Sunday, December 29, 2013

GIFT TIME FOR JEREMIAH HOUSE AND DAYSPRING YOUTH

GIFTS DELIVERED
for Jeremiah Youth and Dayspring Children

Kyrgyzstan is a Muslim country, so Christmas as we know it in North America is not celebated the same.  There is a Christmas Tree in the town, and we see signs of the celebration of Santa, but that is the extent of what we know to be Christmas.  There will be lots of celebrations over the next days - and the biggest will be New Year's Eve.  Fire works and traditionally this is their gift giving time.

On Christmas Day, we had a big dinner with our youth, team members and friends.  It was awesome and a great time together of talk, laughter and just good food.  We had a lovely play by our children about the true meaning of Christmas and then in the evening we went to church for a lovely evening of celebration of Christ's birth.

We delivered gifts to the local Babushkas as well and will have a big celebration with our seniors later in the week.

Yesterday - 12/28/2013 - we delivered gifts to our youth.  It was a great afternoon at Jeremiah House and a great evening at Dayspring.  The pictures tell the story.

Christmas Stockings filled with goodies!

New table for the house!
Slavik with his card and a little gift inside!

Vika takes a peek!


Dayspring in the evening - lost of interest in their little gifts; coloring books,
stickers, puzzles, and little girl diaries.

Papa Costa with Dasha and Yulia.

Everyone wanted papa's attention to their gifts.

Then Olga and I got the chance to play - puzzles with Mark and the girls!
Fun evening!



THANK YOU SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS ALL POSSIBLE








Friday, December 27, 2013

UKRAINE ADOPTION CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR APRIL

ADOPTION CONFERENCE
FOR UKRAINIAN NATIONALS

What a wonderful change we are seeing in Ukraine - nationals stepping up and adopting children!  Again and again we are encouraged with the news coming from the movement of WORLD WITHOUT ORPHANS and others who are working together tirelessly to see children get families...forever families.

LAMb has been working with CBN, Orphans Promise for several years, working to provide support through training and conferences to those families who have adopted.  In April, 2014, we will be presenting our third such conference in Kiev.

This conference is free to families - and the families come from difficult places - traveling great miles to get to Kiev, yet they come to learn, share and network with others.  We offer this conference to these families knowing they cannot afford this - yet also knowing how important it is for them to feel honored and validated for their decision to adopt in a country that has only recently accepted adoption as a way of building families.

However - we need your help...Please consider donating to our conference.  It will cost us abour $40,000 - we together as a team - raise all the funds for this.  Every donation is important, and you can know you YES YOU - HAVE HELPED THE MOVEMENT OF A WORLD WITHOUT ORPHANS!

PLEASE HIT THE DONATE BUTTON HERE OR
VISIT OUR CONFERENCE SITE





Thursday, December 26, 2013

PEAKS AND VALLEYS WITH LAUGHTER AND TEARS

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL



WE PRAY YOU WILL EXPERIENCE BLESSINGS IN ABUNDANCE FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IN THE UPCOMING YEAR!

We have completed the first part of our time here and have had some wonderful moments (peaks) with the Jeremiah Youth, Dayspring children and our team.  We celebrated Christmas together at Dayspring - with a wonderful dinner and then off to church for the evening. 

PEAKS AND LAUGHTER 
Over 40 people joined us at Dayspring for a Christmas Dinner.  We were also given a beautiful performance of a Christmas story by the Dayspring Children.

Family from Kyrgyzstan - enjoying food and fellowship!



And our dear friend Larissa shared needs from around the area.   After the meal, we
sent food with her to take to some of the seriously ill at Tokmaksky home for the disabled.

Lynn shared at the evening Christmas church service.

With lovely dancers and musicians giving glory to God in the Highest!  Our beautiful
Anya celebrating with dance.

Andre and Katya - reminding us of the Nativity.  

Children singing and dancing - with our Dayspring little ones as well as part of the choir and dance.

THEN THE VALLEYS AND TEARS

There is another home for the disabled men, women and youth in our city.  Larissa and Tanya have gained access.  The situation there is dismal.  Larissa brought needs to our attention, including the needs of one of the men from Iskra that was moved to Tokmaksky.  Resources are so limited in these homes - they are doing the best they can, but they desperately need help.  Every hospital, every clinic has great needs.  It can be most overwhelming at even the best of times.

We know we cannnot meet all the needs, yet when a need is in front of us we feel we must trust that our sponsors would want to know and be given a chance to help, share and make a difference in this need that is expressed.

Tokmaksky home for the disabled is in need of much.  Larissa brought us a plea to help and we share this with you.  There is a room with men who are seriously ill.  They presently have five people isolated in this room.  They desperately need blankets, mattrress pads, pillows, socks and shirts. ....something warm.  Larissa gave us a price of 10,855 soms.  That is only $222.00.  And there are men sleeping on the floors - they need beds and we can get them in Bishkek at the used furniture store for about $50 each.  We share this with you, as with each need there is a price behind it, and we know we cannot do all, but maybe with your help we can take this one and make a difference.

Sitting after our Christmas Dinner at Dayspring, we were sitting with a group of ladies and Larissa shared - she is tired, so exhausted in all that hits her heart so hard.  She sees the unending needs, and cannot stop to say it is too big.  She knows she must pursue help - asking as much as she can to those who care.  You see every person has a name - a story and she knows most of the stories.  Fedya, who was at Iskra, now at Tomasky is a dear friend to her - and she goes and hand feeds him.  

After the dinner, Larissa and Tanya went to the home and took the men Chicken from our Christmas dinner and to feed Fedya - attempting to bring him back to health.  We gave him Lynn's clothes, but in this room, there are so many more needs.

Yes, it is the valley of tears.  The reality is not easy, not pleasant for any of us.  Yet, we are called to help

Larissa with food from our Christmans, feeding Fedya.  



JOIN US IN PRAYER,
SUPPORT AND
ENCOURAGEMENT
TO OTHERS!




Saturday, December 21, 2013

LIFE SKILLS FOR ORPHANS

WHAT JOY TO SEE THIS CLASS

LIFE SKILLS FOR ORPHANS

We are so pleased with the Life Skill pilot project.  Our trainer - Katya has done an amazing job with this class. This training was on Conflict and the youth were so very involved.  We were so excited to see that our plan for this to be in the orphanages is having such a great impact.  

There were 21 youth who attended this class.  GUESS WHAT THEY ASKED?

"Will you please come back and do more classes for us?"

MUSIC TO OUR EARS

BUILDING A BEAUTIFUL TOWER - THREE TEAMS COMPETING

AND THEN IT FELL- STARTED OVER

PROBLEM  - A CONFLICT ISSUE IN THE ORPHANAGE - DECIDE HOW IT WOULD
BE BEST TO HANDLE THIS

THEY WORKED TOGETHER AND BUILT AMAZING TOWERS


KATYA IS A HIT WITH THE KIDS



THANK YOU 

HELP US KEEP THIS GOING AND TO ADD MORE CLASSES AND MORE ORPHANAGES!

Friday, December 20, 2013

CHILDREN NEED FAMILIES AND THIS REGION UNDERSTANDS

MEETING WITH REGION
SUCCESS STORIES CAME FORWARD
THEY HAVE PLACE 41 CHILDREN WITH KINSHIP FAMILIES IN THE LAST YEAR!!!

NEXT?

DEVELOPING AN ADOPTIVE/FOSTER CARE PILOT
We met yesterday with 16 leaders of the adjoining region to our city.  We gave each of them a copy of the Field Guide to Child Welfare - volumne 4 which is about attachment, foster care and adoption.  We shared the need to find permenence for families and then challenged the group to a question:

"Are you ready and interested in applying the law of the land and developing more adoptive families and finding new foster families - by developing a pilot program for your region?"

The excitement was in the air.  YES!

We have a plan.  They have been assigned to read certain chapters of the Guide, and come together (we have dates) to start designing our new pilot program together.  

What excitement - yes an entire region of leaders ready to find families for children - and remember, they have just placed 41 orphans with relatives.  They know the  meaning of family, they just need a plan now to strengthen their move toward permanence for all children.

Refering to the Field Guide - they all got Russian copies.  I could only give them
book 4 as we are completely out of the sets after this distribution!  $400 would get us 200 more sets
sent from Ukraine!!!!

They were thrilled to get their books!  Thrilled to be part of something bigger!

Leaders of the Region!


Tomorrow?

Will be posting about the Life Skills that are being taught at Red River and Chui Orphanages.   Very exciting day today to be in a class on Conflict Management with youth from Chui.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

JEREMIAH HOUSE IS GETTING WARMER

ALMOST OUT OF COAL  
AND THAT JUST CANNOT HAPPEN

Spending time today at Jeremiah House was awesome, warm but suddenly the need surfaced.  We were told they only had coal to last for about another day.  Shocked and suddenly facing a great need for heat - also finding out Dayspring is very low on coal and wood.  What to do?  DIG DEEP, ORDER COAL

SUPRISE - ALMOST OUT OF COAL
BRING ON THE COAL....AND UNLOAD BOYS
JEREMIAH HOUSE WILL STAY WARM THIS WINTER
JANABECK WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL TODAY
He helps his "brothers" shovel the coal into buckets to be carried to
the garage.  GREAT big job!
Janabeck is doing well. and his face is healing quite nicely.
We sat together and talked about needs - so many big needs. Capital improvement?
Or would we just call it need completions?  Windows - broken and leaking,
doors without any protection from elements - as they don't fit good.
Olga, Gulnara and Ana are all helping me understand the realities.

FRIENDS, THE NEEDS ARE BIG, BOTH AT JEREMIAH HOUSE AND AT DAYSPRING.
THEY DON'T COMPLAIN, YET OUR HEARTS HURT IN
WANTING TO HELP

CAN YOU STEP UP?

WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

HOMELESS SENIORS IN KYRGYZSTAN

KEMIN SENIORS HOME
 WHERE HOPE AND DIGNITY HAVE BEEN RESTORED

Kyrgyzstan is among the poorest countries in the world, and the second poorest in Central Asia.  Many homeless simply cannot survive its harsh winters.  To escape the cold many hide under manholes.  Those who do not live in manholes often lose limbs due to frostbite, according to socialdocumentary.net.

A World Bank report in September 2007 showed that 43.1 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s people lived in poverty in 2005, of which 11 percent were deemed to be living in extreme poverty.  And food prices continue to skyrocket, while wages remain the same or creep up slowly.

Homelessness is a tragic result of the conditions of poverty and lack of resources for those most vulnerable – the widows and orphans of Kyrgyzstan.

As Kyrgyzstan struggles to gain economic strength, the social issues are so large, they simply cannot do all that needs or should be done.  That is the primary reason the help that comes from churches, NGO’s and other volunteer foreign groups is so important to Kyrgyzstan.

In Kemin, a Kyrgyz family sacrificed all to start the Kemin Gift of God Friendship Center.  This home – which is a building that was a kindergarten, was deserted and in terrible condition when they were given permission to use it for bringing in homeless seniors.
OLYA - Always asking about a young woman that was with our team in the past,
she love her and just wants to see her again.  

LtoR
Masha, Valentina, Katcha, Reeta, and Olga (LAMb Team)

Olga, Lydia and Ruby
For years Lydia has been my dear friend, we are sisters in so many ways.  She
is now blind from diabetes, but knows my voice the minute I walk in.
We love her dearly - she was a mathematics teacher - she had a family,
and she had trauma in her life.  But today, she is safe.


Through the efforts of many different organizations and individuals, repairs were made and today it is very different from what it started to be.  Yet, improvements now have brought a new challenge.  They were recently told by the prosecutors office that the city wanted the building back for a kindergarten and that they needed to go and find another place.  We cannot believe this is happening, as they were promised a permanent place – and now with improvements, this challenges them to be once again homeless.

For today – all is safe, as there is no one standing in the doorway asking for the key, but the fear is there.  What can we do?   Pray, continue our presence there – show the authorities the good work they are doing and speak boldly for their stability in their home.

It is winter in Kyrgyzstan - cold and getting colder.
The seniors sit wrapped with coats, sweaters, thick socks.
We need your help.
Tanya, the director at Kemin - stands and watches us leave.  I often wonder
what she is thinking, what she hopes for, what she worries about,
what she needs from us.  Sometimes I am just afraid to ask. 

Kemin Senior Home is a blessing to 43 seniors – all have a NAME, A HISTORY, A PAST, AND are sitting together in Kemin praying for a HOPE. 

We will be taking all our Dayspring Children to Kemin next week  - they have prepared a beautiful Christmas play and concert.  We will cook a meal for them.  

Might you want to share some Christmas Blessing with them?  We ask you to go to the donate button and consider gifting something to help in their blessing this Christmas.

The LAMb Team

Monday, December 16, 2013

WORKING TOGETHER MAKES AMAZING OUTCOMES

TEAM WORK
GETTING READY TO DELIVER SOMEWHERE AROUND 500 PAIRS OF SHOES

SAMARITANS FEET
COMING TO TOKMOK

The Team for Samaritans Feet

LEPTA PLUS, ORPHANS PROMISE, CRAMBOJAY CHURCH, ILDC, TEAM LARISSA AND LAMb INTERNATIONAL

Today we called a meeting and worked together to start plans to deliver somewhere around 500 pairs of shoes that are being donated and delivered by Samaritans Feet Ministry from North Carolina.  The ministry was started by a man from Nigeria - who got his first pair of shoes when he was nine years old.  Living in Nigeria, with his family, a missionary named Dave came and gave him a pair of shoes and hope!

Dave challenged Manny Ohonme to dream big.  Later he was offered a basketball scholarship in the United States - North Dakota.  He became a successful business man and had all the toys a man could want.  Yet Manny and his lovely wife Tracy knew God had a call for Manny to become more than a business man.  

The dream grew.  And Manny left Corporate America and the security of riches - to the security of his calling and passion - to deliver 10 million pairs of shoes to children around the world.  Up to this time, he has delivered over 4 million pairs.  We are so excited that we are going to see the ministry bless many of those here in the Tokmok area we are so connected to as are those ministries mentioned above.  

Making a differene - bringing hope and dignity to hundreds.

We have chosen the first stage of delivery and will have a second stage later in the spring.  Stage one will involve boys who are in prison, orphanages, orphans, disabled, and homeless widows and seniors, crisis families and those who have chosen to serve others.

We are so excited to be partners with all the above to make this wonderful blessing happen.  Let's just say the delivery will be connecting neurons in the brain - those neurons that say

YOU ARE LOVED!


Sunday, December 15, 2013

PREPARATION FOR SAMARITANS FEET - TEAM WORK

LAMb in...
TOKMOK, KYRGYZSTAN


Great day in church today, followed by a time of gathering and planning.  More planning tomorrow!

The weather in Tokmok today was like a spring day.  52 F.  Amazing, but they say watch out - tomorrow winter will start to roll in.  



However we have BIG plans for tomorrow and it won't stop the group coming to our apartment for the planning meeting.  12 people eager to serve! 

In March, we have a team of 15 people coming to Kyrgyzstan to work along side of us and our national partners here, delivering shoes to over 400 children, elderly and disabled.  The group joining LAMb is Samaritans Feet out of Charlotte, North Carolina.  Tomorrow our team will finalize the plans of where and who we will be able to bless in this first offering of shoes.  You see, we have Samaritans feet returning in June as well - and that means we can add another 400 people to be blessed!  

is coming to Tokmok!



IMPORTANT UPDATE ON INDIA - FUNDRAISER
DOWN-RIVER - HUMANATARIAN WORK
RECOVERY AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

THANK YOU!  We have the funds for the food for the Abode of Peace Orphanage ($500) now we need sponsors for children's gifts - 170 Orphaned Children- just $10 for each child.  Please consider helping this one time blessing for these little ones.  You can donate on the button here on the blog - one child, two - you decide.  



GREAT NEWS
RAINBOW CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO OPEN SOON
IN TOKMOK, KYRGYZSTAN

Yesterday we met with John and Christa Tsai who have just completed their center for children - a child development center that will teach children along the high quality Montessori style of teaching and preparing children for school.  They will also be working with parents - and that is where LAMb comes in.  We discussed the training model for parents to help in strengthening families, preventing abuse and neglect and helping families see the beauty of their children as sons and daughters of the Most High God.  What a wonderful opportuity for LAMb to work 

UP RIVER FOR PREVENTION OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT

ONE CHILD - ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.




Saturday, December 14, 2013

WHEN A HEART IS HEALING - THERE IS PEACE AND JOY - MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR FRIENDS

MARK - A very well protected little guy with SIX sisters to keep him entertained.
Says to you - CHEERS  and remember, "Jesus Loves You!"



DAYSPRING CHILDREN
We are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with our Dayspring AND Jeremiah House family and team.  The preparations are in place.  there will be a large meal - with friends of Dayspring and Jeremiah  - those who do not have families will join us to celebrate Christmas.  

We will have the Christmas story and share words of encouragement to one another.  We will be thankful for all we have and how we have been blessed to come together in safety, love and with hope of a future.  Jeremiah 29:11 is very real to all - as we are promised ..."a future and a HOPE...."


THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO - YOUR GIFTS AND DONATIONS MAKE OUR LIVES WHAT THEY ARE TODAY!


GENYA - A happy little girl.
She wishes you a very merry Christmas!


DASHA - So joyful about her new ability to see!
She thanks you for everything and says Be Happy!

YULIA - Knows the meaning of safety and care.
Wants you all to be safe and enjoy your families over Christmas!


DAYSPRING CHRISTMAS WISHES..

















SNJAHANNA AND KRISTINE - Joyful and happy spirits!
Wish you a very very Happy New Year an 2014!

























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