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.

Dayspring Grand Opening in Pictures

It was with great excitement that the LAMb team gathered today to await the arrival of many guests for the Dayspring Open House.  One of the key guests was the Minister of Labor and Child Protection, a presidential cabinet person, whose job it is to oversee the conditions of child.  Her endorsement and support of the project lends major credibility to the project in the eyes of the national and local government.   Other important guests were the Tokmok mayor, the Director of Child Protection, the President of the Social Work Association and the head of the Social Work Department at the Humanitarian University.

Here is a snapshot of the day...

 Melodie and Davina, children of the resource parents, await guests.

 The Cake Buffet.....

These beautiful teens are from one of Mercy Foundation's Christian Schools.

Kim, daughter of Ruby with teens in costume.

 Gulsana has been a faithful friend of our team for a number of years. She knows everyone and has been key in getting us into governmental offices.

 The Minister of Labor and Child Protection

Lynn, welcoming the crowd

 Ribbon cutting

 Acel, resource mom with Melodie

 The Mayor of Tokmok addresses the crowded room.

 Vera, President of the National Social Workers Association

Ken and Jackie Day give the blessing for the opening of Dayspring.

Cutting the cake...the Mayor and Minister of Labor

We ended today with a dinner at the Wright's house.  Reflecting on the day, yes, we had the opportunity to meet high governmental officials today. But we also know that Dayspring's very existence is due to the faithful and trusted gifts of hundreds of supporters - as David said last night - those who made candles - those who sold candles - those that gave sacrificially.  We thank you.

GRAND OPENING TODAY

With much preparation for today, Dayspring Family Resource Center will open its door to the children of Kyrgyzstan today.  There is much excitement for the entire team here.  Check tomorrow for all the pictures of this exciting day!

Today – A Day of Ministry in Many Places

For a number of months, the team from Dayspring Church in Beavercreek, Ohio has been praying about and preparing for today – the Men’s and Women’s Conference. Lynn, Ken Day, Randy Gebele, and David went one direction and Ruby, Jackie Day, Kim Gebele and I went another.


Twenty-nine women from two different churches attended the daylong conference, held in the conference room of Dayspring Family Resource Center. This was a first. Following the morning of different speakers, the ladies finished the day with a wonderful lunch, prepared for by Arugula, a woman (and family) who has experienced much healing and restoration.

Here’s a glimpse of the day…

   

Ruby opens the session with prayer and song.

                                            





 Julie spoke on our identify in Christ.

  

My topic was taken from Cynthia Herald's awesome study on "Becoming a Woman of Simpliticity."

                                     





Kim Gebele, Ruby's daughter shared from the Beatitudes.

 

Jackie Day, pastor's wife from Beavercreek, talked to the women on Proverbs 31.

After shopping for some more furniture to complete Dayspring, this evening the entire team of LAMb, our guest team, and intreptors went to the Iskra Home for Invalid men. Ken played the key board and sang, and the men watched Max Lacado’s short video – You’re Special, translated into Russian. HOWEVER, before the serious stuff, we had some fun with the men.

 As a fun warm-up with the men, this motley crew...Ruby, John, Kayat and David are leading "Head, Shoulders, Knee's and Toes....etc.....

 That is one way to teach English.....the next song was ....I let you guess.............yes, you are right..."Put your right foot in, etc...."  We went there to simply have fun with these men and let them have an evening of laughter.

    Ruby and Natalia explain what's ahead for the evening.

The men await what's next.

                             
Ken Day lead the group in worship and although these men couldn't understand the words, many of them understood the Spirit.             

David prayers for the men before ice cream and the movie. 

We experienced a lot today meeting many new people and greeting ones we have known for awhile. It is late here and we are preparing to end the day. Tomorrow, David will be preaching at the Chinese Church as the rest of the team ministers in another...the journey continues...

Giving a Cup of Cold Water...An Honest Reflection

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.' 
 
I have been thinking a lot about those words this week.  We talk about what ministry should be...to minister to those described about.  It is not as easy as it sounds for some and I include myself in that "some."
 
Earlier this week we were at the Kemin's seniors home. Although much better than it used to be, it is still a difficult place to visit for me.  I really don't do well in those places. If allowed to be honest, there are times I don't want to go.  After that we stopped at the Iska home for invalid men.  Again, although better than it used to better,  it is a heart-breaking place to visit.
 
What I came away with from those places is the reality that sometimes visiting the sick, or those in prison (like the invalid home), is a challenging call.  Flowery words easily spoken give way to harsh, stark realities...like giving hand massages on dirty, blistered hands or managing nausating smells in a building hallway or attempting to engage in conversation with a severely disabled man or critically ill senior.
 
I am in the midst of learning some powerful life lessons while on this trip.  One of those lessons, I think I am understanding now at at more experiential level is how to look beyond the conditions to the individual God has placed in front of me.
 
Today, that one lesson was reinforced as we spent the day with seven disabled men from the home.  It was a sight-seeing trip for them to a historic monument and then on to a picnic at the waterfall.  We are getting to know them by name and a little of their stories (if a translator is around).  None of the men with us today had every experienced what these pictures will show....
 
 

 These men were excited to be hitting the road for the drive to the waterfall.

 Before heading into the Barana Tower area, we wanted a picture of the whole group.

 Ruby tells the men what they are going to see.

 Standing in front of an ancient marker. Jackie Day, pastor's wife from Beavercreek stands next to David.

Pastor Ken shares about the water experience these men will have next week as they move forward in their spiritual lives.
 
What I can say now....our journey definitely continues...God is moving us to a new place in our lives...just not sure what yet.

An Exciting Day for LAMb - New Staff Join the Team

 Meeting the Staff  - Bloopers and Blunders

Have you ever been in front of a video and forgot your name - or your job. Then you know how our staff felt when the camera was on them.

             

Thank you to the staff for allowing us a little humor.  Everyone of our staff, those who have been with us since 2008, (Natalia) and the new ones that just just us are incredible people with a heart for the ministry of LAMb. They know their job, their calling and are committed to serving alongside of us.

On a More Serious Note
On Sunday afternoon, the entire LAMb team gathered for the official ceremony inviting three new workers to join the team.  The team on the ground here has expanded by three.

From John's Blog:
It was a powerful moment.. something I had not expected, but to feel the incredible power of HOPE that was generated in the room was very moving... One of the first contracts signed was with Larisa. She is now officially under the LAMb umbrella, and as such, she will have a salary.. this is something that we have all been praying for for her for some time now.. Her duties are to KEEP DOING WHAT SHE IS DOING !.. We are not looking to give her more work or different work, but to give her more tools and resources to take what she does, and bring it up a notch... if that's possible...

                                           Lynn and Ruby welcome Larisa on board.

The next was Acel signing as the DaySpring "Mother" .. Although she has been preparing and working for LAMb since October, we are getting everything in order for the Grand opening next week. It was so moving that when it came time for her to speak, she was a little overwhelmed, and could not talk.. by that point I was not doing much better.. She did share with us afterword what she had wanted to say, but choked up... She was going to share how back in 2008, we had discussed with her a plan to open a home and have her and Talant be the house parents, but at the time we did not have the support and finances in place for such a project, but she knew that one day this would come to pass. When she and Talant were asked by LAMb if they would take on this roll, they knew that they had already been prepared for this day in their hearts, and this was just the world catching up with the plans that they knew their Father had for them.

Next up was Emma .. If I was not already a mess , this was the clincher. All along Emma has felt a strong desire to come along Acel and Talant in this process, and has even had a "position"in her mind, before it was a position... so when the opportunity came up she was very excited.. until she heard the Job title.. "Life skills Director"... titles are not her thing...hahaha. but what is her thing is a strong desire to stand beside her friends and bring love and stability into the lives of precious children.. To pour into their lives and to be an example of HOPE and PEACE to them in the midst of their turmoil.. and HER hope is that each end every child that is in her care will see and feel that love and support, and to know that they know, that they know, that they are special in Gods eyes..

The next to sign was Madlin.. Madlin has had years of experience as a child advocate, and is well respected in government circles, She knows the the laws and she knows the children's rights.. but more then that she has a heart of compassion for the kids, and that will make her a great child advocate. We are so glad that she is on OUR team, and look forward to working with her in the months and years ahead.

Zukra is no stranger to LAMb, and we are so blessed to have her on board as the assistant in country director of LAMb. She will help Natasha keep on top of things as LAMb's interests continue to grow here in Kyrgyzstan. She has done everything from record keeping to visa`s and everything in between in her former position as the assistant to the former chairman of the University. She to is a great addition to the team.

With these key positions all filled and in place, we are ready to move forward with the Dayspring official opening in just over a week.

Here Lynn is holding up a banner for the opening.

Exciting days are ahead for the LAMb team. We all are involved in various ministries from the Kemin's seniors home to the students at the University.   I am particularly excited for David's involvement at the university.  Just yesterday, four students stood in line after class to talk with him regarding serious matters to them.  What a blessings to be there at this time.

Dayspring's Open House is April 12.    Stay tuned.