Abandoned items and gained friendships
Kiev terminal. Bus stops and drops us right by the aircraft. No surprise to me that I am the last one to leave the bus. I see all travelers bunched together by the passenger stairs where a crew member was trying to grab some attention by waving with some bluish piece of cloth. Something was lost and they were looking for the owner. It didn’t not take me long to recognize that this was actually my very blanket which due to lack of space in the suitcase has been crammed into my winter jacket sleeve, and somehow set itself free from there. Impatient eyes followed me all the way while my blanket was travelling through the sea of hands till it finally reached me. We were then kindly welcomed to the aircraft.
Next to me sat Pavel. I felt God wanted me to initiate a conversation. This elder man, as I was explained headed for the wedding in Kyrgyzstan. Although, he is Kyrgyz, for many years now he has been living in Kaliningrad. So, two neighbors Lithuanian and Russian, end up meeting each other on the way to Central Asia. Seeing Pavel being very interested in our project, I was tempted so many times to share that our organization is Christian. But because this was my first time I traveled to a Muslim country, I kept my mouth shut. I felt very limited and incomplete. And I loved that I felt that way, because it showed what makes me complete. Thus, last thing I wanted, to be deported without even touching a land of Kyrgyzstan and glimpsing at Tien Shan:). Not to forget that James and Anton were probably already on their way to the airport. Guys greeted me with Lithuanian symbols, like real basketball fans.:))
Ah, Bishkek. Greenery, parks and the proposal to marry
First day in Bishkek and I can already feel winds to be more tranquil here. Western rush fever seems not well known as local life is much more laid back here. This slow atmosphere started to dwell in me, and in no way I was trying to be rebellious or resistant. I simply showed my approval since this atmosphere adds nicely to my personality.
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| There seemed to be some extra fire and smokes, but young woman holding bowl with water was in no rush to act and was discussing her things with her neighbors. |
My dad was telling me once how he hiked in Kyrgyzstan when Bishkek was still named under the Frunze, and how by this day he still recalls it to be an amazingly green city. And he couldn’t be more right! My very immodest expectations of greenery were met here with an excess. However, stick always has two ends, right? One day I found myself exploring surroundings and felt an urge to see the botanic garden that I so much dreamt of. Even before I came here, I had learnt about this place from Anton, and put all my hopes for it would become my future green corner for jogging, reading and writing since this place is quite close to where I live. I have watched my hopes shattering beyond retrieve, the very minute when I found out that it is closed. Permanently. Still recall myself praying God for what I heard to be a result of my crooked Russian. The guard of this garden, who happened to introduce me with this cruel truth, very soon after he saw my deep disappointment, came up with a solution. He told me if I marry him I could literally be able to accommodate myself in this park. Had to disagree. And now have to find another park. Working park.
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| Botanic garden and its beauties that were not meant for me to be seen. I walked half way around expecting to find secret entrance, but no success. |
Not local
Absence of physical traits that are typical to Central Asia and I fit here only as an ordinary guest. Even though I cannot blend in here as local, my very brownish tan finally is serving me here somewhat. Usually, here, I do not draw lot of attention as a foreigner, except when I stick out my nose for late evening walks, which I started doing recently after realization that life after the sunset is blooming here. I just have to make sure I avoid eye contact with most men, which is hard for me because I like eye contacts and when I have to avoid them I feel very awkward. The reason for this is that some men are very likely to misinterpret it, what is normal for me, a longer eye contact. Well, on the bright side at least I don’t have to wear fake engagement ring which I had when traveled across the India. At least not yet. I think the difference is that this time I haven't consulted Lonely Planet!
Kyrgyzstan is home for diverse cultures and languages. The main ethnical groups are Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Russian and minorities such as Dungan, German, Ukrainian, Uyghur and many more. I haven’t researched yet where Lithuania stands in this statistic. But I am sure I would love to hear their stories and maybe even be treated with some cepelinai which sad story, but I get less and less of them to eat in my home country. Bishkek also hosts quite few non profits from both, America and Europe. Once in the market I was even asked if I am an American. Well, I guess four years at LCC has sprinkled on me some American charm.
Probably one of the major indicators showing my nonlocal status is when I cross the street. I try to follow a logical common sense , but often it is better to leave it at home and turn on the survival instinct. Sometimes, or almost always it is hard to find a zebra crossing where I am allowed to cross it without running. Well most of the times I just get bored of waiting someone to bother and stop, and work further till I get to regulated crossroad.
Perhaps we don`t always follow or need to follow our logic. Sometimes we have to rebel against it to be ourselves. There are times when I would go to the market just to meet local people so I could talk with them, ask their names which can get as beautiful as Nasipa, Aisulu (as beautiful as moon) or Gulnara (certain flower). And I know this is perhaps not the best thing to do because then I am more tempted to buy an extra peach or banana, that I don't really need that moment. But, oh boy how much I love it!
My adaptation, or where are you, my culture shock?
Maybe because I traveled a lot or perhaps because deep in my heart I love every nation, I admire each of individuality and believe that being all descendents of Adam we just cannot differ too much. Although here I am far from my beloved pine trees, stunning and sometimes dramatic Baltic sea, every morning when I wake up and I gaze at the top of the mountains I immediately feel closer to God. This is because I pray Him frequently to humble my heart so I could feel I am at home no matter where I go and where I am brought live. It is a God`s given gift for me and I guard it a lot.
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| View from my window. You can see the snow cap of Tian Shan in the distance. What an amazing view to have! |
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| Kirgyz snack that is made of sour milk. |
Dry weather and diet
I think it took me almost a week to realize how dry this country actually is. Now I think about my coconut oil and humidifier that I left at home and how little they are going to serve there just because the need is slender. My skin on my legs started getting cracks and gather lots of dust when walking outside, my throat tingles from the insane dryness. In no way this is good or bad, but rather an exotic that you either enjoy or you don’t. I do. A lot. My best so far tested therapy, on how to induce humidity, is to pick up a big pot of hot tea and by drawing it closer to your nose and breathing the steam in, allows me to create my own private humid air space.
When the heat hits the streets of Bishkek , especially if you originated from more marine climate like one in Lithuania, you want to consider two options: waiting for the morning or waiting for the night. But sometimes you don’t wait. Because you know life doesn’t wait either. And then you just walk from shade to shade uncertain where all this water that was once in your bottle went. True is that locals handle this summer madness with such an ease that I am not gifted enough to understand. Every time I look at their faces trying to detect some comforting drips of sweat, I am left with empty hands. Traffic jam and smog, these two really go along here. And of course living at the foot of the mountain, where people like to drive their cars a lot, there is no much elsewhere for the smog to go. You can either stop breathing or stop thinking about it.
Food. Yes, we people love our physical food. Everything here, in Kyrgyzstan seems to be so ripe and tasty, that perhaps I am not only one who would fight for staying here a day longer to perpetuate every drip of juice and every bite of fruit in ones my memory. You eat all this natural food and feel how your mind clears out. You eat more and don’t want your old food anymore. Well, very You feel very similar to this like meeting God for the first time in your life!
Asian food has found my heart a while ago while travelling in India, and now, here, with all cuisine diversity ahead I continue exploring. And while I am not planning to go back to my vegetarianism I am looking forward to all delights that this country has prepared for me:)
Our team. Planning. Where are we going, and what are we doing?
In our team we are three: Anton , James and me. Our organization is called Lighthouse, which to this day is still tentative name. We believe that God has invited us all here, so He could use us in a way that is in sync with His eternal plan. We humbly ask God to make us good conductors of His love and grace so all of this could reach His people here, in Kyrgyzstan, and elsewhere.
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| Our team. From the right James, Anton and me. |
During our first meetings we concluded that mentoring will become the main aim for our organization, and hopefully something that God has foreseen for us. Therefore the goal of our organization will be to find a mentor for orphans that are at the moments in their biggest needs, to train people how to become professional mentors and provide full support through the all co-operation time. We will also seek to assist other local organizations with find out more about mentoring and to provide them with the necessary training.
At the moment we are processing large amounts of information that One Hope from Kiev has so generously given to us. The materials and methodology are already designed and has practically and successfully been applied in Ukraine. However, having in mind cultural and legislative differences between Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, some changes have to be implemented. We are also working on our official website.
My personal challenge right now is translation of all needed material which are in Russian for I could understand how mentoring organization is functioning. No doubt it often feels as very slow and frustrating process. But I know I have to follow His plan and nothing else feels so inspiring and right as doing it. At the same time I am enjoying learning new legalistic, social and psychological terms in Russian language which is about to become my third home language.
Our inspiration is Jesus , and our tool is prayer, thus please join us in a prayer.
(Philippians 1:9-11)
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Bishkek centre. Women are working hard
in the sun. This soil has not seen rain for a while. I started wondering if I
will see any.
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Blessings were being poured on me from
the first minutes that I am here, in Kyrgyzstan. Olya, no doubt is one of them.
Her faith is as strong as the rock. And her determination to dwell in God with
such a devotion and confidence, is like a living a model for me. Olya, lives in
Kyrgyzstan for more than four years already, doing her ministry with children
and youth, serving in her church and in many other ways being a light and
comfort for locals. Sadly, soon I will have to say good buy to her.
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| My first short trip trip to mountains. If we ignore a heavy traffic it took us less than half an hour to get here. Almost like walking from home in Klaipeda to the beach. With our team and locals Andrei and Dima. |
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| Dima on the left and Andrei. And I still cannot decide what I like here more, mountains or their roaring rivers.. |
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| I like to close my eyes and think of what if all this never existed. If instead of skies and starts we would see colorless cavity and instead all meadows and mountains a plain gravel field. Then, perhaps, we would not have any cameras because there would not be anything worth to take pictures of, neither we would have facebook - not much to share about, nor there would be same taste receptors for what could we possibly eat on the gravel. Oh, lets open our eyes now and appreciate what was created for us. |
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| Mountain cattle. Following the wise one. |
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| Even though it was my first yurt I actually laid my hand on, I do not count it in, as this yurt was more of commercial one, like an addition to the restaurant. Yurts are very practical for they are made of felt and therefore can be water and wind proof. |
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| Walking and exploring surroundings. High fences seem to be very common here. |
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| Such a God-loving church. In my concept of worship, dance was not really included, but I saw how it is done here, and it opened my mind immensely! |
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| Locals waiting for something..I just cannot understand what is that. In the meanwhile they play cards or chat. They have their bags hanging on the branches and ready to go. But where? They don`t seem to hitchhike, or they do it here in a different way. |
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| On the way to Sosnovka, village located to the west from Bishkek. Just at the foot of mountains. |
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| Vadim and Natalija established a family style orphanage in Sosnovka village in 2001. Now there live twenty three children. I liked that parents are very welcome and well respected here, even though if they lost their parenting rights. It is my second orphanage in village that I visited in one month (first one in Ukraine). You can feel God`s presence in both places. |
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Oh, we, adults. We want to grow up and
once we are, we are so quick to forget what it means genuine smile.. Here is a
great example. I think his name is Timor, but my radars can be
wrong.
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| They also do farming, in the territory of this orphanage. |
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| I took this picture for my dad to see how the cows look here. I hope it was worth taking, and so he will read my blog. |
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| Sacred place. Muslim cemetery. From the first glance these round and square house-like imitations, are actual graves. It was hard, however, to understand whether they belong to one family or are, rather arranged by some kind of social, political or religious status. |
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| Very interesting attributes and decors. Crescent and star are recent symbols of an Islam, where in early Islam any graphical symbol was negatively associated with other religions. |
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| Meeting my dear friend Meerim from Bishkek. So much to catch up! |
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| Orto - Sai market in the south of Bishkek. I am not of a big shopper, but I already see that some exceptions here. Where else if not in the market you can get so close to the local people? |
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| Shapes and colors. Very eye and stomach catching. My first tried basil nuts, reminded me of some fat creamy/chocolate consistency. I hope they come like that naturally. |
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| Uighur Cuisine. Meal is called Lagman. |
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Local bread.
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