first recital

We had our first recital at Ayan art! I'm so proud of everyone, and it went well. The first recital can be a little nerve racking for the teachers, because we don't know how our students will respond to the pressure of performing in front of people, and how well they are prepared reflects on us, and our teaching (even if in the long run 99% of a student's ability play is based on natural talent and drive) So we were all nervous and expecting it to be a pretty painful hour of something, but in the end every one played really well, and it all sounded and came off nice. So for us it was really encouraging that our students are doing well, and they are able to play well in front of an audience and in general was a big encouragement to everyone! Praise God!

Spring

Well I thought I should add an update after my last depressing one:-), so my faithful readers don't think I feel like that all the time. Spring is here!! I can't tell you how much this city changes with the come of spring. It seems like it comes over night. All those miserable days of rain and no heat have turned in the city into a bright green beautiful sight! The lilacs are blooming, cherry trees are blooming, all the bushes of in full leaf andd the trees are almost in full leaf. The mountains are beautiful, and they have cleaned up all the trash, and in my apartment building they even respackled and painted it so it's very clean! It's warm now too, mid-70's everyday, so no more cold, praise God! So in general life is all good again:-)!!

So my only other news is that I'm coming home for three months in May and I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family again! Looking forward to NYC and time with Peter, and Hampton and time with Molly at her school and time with the rest of my friends and family, and looking forward to coffee shops and bagels, and pizza (that I didn't make:-)) Looking forward to a yard that I can sit outside in, and a quiet town without lots and lots and lots of people always making noise. Looking forward to driving a car again, Yipee!!! And in short looking forward to being back in my родная страна (the land of my birth)!!!

P.S. Blogger went Russian on me again...I can't figure out why at random times it comes up in Russian....

April showers bring May flowers

It’s April 1st and it’s raining, and it’s been grey and cloudy for a week here now. So I’m trying to convince myself that it is starting to look greener outside, and trying to convince myself that rain isn’t all that bad, but it’s hard. I love Kyrgyzstan but honestly the last month has been really heavy in all ways. The city is grey, the trees are bare and the ground is covered with trash that has been litered all winter long. There are rats running all over in the gutters and they have shut off the heat when it is still freezing outside and there is no sun so it is freezing inside. Word on the street is that they are turning off the hot water for 2 months sometime this week.

But unfortunately not just the outside is so miserable, the government here is in turmoil, the Prime Minister has stepped down along with many other members of the government, and there are demonstrations planned. Who knows what will happen with all that.

Then there are the very rich and every one else. There are tons of new apartment buildings going up around the city, and the apartments are all sold out before they even build the building, but they cost 150,000-250,000 dollars in cash up front. Who has that kind of money here? Not my friends. Everyone I talk to says that to make 100 or 150 dollars a month is good money. My musician friends make even less. The premier orchestra in the country makes 40 dollars a month. Teachers in the music schools make 40 dollars a month. Hardly enough to pay for transportation there and back. It’s hard to make an honest living here, and I feel for my friends who have no prospect of ever making enough to move out of home, or to find a place they can call their own.

It often seems there is no hope in Kyrgyzstan, that things will never be better, but I’m reminded that my hope is in God and that he can prosper Kyrgyzstan if he wants to. He can give hope to the hopeless situations and he provides for the needs of his children. So through the heaviness of this month and life here in Kyrgyzstan, I’m reminded of where my hope needs to come from and reminded of his faithfulness by the love I have for my friends here, their smiles and hugs and laughter are sunshine. He gives hope and keeps us going even when we are tired. So even though March has been hard...I know spring is coming and sunshine and warm weather and that my hope will be renewed.