Father to the Fatherless

WARM GREETINGS TO ALL,

I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO VISIT THE ORPHANAGES IN THE NORTHEASTERN KAZAKH CITY OF USKAMINOGORSK TO DELIVER GIFTS. THE TRIP BY TRAIN TAKES OVER 24 HRS RIDE. I WAS MET BY THE -41 BELOW WEATHER! .......THE COLDEST PLACE I HAD BEEN TO! I SENT THE BLANKETS A FEW DAYS AHEAD OF ME AND BROUGHT WITH ME OVER 30 TEDDY BEARS THAT WERE SENT FROM A FRIEND FARA IN VIRGINA OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. I HAVE BEEN PERIODICALLY GIVING THEM OUT TO CHILDREN DURING HOSPITAL VISITS. GIVING RANDOMLY THE TOYS I KNOW IT SEEMS SO LITTLE COMPARED TO THE NUMBER OF ORPHANS (OVER 250 UNDER THE AGE OF SEVEN), BUT INDEED IT BRINGS JOY TO THE KIDS.

I WAS WELCOMED BY MANY FAMILIAR FACES INCLUDING THE TWO WHO WERE LED TO THE LORD A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS IS MY 9TH TRIP SINCE 2005. THE BLANKET DISTRIBUTION WAS ORGANIZED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE KIDS CAME IN THREE TO FOUR GROUPS OF AROUND 50 EACH TO A SMALL HALL TO RECEIVE THEIR BLANKETS. HOW GREATLY THANKFUL I AM TO FRIENDS IN TEXAS FOR THESE BLANKETS IN VARIETY OF COLORS!!!!!!! I ALSO BROUGHT SOME PUZZLES TO GIVE TO THE CHILDREN. I SHARED A SHORT MESSAGE THANKING THEM FOR LETTING ME BLESS THEM. I ALSO GAVE OUT VITAMINS WHICH WILL BE GIVEN OUT INDIVIDUALLY DAILY BY THE GROUP MOM. THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THAT ORPHANAGE RETIRED LAST APRIL AND I GOT TO MEET THE NEW DIRECTOR. IT IS INTERESTING THAT IN HER FORMER POSITION IN ANOTHER TOWN, SHE KNEW SOME OF THE ORPHANAGE DIRECTORS IN ALMATY AND SHE HAD HEARD EARLIER ABOUT OUR PROGRAM. SHE IS AN ETHNIC KAZAKH -ASIAN AND MY KAZAKH LANGUAGE, THOUGH NOT AS FLUENT AS MY RUSSIAN, HELPED IN THE CONVERSATION AS IT IS A STATE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ...NEED TO WORK ON MY KAZAKH LANGUAGE MORE!!

THE ORPHANAGE STAFF MENTIONED ABOUT THE MEDICAL CONDITION OF TWO KIDS WHO HAD SEVERAL OPERATIONS LOCALLY AND ARE STILL NOT TOTALLY STRENGTHENED UP; ONE IS VERY SIMILAR TO A CHILD ADOPTED FROM HERE BY A FAMILY IN TEXAS. THE FAMILY HELPED HIM WITH SEVERAL OPERATIONS IN A HOSPITAL IN OHIO AND OVER FOUR YEARS NOW HE IS TOTALLY RECOVERED.

I GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE TWO BELIEVERS AND WAS INVITED TO THEIR GROUP AND THEY SHARED THEIR STORIES WITH ME. IN ONE FAMILY THE FATHER BECAME A BELIEVER AND STARTED GOING TOGETHER OVER A YEAR TO A LOCAL CHURCH. FOR THE OTHER, SHE IS STILL BELIEVING THE LORD TO RESTORE THE FAMILY AS THE FATHER LEFT THE FAMILY OVER 10 YEARS AGO AND LEFT THAT MOM TO RAISE TWO CHILDREN ON HER OWN. SHE SAID SHE IS OFTEN PRAYING FOR THE FATHER WHO LEFT HER AND HER CHILDREN AND THE WORD FORGIVENESS WAS OFTEN HEARD FROM HER. I HAD A CHANCE TO PRAY WITH THEM. IN THE CONVERSATION I SHARED WITH THEM MY EXPERIENCE ON THE TRAIN RIDE: IN MY TRAIN COMPARTMENT I HAD THREE FELLOW TRAVELERS. OUR CONVERSATIONS WERE CONGENIAL BUT AN OLDER MAN OF ANOTHER FAITH WAS SO TERRIBLY ARGUMENTATIVE ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND I HAD TO CONTAIN MYSELF IN NOT REACTING THOUGH THE THINGS HE SAID WERE TERRIBLY AWFUL: I CONTINUALLY HAD TO REMIND MYSELF THAT IN THE VERY AREA OF ONE’S WEAKNESS, GOD'S GRACE GREATLY ABOUNDS!

BLESSINGS,

DERE

attachment-random photos----the last photo is the card ---a salvation message card!.....as LORD leads give out. sawing a seed.....being asked if we take photos outside ..i forgot my gloves --wow my fingers frozee rush back inside.......the sun shine is such a deciving thing there!!!! - Dere

Here are the pictures Dere sent. I wrote some captions on the bottom to translate some russian for the card. Dere is such a blessing to those orphans! Wow! Dear Jesus thank you so much for providing for them and for those precious children!

-Ashleigh

PS. If you like to contribute to Dere and his work in Kazakhstan please e-mail us at:

fathertothefatherlesskz@yahoo.com