And I thought LAST Week Was Interesting

In my last blog entry I said that it was an interesting week.  Well this week was even more so.  I'm in a computer lab and again this entry will have no photos.  It's been snowy the last couple of days here in Tokmok.  Yes...I'm still in Kyrgyzstan for an unexpected extended stay.  For those of you not on my Face Book list here's what happened.

On Saturday I checked in at the airport and when I got to the passport counter the passport police refused me on the flight and asked the airlines to cancel me flying.  Let me back up a bit:  With Kyrgyzstan's new visa laws Canadians can stay 60 days without needing a visa.  Anything longer requires a visa.  When I was booking my airline tickets in July I was thinking 2 months instead of 60 days and miscounted the days.  When I got to the passport counter it was on day 61 - 6 hours past the deadline of day 60.  Every country I've ever heard of would have put me on the plane with a stern warning to get rid of me.  But not here...they told me I that as I was now illegally in the country that I had to go buy a visa - after asking how much money I had on me.  Apparently I didn't have enough money to buy the "exit visa" at the airport.

So this past week everything was a scramble.  I had to find new accommodations and get everything fixed - pay a fine, buy a visa, pay for the forms to process things, pay the airline penalty, police stations, visa office and so on.  So long story short I'm in a new apartment now and I have a new visa and airline ticket.  Right now if all goes according to plan I'll be in Kyiv December 3rd.  

The apartment I'm in is the same one that I stayed in last spring when I was here.  The landlord is letting me stay there with no charge (but I'll pay for the electricity).  Since they were not expecting anyone to stay there for a while they had already had the gas shut off.  So all I have to cook with is an electric kettle and toaster and my diet this week has been mostly cereal, toast and noodle packs (the same thing as Mr Noodle but better).  I'm not a salad person either.

So this week pretty much ate up any spare money I had on top of having a dead computer to replace - oh yeah and a van driver from Bishkek to Tokmok who took advantage of my non Russian speaking and ripped me off.  I'll take stock again once I get to Krivoy Rog but right now it looks like I'll have enough just to get back to Canada in late February and pay a few living expenses in the meantime.  Not fun since I don't have a salary.  But I know that God did not call me to this work and not plan for any provision and equipping - and I could lose 20 Lbs any ways.  Anyone have any "tent making" ideas?

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to those who literally dropped everything to help me get this fixed and to make arrangements for my extended stay here.  We have good family here in Kyrgyzstan. 

My experience did have some good things.  I was able to do some sight seeing in Bishkek while waiting for my visa.  I also got another visit in to the baby orphanage today.  The apartment is also much warmer than the last one.  (Really good since my winter clothes are in Ukraine.)  I also get to look at those beautiful mountains a bit longer.  God has a plan and a purpose even if I don't realize what it is right now through all of this and I have so much peace with that.

So please keep me in your prayers and thanks for your support.  And as I say so often, thanks for seeing my heart.  Till next time...Я люблю тебя!

An Interesting Week

Well this has been an interesting week.  My computer died last weekend and I'm sending this from an internet cafe.  I had no idea how much I need a computer for my work until it went.  So now the "paperwork" is piling up for now.  I'll have it looked at when I get to Krivoy Rog to see if it can be repaired.  If not I'll have to find some money somewhere for a replacement.  Maybe it's time to start that diet and lose 20 pounds lol.  So this will be a "no frills" blog entry with no photos as there's no way I'm plugging my flash drive into a public computer.  Maybe I'll post photos another time when I get a more secure connection.

I have continued my visits to the baby orphanage and having lots of fun with the kids. (The orphanage won't allow photos any ways.)  I have also been trying to keep warm. I'll be so glad to be reunited with my winter clothes next week.  My apartment has no heat in the kitchen and bathroom and the living/bed room has VERY little.  Fortunately I have good blankets and the gas stove helps a bit but I'm looking forward to a warm airport.  It certainly gives me a new insight on why so many people in Kyrgyzstan freeze to death every winter.  

Speaking of warmth I want to say a great big thank you to those who submitted donations.  I was able to buy 10 tonnes of coal that will help keep up to 15 families warm this winter.  You can read more and see a photo of the 1st 5 tonnes being delivered last week at John Wright's blog at this web address

http://actofkindness.blogspot.com/2012/11/lots-to-do-before-we-go.html

I was also able to buy an assortment of fruit to treat the kids at Orlovka Orphanage.  I still can't get my head around fruit being a treat but I guess all of the dieticians are pleased.  With the money that was leftover I was also able to buy some staple groceries for the orphanage (flour, rice, oil, etc.).  When we went shopping for the groceries we met up with a couple from church who bought candy (now THAT'S a treat) some eggs and some chicken for the orphanage.  So the kids will have some good meals for a little while.  Again, thank you SOOOOOO much to those who donated.  It really did make a difference in a lot of lives.

Early tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for Kyiv and will get to Krivoy Rog next week for another 3 months.  I am looking forward to another McJoyful Christmas as well as all of the things going on here.  Then it will be Canada for a few months but more on that another time.

As I say so often- thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time...Я люблю тебя!

Time is Ticking Down…Again

Well my time in Kyrgyzstan is almost up for this trip.  In 2 weeks I’ll be back in Ukraine.  The time has just flown by.  So for this next couple of weeks I’ll be tying up things here for now.  The weather has been relatively warm during the day but still cold at night.  The electric heater died and I have been using the gas stove even more.  I’m told that heating season starts on November 15^th.  I can’t wait.  Although, I did get a little excited yesterday when I saw fumes coming out of the central heating plant’s chimney and could hear it running.  But there’s no heat in the pipes yet.

These last 2 weeks I have continued my visits to the baby orphanage and having fun with the kids there.  I have also continued to try and learn more Russian and have come to the conclusion that Rosetta Stone is hideously overpriced and doesn’t help at all.  My charades, however, continue to improve.  Other than that I don’t have anything new to tell. 

I am still fund raising so that I can treat some kids at several orphanages here and perhaps the seniors in the Kemin home.  My original wish list was to buy fruit (which is a big treat here) for the orphanages at Orlovka and Red River and the disabled men’s home in Kemin.  I also want to take the kids at Orlovka on an outing, to buy blankets for the seniors’ home in Kemin and to chip in for coal for some needy families.  Unfortunately my wish list has gone out the window.  Right now I have raised enough that I’ll use to buy a few groceries for one orphanage.  Once I get that arranged I’ll post some photos.  I only have this coming week left to fund raise so that I can make purchases and have them delivered before I leave. 

If anyone would like to help out this week so that I can bless more children please click the donation link at the right side of the blog to donate on line or you can mail a donation to the address below.  Please remember to specify that the donation is for me.  Also, when you donate please drop me a message to let me know.  Canadian donations are tax deductible and every dollar counts.

Please keep me in your prayers.  Thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time…Я люблю тебя!

LinK 127

34 Wynn Castle Dr.

Lower Sackville, NS

Canada B4E 2H5

As Canada commemorates Remembrance Day this weekend I want to say a big thank you to the Allied vets who served and those who continue to serve.  Tokmok is about the size of Truro and I have seen no less than 5 memorials to WW II around town.  Here are photos of a few of them.

This is the main cenotaph.  Kyrgyzstan holds their commemorations on Victory Day May 21st.