Tuesday, January 28, 2014

MEXICO TEAM - GETTING IT DONE!

MAZATLAN, MEXICO

Pastor David and Jayne are gearing up for their second day of training in Mexico - training on the first part of the series on Trauma.  Working with nationals to make a difference with the families, children and workers of the area. 

Another time the team has 
STOPPED FOR THE ONE IN FRONT OF THEM; 
LOOKED THORUGH THE EYES OF GOD AND 
LISTENED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR DIRECTION

 - and the result?

MAZATLAN, MEXICO for Pastor David and Jayne Schooler along with Johanna and Adrianne Buchman.  We have an awesome team serving an awesome God.

TRAUMA - THE IMPACT ON FAMILIES!
PASTOR DAVID 



Monday, January 27, 2014

LAMb Team on the MOVE

TEAM COMMITMENT


STOP FOR THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU
LOOK THORUGH THE EYES OF GOD
LISTEN FOR THE DIRECTION FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

THEN GO

Part of the LAMb Team is in Mexico right now - in Mazaltan, teaching with Back 2 Back Ministries n the area of Trauma - Johanna, Adrianna, Pastor David and Jayne - all there serving and carrying forth the mission of LAMb ---- Ephesians 4:12.

Ruby is in Russia, working with leadership to strengthen an NGO that provides critical services to families in crisis, and children in need of families and safety.  

Working with Vector - building capacity to better serve
children and families.

Their leaders - Vera

Ministry of Social Development meeting - sharing ideas and opportunities
to serve children and families in a strong and effective way.


Lynn just returned from Ohio, where he shared the work of Jeremiah House in Kyrygzstan - with a church that is the primary sponsor for the program.

NEXT?  LAMb Team (Lynn, Ruby and Ruby's mother) leave for Kyrgyzstan the end of February and will be gone untl the middle of June.  In this time lots is planned:

  • Samaritans Feet will come and we will work together with our mission team to deliver over 500 pairs of shoes, washing feet and blessing those who will receive.
  • Mom will begin sewing classes at Jeremiah House with the youth - teaching them the basics of sewing - and this will be done in our new sewing room - which will be completed by then thanks to our very competent Vlady!
  • Working with the Chui youth who will be graduating this spring - helping them with the transition and bringing those needing JH into residence there.
  • Conducting training with an NGO that serves Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbeckestan
  • Working with Chui Oblast to design and implement a pilot foster care program.
  • Continue working with Red River and Chui in the Life Skill develeopment
  • Support the efforts of our team in Ukraine at ILDC
  • Support the efforts of our team in Kyrgyzstan at ILDC
  • Work with the local churches to bring them together for a conference in the fall for Vision Casting for Central Asia Without Orphans
  • Working with local social services to identify ways of getting families for the orphans, finding permanence
  • Working with churches to identify their role in working with orphans
  • Doing one or more Capacity Building Events for World Without Orphans, Nepal?  India?
And that is not all- but you will need to keep reading the blog for more.

We will be most appreciative of your prayers and financial support for the upcoming months.

Friday, January 24, 2014

SPRING WILL COME FAST - WHERE WILL THEY GO

TOKMOK CITY
KYRGYZSTAN

WHERE WILL THE GRADUATING ORPHANS GO?

Jeremiah House is able to have 8 youth who are in need of a home - older youth with no where else to go.  Right now we have 6 youth and room for two girls.  Yet, our local orphanage is gearing up for spring graduation.  About 20 youth....will graduate.  What to do.

We cannot do it all, but we must do what we can so a plan is in place.  Let make sure we know them well.  Bring in -  Larissa and Tanya.  We are pleased to have them gathering data and spending time with them.  In addition we have Katya doing some work along the lines of Life Skills.  We have some great data from Tanya and Larissa that they gathered for us.  We know their dreams, their hopes and their fears - those they shared only.  Look at the hearts of these youth:

  • little bear wants to study and be a cook, move to France and open a restaurant
  • several girls want to move to Turkey - a dangerous dream as most trafficked youth are taken to Turkey - they have heard others go and they make lots of money
  • one girl dreas of living with her mother
  • another to be a good mother and a good wife
  • one boy wants to grow children and give them a good education and a good life
  • another wants a car
  • another to be a builder
  • several boys talked of having a family a home and being happy as a family
  • and then.....
He said he had no hope - he has an illness that eliminates him from being allowed to study.  He prays for recovery, to study and have a life.  RADAR RADAR RADAR.  

So, we have started a journey with the youth - will keep in close contact with them - with Larissa and Tanya taking the lead and being deligent to build what is most important at this time - A RELATIONSHIP.  Remember these little one (yes they are adolescents) but they are called - they have a purpose and we must help them know they are the sons and daughters of the Most High God and precious children.  We must show them love, respect and hope.

Being served and Larissa sharing why we are there.


Drawing their dreams - later to share to the large group.

Our first group meeting - more to come.
BEAUTIFUL
JUST BEAUTIFUL

THE STATISTICS  
REMEMBER THE STATISTICS  
1/3 MAKE IT -  2/3 DON'T


Let's change that with this group.


Thursday, January 16, 2014

CHILDREN ARE THE CHURCH TOO

CHILDREN PRAYING FOR OUR
PLANNING TIME

Beautiful young women from Agape - our prayer warriors.
Ruby is  ministering in Bihar, India at this time and Lynn is in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan.

Bihar is the poorest state in India and the statistics are sobering.  80% of the people live in extreme poverty - with over 50% of the children being being malnurished.

There is little to no innoculations, poor health conditions, unsafe water, high infant mortality rate and extreme trafficking concerns. 

In fact, girl children are under valued and often discarded in a number of different ways - child brides, abandonment and trafficked out.  Bihar is one of the most trafficked places in South Asia.

And as we work with the leadership here - discussing and strategizing for the care of orphans in India - specifically Bihar we have been blessed so much by the team here - these young girls from Agape Ministry who are the prayer team for the work.  THEY ARE OUR PRAYER WARRIORS!  Now, think about this - how many churches can you name that call together the children to be the prayer warriors?  These children prayed before we came together - praying for our travel - now praying all day for the work being done to care for the orphans of Bihar.

With a country with so many need  - we can learn much!  CHILDREN ARE THE CHURCH.

With stories and great witness to the impact of Christ in their lives.
What joy - unspeakable joy!

AND
IN KYRGYZSTAN - NEWS FOR JEREMIAH HOUSE

TODAY THEY GOT A VAN!

 This was the excitement for Lynn today - delivering the van to Jeremiah House.  

We received a wonderful Christmas donation to bless JH with this van and some other special renovations - windows and sewing items.  

This delivery is major - as they have been walking and never able to go together anywhere.  

Today this changed.  

THANK YOU DONOR - WE ARE BLESSED!


I think they look good in the van!  Agree?

Finally, please pray for Ira - she is living in the college - studying to become a teacher.  She was with us at JH for almost a year and we are ensuring her education, etc.  

She has a part-time job.  She requested two days off work to study for her exams and was granted this - when she returned to work they had hired someone else and told her that she was no longer needed.  This is devastating for her.  She has really had it hard for so many years.  This job and the move to the college was a step into adulthood.  Once again she is dependent on us for her needs (we are okay with helping her) and she has been pushed back again to this.  We want to encourage her so please pray for her - that she does not see this as failure, but as a process for becoming stronger for the journey ahead.  

Thank you so much.


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

NEPAL WITHOUT ORPHANS - MOVING MOUNTAINS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE


CALLING THE CHURCH TO ACTION

WE CANNOT REST UNTIL THE ORPHANS 
FIND FAMILIES

IT IS ALL ABOUT BEING OBEDIENT

For the last several days LAMb has been in Nepal, along with World Without Orphans, and Christian Alliance for Orphans - ministering in the most beautiful mountain country in the world, meeting with key church pastors and leaders to draw together and create a shared vision and plan to address the ORPHAN CRISIS in Nepal.  

  • Nepal has over 650,000 orphans
  • The poorest country in South Asia
  • 75% of the street childen suffer sexual exploition
  • Child marriage is common - A Unicef study reports that 60% of the Napalese women were married by the time they reached 18.
  • Girls leave school and start taking care of their parents-in-law, working for their new family
  • Nepal has 30 million people
By the time we all parted this morning, January 14th, we had a vision, regional plans and steps to carry forth and start making a difference for the lives of Nepal's orphans.  Take a look at some of the action plans.  It is both exciting and humbling to have been part of this planning process with our dear church leaders of Nepal.

Group working on their vision and plan.

Taking the work and making a shared vision.

Time to make a plan - what will be done once back in the region.

The group shot at the end of the planning time!

They revealed this banner at the end - showing the commitment
to make a difference in the life of the orphan!

One regions next steps!

Another regions next steps!

We ended by praying over all the work that was done for the two days of
visioning and planning.



AND THIS IS THE RESON!

CHILDREN GROW BEST IN FAMILIES

MOTHERS FOR CHILDREN!

JUST WAITING...

PAPA AND DAUGHTER
THEY WAY IT SHOULD BE

BABIES NEED MOMMIES AND DADDIES

LITTLE BOYS NEED ROLE MODELS
NEPAL WITHOUT ORPHANS

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
JOIN US








Sunday, January 5, 2014

BLESSINGS AS TIME GOES BY

SUNDAY BRIGHT SPOTS

Just blessed with the message on Sunday - all about grace.  And double blessed to have two  of our Jeremiah guys show up to sit with us!  The girls usually join us, one boy goes to a different church and well - there is more to the story, but just know it was a blessing that our one lad brought the second lad!

Handsome lads, eh?  Omerbeck and Slavik!
Blessings for our day!

And a great word from Lynn on Grace!
AND MORE....

We have many things to be thankful for.   2014 is opening so many new doors for LAMb here in Kyrgyzstan and across the globe.  Many things to think about, pray about and plan for.  

1.  Lynn will be working with Costa to find just the right van for Jeremiah House this week.
2.  Tracking 20 young people who will be graduating from a near-by orphanage in the spring.  Where will they go?  do they have any adult connections? what are their dreams and hopes.
3.  Ruby is out of KG now and heading to Ukraine where she will be working with our team there - growing them, helping them become even more self-sustaining.  We look forward to the day - we just go and visit them and they are totally carrying the work of ministry independently.
4.  Then she heads to Nepal - speaking at a conference - encouraging the mobilization of the churches for the cause of the orphan, working with the World Without Orphan team and Christian Alliance for Orphan team.  She will also be facilitating strategic planning there as well as in India in the poorest state of the country - Bihar.
5.  Then she is back to Ukraine for some training and stragegizing for the upcoming conference sponsored by Christian Broadcasting Network - Ukraine, LAMb and others.  We are expecting over 200 adoptive parents coming to the conference in April - a conference designed to help, support and encourage families to work thorugh the tough stuff!   The families will all be Ukrainian adoptive families!!!!!
 6.  And then to Russia for more strategic planning in the city of Perm with an organization there that is busting through some great walls, equipping the nationals.
7.  In February, Lynn and Ruby will be back in Kyrgyzstan until June.  Too much happening to list it all now.  (Realizing we have already bored you!)


JUST KNOW - THERE ARE OVER 153 MILLION ORPHANS IN THE WORLD

650,000 Orphans in Nepal
over 20 million orphans in India according to the most recent (2014) reports


AND KYRGYZSTAN?  6,000 OR 23,000?

UNICEF SAYS 6,000 SOCIAL ORPHANS, BUT IN 2009, WE SAW THIS REPORT BELOW.  THE REALITY? 
WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, CONSIDERING THE STREET CHILDREN AND THOSE ABANDONED, TRAFFICKED, AND JUST LOST TO THE AUTHORITIES.  AND OF COURSE THERE IS THE VIOLENCE THAT LEFT MANY CHILDREN AS ORPHANS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.


Number of social orphans exceeds 23 thousands in Kyrgyzstan

17/11-2009 14:08, Bishkek – 24.kg news agency , By Ksenia TOLKANEVA
Number of social orphans has exceeded 23 thousands in Kyrgyzstan, Aleksei Petrushevsky, Director of the Street Children Rehabilitation Center said at the briefing Tuesday.
SO WE HAVE A VERY BIG CHALLENGE AND THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

This is why we do what we do,
Orphans, Widows and Disabled

BELIEVING IN A WORLD WITHOUT ORPHANS

Saturday, January 4, 2014

JEREMIAH AND DAYSPRING YOUTH - WHEN SERVING IS BETTER THAN BEING SERVED

JEREMIAH YOUTH
DAYSPRING CHILDREN

SERVING KEMIN SENIORS
WE SERVED AROUND 50 
INCLUDING THE STAFF!

Interesting how some days go.  Yesterday we made plans with our Samaritans Feet team - on how to distribute over 571 pairs of shoes this coming March - to crisis families, orphanages, teenage boys in prison and to our seniors.  The first Samaritans Feet team in March and then the second team will come and distribute another 500 or more shoes again in May/June.

Then we made plans with Vlady to do renovations at Jeremiah House - much needed things.  He is completing some outside sewer plumbing and will be our "hero" as he continues through the winter with other projects we lined up for him.

In between things, Lynn worked on his sermon for Sunday and I sat and worked on the material for the ministry here for the foster care project.

Then later, when people were waking up in Arizona we were making plans with my 85 year old mother to come over in February and stay with us until June. She will be working with our Jeremiah kids - sewing project and the like.

THEN TODAY...

Early morning rising and getting thing ready to head to Kemin Seniors.  We had two of our youth from Jeremiah House want to join in the serving and all of our Dayspring girls!  And what a day it has been.  

 
 


The Dayspring girls performed their concert - the one they did at the church and our two Jeremiah girls helped Lynn and I in the kitchen get the afternoon meal ready for the seniors:

CHICKEN (lots and roasted to perfection!)
CARROT SALAD (very traditional one - very spicy)
BREAD (just the wonderful homemade kind they love!)
SPAGHETTI (with a great sauce - not too spicy, just tasty!)
PINEAPPLE (because they are rare)
COOKIES (plain ones - so they could wrap lots up in their napkins and take with them to their rooms.

So, there was a concert, a meal, the girls all served, and helped clean up. After praying with our seniors, we headed home. Travel home was sharing, stopping for a little snack to eat in the car and joy - lots of joy.



















OUR YOUTH AND CHILDREN ARE LEARNING TO SERVE - AS YOU ALSO HAVE BEEN SERVING THEM!

















THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACIOUS GIFTS AND SUPPORT!  WE PRAY WE ARE RAISING THESE YOUTH AS A GENERATION OF CARING AND GENEROUS KYRGYZ CHILDREN!

AND TOMORROW?

Church in the morning, and Ruby packs to fly to Ukraine, Nepal, India and Russia - Lynn stays in Kyrgyzstan.  Lots to do - 
1. purchase vehicle for Jeremiah House
2. locate and purchase a computer for the teens at Jeremiah House

and continue to work on building our national team here - to carry on the work of ministry! 

Friday, January 3, 2014

JEREMIAH HOUSE AND MANY LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

MANY LESSONS - EACH DAY 
BLESSINGS THAT ABOUND


Where to start?  Living in Kyrgyzstan, and traveling to so many different developing and least developed countries has taught us many lessons.  One is how blessed we are to have so many different resouces for things, like even storage containers!  We take them for granted everywhere in North America.  We have tupperware, plastic containers abound in Walmart, and we can easily pick up a container at the grocery store that is very usable over and over again and it is really meant for a one time use!  We are rich with so many things we take for granted.  Mixes, quick meals, self-rising flour, ground beef (the market here has had no beef for two days!), on and on.  So much to consider.

I recall our first trips to Ukraine when we lived with families during our ministry time.  I would see all kinds of jars being saved on their apartment balconies.  I alway thought  - oh my, why?  Jars, containers galore of all types that had at one time been full of food purchased from the market or store, plastic, glass, paper!

Then as they years have gone by and we started actually living in Kyrgyzstan for periods of  time, it all became clear!  Save, keep what can be reused.  DO NOT EVER TOSS OUT THOSE PLASTIC STORAGE BAGS YOU BRING FROM THE US - they are priceless here! Keep every nut jar you have brought over, and the peanut butter jars make great storage containers for left over food.  Keep every grocery bag, every flat sheet of cardboard, turn paper over and use the other side, do not toss out a disposable plastic cup - wash and resuse until it cannot be used anymore!

Yet, we continue to be careless.  It sometimes shames us.  We take so much for granted.  I pray that in 2014, that it is a different future for us.  I pray that we will be cautious with our resources, with paper, fuel, plastics, containers and more!  We have many lessons to learn.

One major reminder of these lessons came as we drove home from Jeremiah House after presenting small and VERY APPRECIATED Christmas gifts to our teenagers there - we drove by a home that clearly demonstrated the REAL THING!  Here is the picture.



YOU SEE - EVERYTHING MATTERS
 This house has been helped with a new dain spout - using what was recycled and used in a creative and innovative way!

And then the phone call:  we received a call from our USA LAMb partners to let us know we had just received a large donation from a donor for the program at Jeremiah House - and the donor asked that we purchase a van for our Jeremiah House family, they would be walking no more.  They will be able to travel as a family, go to church together in one vehicle, and more.

Those blessings are reminders of how He takes care of His children - the orphans, those who are fatherless.  We are just honored to be hands and feet of the Most High - our Heavenly Father.  

Yes, there are lessons and there are blessings.  We just wanted you to know!

Happy New Year
May Your Year be Filled with Lessons and Blessings!

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