Village Bible Church || Aurora | Indian Creek | Sugar Grove | IL

Today we had one of the best dedications we have ever had! After a week of building the playground and developing relationships with the local leaders, we were done and ready to give the children their gift! It was a very lively ceremony filled with traditional dances, songs and speeches from some people in Kara Balta. The best part of the dedication was all the children that were present and in the ceremony. There was a youth band from the orphanage, Kyrgyz dancers and several solos from some local teenage kids.

There were also a lot of speeches from the government...which is normal. But the spirit in which they were talking was inspiring and hopeful for the future. We hope that the government will continue to bless the Mercy Foundation and their continued work in Kyrgyzstan. There has already been great things happening since the playground has been dedicated. The goverment of Kara Balta met with the Mercy Foundation today to talk about future partnerships with schools and farming projects. They are also working on an institute that will educate kids after high school. It's incredible to see the work that the Mercy Foundation is doing and we see the future being bright for them.

At the dedication we have heard several stories of local people accepting Christ. One woman kneeled in front of the playground sign and started weeping after seeing the committment Christians have given to children they don't even know. She accepted Christ on the spot. There were two other women who accepted Christ after seeing the hard work of the team all week. They were so impressed with the gift and the genuine love we showed to the city that they wanted to have what we have. They wanted to know the joy that we have and they accepted Christ!

What a joy it has been to be here and serve the Kyrgyz people! We feel so blessed to be able to witness and be part of the work that God is doing here. There is a lot more to tell and we hope to tell you all in person soon. But for now, please pray for our team as we head home tomorrow and please pray for Kyrgyzstan. The people here, the government and the Mercy Foundation!

Thanks for all of your prayers and support for us! God Bless you all.