April 9-15

Tuesday April 10

We got a taxi out to a Bazaar that is all furniture. We need to get an estimate on some chairs for an orphanage. The orphanage needs about 100 chairs to seat 150 kids. 

We also drove to a different Bazaar that is just fabric, bedding and sewing notions. We bought some 4 inch foam pads for our bed to make it softer. Our bed mattress is like a box spring and hard a plywood.  

We went out to the rehabilitation center that we are installing air conditioners to make sure they are being put in the right rooms. The Director, Salika is so excited for the installation. She also served us a little snack of Boorsok's with raspberry jam, and a sweetened cream.  I LOVE Boorsok. They are little scones. 

 

Wednesday April 11

Follow ups again. We only got to see 3 people today.

The first man had been living with his mother until her recent death. He has had a stroke. His legs are paralyzed. I guess he dresses himself. There are Social workers that bring him food 2x a week. He lives 3 stories up in a cement high rise(Soviet Union type). He lowers and brings up his wheelchair with a rope so he can go outside. He crawls on his knees down and up the stairs.









                                                                                                                                                                                                      A second man with a brain surgery. He is waiting for another surgery to replace a right skull portion. His left hand is starting to atrophy. He can't walk but is hoping the surgery will correct that. His little grandson was playing in an area behind us with very antiquated playground toys.

The next house a woman answered at the gate. Her husband had been the recipient. He died in December and no one knew about it. I felt so bad. She was so short and wore many layers of clothing. She had been working out in her garden.  

Someone asked when we first got here if it smelled. I said no! We are in the city, it doesn't really smell bad. 

But, let me tell you...going out to these villages with dirt roads, rancid mud, dirty houses, chicken, dog, horse poop. It all smells pretty darn bad. We come home and I wash our cloths. In some of the houses the people want you to remove your shoes!  Bill and I have socks on. The floors are filthy. We wash our socks too!  

Sorry I am venting. Sometimes the smells get to me!!  I feel bad for these people and their way of life. Its all they have. They are very kind to us!  Every house we go into, the recipients have had strokes or/and have diabetes, some times up to three strokes They are so disabled!  My heart cries for them.

We have met some very interesting people. This woman reminds me of my Grandma Rasmussen.  She is a double amputee and is 80 yrs old.  She paints pictures. In this photo you can see the size of her kitchen. She has such a good attitude and smiles all the time.

A waitress at a resaurant we went to for lunch

                                          Our translator, Jyldyz on the left and our driver Arcati on the right.

A woman and baby in a village we were visiting.

Most of you know that our Amy's son, Brett, is going to Ghana Accra Africa Mission.  He reports July 19 to Ghana MTC. English speaking! No suits! He can wear sandals.

Amy's Lindsey comes home on April 25th, from the 

Florida Orlando Mission, Spanish speaking.

Lisa's Haley get married this Tuesday April 17th, in Idaho Falls Temple.

A street cleaner after construction on one of the streets by our apt. These are the only brooms they use here. 

Thursday April 12
2nd day of wheelchair checks for this week.  The day started out very cloudy but luckily we didn't have any rain. Some of the recipients were already visited by the Carter's so we only had 3 to visit but they were way out in villages about 45 min drive from downtown.  But overnight rain led to some very wet roads. 

Our first visit was to a lady that had diabetes and has had several operations on her legs. As you can see the wheelchair they gave her does not fit in her kitchen so she has to use it outside only. As the clinicians review and assess the recipients the people want a chair so bad that they tell the clinicians that the chair is perfect to use in their home. When the get it home they realize that the chair does not fit but they were the only chairs left so they don't say anything to the clinicians.


Our second visit was to a 13 yr old boy and as we approached him his grandpa stated that the chair was no good and wanted to change to another one. He said it doesn't go around easily and that he would like one that does. After talking with the grandparents he started to be thankful for what his grandson has. We explained that we just came form a lady's home that might trade you because her's was to big for her kitchen so we gave the grandpa her phone number.



Our final visit for the wheelchair checks of 2017 was to a man who had a severe stroke and was paralyzed on his right side. He had just retired when the stroke hit. He was just starting to become a full time beekeeper. They had a large garden in the back of the home and they shared with us dome fresh apple juice.  

We ave been truly humbled how much these people have suffered without the ability to secure a wheelchair. What they had to do to get around just shows their fortitude and the ability to adjust to their environment. Many live in very humble homes or apartments and many live off of pensions set up by the government most around 6500 com or $100 dollars a month. We do not know if the government subsidies their apartments but we would think that they do because it would be hard to live on $100 a month if you paid rent.

When the Russian's left this part of the world they just left the people to fend for themselves and after living under communist rule they reverted back to their nomad ways and have just recently started to become more modern with new malls and high end clothing stores. But they do not have a source with which to draw monies from except taxes. 

 The next wheelchair checks begin in July. We have to do 10 in Bishkek and 20 in Osh which is south of Bishkek about an hour by plane.

During the checks we had a break and went to another project that the Carter's just finished. It's another orphanage that they provided some kitchen equipment, washer and dryer and a electric therapy saddle.

                                                         Table LDS Charities had made for this Orphanage.

     

                                                                                                                           



LDS Charities provided a electric  therapy saddle similar to a Bull Riding machine. It is supposed to help with back pain.