Lada update

Lada's surgery has been scheduled for October 26th in Moscow!

A GREAT Success!

Our first annual Walk for Kaz was a great success!

Our goal for the walk was to raise money to put towards the $10,000 we need for the 100 Beds for Sleepyheads Campaign. With the help of the 104 registrants and sponsors, Walk for Kaz raised $10,123.28! We are overwhelmed, shocked, amazed and genuinely thankful that we will be able to purchase 100 new beds and 100 new mattresses for the children at the Ulan Orphanage in Taraz, Kazakhstan!

The weather was great, the families were wonderful and everyone had a blast! Please "like" Walk for Kaz on facebook to see some pictures!

Congratulations and thank you to the following winners:

~ Team Kazmanian Devils for raising the most money ($3831.25), having the most team spirit and the most members!

~ Joanne Morley of NY for raising the most money for an individual, $1795!

~ Nick Kitzman of KY for raising the most money for a child, $876.25!

~ Lory Printy of OH for the fastest finish with a stroller!

~ David Prud'homme, Angela Reinoehl and Michele Torre for placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd!

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to Alaina Falk and family, Ann Hochstetler and family, Gretchen Bilbro and family and our many sponsors and volunteers for putting on this great event!

Blessings,

Kim and Stacy

Walk for Kaz

In 11 days 92 walkers will take to Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis to raise awareness and money for the orphans in Kazakhstan. Please consider being part of the fun!

The schedule of events are as follows:

Friday, September 24th:

~6:30-8:30 pm: "Meet and Mingle" pizza party at the Clarion Hotel. This is a separate fee of $8 per adult, $4 per child. Pizza party is optional but is great way to meet the other families walking for Kaz.

Saturday, September 25th:

~8:30 am: Registration begins. A registration table will be set up for check in and to pick up bags.

~9:30 am: Walk begins

~11:30 am: Family fun! Including lunch, bounce house, face painting! There is also a playground on site! Prizes will be handed out for the largest team, most team spirit, best decorated stroller or wagon, and most money raised by a team, individual or child.

Families and individuals can register up until 9:30 am on 9/25. Cost for the event is $20 per person or $50 per family (up to 6 members). Children under 2 are free. For each additional family member there will be a charge of $5. Lunch will be provided only to those that register.

Check out Walk for Kaz and register today!

More photos

New toothpaste and toothbrushes for the older children

Second floor installations complete

New pipes and faucets installed

2011 Cherished Children

WE HAVE REACHED 75 CHILDREN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please check back in December to purchase your copy of this great calendar.

If you have any questions please let us know. photos@twoheartsforhope.org

All the proceeds from our 2011 calendar will go to our 100 Beds for Sleepyheads campaign.

Update on Lada

Lada will have surgery in Moscow at the A.N. Bakulev Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. Her parents chose to continue using her Russian doctor who has performed Lada's two previous surgeries. The appointment will be made in the next two weeks at which point we will wire the donation money directly to an account set up in Lada's name at the hospital. Your donations have also allowed us to bless Lada and her family with plane tickets and a room at the hospital hotel for the duration of her stay in Moscow.

We are still continuing to pray her surgery will be done late fall/early winter!

Thank you again for supporting Lada!

Water filtration pictures

Here are some pictures of the systems that have already been installed. Pipes were replaced in two locations and two systems were installed last night, one in the cafeteria and one in the older children's area. Our team is working on replacing more pipes this weekend and will put more systems in on Tuesday.

We thought you might like to see some of the faces of the beautiful children at the Karakastek baby home who will now have clean water:

Water filtration update

This week our team in Kazakhstan began working on the water filtration systems for the Karakastek orphanage. When they started to drill the pipes were crumbling into dust and 6 faucets needed to be replaced. We decided that we needed to replace all of the pipes leading into the places that the water filters were being installed. The director has asked for government assistance to replace plumbing but have yet to receive it.

We are installing 8 systems:

- 3 on the baby floor, floor 3

- 4 on floor 2 where the older children live (bath, brush their teeth and drink)

- 1 larger unit in the cafeteria where they prepare all the food.

We were also asked to install 8 soap dispensers in the bathroom, one by each sink on the older children's floor. Right now the children are using laundry soap to wash their hands so of course we said yes to helping provide this basic necessity. In addition to the soap, each child received a new toothbrush and toothpaste.

Pictures of the progress coming soon!

2011 Cherished Children

We are now accepting photos for our 2011 calendar!

If you would like your child to be featured please send us ONE photo of your child along with the region he/she was adopted from by October 1st!

Photos need to be 90KB or higher.

In order to create the best possible calendar we are limited to 75 pictures. When we reach this limit we will stop accepting photos so ACT FAST!

Please send your child's photo to photos@twoheartsforhope.org

All the proceeds from our 2011 calendar will go to our 100 Beds for Sleepyheads campaign.

Goal reached!

A very heartfelt thank you to all who donated towards Lada's surgery! We have reached our goal and Lada will have surgery by the end of the year. Check back for updates!

Latte for Lada

Would you consider giving your morning coffee to save a life? Please consider donating $5 tomorrow, Monday August 23rd to help us reach our goal of providing Lada with a life saving heart surgery.

Our goal is to collect the funds by September 15th so she can have late fall/early winter surgery.

To read about her story, please click here!

We are only $670 away from our goal, help us reach it TODAY!

Deadline

Sunday is the last day to send in those family recipes for our cookbook!

If you are interested in being included please send ONE or TWO of your favorite family recipes with the following information by August 15th!

- Name
- State you live in
- Name of children
- Region your Kazakh cutie was adopted from
- The date your adoption was finalized


Please send recipe(s) to recipes@twoheartsforhope.org.

Our 2nd edition will feature more Kazakh recipes along with great family recipes!

Thank you for your support!

Mission Trip 2011

Who
Those who are interested and willing to make a difference in the lives of orphans by carrying out God’s will. All members of the team should have a flexible attitude and be ready for some good old fashion hard work while also understanding that this will be a very emotional trip. We only have 8 spots for this trip and will not hold any. Members will be taken on a “first come, first serve” basis.

What
A mission trip to Taraz, Kazakhstan to build and replace 100 beds and mattresses.

When
Friday, September 23, 2011 – Sunday, October 2, 2011

Where
Ulan Children’s Home in Taraz, Kazakhstan. The orphanage is home to 100 kids, ages 4-16

Why
We were asked to complete this project because most of the bed frames are broken and the mattresses are falling apart. They are very old and have not been replaced in many years. The orphanage has been trying to replace them since 2006.

How
In order to get to Kazakhstan, we need to supply the beds. Please consider making a donation towards our "100 beds for sleepyheads" campaign.

Cost
The cost of the trip will be $3500 per person. The cost includes airfare from your nearest international* airport, train ticket from Almaty to Taraz, lodging, driver/translator, insurance, food within Kazakhstan, and travel visas. All donations made towards your trip are tax-deductible within the guidelines given by the IRS.

Schedule of fees
A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot and is due by February 1, 2011.

Your balance will be due by June 1, 2011.
A person is not considered a part of the trip until the deposit has been made.

*You are responsible for purchasing a ticket on any domestic flight you would need to reach the International airport.
To request an information packet or if you have any questions, please email Kim at kim@twoheartsforhope.org.

URGENT REQUEST!!

We have been asked to find sponsors for a child in Kazakhstan that is is need of Urgent Heart Surgery. Of course this is something that is very close to our hearts. As most of you know, and for those that do not, Kim's daughter had a very serious heart defect that she was born with and without surgery she could have died. So when we received this request we knew it was something we had to help with.

Meet Lada Khon:



She was born in Taraz, Kazakhstan on June 1,2001 with a very serious heart defect. Since the beginning of her life she has suffered many problems. Her hair didn't grow, she had difficulties breathing, frequent nose bleeds, and the pressure in her lungs was twice as much as it should have been. Her parents found sponsors and had one surgery in 2006, but during that surgery the doctors saw that there were more defects and if they tried to fix them then she wouldn't have survived, So they only did half of it. They said later, they did what usually is done in 3 operations. Now she urgently needs another one. In Kazakhstan this type of surgery is not possible, so she has to travel along with one parent to the Moscow Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. They can not schedule this surgery until they have the money and this surgery cost $8000.00 not including airfare to Moscow and the parents hotel stay while they are there. Her parents love her and pray for her daily but can not afford this surgery. Can you imagine being helpless and watching your child suffer and not being able to help? We can help and with your support we can get Lada the operation she needs.

We know that with everyday that passes Lada could die. We have a generous donor that said they would match up to $4000.00, so technically we are already half way there. We are in desperate need of donors today to help us raise the other half of the cost of her surgery. You can donate via the paypal button on the right sidebar or by visiting our website. 100% of what you donate is tax deductible. You can also mail a check to Two Hearts for Hope, PO Box 1928, Lebanon, MO 65536. Make sure to put Lada Khon in the memo.

We have all supporting documents (they have not been translated to english yet) that we can show you if requested proving that this little girl needs us NOW. Please email us at info@twoheartsforhope.org if you have any questions about Lada or her surgery.

Thank you for helping us provide a life saving operation for Lada Khon!!

UPDATE:

We did get back the translated medical records and this is her diagnosis:

DIAGNOSIS BEFORE SURGERY in 2006: ventricular septal defect (antigen); Preductalcoarctation of the aorta, tricuspid valve insufficiency (3 level or degree), pulmonary valve insufficiency (2 level).

DISCHARGE NOTES FROM 2006: Septal defect (antigen), Open Ductus arteriosus
insufficiency of Tricuspid valve (level 2).

If you would like to review any of this please let us know.

Please consider helping Lada today!

Walk for Kaz

Don't forget to register for Walk for Kaz today! There is only one month left for early registration!

Walk for Kaz is also looking for generous organizations and families to sponsor some of the needs associated with planning the event. If you are interested in sponsoring any of the following, let us know:

Water

Water bottles

Face painting

T-shirts

Prizes/gift bags

This would be a great way for families not able to attend to show your support for Two Hearts for Hope!

Funds will also be needed to cover expenses such as printing, postage, registration packets, medals for winners, signs and media releases. Our goal is to raise enough sponsorship monies to at least offset all expenses so that 100% of the participant entry fees can benefit Two Hearts for Hope.

Check out the Walk for Kaz website for sponsorship information or contact us at info@walkforkaz.com and help us reach our goal today!

Thanks!

Calling all cooks!

We are busy organizing the 2nd edition of our "Cooking for Kaz" family cookbook and WE NEED YOU!

If you are interested in being included please send ONE or TWO of your favorite family recipes with the following information by August 15th!

- Name
- State you live in
- Name of children
- Region your Kazakh cutie was adopted from
- The date your adoption was finalized


Please send recipe(s) to recipes@twoheartsforhope.org.

Our 2nd edition will feature more Kazakh recipes along with great family recipes!

Thank you for your support!

Necklace fundraiser

Show your love for adoption! Two Hearts for Hope has teamed up with Bashful Bliss to bring you these adorable, one of a kind adoption necklaces. Bashful Bliss is a unique and fun company that enjoys giving back! They design glass tile necklaces with the idea to give a little "happy" to someone and allow them to find bliss in the "little" things in life!

Each necklace is hand-made with a 1' x 1' inch glass tile in Kazakhstan colors attached to a coordinating ribbon cord by a sterling silver bail. Each necklace is 18' inches in length with a 2' lobster clasp. We have three styles for you to chose from: "Chosen", "Forever" and "Miracle." Necklaces are $15 plus $3 for shipping and 100% of the money will go towards our continued efforts in Kazakhstan.

To purchase, visit our website - www.twoheartsforhope.org

Kazapalooza

This past weekend we were in Milwaukee at Kazapalooza. We were chosen to be the charity this year to which all proceeds from the raffle on Saturday went.

On our recent trip to Kazakhstan we were approached by the orphanage doctor asking for help in purchasing a water filtration system. Our board decided that this is a fantastic way to improve the lives of the orphans at Karakastek. Our fundraising goal was $3000. With this money we will purchase 6 water systems and 24 replacement filters.

The Karakastek orphanage is located in the Almaty region and is home to children age birth to 7 years old. The baby home houses anywhere from 75 to 125 at a given time. It is a village orphanage that is only supported by the local government and is very poor and under funded. The children lack proper nutrition, are very small and often sick. Part of the reason for their sickness and malnutrition is poor water conditions. Most children adopted from Karakastek come home with bacteria or parasites that are caused by drinking or ingesting contaminated water. Just looking at statistics of children that are adopted with parasites we are sure that many of the children still waiting for a family are also infected. We can change their diets or supply vitamins but it will only do so much if the water is not also changed.

We are so happy to report that the wonderfully generous families at Kazapalooza raised $5581 for our project!

The systems will be purchased and installed in July. Thank you Kazapalooza for choosing Two Hearts and thanks to all the great families for your support!

Mission Trip video

A brief look into our trip, enjoy:

New fundraisers

T-Shirts:

While we were in Kazakhstan, the children of the Zhanyua Children's Home (formerly CH #3) in Almaty painted shirts for us. These shirts were designed by Kaz parents Matt and Suzanne Ruley and have our logo on the front with a picture of the playground on the back. The playground has been colored and signed by a child. Each shirt will come with an info sheet on the child artist.

The sizes available are as follows:
Youth small - 12
Youth medium - 1
Youth large - 1
Adult small - 4
Adult medium - 45
Adult large - 35
Adult XL - 19
Adult XXL - 9

Shirts are $20 for adult sizes and $15 for youth sizes. The proceeds from these shirts will go towards our continued efforts to help the orphans of Kazakhstan.

A huge thank you to Matt and Suzanne for their idea with these t-shirts!

You can purchase the shirts on our website, www.twoheartsforhope.org

1st Annual Walk for Kaz:

Please join us for our 1st Annual family friendly 5K Run/Walk to be held September 25, 2010 at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. All proceeds will go directly to Two Hearts For Hope, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization.

Walk for Kaz is the vision of four moms to children born in Kazakhstan. Alaina, Ann, Gretchen and Kim have dedicated their lives to helping give back to the children still waiting for their forever families. Each woman left a piece of their heart in Kazakhstan and could never forget the children left behind. These women serve with Two Hearts for Hope, a 501 3C nonprofit that has reached a countless number of children in Kazakhstan through the generosity of many people.

Our goal is to raise awareness for the plight of the orphan in Kazakhstan. There are 143 million orphans in the world and of that an estimated 100,000 live in the country of Kazakhstan. All proceeds collected from this walk will go directly to supporting Two Hearts for Hope on their mission to make sure the orphans have the basic necessities every child deserves.

Please come join us as we bring HOPE to Kazakhstan's orphans, one step at a time