Post Delegation

How do I even begin to sum up the last 10 days? Well how would anyone sum up ten days jammed packed with everything from orphanage visits, cooking meals, may day parades, schmoozing with the governor, touring the sights, having tea with local heroes, improve dance parties, sword swallowing, walking around the city, watching Kazakh national dances, giving wheel chairs out and so so much more. I suppose I just did but that is really only a quarter of the things that happened over the course of those 10 days the delegation was here.

On the Wednesday the delegation was to arrive I spent the day making sure the house was all ready for them to come. The anticipation and excitement was making me anxious but I was glad to soon be able to meet a batch of new friends. As they all got into the house with their things and took a much needed clean bathroom stop, the delegates sat down to a meal where I then was asked by one member if I spoke English. I love being asked that question! I told her yes indeed I spoke English and I even come from America.

This delegation was made up of people from three states, Virginia, Indiana and Colorado. It was in my opinion the A team since there was a lot of cultural peace relationships being built on this trip. That is where the schmoozing came into play. The main purpose of this delegation however was not the flashy glitz and glam or even playing with orphans. Their purpose, although at first I didn’t even see the importance of it was to lift up the city of Taraz and the country of Kazakhstan. Let me tell you these people wielded the sword better than any warrior I have seen before. They came out strong and covered this city with the power only the Father can give and for me that was an amazing thing to witness and be a part of. I really learned from these people and I will never forget the time I got to spend with them.

These past 10 days have been absolutely crazy and none stop but every moment has been a blast and I am so thankful I got to meet all of these new friends and hang out with them as they did their work here in Kazakhstan. It has been interesting being on this side of things rather than being a delegate. I think I really like it, plus going to the train station was not a sad thing because I didn’t have to get on it to go home. I don’t want to assume too much but I think I could get used to that.

Now we still have three of the delegates left here so things are a bit quite now but I still get to join them on their exciting adventures.

In the words of our team leader Walter, we will make peace not by two presidents talking and meeting together. We will make peace by the people meeting one on one and getting to know each other and building relationships by exchanging cultures. That is exactly what we are all here to do and that is why I came to Kazakhstan and I hope I will be able to spend lots of time in the near future working on building these relationships and furthering the work of my Dad.

P.S. Pictures will follow I just need to load them onto the computer but stay tuned.