|
|
KYRGYZSTAN:
|
Mission
Cost Per Person: TBA
Application due: TBA
Date of the Project: TBA
Short-Term Mission Team Members Needed: TBA
History
The Kyrgyz migrated to Kyrgyzstan from the region
of upper Yenisei, where they multiplied from 7th
century to 17th century. The area was gradually
annexed by Russia in mid 19th century, and in the
year of 1921-1922, there were near half of a
million people that died of famine. The
government of Kyrgyzstan was independent in 1991
from the Soviet Union, becoming the first of the
Central Asia republic to acquire democratic
institutions. Governed under the constitution of
1993, it has a 105 member bicameral parliament.
Many travelers find Kyrgyzstan the most
appealing, accessible and welcoming of the
Central Asian republics, particularly as it
contains the central Tian Shan and Pamir Alay
ranges, Central Asia's finest mountains. Since
the collapse of the Soviet Union, it left this
tiny, under-equipped republic out on a limb,
without the resources to survive on its own. The
country is getting by on a liberal agenda and
goodwill from Western donor countries, and it's
doing more than any other Central Asian republic
to encourage tourism and streamline bureaucratic
procedures for visitors - partly because tourism
is one of the few things it could sell to the
outside world.
Culture
The Kyrgyzstan culture has been influenced by the
nomadic heritage. People decorated their homes
with home-made items that are both attractive and
practical. The Kyrgyz tent (yurta) could be
easily assembled and transported whenever is
necessary. Most of the Kyrgyz history has been
transmitted orally through generations and was
written down in the 19th century. The epos gives
an insight into full aspects of traditional life
of Kyrgyz, which includes their origin, customs,
morals, aesthetics, concepts of nature and the
language. The most significant epos is Manas, it
contains 500 thousand lines of poetry.
The Tears of the Children
There are 10,000 to 15,000 homeless children who
are abandoned by their poverty- stricken family,
and left to live on the street. Many children are
ill with intestinal worms and skin diseases from
living in the sewer system. Others are struggling
to survive by selling their body. One 14 year-old
girl was forced to be a prostitute by a
restaurant owner in exchange for food. She got
pregnant, and once the owner discovered it, she
was beaten to the point that she lost her child.
Our school was informed and took her in, but
still, she is in the hospital suffering from
internal bleeding. A six year-old boy whose colon
was ruptured by selling himself for food is in
pain and in need of an operation to heal his
little body. In a region where the severe winter
nights’ temperature dips below
40&Mac176, it is unacceptable for children to
attempt to survive in an open field or
underground sewer. The Mayor of Karakol offered
Mercy Fund a building at half the price of a
market cost (US$10,000) to open a shelter for
children living on the streets, and we have used
it to save many from sure death in the cold
winter.
Our Mission
Our affiliated mission organization, Mercy
Charitable Christian Foundation (Mercy Fund) in
Kyrgyzstan, established the first school for
homeless children in Belovodsk in 1994, then the
second named Kara-Balta School in 1999. By
February 2002, a total of five Christian schools
and three orphanages were completed. The Kyrgyz
Minister of Education, Kamila Sharshekeyeva, was
so impressed by these Christians schools in the
Muslim country. On December 4, 2001, she
suggested Mercy Fund to open 60 more Christian
Schools, so they could be the models for the
failing Kyrgyz school system, and the curriculum
of Christian moral could be taught to the
children as well. In light of this open door
policy and new opportunities, we are looking for
many more American Christians who are willing to
come and share their faith to these Krygyz and
Russian children, especially help those orphans
who are desperately seeking for love.
Could you come and join us this summer? And reach
out to these forgotten children of Central Asia.
We will teach them English, sing joyful songs
with them, and bring the sunshine into their life
and see the smiles reappear on their beautiful
faces again. Above all, we are able to share the
Good News of eternal life with them, and only
with Jesus' love, will we see their sorrows and
tears be wiped away!
What you can help
If you are an individual or church that would
like to contribute the cost of our team members
and staff to the Kyrgyzstan, please contact Susan
Sweet at susan@OSMusa.org.
For any medical and emergency supplies and
financial contributions for orphanages and
Christian schools, please contact directly with
Mercy Fund founder Elder Yang at ElderCSYang@aol.com
or donate to "Central Asia Sharing Aid
(CASA)" as the US representative for tax
deduction purpose. "A friend is someone who
knows the song in your heart and sings it back to
you when you are in sorrow" be a friend to
these less fortunate children of Kyrgyz and may
our Father in Heaven richly bless you for what
you have done.
|
The orphans at Kara-Balta Children’s Home
Students at Tokmok school
|
Full country
name: Kyrgyz Republic
Area: 198,500 sq km (77,415 sq mi)
Population: 4.7 million
Capital: Bishkek (pop 670,000)
People: 52% Kyrgyz, 21% Russian, 13% Uzbek
Languages: Kyrgyz, Russian
Religion: 75% Muslim, 20% Russian Orthodox
President: Askar Akayev
Prime Minister: Amangeldy Muraliyev
GDP: US$9.8 billion
GDP per head: US$2200
Annual growth: 1.8%
Inflation: 18.4%
Major industries: Small machinery, textiles, food
processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs,
refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold,
rare earth metals, tobacco, cotton, potatoes,
vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries, sheep,
goats, cattle, wool
Major trading partners: China, UK, CIS, Turkey,
Cuba, US, Germany
Source: Lonely Planet
LONG
TERM MISSION
Would
you spend one-year to serve our Lord in
Kyrgyzstan?
We are seeking long-term staff that have a love
for God and a sincere desire to serve Him. Staff
will be assigned to Kyrgyzstan to teach English
in our affiliated orphanages and five Christian
schools. If you can speak or understand the
Russian language, it would really help in
communication, but it is not a requirement for
qualification. There is a great need of English
teachers in this beautiful country. If you have
an available heart, please pray for God’s
will for you to take these wonderful
opportunities, and because of your effort, many
will come to know Jesus.
"I
am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one
comes to the Father, but through me." John
14:6
If you are considering joining our ministry to
Kyrgyzstan, please contact Susan Sweet at susan@OSMusa.org for more information. The
round trip airfare will be provided and $500
monthly support is all you need (the locals live
on $30 a month). Come and save the children in
Kyrgyzstan!
|
[BACK TO GLOBAL
PROJECTS]
|
|
|