From Invisible to Visible - David's Weekly Perspective

Jayne and I had the privilege this week to see a vision come into reality, from the invisible to the visible. Several years ago, Elder Yang, the founder of Mercy Foundation in Kyrgyzstan, saw a need for an institution of high learning. This institution must be built on integrity and educational excellence. The facilities, staff and equipment must be the best they can be.

On Friday, August 22, I sat in a classroom at this institute watching the students come in for student orientation. The vision has become a reality and now a new story will be told and lives will be changed

For the past two months, I have met with the staff at the Institute sharing core values and leadership principles. In one of these sessions I talked about vision. I shared that a vision...

1. Comes to life in the mind and heart of a person.
2. A vision often comes out of one’s own experiences and history.
3. Visions, of the good sort, always adds value to people
4. A true vision will miraculously attract resources from many sources

Such is the story of the vision for the Professional Institute of the city of Tokmok in the country of Kyrgyzstan.
Elder Yang addresses the faculty and new student body of the Professional Institute on Friday, August 22.

David is addressing the staff of the Professional Institute just before orientation began an hour later.

Students gather on the steps of the school preparing for orientation.

Bekah meets Altynai and her new roommate.

John Clark (in the blue shirt) and Camilla have been instrumental in guiding the staff and faculty in the creation of this new institute.

A Healing Moment

Allow me to share an amazing story about a young boy, around 12, who lives in an orphanage here. The orphanage director, quite concerned about him, asked me to talk with him. A month ago, I began meeting with him on a regular basis, asking him questions and then listening to the answer.

I heard a tragic story of loss, brokenness and trauma that had created much anger and hurt in his heart and mind. We talked a long time and then I asked him if he would allow me to ask God to take all the hurt and pain away. “Yes,” he said. So I simply asked him to feel all those emotions that he carries every day and then we would ask the Lord to take them.

He did this and I asked the Lord to take them. He looked up at me and told me he felt them leave. The Lord also had spoken a word to him. For the past several weeks I have checked with him on how he’s doing. Peaceful and calm, he reports.

During our most recent visit, I asked him, is there anything you would like to share with us? “Yes,” he said, “thank you for making my pain go away.” I quickly told him it wasn’t me, it was the Lord. I told him to always remember that God is real and knows our needs, is present with us and speaks to us.

We rejoiced with him concerning the fact that his pain was gone. Like all the children that we see regularly at this orphanage, this young man has captured our hearts. They all carry the pain of rejection, abandonment and trauma at some level. We truly count it a privilege to touch one life at a time.

This incredible young man represents so many youngsters living in orphanages throughout Central Asia.