Bishkek Kyrgyzstan Arrival first week Feb 24 -28

After a long journey through thick and thin we finally made it to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The Carter's were gracious enough to let us stay in the apartment and they went to a hotel for the remainder of their stay. They will leave on the 19th of March and travel with us to Zone Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan and fly home from there. The were also kind enough to let us nap for several hours before beginning this journey.

Day 1 Saturday Feb 24
We started with lunch at a quaint little restaurant and had of all things cheese steak sandwiches and fries. It was good. We than went on a sight seeing tour around Bishkek area where we live. It is downtown where there are many shops and several malls. The Bishkek White House is here as well as the Parliament building. There is a lot of War memorials and memorials for those that fought for freedom from Russian control. Just one block east from our apartment there is the Iranian Embassy.

The Embassy's are spread out throughout the city. U.S. does not have an ambassador as of yet. The last one retired and President Trump has not appointed another one.

Erikindik Statute means freedom was replaced by Manas the statue (older photo from Google.

Manas Statue now in front of Museum

This is the statue today. Interesting about Mannasseh in the article below.

The plot of Manas revolves around a series of events that coincide with the history of the region in the 17th century, primarily the interaction of the Turki-speaking people from the mountains to the south of the Dasht-i Qipchaq and the Oirat Mongols from the bordering area of Jungaria. In one of its dozens of iterations, the epic poem consists of approximately 500,000 lines, and while Kyrgyz historians consider it to be the longest epic poem in history. In 2009, a parliament member suggested its nomination for the "longest epic story in the world" because “the great heritage of Kyrgyz people should find its place in the world history.”^[4] There have likewise been attempts to identify Manas as Mannasseh of the Old Testament.

A traditional Kyrgyz manaschi performing part of the epic poem

Ala-Too Square looking toward Lenin Square. Lenin is revered here the Erkindik (Freedom)statue replaced a large statue of Lenin after the conflict in the early 1990's and his statue was moved to the back of the building. The Erkindik statue was replaced by the statue of Manas as stated above.

This is a pic from yesterday showing the winter look in the square to compare with the spring/summer view which we will show when spring comes.

We will show other pics of the area later.

Day 2 Sunday Feb 25

We have several people who work at the U.S. State Department that live close by so we attended a meeting with other volunteers at their home. We discussed important topics for our families. We were there for a couple of hours then we came home and had Taco's with the Carter's. Later that night we met with some volunteers who help us with find projects. One is our interpreter who goes with us as we do our review or start new projects. She also finds projects as she is close with the Government Ministry(which is like our head departments for our U.S. president such as Department of Education etc.) The other is a Dr. that works with other humanitarian projects other then ours.

Day 3 Monday Feb 26

Met with landlord Cholpon ( pronounced CHO-PON) discussed rent and some things to upgrade like a new mattress and rugs.

She invited us to lunch at ARZU. Its a high-end restaurant that has a variety of food. They served assorted bread including small scone like breads called Boorsoq. We tried a noodle dish with several toppings called Beshbarmek(means 5 fingers typically eaten with hands) (2 different meats with bell peppers and small chili's and a scrambled egg with assorted veggies topping. They drink tea at every meal so we just ordered hot water and drink it plain or add a sugar cube or some jam. Additional food was a dumpling dish that was filled with lamb and cooked onions(Robin and I thought this was the best dish even though we don't like lamb.) We also had a dumpling dish that was filled with pumpkin and other veggies. They then brought us a skewer of Beef and Duck. The duck was great but the beef was ok.

Shashlik Manty (monty)

Boorsoq

That evening we were invited to attend a Russian Theater Dance recital by one of partners Mercy Corp.

This camera guy followed around every performer as he shot he was prancing sometimes better than the performer.

Day 4 Tuesday Feb 27

We did some CHAS training which is the system we use to input our project for approval. We write up the proposal send to the advisors in Moscow who approve or disapprove. If approved we start contacting our partners in the project to start coordinating with the recipients as to what they need to do to start project. Every project has a 2 part system. We will do this... If you will do this...

Some of the projects our previous volunteers have done are;

Provide for many kitchen and laundry upgrades in some of these facilities. A Blind Center, several Orphanages, an Elderly Home.

Provided medical equipment to a Child Hospice center for 10 bedside monitors, 25 sore preventing mattress, 4 suction machines, Oxygen concentrator and other equipment totaling 273 units needed for helping these children medically when needed.

We have a gentleman who worked with the Carters that built cabinets and shelves for a project at an Orphanage for disabled adults for a nominal fee compared to outsourcing costs. His non-profit organization helps disabled men use the skills needed to make the cabinets and other furniture. The Carters found out that the gentleman was borrowing the equipment to build all of this and that most of the equipment was someone else's so they put a project together to help him secure equipment for his organization to provide for others including a lot of our projects.

We were also invited to the Office of the Ministry to meet the Minister of Labor and Social Development for Kyrgyzstan which would be the equivalent to our Presidents Cabinet. She was a wonderful person and is very grateful for all the LDS Charities has done for their country. The had a little farewell for the Carter's as she presented a Certificate of Appreciation from their country and a gift of the history of Kyrgyzstan. They than welcomed us to continue our services for the country of Kyrgyzstan.

Jeff and Karin Carter and the Honorable Minister Taalaikul Isakunova

The Carter's, Minister, and us. (PS forgot to button my coat)

The minister's cabinet.

The lady in the pink is our interpreter Jyldyz.

Day 5 Wednesday Feb 28 "Time to go to work"

(Very enlightening and spiritual day)

We traveled just outside of Tokmok to a small village about 1.5 hours from Bishkek to review some projects that the Carter's had finished. It was a Psycho-Neurological Boarding Home, over 300 adults. They planted over 1000 fruit trees, upgrade food serving area, personal beds for invalid bedridden adults, large rugs to cover wooden floors(very cold in the winter) that the residents have to sit on, 4 refrigerators 1 portable AC unit.

Crib-like beds for invalid adults (made by an organization that hires disabled men)

Top photo kitchen area before bottom after(again cabinets made by the same organization)

After 2 years saplings are having a hard time growing. I believe they are getting too much water.

The residents have an opportunity to make some art. Many are involved in these activities. Here are some of the things they have done. most of these first ones are done with plastic cola bottles and old tires.

They would cut these into a puzzle then they would

wrap material around to make them look like this

When you go to places they will always serve you a lunch. They served a great lunch. The table was full of bread,3 kinds of salad, sausage skewers, fruit and of course CANDY(they are big on candy with every meal. We started eating the salads and kabobs and filling up pretty fast because we thought that was the meal. NOT!!! They came in and started to remove some of the salads and then brought in a 2 huge beef and noodle dishes. Each dish had a large bone with a huge chunk of beef on them. The tradition is to break of apiece of the meat and taste it. If it is good they take the bone and meat still left on the bone and put it in a to-go bag with fruits and of course CANDY then you are suppose to take it home to the family. Then at the table you just eat the noodle and beef dish. Another tradition is that the youngest person at the table must serve the food.

Salad Spread

Beef Rib to take home
After lunch we traveled to Tokmok to use the "facilities" and it was another eye opener to say the least. We stopped at a gas station first they did not have any there so we found a restaurant where they had their toilets outside in a little room.Men and women used the same toilet. We had to bring our own paper. Poor ladies.

PART 2

After lunch we traveled to an School Orphanage about 8 miles in the outbackwhere the Ministry of Education asked us to visit. It was an eye opener for us as we realized, after visiting the Pyscho-Neurological Center and started through the Orphanage, what are calling is all about. As a great King once said "If you are in the service of your fellow being you are only in the service of your God." What a great blessing this work is going to be.

This facility houses children from 7 yrs old to 16 yrs old. ( they start at 7 because that is when they start school in Kyrgyzstan) We talked with the Director for over an hour and reviewed how the school works. They have 5 buildings housing different ages. Each house has their own school within them. As we walked around the facility we watched children as they played and every time we walked close to them they would all be so polite and say previate(hello). They were jump roping, kicking a basketball like a soccer ball and at one time they kicked it to high and hit the electrical wire and caused a big load boom. They would just have fun in their little groups.

The major concerns the orphanage had was leaking roofs and kitchen facility was in disrepair.

The only burner and stove that worked was on the left(stainless steel one) and the right one was used as a table for the pots

The boiler was used to hold water loaded from the pans on the stove and the faucet leaks into bucket. The yellow unit is a broken fryer and is used as a flower holder.