Upsee

We recently purchased a new item to help with our physical therapy.  The Upsee came on the market in April and we have been waiting patiently to receive ours.  It came with our Saramoldaeva delegation and we have had the chance to use it with one child, David, a few times since its arrival.

Our first attempt, was honesty not the greatest, but was a great opportunity to learn for the future.  Although we had read the instructions and watched the instructional videos, we hadn't really though through everything.  I had the opportunity to wear it the first time we used it.  We didn't really prepare David for what we were doing and just went outside with his two siblings to the yard.  I didn't think to bring a blanket to lay him on while putting the vest on and we hadn't put the vest on inside.  As a result, I put it on him while he was laying across my lap (definitely not ideal).  Since I couldn't look at myself while I had it on, I couldn't quite tell that it wasn't adjusted quite right.  Despite this, the look of delight on his face and that of his sister's was priceless as they held hands standing up together (see pictures below).  As suggested, we only spent a few minutes using it and only walked a few steps.  Afterwards we went back inside to do the rest of our exercises.  David did not want anything to do with his other exercises.  Although he couldn't communicate what was wrong, I had the sense he was mad that we came inside and he was no longer standing. We have moved the use of his Upsee to the end of his exercise time, which has helped.

The next time we used the Upsee, his dad put on the belt and walked with him.  I preferred being able to watch and give suggestions as I could see what was going on and how David was responding.  The smile on his face as he walked around was great.  We are still getting the hang of using it, but so far David's reaction and his ability to do some "normal" things outside has been priceless.  We are looking forward to trying it with a couple of the other children in our Ray of Hope club this week.

Building Community

One of the desires for our Ray of Hope Club is for it to be a place where community is built.  We want mothers, fathers, and children to feel supported and encouraged by one another. One of our board members was in Taraz last week for a visit. She has a background in education and currently provides anti-bullying training for schools in Virginia. We hosted a tea where she shared some of the wisdom she has learned with parents. She also took the time to listen to their ideas about how they want to bring hope to their children.  While the parents sat, talked, and drank tea, the children played in the adjoining room. Our time together lasted for over two hours as everyone had a great time laughing and enjoying each other's company.  

We also began a piece of art work that is now hanging in our Ray of Hope Club. Children and their family members created leaves for our tree using their feet and hands. We will continue to add the hands and feet of others who become a part of our club down the road.  It will be fun to see the branches fill and know that each leaf represents a life that has been touched in some way.  

Time with Staff

Some of my closest friends in Taraz are the staff in our office. Although we work hard together, we also have a lot of fun.  Over the recent holiday, several of us went to visit a canyon known as the second most beautiful place in all of Kazakhstan.  It was a beautiful day and a fun time with friends.  We took lots of pictures and laughed together.  I am so thankful I get to enjoy living in Kazakhstan with such great friends!  It was the first time any of us had actually visiting this National Park.  What a beautiful way to spend a day off!  

Learning to Count

Each week I get to spend some time playing with a group of children with disabilities living in a foster home in Taraz.  Our arrival usually includes several children screaming my name and moving to hug me.  There is usually a constant clatter of "Sara apke" (aunt Sara) until I have had a chance to pay attention to each child.  Their attention then turns to the container of toys we bring.  It is hard for them to contain their curiosity.  Often I have to put the container in a corner of the room and sit in front of it in order to prevent each toy/activity being removed before we are ready to play.

Recently, my co-worker Almira has been going with me.  It has been a huge blessing having her join us.  She has such great ideas of creative activities to do with the children to reinforce the concepts we are trying to learn.  Currently, we are trying to teach them their numbers.  Although many of them can count to ten, they haven't yet grasped the concept of what the numbers represent.  We have been using snack time to reinforce counting by eating once piece of our snack at a time and then counting what remains.  On the last visit we started at ten.  We were able to get down to three or so before impatience took hold and we no longer counted before eating.  Not too bad!

We also try to incorporate fine motor skills into our activities.  It is fun to see each child figure out how to do things on his own.  They are very curious and good problem solvers when given permission to explore.  It is fun to be a part of this!

Enjoying Beauty

Over the recent holidays I had a chance to go hiking in the mountains with a friend from England who lives in a neighboring city. Although it is only May 5th, the temps probably reaching about 90 degrees that day. Thankfully, in the hills it was a bit cooler. Southern Kazakhstan is mostly steppe and  is dry and brown for much of the year. Although the browns are beautiful, my favorite time of year here is the spring. During the spring the hillsides display so many shades of green. The plowed farm land adds many different distinct browns and greens as well. On top of everything, springtime brings with it the blooming of wildflowers of all different colors and shapes. It is always refreshing to get out of the city and enjoy the beauty of creation. I wish you could be here to enjoy it with me, but I figured some pictures would at least give you a glimpse into the beauty of Kazakhstan.