It's good to be home!

We arrived back in Kyrgyzstan last Friday after four wonderful weeks in the UK. Most of the time was holiday, and we could not have chosen a better time to be there, as we arrived at the beginning of the 'heatwave' and it only rained on three days! We were very fortunate too that for three of the weeks that we were there we were staying within an easy walk of the sea, so were able to swim on most days (and often at least twice!). It was lovely to see our families and many friends and we were very blessed by the meals, conversations and generosity that we were shown throughout our stay.

Our first day - just below Beachy Head on the South Downs

An evening on Eastbourne beach

Fighting the tide with cousins on Aberdovey Beach, Wales

On top of Cadair Idris, North Wales

Overlooking Aberdovey Estuary








Nevertheless, by the end of the time we were looking forward to getting back home; Felix in particular was looking forward to getting to grips with his latest toy, an electronic drum kit which he had saved up for and bought a while back on e-bay. It is now set up in his room and so far the neighbours have not said anything...

In our absence, there has been some really good progress in the work that Oasis is involved with. In particular, the three boys from the transition home who had taken exams before we left received their exam results and all did well, one of them exceptionally. They have all now got places in university - something unheard of for boys who have come through the Government 'Reform School'. We are also excited that one of the other boys, about whom we had been very concerned, suddenly took the initiative to visit, sit exams and then enrol at a local art college, and is really making a big effort to start the next chapter of his life. They will all be moving into university / college dorms over the coming week, which is another big step for them and we are preparing to walk with them on this journey. One of the boys however is still a cause for concern; he did not do as well in the exams as he hoped and he has yet to find a place in college.

It took a while to get over jet-lag and go to sleep / wake up at the right times, but we are all very happy to be back and are really looking forward to the year ahead!