A Journey to Rekindle Hope

We have no idea what it feels like to be homeless. We have no idea of what it feels like to be elderly, with no source of income and HOMELESS. We can only begin to imagine. Our first week here, we had the opportunity to visit a shelter for the elderly and homeless. In our first “What Love Looks Like,” we wrote about Tonya and her family, who almost by themselves are providing shelter and loving care to abandoned seniors.

On Friday, we had the opportunity to participate in something absolutely incredible. As a result of a number of financial gifts, including one from the Institute for Human Services in Columbus, Ohio, David, Lynn and John went on a hunting expedition. Their assignment - to find beds for the shelter. After spending several hours in Bishkek, they called. They not only had enough money for 15 beds, but for couches and chairs. We eagerly drove to the shelter amidst a traffic jam, to await their arrival…..two cars – stacked to the top and two small trailers. No one at the shelter knew we were coming.

The traffic jam on the way to the shelter for the homeless seniors.

The beds, couches and chairs arrive.

Before carrying everything into the home, we all gathered for a picture and then began to unload….through the open windows. The grandmothers sat down for a picture with the social work team from Cleveland.

Furniture unloaded and ready to move it all in.

The fastest way in.....through the first story window!

The furniture moved in and the grandmothers and grandfathers join us for a picture.

Well, Friday night was just the beginning. With a financial gift from one of the team members, Michelle, we all went on another shopping trip – to do a “kitchen shower” for the shelter. With all the new kitchen tools, we planned to take dinner to them on Saturday evening. We all pitched in to prepare a spaghetti dinner (Ruby’s creation), salad, cheese, sausage, and of course cake. What a joy to serve these precious people.

After the Saturday morning shopping trip for the "kitchen shower." Thank you, Michelle

Dishing out the wonderful dinner!

Waiting to be served.

Waiting to be served.

A gentle touch lets her know she is important to us and to God.

Enjoying every bite.

What could be better than ending the evening with chocolate cake!


For a brief moment, we wanted to let them they were not forgotten….God knows their names and knows their needs. One grandmother told me that “her children have no use for her now.” Maybe, for one brief hour, she felt important to someone. When you visit an orphanage or a shelter like this, we usually get the same question - will you be back? and the answer is yes! It may not be us, exactly, but our team and others who are called here to serve alongside of us for we all are an extention of the family of God.

And It Is Only Thursday

It is only Thursday and it feels like we have already had a week's full of experiences. The five social workers from Cleveland finish up their time here on Friday and we will really miss them!!!! So far this week....

SUNDAY MORNING
David had the opportunity to preach at the Chinese Church at Mercy Foundation. We were able to reconnect with many friends we knew from our last time here. It was a privilege for us to be there

These brothers have been coming to the Chinese Church for a number of weeks and keep asking for Sunday School. Pretty remarkable. Anne, the Johnston's niece plans to prepare a lesson for them next week.

SUNDAY EVENING
The social work team has been here now for ten days and Sunday evening we all gathered at Lynn and Ruby's apartment to learn how to make LOGMON, a national dish. It was quite the complicated process, but it was great fun learning about and and enjoying it!

Watching Zuma make the logmon noodles - a two hour process.
Zuma is a special friend we met last year and an incredibly talented cook!

It was the best we have ever had!

MONDAY

International Leadership and Development Center (ILDC, our organization) began training in Kyrgyzstan in 2005. Last summer, while we were here, we had the opportunity to extend that training by working with social workers in different regions as well. On Monday, the Cleveland team had the opportunity to train a group of social workers that I knew from last summer. It was a meaningful day and fun to greet friends from last year. Hopefully this will continue to open more doors in the future. ILDC is now working in partnership with the national government leaders to provide training for key leadership.
Ruby and Natalia (right) Ian, Catherine, Jessica, Jennifer from Cleveland in the background.

The workshop participants learn about the casework process.

The Cleveland team, with the Regional Director, some of his staff and us just before the workshop began.

TUESDAY

David and I have the incredible opportunity to work with at the Professional Institute in Tokmok. This is a new school, finishing its first year of operation. We taught there last fall for just a few weeks and it is good to be back with them. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I teach two English classes and on Thursday, David teaches psychology.

One of the advanced English classess. Many of the students at the Professional Institute are there on scholarships....they represent hope for this country. These teens are studying four languages at the same time - Latin, Chinese, English and Kyrgyz.

One of them asked me if I would help them by just coming over and talking with them. We are going to see about setting up "an English club" for the remaining few weeks of school. Mastering English here is a way out of poverty and we want to encourage them the best we can.

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday afternoon, after a morning of sight-seeing, we drove way out into the countryside to visit the ministry of Teen Challenge, meet their directors and students. Currently, Teen Challange provides rehabilitation services to 24 men, many of them who were homeless, living on the streets of the capital city.

The grounds of Teen Challenge, about 45 minutes from Bishkek.

One of our partners, Possibilitities International, purchased weights for the men and we have the joy of seeing them delivered.

Jenish, on the left is an incredible young man and will be the topic of a soon "what does love look like" story. Lynn Johnston is on the right.

Two of the men whose lives are changed because Teen Challenge is in Kyrgyzstan.

After our visit with Teen Challenge, we drove another 30 minutes or so to visit a local orphanage, Red River.....the pictures themselves tell the story....

The girls in the picture worked together on these sewing projects. We bought the green one in the middle.

Some more of the beautiful children at the orphanage. They all love our translator, Natalia!

Thursday

After teaching in the morning at the Professional Institute, we joined the Cleveland team at the Tokmok orphanage ---they were finishing their last day with the kids with two fun crafts.

Three of the youngsters, show off their "tie-dyed" socks. We had an interesting insight as the team started working on the socks....the children couldn't understand why we would ruin a good pair of socks. After they saw the final product, they realized the socks are still useable and will be fun to wear.

All the socks are hanging on the clothesline to dry....what an afternoon.

A full two weeks of work is almost over for the Cleveland team and we all took the opportunity to enjoy shaslik....a Krygyzstan special dish.

The Cleveland team - Jennifer, Michelle, Jessica, Ian and Catherine - a JOB WELL DONE!

Reflecting on the week....

It is Saturday evening and we are relaxing and reflecting at home after an incredibly busy week. It has been a week to see and feel things that have left us wondering – what can we do?

On Wednesday afternoon, we went to the local park, built by “Kids Across the World Playgrounds.” It was a time to treat the little ones from one of the local orphanages to fun, food, and most importantly – ice cream and lots of it.

Lynn and a little one from a local orphanage.These little ones captured Jessica's heart...in fact that happens a lot with her!

A surpise evening meal....

After the social work team from Ohio played in the park, we ushered the little ones into a small building and an evening meal awaited them. As those children walked into the room, inching their way behind them were three other small children….a little girl about 10 and her little brother and her little sister.

Dirty and looking absolutely starved, Lynn ushered them into the room quickly. We could feed a few more, but not the whole playground. All of us were deeply touched by these children. Jessica, one of the team members, was determined they would not go home empty handed and gathered the remaining food up to give to them. A number of us walked back to the foundation so there would be room in the van to drive these children home. What Jessica saw when she arrived at their home broke her heart – absolute poverty…no food, no water, nothing that could sustain anyone.

These are the faces of poverty …and it is always the children.

On Thursday morning, the team shopped at the local market to buy essentials for this family and delivered them. Those of us who remain here for the season hope to check on this family.

On Thursday afternoon, we all went to a local orphanage to do crafts with the children and also decorate Easter eggs. It was a delightful afternoon.Jennifer and the boys really got into the egg coloring. The young man in the middle colored more eggs than anyone!

After the eggs were all colored, some remaining ones were turned into egg salad sandwichese and they were a hit!

However, in the midst of our fun, we were again reminded of the faces of poverty. A father and mother, who we later learned, were destitute and homeless, brought their three children to the orphanage. While their parents signed custody papers with the orphanage director, the three children sat at the tables where the children were doing eggs – mostly in a shock state.

These are the faces of poverty …and it is always the children.

These precious twins really had no idea what was happening, but they would be living at the orphanage now until things improved for their parents.
Their older brother, we noticed, was very watchful over his little sisters.

We have finished our second week here…it doesn’t seem possible. Already so many life experiences have deeply spoken to us. Seeing and experiencing what we have, has made us eager to continue. On a walk last night, both of us commented that our time here maybe touching one life at a time...an orphan, a widow, a mother, a father…one life at a time.

the journey continues...

What Does Love Look Like? The First Story

Have you ever asked your “what does love really look like?” I don’t’ know if I ever had before this week, but we have now. During the weeks and months ahead I want to answer that compelling question with stories from the lives of incredible people living in this beautiful, but desperate place.

What Does Love Look Like? It Looks Like Tonya and her family

For an extended period of time, Tonya lovingly cared for her ailing mother. A few months ago, her mother died. Shortly after her mother’s death, Tonya began to notice something that she hadn’t really realized before. There were grandmothers and grandfathers, just like her mother….well, not exactly. Unlike her mother who experienced the concern and care of family, these precious elderly were homeless. Often tossed to the streets by their own children, they were discarded as no longer valuable.

Tonya, her husband and children spend many long hours at the new home for the elderly. In fact, Tonya rarely leaves.

With her eyes opened, her heart deeply touched, she and her family decided to do something about the growing problem of the homeless elderly people of Kyrgyzstan. Tonya and her husband went to the local authorities and were given a building to use free of charge. This building, discarded, just like the population it would soon house, was cold, dark, broken…in much need of repair. However, the shelter of a cold building is better than no shelter on the street.

Tonya began locating elderly folks in need of care. She started with two...then three…and is now up to eight residents. We asked her how many she can manage. She said the building could house sixty, but she has no beds. Tonya and her family at this point are managing the daily function of the home by almost by themselves. She never leaves. She sleeps on folding chairs in the large room between the men’s and women’s rooms. She and her family have given their lives to these precious hopeless and helpless people. As they have given, others are seeing the need.

Care for the elderly is a family affair as this 14 year old works in the kitchen....which is a sink and one two burner hot plate.

Something beautiful has happened in this small village as the people in the village are aware of what Tonya and her family are doing. Many people are coming alongside to help. Even the orphanage children are planning some ways to help.

Tonya showed us this week exactly what love looks like. Love sees value in every person, no matter the age, circumstance or the ability to return in-kind. Love gives unconditionally and compassionately…it risks everything one has in order to care for those without hope. Love is the true walking out of James 1:27 - Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight… that is what love looks like!

David and Tonya stand next to a bed purchased with funds sent by our friends in America. We hope to be able to contribute toward the purchase of more beds in the future.

John Wright and a babybuska....a Russian grandmother.

Ruby listens to a grandmother - even when one doesn't understand, pain and sadness have a universal language.

"No one ever comes to see me," this grandmother told us. We all hope to spend more time here in the future, praying for them and ministering to their physical needs.

Full Weekend and Start to a Full Week

Our first full weekend in Tokmok was full with fun and exciting activities. David, Lynn, Anne joined John Wright's family as they took 20 children to the amusement park in Bishkek. They left early and got home late. Check out the Wright's blog actofkindness.blogspot.com to see the great pictures.

An opportunity was presented to Ruby and me just shortly before we left the US and that was to apply for a major grant. We spent the entire week working on it and Ruby finished it late last night. Gaining the grant would open the doors to financial provision for training and impact on the system of child welfare here. We will keep you up-to-date on the grant application.

Sunday was a day David and I looked forward to and that was visiting Pastor Elenya and her beautiful family. We visited her church on Sunday and she invited us to her new four bedroom house. We are so thrilled for her and this was a gift to her and her three adopted children.

Pastor Elenya praying over the children of her church.

Anne, the Johnston's niece shares her testimony.

Pastor Elenya and her three adopted children. The oldest would have graduated the orphanage in the spring and released to be on her own at 16.

Lunch in her new home.

It is now Tuesday evening and we have spent a little time with the social work team from Cleveland. Although they arrived with no sleep for over 30 hours, after freshening up, we started right away with introducing them to the work in Kyrgyzstan. The next two weeks will be full of their stories and pictures.

Also coming every once in a while will be a short story. I have asked myself "what does love look like?" I saw it yesterday and have seen it many times in the past. Overtime, when we experience a "what does love look like?" story, we will share it with you so that you, too can share in the passion and compassion for the people of this Central Asia country.

the journey continues....

Women's Ministries - Kyrgyz Style

"We will never forget this night!" That was the response from one of the women who attended the women's dinner last night. Hosted by Julie and Jodie from Canada, the evening was set aside to honor women....to bless them and let them know how very special they are.

It was a simple dinner, but a special one for the women here, who perhaps for the very first time, ever experienced something this. Jodie remarked later, "what would it take for me to say, I will never forget this night!" What a humbling event to witness.


Julie and Jodie planned before leaving Canada for this special evening.

About 25 women attended last night's dinner. Just wished I could have talked with them and heard their stories.

Jodie reads a Blessing to the women...Acel, the incredible, humble pastor's wife interprets.

They were there...from the oldest

To the youngest

Jodie and Julie wanted to take the time to honor Acel in a very special way.

After the evening was over, I quietly mentioned to Acel that I knew her heart as a pastor's wife. I told if I can be of help in any way please let me know. We are planning for another event before we leave. My thoughts, however, what could I say to these women, who know far most about trusting God for their every day survival than I do. Maybe it will be a time to let them speak.

The week ahead....

Sunday....can't wait...we are going to see Pastor Elenya

Monday...social work team from America arrives

Tuesday....we begin teaching at the Professional Institute and spending time with the team

Wednesday....social work team to Bishkek

Thursday and Friday....training in Bishkek

The journey is underway.....