Runaway Sheep

I promised some funny stories in my last post, so here you go.  A few weeks ago I was pulling up to the team house.  I looked up and saw a random sheep walking my way.  After getting out of the car, I realized our neighbor's gate was open a little bit.  Earlier in the week I had noticed some sheep in their back yard, which usually means some sort of yummy dinner is coming up.  I rang the doorbell and then was trying to figure out how to keep the sheep (let's call it "dinner") from running off.  Thankfully, another sheep (let's call it "yummy") was just inside the gate.  Yummy was calling out to dinner, which caused dinner to come back over to the gate and look at the gate in a very confused manner.  They both kept calling out to each other, but Dinner could not figure out that in order to get to Yummy, he just had to go through the opening in the gate.  He would get right up to the entrance and I would move forward slowly trying to encourage him to go through but instead he would take off running down the street.  Dinner did this 3-4 times.  Each time Yummy would call him back.  I was afraid Yummy would get away too.  Finally, my neighbor came out and ascertained that Dinner was trying to run away.  She opened up the gate and then chased Dinner towards me.  I then had to chase Dinner away from me, which caused him to join Yummy in the confines of their yard.  My neighbor was thankful for my role in helping save their yummy dinner plans.

We don't have chiropractors in Kazakhstan, so I have attempted numerous things to try re-align myself.   This time I am going to a guy who gives a massage and over time re-aligns your spine.  First off, I have to go 10 days in a row.  That seems to be the magical massage number here in Kazakhstan.  Anytime anyone goes in for a "healing" massage, they are asked to come back for 10 straight days.  Second, the other day as he was rubbing my back, I was afraid I would end up with rug burn (or whatever you get from a sheet) on my cheek from my constant motion back and forth.  Third, he uses one word periodically that sounds kind of like therapy.  I have come to realize that it actually means "you will soon be in excruciating pain, but I promise, it is good for you."  Finally, each massage ends with him smacking me on the back over and over again and then telling me I have to lie still for several minutes.  It has been helping though, so I guess I can't complain too much.  I find myself trying not to laugh as I imagine people I know experiencing the same fun.

Overall, this week has been a crazy, busy week.  Here are just a few things I have done.

• Met with a 49 year-old man who has no legs and only one arm who was requesting a wheelchair.  
• Gave a wheelchair to a 14-year-old boy, after spending some time with he and his mother and brother. 
• Introduced the children at the foster home for kids with disabilities to the iPad. 
• Gave away a used computer to a man and his two daughters.  I think it is their first computer, as they were really excited about it. 
• Met with a man who tried to encourage me to allow him to read my past and future and then heal me of any problems.  
• My English clubs came up with their first volunteering project ideas.  They did a great job being creative. 
• Two Kazakh lessons.  
• Helped my Kazakh mom with something she has to do on the computer for work. 
• Helped fix my Kazakh brother's iPod. 
• Waited 30 minutes for someone who had asked for help to show up at his own home so we could better understand his request.  We eventually had to leave.  
• Visited with one of my former English club members.