Friday April 25, 2008

Today we had a little time before meeting with the folks at the family ministry center, we were told that we were going to go up into the mountains.  The mountains here are breathtaking—the remind me of our Grand Teton mountains in western United States.  They are very rugged and snow capped.  A few days before we arrived, it had snowed and they were all snow covered, even the foot hills.  It was truly beautiful. However, we did not really go to those mountains, but we did go up some, a little way where they have a park and an over look.  I am including a picture of me standing near the overlook which looks out over the city.  Almaty is a city of about 2 million people.  They are kind, but mostly keep to themselves.  They have busy lives, I am sure. We had a chance to buy some souvenirs there. Then we were off to the family ministry center where we packed care packs, and had some Kazak food (plove) and then went off to the Children’s and teens rehabilitation Center where the kids come who are either problematic or mentally challenged.  They gave us a beautiful concert and we showed them how little we knew about singing, just had fun with them and then Scott did the magic tricks.  When we met with them in the smaller groups, we were in a room that had a half yert in the classroom   I am enclosing a photo of the kids, some of the group staff and me in the half yert.  We had been there before and so some of the kids still had their bracelets.  Some remembered the beads’ meanings, but most did not.  Nevertheless, we asked the teachers if we could pray with them and they gladly let us.  Not any time for one on one with the kids, but by God’s grace, we know that many seeds were planted.