No Bake Cookies - so much fun!

Making cookies at Saramoldiva from Victoria Charbonneau on Vimeo.

The week before I left for the UAE because of my eye emergency, our team here took Tim and Walter (here from Virginia visiting their sponsored children) to Saramoldiva Orphanage to do an activity with the youngest children. After I came back from the UAE, our team here went to Ulan Orphanage. At both orphanages we did the same activity - making no bake cookies. It was such fun each time! It was also a little chaotic because this was a new activity for the children, but all in all it went well. We have started introducing themes with the activities planned around the day's lesson. The no bake cookies activity was to introduce basic cooking along with the idea of taking turns, sharing, identifying what the children have to be thankful for and learning to give to others. So, the children ate some of the sweet treats they made and they also gave some of the treats to their teachers and caregivers.



They took turns dumping the sugar, butter, vanilla, and evaporated milk into a pot and then stirring it until it melted. Once melted, the heat was turn off. Then the children helped mix in peanut butter, rolled oats and cocoa. They then spooned out dollops of the mixture onto wax paper. The children had never had this kind of opportunity. Their faces showed their excitement. My heart loved seeing them experiencing this simple activity. I wish they each could be in a loving home getting to do these kinds of things on a regular basis.



While the cookies hardened, we had the children decorate two paper bags. One was for them to keep and one to give to one of their caregivers. We spent time talking about all their caregivers do for them. It is always easy to see what we each don't have in our lives. Learning to be thankful for the things we do have helps us develop an ability to enjoy life more fully no matter what storms roll through. We wanted to start showing the children what they do have to be thankful for. It is easy to see all their lives lack, but they could be in far worse places. Many of them have come from very bad situations and are in a much better place now, even though I wish for them so much more.





Everyone enjoyed the sweet treat when all was finished. It was fun to see their joy and excitement doing something my children grew up doing all the time. Helping me in the kitchen and learning life skills are treasured memories for us. My desire is for activities like this to build life skills into the children here, life skills they will need once they are out of the orphanage. Hopefully, these activities will also give them some treasured memories to store in their hearts. It is fun to hear other groups at the orphanages ask when they get to make cookies.

Though the time was a little chaotic, it was fun and the staff were pleased to receive their little bags of cookies. The staff also expressed their thanks for our focus on what they do for the children. Oftentimes the staff is not acknowledged for all the hard work they do.

If you ever want to come join us in our fun here, you are most welcome. There are usually two trips a year for those who sponsor children through us. If you don't sponsor a child yet and just want to come see what we do here, you can still join one of the trips. Go to Interlink's web link on the right side of this blog to find more information. If you are interested in coming to work full time, you can also find more information there or you can contact us here in Taraz.

It is almost Thanksgiving, a time when we focus more on what we have to be thankful for. I am incredibly thankful that I have the privilege to work with these precious children here in Kazakhstan. I will miss Marc and Sarah terribly this first Thanksgiving and Christmas that we will spend apart, but I am comforted by the fact that I know being here is the call on my life.

Thank you, each one, for joining me on this incredible journey.
Love,
Vicki

An unexpected trip!

Dear Family and Friends,
This is an unusual post. The stories I usually share are about people here in Kazakhstan. However, during the last couple of weeks my life was turned upside. I know there is a bigger plan in all that happened even if I don't understand it all.

On the 18th of October I journeyed to Abu Dhabi in the UAE - and it wasn't planned for or for a vacation. Why did I go? Well, because between the 7th and 17th of October I visited 5 different doctors at 5 different clinics trying to get a diagnosis as to what was happening to my eyes. I woke up Wednesday morning the 4th with both eyes red, sore, and sensitive to light. By Saturday the 7th, the pain was worse so I went to see a local doctor in Taraz. She said I had a cold or virus in my eyes. I did have a pretty bad cold so that made sense to me and my eyes did get some better with the medication.

An American team arrived on Sunday the 11th and I was the coordinator for their time here in KZ. On Wednesday the 14th I was showing the team Ulan orphanage. During the visit I kept cleaning my glasses - especially the left lense - thinking there must be something on the glass to blur my vision. About the 20th cleaning I decided to look at the glass to see what could possibly be there that wouldn't clean off. That is when I realized my glasses were actually clean and something was seriously wrong with my eye. I finished out what we were doing, knowing we were scheduled to go back to the office.

Upon arriving at the office, I looked at my eye more closely. What I saw was my left pupil wide open while the right eye was constricted. I was in a bright room. My heart sank. This didn't seem like a good thing, especially because my vision had been deteriorating during the morning. The film I thought was on my glasses was really a loss of vision in my left eye. We were suppose to be leaving for Shimkent in a hour. There were two stops along the way - one for lunch in a Kazakh's home in a village and the other at the orphanage in Vanovka. I didn't want to delay any of this, but my heart was filled with a sinking feeling. Things were much worse than I had previously thought.

I went to Beth, our director, and asked her to look at my eyes and tell me what she saw. Her face let me know immediately that things weren't good. Thankfully she is a very calm, take care of business kind of woman because at that moment I began to cry. I don't cry often but the pain that had been there for a week and the exhaustion from being sick with a cold hit me. Beth went into action and within 30 minutes I was in another eye doctor's office here in Taraz. After much examining, the doctor said it wasn't glaucoma but the pressure in my eyes, especially my left eye, was very high. He gave me different drops and sent me on my way. He said it was no problem to go to Shimkent and to come back in a week to check the pressure. Okay! I still wasn't sure why the vision was blurry and why my eyes hurt so much, but hey, a doctor said I was okay. The doctor's visit put the schedule for the delegation's trip an hour and a half behind schedule so, as soon as I returned to the office, Beth, Walther, Tim and I hit the road for Shimkent.

I trudged through that day trying to convince myself things were fine. I knew I would be seeing Dr. Lori, an American general practitioner in Shimkent. She handles the medical needs of our teams when they arise. Beth had called her on Wednesday and she agreed she'd like to see me Thursday morning. After an exam she wanted me seen by a eye doctor in Shimkent and she mentioned I might need to leave the country to seek medical treatment. This idea didn't excite me, but I certainly wanted to get my eyes treated properly. She was thinking, because of the high pressure in the eyes, I had developed Acute Onset Closed Angle Glaucoma. I knew about regular glaucoma but nothing about this kind. I didn't like the sound of it.

By going to Skimkent I missed some of the activities scheduled for the team visiting in Shimkent but Beth was able to fill in when I was away. My eyes seemed to be getting worse and the pain was increasing. The eye doctor in Shimkent said I did have Closed Angle Acute Onset Glaucoma and possibly needed surgery to lower the pressure. That didn't sound very good. I prayed and trusted God would take care of what ever problem I had. Thursday evening Dr. Lori said we needed to start calling and see if I could be seen by a doctor in either the UAE or Turkey, the closest places to find American doctors for this issue. My heart sank for I couldn't imagine how I could figure all that out much less pay for it. This all was just not in my plans. As I went to sleep that night, I prayed for God's comfort and wisdom for what to do.

On Friday when I woke I could barely open my eyes and the pain had doubled. Crying, I called my dear friend and mentor Edith. It was 4:30 am my time but I needed some advice because I couldn't figure out the next step. I couldn't think clearly any longer. I was a mess. I had been sick for three weeks and struggling with my eyes for over a week by this point.

I love Edith for many, many reasons and one is her totally efficient manner. A "small" detail of her life was put in place long before I even came to Kazakhstan. Edith and her husband Rip lived in the UAE for several years and still have many friends there. In my current situation, this is not a coincidence. When I mentioned where the doctor said to go, she picked up the ball and ran with it. I was in the office in Shimkent, Beth came in wondering how I was doing. I couldn't handle any more of anything so turned my computer over to her and laid down on the sofa. These two women are amazing in administration and efficiency. During the rest of the morning, through emails and calls all kinds of arrangements were made while I laid on the sofa listening to worship music in order not to focus on either the intense pain or the despair sneaking into my heart.

It was all quite amazing - Edith started emailing her large network of friends in the UAE. The response is a testimony to the friendships she has and their commitment to show God's love. Edith's friend, Linda Clark, is the head of operations at the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Daubi. She contacted Dr. Chris Cummins who agreed to see me Monday at 1 pm. Linda arranged for me to be met plane side and escorted through the airport to a waiting car. Janie Garrett, a friend of Edith's, agreed to host me. Beth and Marina Tsoy made all my travel arrangements from Taraz to Almaty then to Dubai. Heather Lewis agreed to host me in Almaty. It was absolutely amazing how all these people from Kazakhstan to America and then back to the UAE all came together to get me the medical treatment I needed. When Dr. Lori first said I needed to go out of the country, my mind could not even begin to process how I would figure all of that out. When she said the UAE, I thought "Well, Edith use to live there and knows some people there who may be able to help." What are the odds of knowing anyone in the place Dr. Lori suggested. Not very likely.

Edith and Rip moved to Richmond Virginia about 4 years ago. Edith was assigned my mentor for my application process with Interlink Resources. We became fast friends. All those years ago the foundation for what would be needed here and now were laid. We just never know what series of events will lead. All this was an ordained time and place.

Beth, Walter, Tim, Katie and I left Shimkent Friday afternoon heading for Taraz. We arrived around dinner time. After dropping Tim and Walter off at the team house to enjoy Pizza with Ken and an American family adopting their second child from Kazakhstan Beth took me to Adilya's house were I was staying to repack my bag for my trip. I actually could do very little so Beth pretty much did the work then took Katie and I to the train station to catch the night train to Almaty. Katie is part of the English center in Shimkent and was on her way back to America for a planned furlough. She actually wasn't planning on going to Almaty till Tuesday but agreed to escort me there so I wouldn't have to travel alone. So many people going out of their way. Thank you Katie.

We took a taxi the Saturday morning to Heather's apartment. Dr. Lori had gotten me an appointment at the Eye Institute in Almaty which has the top doctors in the country. Heather who speaks fluent Russian agreed to take me there and translate. Dr. Lori had gotten me a 10 am appointment. I still had the flight out but was still thinking if I could be treated in country that would be best. After many many eye examinations with many different pieces of equipment the top doctor said I did have Acute Onset Closed Angle Glaucoma and needed surgery right away. He was the only one who could do it but he was going on vacation for two weeks so I would have to wait. Wait... that didn't seem like a good idea. He said it probably would be alright and not too much permanent damage would be done. Well, that pretty much determined I would fly to Dubai to seek medical treatment. Heather hosted Katie and I for another night and Sergey who does a lot of work for Interlink in Almaty took me to the airport on Sunday.

I flew out of Almaty Sunday 18 Oct and arrived to Janie Garrett's apartment about 1:30 am Monday morning. Linda Clark had arranged to have someone meet me plane side to escort me through the airport on one of those little carts and a driver to take me from the airport in Dubai the 90 miles to Abu Dhabi. Janie welcomed me with open arms and showed me to a comfortable bed where I collapsed. Edith has the dearest friends and I enjoyed getting to know them, as well as Janie during my time there. Janie drove me all around after taking me to the doctors that Monday to see the many beautiful sights of Abu Dhabi as well as some the harsher realities of how this beauty is built and by whom.

Dr Chris Cummins, an American doctor living and working in Abu Dhabi, diagnosed my issue after a through exam. His diagnosis: Iritis NOT glaucoma. Iritis is the third leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. Without proper treatment, it does cause blindness. Usually iritis occurs in only one eye. Rarely are both eyes affected, but that's exactly what's happened to me. Iritis results in an increase of white blood cells in the eyes and inflammation, which is painful. Because my condition has gone on for so long the iris have started to deteriorate, sluffing cells off the iris which, in turn, caused my eye ducts to clog and, as a result raised the pressure in my eyes mimicking glaucoma. If the pressure hadn't been addressed it would have damaged the optic nerve but, thankfully, there is no damage now. The dilation of the iris is due to the infection. The doctor prescribed a daily drop to unclog the ducts and then a steroid drop every hour during waking hours to help decrease the inflammation of the iris. It will take time for the infection to clear - about 4 - 6 months. This is definitely a serious eye condition but very treatable and in the long run preferable over glaucoma. He needed to see me Wednesday to make sure the medicine was working. After my Wednesday visit he did think things were improving thankfully. My next appointment is 6 December.

My heart is full of thankfulness to God's faithfulness and all HIS provisions for this entire trip. I was so cared for by Edith and Rip's wonderful friends. I was humbled by their generousity and my heart touched by their kindness. It was a difficult situation yet I have come away feeling refreshed and relaxed. Everyday, no matter what storms rage about me, I am blessed beyond measure and deeply thankful.

My time in Abu Dhabi resembled a vacation. Below are sights from my time there. Because my eyes are so sensitive to light, I didn't make the beach scene but there are many other beautiful things to see in Abu Dhabi besides the beach.

Some of the behind-the-scenes aren't as beautiful. I will not focus on those issues today. Enjoy the beautiful sights.


Workers who are brought in to do all the manual labor for little monies.


Shaikh Zayhed Grand Mosque




Every detail is beautiful




The Royal Grand Palace Hotel




High Tea with Janie and Linda, both dear friends of Edith, who helped with details of my trip.

Thank you, Janie, for opening your home and your heart. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to show me some of the sights in Abu Dhabi and pampering me at a time I truly needed such.


A beautiful mural in the Hotel. The horses represent the seven colors of sand in the area.








Getting to say thank you to Linda Clark for all she did to organize my trip to Abu Dhabi. We were at Mug and Bean at the Abu Dhabi Mall. I was in culture shock. They had Krispy Kream Dounuts and Starbuck Coffee. Just amazing.

Thank you, Linda, for all you did put all the pieces together.


Thursday morning I had the great joy of going to Shaikh Mohammed's Royal Stables and riding one of his horses. Oh! how this was pure joy for my heart and soul. After a difficult several weeks, this was just what my heart needed - to be on the back of a beautiful horse filled me with great joy.




I had a personal trainer for an hour, a sweet Brit who was raised in South Africa now working in Abu Dhabi. I enjoyed her very much. The next day I remembered her when I awoke with sore legs. After a time of training I got to ride a trail on the grounds. As I rode, I marveled at how blessed I am, what wonderful friends I have, and how faithful God is.

I'm not sure if you can notice my smile in the pictures below. I was beyond happy with this unexpected treat. I went at 7 am and so the sun wasn't too bad for my eyes on the trail. My time training I was in an inside ring which couldn't have been better for my eyes. What a treasured gift.






The horses name is "Link." I am amazed at how many links were in place to get me to the doctor to accurately diagnose my iritis.

I am so thankful for each link on this "side" adventure! I am thankful God worked out all the details and had everything in place long before this event occurred. I am thankful for all my family and friends who were praying as soon as they heard from Edith and Beth the struggle I was having. I am thankful for all Edith's friends in Abu Dhabi who rolled out the red carpet to make me feel welcomed and comforted during my stay.

Thank you, Beth and Trish, for taking me back to the airport in Dubai and for showing me the sights. I can't believe I didn't get pictures of you two.

I am blessed beyond measure with dear, dear friends whose friends take care of me when need be. I am thankful to be home in Taraz. I was gone five days and had a great time but also missed my home here in Taraz.

Blessings to you each, my friends. And a special thank you to all my new friends in Abu Dhabi.

Love,
Vicki

Two different visits to the camp where the Ulan children spend most of the summer.

Dear Friends and Family,

For a couple of reasons it has been five weeks since I've posted a new blog. First, I wanted to keep Saulet in the front of everyone for a bit - and I now have potentially good news to share! A friend of mine in Portland, Oregon has made some initial contacts. One surgeon has said he would donate his time; however, the hospital where he works doesn't do international surgeries. The surgeon gave my friend the name of another local hospital that does. Next week she will be checking to see if that hospital could help. She also has a friend from the Ukraine who is helping to find a host family for Saulet. We still need help with transportation and other details but at least things are moving in the right direction. I am praying for all the right doors to open.

A second reason I haven't posted is that we've been super busy here. And, on top of it all, I've been battling a cold and flu. Not fun! No matter where you live.

There are so many things to share but I wanted to let you know about two visits we made to a camp where the children from Ulan spend their summer.





The first visit to Ulan came when a high school group from Muncie was here on a short term work trip and we loaded up two cars and headed out to the camp to spend an afternoon with the children. We swam in the nearby river and then the teens held a carnival for the children. I was touched and amazed to see this group of high school kids give of their hearts and time. What an inspiration!



The picture below is from 2006 and the young man was one of those I worked with that summer. He was quite a challenge and expressed such anger and hurt that my heart just broke for him. Before it was time to leave that August he informed me he would not cry when I left. I said that was fine and that I would continue to love him even after I was gone. I also said I wanted him to grow into a good Kazakh man. The day I finally left he kept his distance. Then, right as I was getting into my vehicle to leave, he came rushing up to me and embrassed me with a bear hug crying. Over and over he said, "Mama, I love you!" I usually don't like to cry in front of the children and I like goodbyes to be sweet and short, but I couldn't hold my tears in and we stood there with tears running down both our faces. I finally peeled him off telling him I loved him and knew that he would grow into a good Kazakh man. He remained in my heart along with all the other children, encouraging me to keep stepping forward on faith as I prepared to make the move from Virginia to Kazakhstan.



Below is this same young man. I had not been able to see him since that first visit. When he saw me this time, he ran up to me with a big smile and engulfed me in a big hug telling me how much he has missed me and how happy he was to see me. He had heard I had now returned to live in Kazakhstan. He couldn't believe that I would leave home to come here. I told him it was because of the love that has been placed in my heart for him and all the children of Kazakhstan. I told him I didn't forget him or the others and now am here for good. I am so thankful for the call on my life and for the chance to touch the hearts of children who feel forgotten and abandon. He followed me around that day, sometimes holding my hand and other times just standing close by as I interacted with other children and holding my camera or what ever else he could for me. What a great gift I have been given!




We left that day as the sun was setting and above is the image I captured. Such beauty! This land is full of contrasts and contradictions - great beauty set against the harsh reality of great heartache and pain. The shot below was one I see so many times a day and still love - a little burrow pulling the cart with whatever needs to be hauled.





The Kid Connection Team later went back to celebrate birthdays with the children who were celebrating birthdays that month. This is always a fun time for the children. We bring them cupcakes, snacks and juice and have a time to play some games before eating. Then we give out gifts for each child. As you can see, the children greatly enjoy our time together.




The two above were peeking in so they could catch a glimps of the celebration, too.







As I walk to work in the mornings, I couldn't help but smile as I pass school children, stray dogs and other things I am recognizing as part of the local landscape. I smile because I am really here in the land that captured my heart in 2000. There are many things that are hard about living here but the great joy, peace and contentment I feel knowing I am exactly where I am suppose to be far out weighs any discomfort or hardship.

Thank you each, dear friends, for your support. You have no idea how each note of encouragement touches my heart. I have been truly blessed with dear friends and family.

Love,
Vicki

Who will help Saulet?

I want to introduce Saulet to you. In this picture he is sitting with his little sister and Mother in their humble home. He is a shy young man and very self conscious of his burns. Saulet dreams of going to university and he loves sports. He endured a great deal of teasing and taunting while in high school but continued his classes because of his dream to go to university.

As I sat and listened to Saulet's Mama and Papa share their worries and concerns for their son and their attempts to find a doctor who would help, as well as their distress over being unable financially to get their son the help he desperately needs, my heart broke. I am fortunate to have been born in the United States with access to the finest medical care even though I was a single mom on the lower end of the income scale.

This family has traveled to Almaty and Astana seeking help. Saulet has endured many surgeries and is in need of more to give him the possibility of providing a life for himself as an adult. Saulet has grown quite a bit since the last surgery. The burned skin isn't flexible and he is having more and more difficulties with his knees, neck and mouth as a result of those burnt areas.

My mother's heart understood how much a mother is willing to sacrifice for her son. I could hear the desire in this Mama and Papa's voices for their son to receive help so he can reach for his dreams. This family may be poor in finances but their love for each other was evident. I was honored to sit in their humble home and listen to them pour out their hearts for their son. As I listened, I thought about all my dear friends at home and wondered if we all worked together what could be done for this family. Saulet has bravely endured so much. He is an inspiration to me.

Saulet's parents came to Interlink seeking help. Interlink does a lot of humanitarian aid but we are not a medical organization and do not have a network of doctors in the States. Saulet's parents have given permission for him to come to the United States if we can find a doctor and hospital who will help. I am reaching out to you, dear friends, asking you to open your hearts to help us secure this dream for this family.

I'm looking for a doctor who would take this case and a hospital that would provide for the surgery. I'm also looking for someone to help Saulet with transportation to the States round trip from Kazakhstan, as well as housing while in America and the oversight of his needs while on that side of the ocean. I know this is a huge request. To be honest, however, I don't know how I could not ask. I know there is much need everywhere in this world. Why does this one young man mean so much? I cannot fully answer that question. I know it is totally out of my hands as to this family's dream becoming reality, but I have to do what I can. I have to speak about it to every person I know, praying that hearts will open and respond.







Thank you, dear friends, for taking the time to read Saulet's story. Thank you for considering how you might help. If you have additional questions or if you know someone who might help, contact me at vcharbonneau@interlinkresources.org. I am believing in a miracle for Saulet. Yes, I still believe in miracles! Join me in being part of this one.

Love,
Vicki