This weekend was filled with a little bit of adventure as Sara and I took a visiting adoptive couple on an excursion beyond the borders of Taraz. We often get to meet people coming in to adopt but they often don't get a chance to see village life and some of the most spectacular mountains along the way.

There is something really peaceful about village life as children play in the streets and neighbors sit in front of their houses chatting away waiting for the cows to come home (literally). The steppes are dotted with herds of sheep, cows and horses and the fields are being plowed for the spring plantings. Life just doesn't seem so complicated here.



As we drove into Bauerzhan Momumshuly we spotted a really cool camel grazing and had to stop to get some photos. Of course, I wasn't satisfied with just photos and wanted to see if I could make friends with him which didn't see to take long. He seemed rather curious about our group and was right there to "sniff us out". Definitely an amazing creature!

First Impressions

A recent encounter caused me to think about the importance of first impressions. Heather and I needed to take some clothes in to be altered. We walked into a large room with probably 15 sewing machines and about 10 women engaged in various stages of work. It seemed pretty obvious that we were viewed as an "intrusion" and several of the ladies expressed to their co-workers in Russian that they didn't have time for us. One older woman reluctantly consented to see what we needed and asked us to step into the dressing rooms where I tried on a pair of trousers. I had heard her speak briefly in Kazakh to one of the women so I was relieved that I would at least be able to communicate with her. She came in and I greeted her warmly and with respect. I asked her name and requested her help with my needs. Within a few minutes I had her smiling and expressed my appreciation for taking time out of her busy day to help me. I went back later in the week to pick up the items and I was greeted warmly with a smile and a "come again" as I paid for my items.

What determines how we engage one another? Do I treat someone differently based on their position, education or age? Am I willing to treat someone with respect irregardless of how I am being treated by them or how I am feeling at the time? I recently read that we are to "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others". A good reminder that each day people come into our lives who WE will make an impression on....what image will they be left with after that encounter?

Magic Wand & Marriage Proposal

Unlike the police in America who, for the most part, legitimately stop people for an infraction...the police here I think do it for entertainment and to earn a little extra cash. The other interesting thing about the police here are the lighted "red sticks" they use to pull people over. They resemble a chopped off "light saber" out of Star Wars.

In Almaty recently I was being driven in a taxi to the train station when a car zoomed by and a red magic wand popped out the window to pull over another driver who from my assessment...had done nothing wrong.

During a recent trip to Shymkent I was talking some guests to the airport when a policeman pulled me over..."just to check my documents". That same day as Heather and I were driving back to Taraz on an open country road I noticed several cars parked off to the side. I saw the sign that said "50" and saw the "gravel pit" ahead in the road which is a remnant from a harsh winter and poor construction. I guess I didn't slow down fast enough as the policeman quickly got out of his car and hailed me with his magic wand. I handed him my documents and he told me to get in the car on the passenger side and proceeded to show me the picture of my car speeding along at 70 on his high tech radar. He threatened to take my license and give me a ticket which if worse came to worse he could have since I had two more in my purse (the advantages of having an international license).

In these situations there is always an "exchange of information"...."what do you do?", "where are you from?", "do you have children?" and of course, "are you married?". He went on to tell me that he had 4 children and his partner went on to boast about his 9 children and 3 wives at which point he asked if I would be his 4th wife. I told him that I thought he had enough already while chuckling and shaking my head. Since I didn't want to stick around much longer and it was clear he was looking for some pocket change or something else I told him he could keep my license. He laughed, handed it back and sent me on my way. Guess I still have three licenses for the next time I am stopped!

Birthday Celebration

I had the privilege of taking Ember, Kiikzhan and Moldir to the Savva orphange this past Sunday. Every month the youth department goes to celebrate birthdays from the previous month. Since half of the department is on vacation I got to be the designated driver.

When we arrived the kids were waiting for us and greeted us warmly. It was great to see so many familiar faces. Before the birthday party we played games and I discovered that it's not that easy playing soccer in heeled boots. I opted for a card game after about 15 min. of running around.

The added fun was that it was my birthday that day and Ember made it a point to let everyone know. We celebrated the birthdays of 13 kids ~ games, dancing, prizes, gifts and cake made the afternoon special for them. I must say, that it was the first time I have ever done the "chicken dance" on my birthday!

On the way back to Taraz I thought a lot about these kids...in a few years what will their lives be like? Will we have made a difference in their lives? I believe the answer is "yes"...a hug, a word of encouragement, a small gift, taking the time to reach out, really listening to hear what isn't being said...loving unconditionally. So, on my birthday I was thankful that I could walk hand in hand and bring a smile to someone else's face. That was the best present of all!

Giving Hope...

I am continually amazed at how much I take for granted. As we are in our third month of the Youth Impact program we have about 20 young people who are being given practical skills for life and being challenged to dream. During the health & nutrition part of the program it became apparent that many of our kids get one meal a day and that often falls short of the nutrition that they need. When asked what they missed most from the orphanage, most of them replied, "fruit". As a way of adding something special to their sessions, we are now bringing in fruit for the participants and they are very appreciative of this extra treat.

Some of the girls we work with are pictured here on the right with Olya and me. These girls, through the program have really been given an opportunity to dream about their futures, set goals and are beginning to believe that they can be more than what they have been told most of their lives. Each week it is exciting to see the simple steps that these youth are making to achieving a better life for themselves and impacting those around them.

Hot is Cold & Cold is Hot

Life has been exceptionally busy here in Kazakhstan! In the past month I have moved from my house to an apartment in the center of town. I have assumed new responsibilities as the interim director for Interlink. I have given away my horse after several unsuccessful attempts at other plans. The move also meant finding a home for the dog. She is now at Ken's house and all three dogs are trying to figure out who will be boss. And now, we are gearing up for delegation season.

As always things can be interesting! For example, in Kazakhstan you can never assume that if you turn on the "cold" water that you will actually get cold. In fact, more likely than not, it will be just the opposite ~ cold is hot and hot is cold. Never assume that if you buy something that it will acually work. After shopping several hours at the bazaar half the things I brought home didn't work. I later bought a cell phone battery at a real store and behold...it didn't work either. Fortunately in that case I was able to get my money back and get a different one.

It has been very cold here. In fact, we often will joke and say, "B.Y.O.H" which stands for "bring your own heater". Despite the fact that I don't like winter, this year hasn't been too bad especially since we have had minimal snow.

Ordinary Days...Extraordinary Adventure

Life can sometimes be just ordinary here in Kazakhstan. But I have come to realize that “ordinary” for me…as I have come to know it can really seem like such an extraordinary adventure to some. For example, the other day I received a phone call from the receptionist telling me that the K’GB was at our office to take a statement from me about a matter involving a former student at our English Center. Now how many people get to say that they’ve been interviewed by the K’GB?

A regular part of my grocery list is buying “abresca” which basically refers to the leftovers after butchering a cow. This gets added to macaroni and fed to my dog since this is cheaper (and probably healthier) than buying dog food. The other day as I was dividing up the abresca into smaller bags, I cut up an esophagus because it was “too big for the pot”. It was routine, something that has become a part of my simple life here…and I chuckled as I thought of how many people would be able to just talk about such a thing.

Canning tomatoes, blanching beans, carrots, beets, freezing mushrooms, homemade sausage, making pizza from scratch, or cake that didn’t come out of a box…all a part of life in KZ. I have recently tried my hand at making beef jerky and I have decided that I will never buy it in a bag ever again.