THE PAST DOES NOT EQUAL THE FUTURE

Hand to Hand - Heart to Heart

LARISA AND TANYA PLAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When we decided to help Larisa and Tanya go to Alaska to take the Hope training, we expected to see a new spark being lit in ideas and plans for their work with the disabled in Kyrgyzstan.  And now we are reading about their passion and fire for change!

We intend to go to Alaska in three weeks to see the Hope program and spend time with Larisa and Tanya there - looking at what and how we might begin paving the way for changes in Kyrgyzstan with the way people are treated who are disabled. We do hope we can replicate some of Hope's approach and it is clear that Larisa and Tanya have the dream.

Look at this email below.  Larisa and Tanya are well on their way to seeing how they too might just make the future a little different than the past.  

We thank all of you for making this possible for them.  As you can read from their email - they are so blessed and thankful for the help and opportunity to go to Alaska and learn!  Yes,

THE PAST DOES NOT EQUAL THE FUTURE FOR KYRGYZSTAN!

Hello dear Lynn and Rubby. 

Thank you for your concern and care about our experience here in Alaska .. In this country individuals have the opportunity like everybody else to go out in the community and do things such as: go to the store, visit the cinema, walk in the parks, go to the hospital and recieve medical care, have their own rooms, clothes food and water, and be given the chance to live as normal a life as is possible. 

The government here provide policies and services for individuals, the same as normal people, so that they can lead the same type of lives as normal people, they are cared for like everyone else. Before this was the case in U.S.A. the same problems were here as there are currently at home. But groups of people came together advocating for change and this system was developed slowly. It is a wonderful system now and it is normal for these individuals to have jobs and be out in the community with very normal lives. 

I see how this system has changed life for these people, and from this experience I pray for this change at home, for me this is my magic moment here in Alaska, at HOPE. And I would like to thank all the people who have helped us to come here, all those who helped us to raise money to come here for this experience, and those who gave us our knowledge. We would also like to thank Eileen (who is the international relations manager at HOPE) and Killian who helped us to get these volunteer positions, and helping us with any other problems.          

Every day we are learning new knowledge. 

It  is interesting process of work .It is all new for us.I think when I come back to .We will  come back to Kyrgyzstan with ideas and experiense how to change system and service for individual.  We pray for change of the sistem for  peaple of Kyrgyzstan.We wish for more freedom and chance for normal every day life with many opportunities , away from institution like conditions . We wish that this will be read by many people and that they can pray for this change also .

God bless all people, and kind regards to all,Larisa and Tanya