Catching Up on Last Weekend - An Orphan Weekend

It is Thursday already. Time goes so quickly here.  Last Saturday and Sunday we had the privilege of joining the Wright family and the Vilardo family from Ohio in a full and fun-packed weekend.  On Saturday, we took 14 children to the capital for movie and dinner. They had so much fun and for a number of them, I am guessing it was there first experience. Students from the university joined us as well to act as translators for the group.

After the movie, we drove another 1.5 hours to another orphanage where a number of the children we know were moved last year. We visited briefly on Saturday night, joined them on Sunday morning and later that day, we met them at an ice skating rink.  Listening to their laughter and screams of delight made the weekend so meaningful. Most of the children had never been on skates, but did they learn quickly.

 

Here is the link to get a glimpse of the weekend.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo-2EJXIhlg

 

The next five weeks will be full with concentration on the work at IUCA, training the Dayspring staff and many other unknowns.   David's new position as Chairman of the Board is requiring a lot of time there talking with leadership as plans are being formulated for new school year.   

 

Something is happening stateside which is an incredible gift from God and we will share it soon in a future blog.  It has to do with an expanded role in orphan care ministries and adoption.

 

The journey continues....

 

Busy Thursday and Friday

THURSDAY

Who would have thought that 3 years ago when we first step foot in the home for invalid men that we would be where we were this past Thursday. Ten men had the "water experience" after a decision they made and we had the privlege as the LAMb team to share it in. 

After the "water experience" the men enjoyed an incredible shaslick lunch...something they do not get very often.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT IUCA

On campus there is a small group of incredibly talented musicians and artists.  We were invited to a concert  and the fun was that the IUCA students also invited students from the local orphanage to perform as well.  It was a delightful afternoon. We are always amazed at the depth of talent in young people that we encounter here.

                                        Azamat, one of our students, introduces the concert program.

Temirlan Sadybakasov is an incredibly gifted classical guitarist.  We were totally amazed at this gift as he played many differnent types of music - all of which he learned by ear. He has taken professional lessons for 8 years and plays both the piano and the Kyrgyz national instrument - the komuz.
Young talent from a local orphanage also shared their talents.

Part of the fans of the Creative Club...

After the Concert - the Children from the local orphanage and students from the university shared a meal and time together.  We think it is awesome that these IUCA's students are choosing to invest in the lives of these children. 

It is late Sunday evening, and we just returned from a weekend with two different orphanages. It was so much fun, but it will take a day or so to post all the exciting pictures. Thank you John and Julie Wright and Robert and Juile Vilardo and family (from Ohio) for organizing this great memory maker for the children.