Our First Blog
What a wonderful date to start this blog for our new web page. Here we will just give simple updates of what is going on every now and then. For the first entry I want to just give some facts, thoughts, and hearsay. Kyrgyzstan has a population of 5,849,296 as of 2019. An estimated 13,000 children are in some type of orphanage. I have lived in Kyrgyzstan since 2006 and have heard many different numbers for street children, none of which I have been able to validate. I have heard that on average there are 9,000 children on the street at any given time. In the small village we live in, I have spoken with the police that deal with children and they have told me that there is easily between 300 and 1000 children on the street. This number varies due to the living conditions at home. Alcoholism is a major problem in Central Asia. One of our girls was a street child for a while. To hear the testimonies of some of these children will break your heart.
This is a work of faith which is in God. Over the years we have seen God work many miracles. Things have not been easy, but as Christians we are not promised an easy road. We have many times been harassed by the government; which makes no sense to me. I remember once I was being questioned and they asked why I would do what I do. I thought for a minute and asked the man if he had any children. He said he had three. The next question was if he ever had a bad day? “Yes,” was the answer. Then I asked if after a bad day he went home and his children met him and gave him hugs. With a big smile he said yes. At that time we had 32 children and I told him, “I get 32 hugs.” No, we won’t get rich from doing this work. In fact, we are broke. But what a blessing it is to pour your life into another life and see it grow.
Sadly not all of the children, that we have helped, have reciprocated our love and help. Many have left our home and went the way of the world. But what a joy and blessing it is when we can change the course of just one life. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:10) If we can just change one life, turn one more to Christ, give a chance for a better future to just one more, what a blessing it will be.