9 March 2008 - Out and About in Astana, Kazakhstan

This week has been a week of odds and ends. We've done a little of everything trying to get some things done before our translator left for Pavlador for a few days to celebrate her mother's 60th birthday.

Monday we went to Kampka Medievna, who is over the Society for Handicapped Children. While we were there, we delivered some hats that we just received from Roy's mother, Rhoda and his sister, Tamra. They have been making them this winter to send to us.

They were thrilled with them and were glad that there are more on the way! They are planning to give them to the children for an upcoming holiday which is International Women's Day. It is the equivalent of our Mother's Day but it is for all women, old and young.

While we were there, a lady came in from a nearby village, Piervomayka, to get 7 wheelchairs that she received from the Church. Her name is Olga Evaldevna and she thanked us so much for the wheelchairs! She was so grateful for them!!

While we were at Kampka's, she invited us to a Spring Celebration that was held at the Youth Center on Tuesday afternoon. This is a picture where the event was held. All of the handicapped children throughout the city were invited. We had a great time!

We spent the next day trying to get our visa's extended. Lots of "red tape" and new requirements keeps things interesting, to say the least!! By the time Mira gets back, maybe the paperwork will be done and then hopefully, we can stay for another three months!!

We have volunteered to help a handicapped youth group who want to learn English in their English club. We go to the Kazakh Russian University on Saturday to interact with these youth.

This is part of the group that we meet with. The lady on the left is an instructor for the group. The two girls with long hair, are students at the university that volunteer in the class, too. They are wonderful young people!!

Here we are with the whole group! Mira is taking the picture, as always, that's why you never see her!!

In February, we went out to our first Russian restaurant. We took Mira because, of course, we don't speak Russian enough to know what we are ordering! But as soon as we started speaking English, they brought us an English menu! When you order, all you get is the main dish. The potatoes, vegetables, bread, butter, ketchup, etc. are all separate and all cost extra. Mira wanted ketchup for her fries and they told her it would cost more!!

Roy had Beef Samuvar and Anne had chicken in a wonderful sauce and we both had fried mushrooms!! It was all very delicious! The helpings are small but just right for us!! It was not that expensive! Next, we're planning to try a Kazakh restaurant if we can find one that doesn't require selling a major organ!!

As we leave our apartment each day, we see piles of snow and ice everywhere. Everyday men and women are out and about chipping ice and snow off of the sidewalks and gutters. They pile it up and then shovel it into trucks and the trucks take it out of the city and unload it somewhere!! We think they are getting ready for the big thaw!!

This is the view from our bedroom window every night. It is one of the towers of the Radisson Hotel. It reminds us of something out of an alien movie that we have seen!! Pretty cool, huh!!

That's about it for this week. Next week we will be in Almaty on the weekend, so the blog will be late. But thanks to all of you for the prayers and support and the love we feel from each of you. It means so much to us.

Love,

Elder and Sister Welling