April 26, 2008

Today we went to Issyk to a school that had about 200 kids.  I met the director and he was very nice.  We talked Texas for a while.  He had been around that school for some 25 years and you could tell by his face that he loved the kids that were there.  He said that he loved them, and it was obvious that he did.  He turned us over to his assistant director and we discussed the arrangements for the time together.  We moved right into their concert and then we presented our program. 

The younger kids had to go home to eat since it was Saturday.  We met with the older kids in the classroom and they were very attentive and cooperative.  Then we met with the younger kids who had returned to the hall that we originally met in for the concert.  While part of the team met with those kids, some of us met with the cooks and they remembered some of the people on our team.  It was a joyous reunion and we gave them extra aprons for those who were not on duty at the time.  We worked with Lorisa, who is well loved by many and also gave them some additional aid.   It was a joyous time, a beautiful day and a mission well done.  There was a lot of flexing going on as the plans changed several times during our stay. 

We headed back to Almaty and arrived a little early before we would have a meeting with the English club.  We had a chance to walk up to a monument where the brides and grooms go to honor their country by meeting by this great monument which chronicled the history of Kazakhstan.  At any one time while we were there were three to four bridal parties present.  It was a delightful time to see people very happy as they began their lives together.  By setting their hands into a bronze imprint, they were, as the story goes, to begin their lives in wedded bliss. 

A bit later we met and spoke to about a hundred or more people who were primarily students who were interested in learning the English language.  After an excellent presentation by our team member’s regarding the Easter story, we went outside to talk to each other. Before we went outside, Jolene asked if anyone had accepted Christ and at least three raised their hands. Praise to the God in Heaven above for this work in their lives.  

In a little group that gathered around me, the ages ranged from 14 to 28 years old.  We had a delightful exchange, as some wanted to discuss the Easter issues, while other talked about themselves and why we had come.  Several students were clearly seeking.  It was a mixture of faiths, but they were truth seekers just the same.  We gave them the truth—the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were glad that the Bible mission group is there to work with them because there are so few churches that preach the gospel in Almaty.