Youth Delegation Update

Posted by Zach Matchett, delegate

Note:  The youth delegation, consisting of 8 high school students and two leaders, arrived in Kazakhstan today.  They will be working with several different groups of youth as they learn more about the Kazakh culture.

Hello all!  Our Kazakhstan team has made it safely to Taraz.  Everyone seems to be in good spirits after long flights/layovers on the way here, getting through customs in Almaty, and a rather “eventful” and exciting bus ride here with our first exposure to the first typical bathroom J  Naturally, we are all tired but now we are at our host home for the evening getting a shower (woo hoo!) and getting ready to go to dinner at Café Istanbul and spending some time at the Square (central part of town where many Kazakhs like to hang out).  We are hoping to make it to 10:00 before going to sleep, but we’ll see how that goes for all of us…ha ha!

Our time in Amsterdam was good and the weather was perfect for some sightseeing and our canal tour of the city.  However, the tour was so relaxing and so “informative,” Lauren and Rachel saw it as a prime opportunity for a nap.  Cheater cheater, pumpkin eaters!!  I can’t blame them…we have tried to grab our rest when we can while still trying to overcome our jet lag by staying up to get used to the new time zone.  Overall, we did get some sleep on the flights (while not an ideal amount) and made them go a little bit quicker.  Now that we are here, in spite of our drowsiness, we are so excited to be here and to get started!

First impression of Kazakhstan, you ask…I’ll be honest, it was just about what I expected: plenty of European cars, suspect bathrooms, and new foods to try.  I am excited to see how plans unfold and the Kazakhs we interact with.  Beth Turnock, the director of Interlink here in Kaz, briefed us on how to stay away from some cultural faux pas.

If you’ve been worried if we made it here or not, we are all safe and well. Tomorrow we will leave for three days at the Vanofka orphanage.  Expect more updates as our trip unfolds.