Count your blessings!

This week we attended the closing of our project with the Children's Hospital. The Church donated beds and small storage cupboards for the mothers who need to stay with their sick children. Prior to having these beds the mothers either could not stay at the hospital or had to sleep in a chair or on the floor. We toured the rooms that had the beds and were pleased with the happy faces of the mothers as they were told that we were the ones who had donated the beds. In one of the rooms I asked if there was a baby in the crib. The mother, speaking English, said that 'he is sleeping'. I asked if I could see him and she said 'sure' so I took a look in the crib. There was a little fellow, who must have been only a week or so old, with two catheters, taped and with gauze, into his head. I said a silent prayer for the little fellow and then asked his Mom if he were doing better and, gratefully, she answered 'he is much better'.

We spent more time working on the wheelchair project that we hope to complete this year but it looks like it will not be completed (all the wheelchairs delivered) until the first of next year. There is a lot of logistics to work out and then there seems that there will be months between ordering and delivery. It does look like it will work out that our change of NGO sponsor will be for the best. We now expect that these wheelchairs (500) will be distributed throughout NE Kazakhstan by our 3 NGO partners. They are currently working at naming 500 people who will qualify. It is also our hope that we will be able to order a container (40' shipping container) of winter clothes and boots for the poor children of this area and that it will arrive on time for this winter. This is greatly needed as the temperature here gets to -40 F during the long winter.

Our new Church location is working out very well. However, it did not come with any chairs or tables so we spent some time this week buying and getting delivered 15 more chairs (bring us to 30), a sacrament table, coat rack, and a literature table. Just in time too because this week we had 23 in attendance at Sacrament meeting - a new record.

Saturday we held a baptismal service for our 4th convert baptism since the Elders arrived in March. Natalia is a single lady, accountant, and belly dancer (hobbie) who the missionaries contacted while street contacting. She has been attending church for a couple of months and has developed a wonderful faith and testimony.

We had to count our blessing this week to remind ourselves of all the goodness with which the Lord has blessed us because .... we have had no hot water all week and will probably not have hot water for another week. So we have been heating water with out little electric kettle and then doing sponge baths. Then, of course, today we were really tested because we awoke to no electricity and therefore no way to warm up the water for the bucket bath, no hair dryer for Viviane's hair, and no hot chocolate. Fortunately my electric razor had a good charge!!! It does not take long, however, to remind one's self of those around the world who would count themselves blessed to have a roof over their heads and food in their cupboards.

Please take a few moments to give thanks for your many blessings.