... First up was the village where our 53 water babies live.
This village is always such a blessing for us to visit. The village is always so warm and friendly to us. Just stopping for a visit becomes a village holiday with a party in the streets. They are all very hard working field workers, and life for them is HARD. they try hard to support their families, and this rice will go a long way to help take the edge off... basically what this will do is subsidize the most recent inflation rates... this Rice will give them HOPE, it will give them STRENGTH, and it will remind them that they are SPECIAL.
The next stop was the dump .. I have nothing to say about this .. we all know the significance of this stop... They had a little time left, so they went out to Luba's family as well as to Maksat and Aibeks...
What a day .. and a special shout out to a special family that is making this possible. Words are simply not enough.

Fwd: Photos from RICE KYRGY 2011

2011-10-06T09:08:00.001-04:00

Blessings Here and There

2011-10-03T19:20:00.003-04:00

Oct 1. was seniors day in Kyrgyzstan. Olga was busy making the rounds to many of our senior friends. The rest of the LAMb team had a party at the seniors home as well.. photos's to follow.

It was nice to see that they were able to get to see Geana .. He wanted to say hi to his friends from This side of the pond.

I have to tell you another little story.

When we got back from KG this trip, our Van engine was beyond repair, and we had no money, but the local Garage made us a great deal that we could not pass up.. we traded our old broken van for a much newer running one.. It is actually in Very good shape, and he let us pay for it as we could .. Only $1500. But once Julie went back to work I was left with out a car. so we figured as soon as our income tax return came in we would pay off the rest of the van and buy an old clunker for me. All along, the same garage had this really nice Buick Century.. great shape, low mileage, all leather interior and all the bells and whistles.. but of course it was way out of our price range. So as soon as the income tax back came in we paid off the van and I worked Kijiji until I was able to get a VERY good deal on the Blazer that someone was desperate to sell...

It was a nice car, and I liked it, but it was a truck.. it drove like a truck, it was loud, and the ride was rough .. but it was a great deal... and I was so thankful for Gods provision... I never would have imagined what would happen next. . Friday I got up to a flat tire , so after dropping Bekah at school, I went to get the tire fixed... as I was waiting ,I got talking to the dealer.. I told him about the great deal I got.. he came out and checked it over, then , knowing I liked the Buick, he offered a strait trade..

So today I am driving the car I wanted , and spent less then half of what I would have ...he even threw in a set of snow tires...

I sit in amazement .. today we have 2 of the nicest , newest and lowest mileage cars we have ever had.. for less then half of what we thought we were going to have to spend on one car... just amazed at the way God worked this all out .

Psalm 37:4

Hallelujah

2011-10-01T23:13:00.004-04:00

This video is extra special.. The back ground music is Hallelujah by Leonard Coagn... one of my fovourites , only made better because it is sung by my son Benjamin and my God son Camat.

It's kind of funny, My two boys have never met , but you would never know it when you hear them sing together.

Kyrgyzstan Waiting Children Pie Challenge

2011-09-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

As we are getting ready to start the 4th annual Christmas Pie in the face and Vitamin Challenge for the kids in Kyrgyzstan, I came across this video from last year ... It has hit me particularly hard this year.., since this was made we have traveled to 18 states, and met with many of the families in the video . Now when I think of these kids, and visit them in the orphanages, we see their forever families in our minds.. we have seen their new rooms. we have seen the fields they will be playing in. I also think of all the brothers and sisters, Grand parents and extended families.. the communities that are praying and fighting to get these kids home.

It's so sad.. I wish there was more that we could do.

This year , we will be traveling to Kyrgyzstan for Christmas to be a part of the Celebrations.. Maybe we can't get them home by Christmas , but they will know that they are loved.

Emma was at one of the orphanages last week for the birthday of one of our young kids, He was happy enough to see her and get a few toys and some new clothes, but when Emma mentioned his Dad's name, he suddenly lite up.. Just the mention of that name brought Hope and Joy to him..

I really need a little extra help this year getting volunteers for the pie's Other years we have had 20 volunteers, but this year we need to double that to 40.. I know deep down that We have to get the vitamins there. We have all heard the stories, and seen the photo's , We need to do more then a hit and miss approach that we have been taking to supplementing nutrition.. we need to get all these kids, big and small, the nutrition on an on going basses that they need , and that begins with vitamins.

The way I figure it , we can either find twice as many committed pie targets now, or in a few weeks , we can try to convince all our donors to give twice as much ...

Just think $10 will not only provide the kids with a day that they are reminded that they are special , but for the next 365 days, they will be provided with the building blocks of life when they need them most.

Please email me with your commitment to receive a pie, as well, please help me to recruit a few more...

sunmasterjohn@aol.com

In time for winter

2011-09-26T16:59:00.002-04:00

As the winter is approaching, fear beginning to settle in the valley. This time every year, although it is still warm, our friends have one eye on the snow line in the mountains. Every day the snow is a little lower. Let me tell you , when you can't just go turn up a thermostat, or when you have NO heat at all , like the dining room at the mens home, winter is not something you look forward to.

Along with Lyn and Ruby joining Emma in Kyrgyzstan this week, we have a couple other short term trips on the go. You all know Jody from our spring trips, well she is on her way next week, along with our friend Gabriel... two incredible women with hearts of Gold.

When she first contacted me she asked what the most pressing needs were.. "COAL" was my answer. we now use close to 50 tones of coal a winter... The seniors home, Dayspring, the rehab centre, and the many families we watch over... Last night Jody called me to let me know she will take care of that next week. WHAT A BLESSING... Just as confirmation how serious this is, with in 5 minutes of hanging up the phone from her I received an email from the director of the rehab centre asking if we could help her with coal.. she was worried about what she was going to do... especially since places like hers become emergency shelters in the winter.

I was able to respond right away that Jody was on her way and would be making arrangements for her coal. Just in case she thought that maybe we had forgotten her,the response was so quick that she knew right away that she had not been forgotten, in fact this need was in the works BEFORE she even asked... I just love that.. Stay tuned for some more amazing things that Jody and Gabriel will be doing ,... the coal is just the beginning .

Another exciting thing happened. I was talking to Dave Wright about the trip at Christmas . His friends have money that he was going to bring for work at the mens home. The have agreed to send it early so we can get a start on the renovations there, and maybe even get the heat in before winter. But what is even more exciting is that 3 of his kids will be travelling with him.

They have been incredible supporters of the work in Kyrgyzstan for years, and last winter, they travelled to Guatamala on a missions trip. They are incredible kids , and it will be such an honour for us to have them along. and hay .. that's 120 more lbs of vitamins we will be able to carry on this trip.

family and friends.

2011-09-24T20:51:00.003-04:00

Tonight we are at the retirement party of a dear friend of ours. He followed the call, changing his career path, but still spending 25 years in the ministry. He was a big part in my life, and had a lot to do with the reason I am on the path that I am.

Before going to the party, it was nice to have a visit with some of our kids .. We went for a visit at Benjamin and Rachels, and spent some time with Jonah.. I had a nice visit with Altynai on FB chat.. She is helping us to organize some events while the team is there over the next month. As well we had a visit with Emma.

While Julie was chatting with Emma, Emma was sharing about her first day with Dasha .. She was very quiet when she came , not a lot to say. Emma slept in the living room last night, outside Dasha's door so that she could listen to make sure she was ok... Then while Emma was on FB with Julie, Dasha came out and crawled up onto Emma's lap and watched intently while Emma typed . Emma shared with her the conversation she was having with Julie. Then Dasha started typing ... It did not make any sense to us, but she then shared with Emma what it was that she was typing . She began to open up....

7000 miles apart, yet Dasha understood that there was a babushka on the other side of that screen that loved her already.

Lynn and Ruby will be in the air right now on there way to Kyrgyzstan.. We are so blessed that they will be there for the next month to be the hands and feet of LAMb.. we are a little envious.. we wish we were there ourselves, but we know that there is a lot to do here right now. But please remember them in prayer as well .. there is again soooo much on their plate, as they not only break new ground, but keep the everything rolling ...

The first child arrives ..

2011-09-23T13:57:00.002-04:00

This is a very special day for Emma. She is concerned, she is excited, and she is ready. Today Emma and the rest of the family and staff at Dayspring woke up with a new child in their care.

Her name is Dasha, and she is a beautiful little girl. I said that Emma is concerned.. she knows Dasha's story, and she knows that important role that Dayspring will play in Dasha's future. As you know , Emma takes her position in Kyrgyzstan very seriously.. and the life of a child is a serious matter.

Emma has shared with me some of the issues that Dasha will be facing , and as I read her letter, I realize that the work we do and all the connections that we have , will all be needed to meet the needs of these children in a manor that would be right , and pleasing to God. I also recognize that we are going to need the help of sponsors to do this. If it was just "Three hots and a cot " it would be one thing, but it's not .. it is a life we are talking about .. we have a commitment to love and care for these children as our own..

At this point, Dasha does not have a sponsor.. in fact at this point, we are not certain how extensive her medical needs medical needs will be , but we do know that she needs people in her court .. fighting for her , and standing in the gap for her. Yesterday Dasha may have been alone , today she has the LAMb team , Maybe tomorrow she will have YOU.

To read more about this exciting news, check out The LAMb Blog ...

Happy Birthday my young friend .

2011-09-22T12:21:00.013-04:00

Today was another busy day for Emma , We missed on of the kids tuition... well not really missed, just overlooked. but all is worked out now.. Then Emma went out to one of the orphanages to celebrate a birthday with one of our special friends.

He was so close to going home, but now this has been the third birthday that he has celebrated with out his family. I just got this note from Emma

".here's one picture of Amir, theres a couple more i'll send when I can get to better internet. Amir was really happy with his sweater and soccarball, but his smile was biggest when I mentioned Bob. I think today was a special day for him because you remembered about his birthday and also when I got there they were all getting ready to go to a play near Bishkek, so he probably felt pretty special to wear his new jacket there. I couldnt remeer exactly how many kids were there, but we took at least 10 cakes I think last time, so i would have had to take a taxi, and also then there wouldnt be enough left for much of a present, so instead of cake i got 3 or 4 kilos of those fancy truffle chocolate and 2 boxes of cookies. and went by bus."

For a girl that does not like shopping , Emma is sure getting her share. I can remember when Amir stayed with us he loved the chocolates she is talking about... they are individualt wraped truffles, and they are incredible. Far better then a cake any day.

Emma also had a meeting with the director.. Part of any visit to an orphanage is the "How's your momma .. when you sit and visit and talk about family and friends, then there is an opertunity to share the needs of the orphanage.. then you get to what you are there for...

The most common need is food and school supplies.. both of which we have been helping with here for years. Today it was a little different.

Over the last year, US Aid has been doing a lot of work at the orphanage.. renovating and repairing the buildings. They have done a great job... We are listed as parteners in the project... yet the work done is soo fare out of our leage.... but we did do our part... We provided the food for the workers that were there for the summer.. I figured that they would be fead any ways... and we did not what them to cut into the food for the kids, so it seemed like a good trad off.

Now the renovations are done, and the director is asking Emma to help her out.. All the rooms have been repaire, and repainted, all with new windows, but they don't have any drapes, and they are wondering If I can help with that. To do all the buildings will be $700 .. this will cover the materials, and they will make the drapes themselves. I don't really have room in the budget for this, but I guess they don't have to do them all at once, so I will give them a bit to get started... if anyone wants to help with this , you can use the pay pal button on the side .. But in time we will get it done...

Looking for Multi Vitamins

2011-09-21T16:15:00.002-04:00

As we are getting ready to start the Christmas pie in the face challenge, I am looking for Vitamins. We need another 1500 one year supplies of multi vitamins . I have several leads I am working on, so I expect that number to come down. If there is anyone out there that would have some leads that they would like to track down for me that would be great. As well maybe you are part of a group or Church that would be interested in pledging as well.. every bit help.