Have you ever heard of Krgzstan? I hadn’t – until a local pastor’s wife offered to share with our group about a mission trip that she took there.
She began by showing our children just how far away this country is located. It must have taken forever to get there!
She brought along her photo album, and with the kids all seated on the floor around her, she shared about her experiences there. Some of the highlights were:
- At the time she took her trip, about 15 years ago, this country would not allow Christian evangelism. She spent a summer there with other college students working for an undercover Christian school under the guise of teaching English.
- There were tall mountains within the borders that were always snow-capped, even in the summertime. The natives were not often financially able to visit them, but her group took a trip to a super-rustic “resort” to go skiing. I’m not sure that anything with squatty-potties qualifies as ‘resort’ material in my book, but apparently it does in Asia.
- The most common foods eaten were fruits and vegetables, and everything was made from scratch at home. Boxed and other convenience foods were not available. Neither were grocery stores – most food was purchased from street vendors, and anybody could set up a table and call it a shop.
- Far from an ocean, there was a large lake with a sandy beach. It was beautiful – especially with those mountains in the distance on the other side.
- With no water available and hot summer weather, native kids liked playing in local city fountains. Bathing suits were not common, however – so they played in their underwear.
Our friend bought this at a local market. She’s not sure what it is but liked the variety of colors and fabrics. It’s very 3-D with lots of folded fabric sewn onto a base. The kids loved feeling it.
