In the end, all is well

Days 8 & 9

Sunday morning started with “Happy Birthday, Ashlyn”!

Kanhka, Olivia and Bri headed back to the baby orphanage to continue with some specific medical assessments and bring back supplies for needs we had identified. Meanwhile, the rest of us headed to Tucano Coffee for breakfast and coffee. We were missing Cole J., Marlene and Bob as they were under the weather :(

Then we headed to what we are told is the only church in they city and surrounding areas.  We found out about it through a contact made at the outing on Saturday, from a young couple from Michigan teaching English in an outlying town. We arrived after walking in circles for 30 minutes to be welcomed by worship and singing...”Cornerstone”...we felt like we were home! Our hope in going was to make connections with people there that could offer medical assistance and support to the orphanages. He sure did fulfill this need/hope for future assistance! Some of His provisions are the woman who led the singing is a pediatric physical therapist; there are many Indian medical students who attend the church and are eager to volunteer; two young men have started a home for boys 18 years and older, giving them a place to stay and teaching them a trade/skill after they are released from the orphanages; and ideas from a professor of the university about college students in our area coming over and helping. It was a great time of worship and opportunity to meet several of the English speaking people in Kyrgyzstan. After church, we returned to the hotel and met up with Kahnka, Olivia and Bri, who were back from the orphanage. Sharing all that had happened with each other was a great time of thankfulness and praise!

At 5 o’clock, Galia, Heather and Ben came to the hotel to join us for our last dinner together. We presented Galia with "thank you" gifts and then gathered around Heather and Ben to pray over them for their adoption of a new daughter. Dinner was incredible! We ate at Navat enjoying a delicious plov bread bowl that took two hours to bake.

We then said our sad goodbyes (just for now) to Galia and had a group picture in the midst of town.
Our love was extended to Galia and her daughter and she in turn extended hers to us! We are family!

We then returned to the hotel to pack for our 3 am departure. Our hearts are abundantly full as we are processing and brainstorming all of the ways that we intend to stay connected for many years to come!

We are on the last leg of our 30 hour trip traveling back as we get ready to be “sent” back to you at home, and we cannot wait to share the news of our extended community and fellowship with the ones that are not forgotten, but loved!

- Lisa and Maggie