Mission: Kazakhstan

Our week began with visitors from Almaty. Elder and Sister Moore came for a visit for a couple of days to see how we are doing and to interview the young Elders. We all got together for diner in the Moore's hotel room. Elders Player and Melling made some awesome lasagna and cheesey garlic bread. Everyone enjoyed getting to know each other better. Viviane offered to pay the Elders to make us some lasagna ... it was that good!
As well as all our work writing project proposals, getting documents translated, and reconnecting with potential NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), we also visited with 4 NGOs for potential projects.
First we went to see a house that is being refurbished to be a kindergarten for handicapped children. This house is out in the suburbs (if there is such a thing here) and will have 30 children attend like at Day Care facility. The 1st floor will be for those with physical disabilities and the 2nd floor for those without physical disabilities. They have rooms set aside with small bunk beds for naps, play rooms with Montessori toys, a kitchen to cook lunch and snacks, etc. Out in the yard they will have a play area and a hands-on garden for the children to see things grow (as you might imagine, I was all for that). We are putting together a project to help with the outdoor play area and the mattresses and bedding for the nap rooms. It is always touching to us to see the loving dedication of these folks for these handicapped children. The Director of this NGO has two handicapped children of her own and so she feels the needs of these special children very acutely.
The picture to the left above is of those working on the house and the next picture is where they will probably have the play area and garden. They told us that they had 12 groups of 10 volunteers come and clean the area and house to help get it ready. They are about a month away from having the first children attend.
Second we went to visit a lady who specializes in speech therapy for handicapped children. She sees 10 children each day, 6 days per week!! She partners with social workers who follow-up with the families and children in their homes. About 5 years ago the Church donated all the toys she has that she uses to help with the therapy. While we were there a mother with her 4 year old daughter who has Down's Syndrome were waiting for her therapy so Ludmilla asked if she could go ahead at work with Zarina so they did not have to wait. Of course we said go ahead and we were treated to a wonderful view of her and the mother working patiently with Zarina to expand her verbal skills. We were greatly touched when Zarina stated to include us in the lesson. The Spirit witnessed to me how much our Father in Heaven loves these children. By the end of their time Zarina and I were playing ball and she gave all of us hugs and kisses before we departed.
Our third visit was to a special school for children who have a hard time getting along in a mainstream school. Some are orphans and some have slight mental disabilities. The Church has helped this school in the past with equipment for teaching vocational skills. This visit was to assess the needs they have in their library. As the picture shows, they do not have much space and so need to use it much more effectively. We shall put together a project proposal to redo their library so that it can effectively be used by more students per day. The Director of the school invited me to go fishing with him this summer and gave Viviane a craft that had been made by a student using the sewing skills taught.
Our last visit of the week was to see Klara, a 76 year old retired heart doctor who does not want to sit home doing nothing and so started a Women's Society to try to help poor, single, abused women. In the past the Church has donated computers and sewing machines. They are using the sewing machines to sew clothes for their children and the computers are used to help students learn computer skills and do their school projects. While visiting with her there we two young men doing a university project on the computers. She has about 15 different students, who would not otherwise have access to a computer, come each week to her 'office'. She pays for all of the overhead out of her own pocket. This picture is of her, the 2 students, Zhanara our translator, and Viviane.

While walking from visiting with Klara I could not resist this picture. These are the hot water pipes that you see all over the city. These carry the hot water to heat the buildings and hot water for showers etc. All of the hot water is heated at a central location and piped all over ... the old Soviet Union centralized model. I suppose you could consider this 'industrial art'!
We are so please to be here trying to make a difference. This quote inspired us as we considered all that the Church and others do worldwide to relieve suffering .... "The Church does not wait for a disaster to strike before it mobilizes," he (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) explained. "Pallets of clothing, food, medicine, bandages, cleaning kits, shovels, and tarps are always being prepared for the next earthquake, famine, or fire. Over the last 25 years, the Church has responded to almost 2,000 emergencies worldwide," often partnering with Islamic Relief, International Relief & Development, and the International Medical Corps to provide humanitarian aid. The goal of help offered by the Church is to leave people in a better position to help themselves, he emphasized.
President Uchtdorf said eye/vision care, providing wheelchairs, training medical professionals to save lives of newborns, providing clean water, and immunization are core projects in the Church's focus on long-term humanitarian efforts. He noted that 100 percent of the donations given to the Church's humanitarian services fund are used for relief efforts; the Church absorbs its own overhead costs."
We love being a part of this great work!!!