The fun never stops!

Sometimes I can’t access the Blogger web site and that happened last weekend when I sat down to write the week’s blog. That is probably the 3^rd time I have missed a week. Most of last week was spent trying to get ready to move our church activities to a new location. There are always a lot of details to work out and language barriers to overcome but we accomplished the move on Monday. The contract has not been signed since it has to be iterated between the Church lawyer and the landlord and, of course, the Church lawyer is 600 miles away, but the landlord allowed us to move in anyway and we paid the first month rent in cash. We all feel that this is a much better location, premises, and landlord and so are grateful for the Lord’s blessing. These pictures show the building - we are on the 3rd floor and the main room before the furniture was removed and we cleaned it.

We were invited to meet with the Dutch Ambassador to discuss our experience with religious tolerance in Kazakhstan. A couple of months ago he attended our Sacrament meeting and so he thought of us when he was asked to do a follow-up to a report that had been written on the subject about 2 years ago. He led us (Viviane, his assistant, and me) through an interesting discussion for a little more than an hour. I brought up the difference between religious tolerance and religious freedom and we all agreed that this country does not have religious freedom but that the government does support tolerance. Unfortunately, just like in the US and elsewhere, one can experience religious intolerance from individuals and groups even if the government is friendly. He described some of the problems other religious groups have had with the government here and asked why we thought we did not have the same problems. I explained that the Church ‘enters through the front door’ and is very careful to follow the laws of the country. He admitted that many of the problems others were having were because they were not always within the law or did not show respect for local authorities.

A few days, these past 2 weeks, were spent working on our wheelchair project. Progress has been very slow as we try to find a NGO that will meet the needs of such a large project. We think we have finally had a breakthrough by combining the efforts of 3 NGOs with one as the primary. It makes coordination more complicated for us (one of the NGOs is in a city that is 4 hours away by train) but we feel it is the right answer. Now we have to work with them to try to understand the correct (or most correct) wheelchair type and distribution method.

Here we are with our translator, Zhanara, and our primary wheelchair NGO Director, Kamka.

Viviane and I have both been suffering from allergies this month. I’m not sure what has changed to cause them, but even my Alegra only gives partial relief. Our translator, Zhanara, also has allergies and said that the month of August is the worst so I guess if it only lasts a month we can survive.

Most of this week has been spent in Almaty. The senior couple who lived there went home last month and so the Mission Pres. asked us to go there for a week to check in on the missionaries, hold a District meeting with them, and mix in a little humanitarian work. On Wed. we held the District mtg. that was preceded by a pot luck lunch – fortunately there are 2 sets of sister missionaries who can cook. With the 3 Elders ( one new Elder did not arrive until Friday due to visa problems), 4 Sisters, we had a good lunch and a good meeting.

On Wed. morning and again in the late afternoon, we went with a local member/translator to visit two NGOs. In the morning we visited with the Deaf Society of Almaty and they showed us all of the great work that they have done for the deaf, not only in Almaty but in the whole country. They showed us a picture dictionary that they created for signing in Russian and Kazakh – a very impressive book. We discussed what we may be able to do together to help the deaf in the area and it seemed that their main frustration was that even with an education the deaf are not hired for anything but the most menial of jobs and even then some businesses take advantage of them. As we explored the use of hearing aids and the frustration of getting aids from the government that are so cheap as to be useless, the Spirit led Viviane and me to the same conclusion – even if we could only help 10 – 15 deaf people receive an aide that would allow them to get and hold a meaningful job/career that would enable 10 – 15 families to be more self-sufficient. We proposed that idea to the group assembled and they got very excited at the possibility. Needless to say, we are putting the paperwork together to propose such a project for approval.

In the late afternoon (after District mtg.), we visited with a group who are creating a hospice for children who have terminal cancer. A hospice here is somewhat different than I am aware of in the U.S. The city donated an old, small hospital building that this group is renovating and the downstairs will be for the children and be free for the family while upstairs will be for terminally ill adults but will not be free. We toured the rooms (see pictures) as we discussed the need for such services and were deeply touched by their loving care and dedication to make this happen for the children and their effected families. We are putting together a project to donate the needed kitchen appliances.

This work can be, at times, very frustrating but we never tire of associating with the caring, dedicated people who give so much of their time and talents to relieve suffering, care for the needy, and lift the hands that hang down.

4 And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord.

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

(Doctrine and Covenants 81:4–6‎)‎