“I’m really, really thankful that these people blessed me.  I’m thankful to you.”

-Aigul, Summer 2014 and 2015

Growing up in an orphanage in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Aigul never dreamed that she would have the opportunity to see America.

After meeting Aigul in fall 2013, we knew we would move mountains if that’s what it would take to get her to Jacksonville. And, though nothing short of a miracle, she came.

Through her job as a camp counselor at Nocatee, she was able to make 6x the amount of money that she would make in an entire year.  That money was able to pay for furniture and even provide her with enough to put towards savings.

But Aigul’s life was changed far beyond anything money can buy. She lived life with families, experienced true community, and further explored what an American workplace and relationships truly looked like.

To this day, Aigul would say she came to America to learn the tools to transform her city, specifically the context where she grew up.  After she returned to America, she married an amazing man who she grew up within the orphanage.  Together, they served as the “Mom and Dad” in a local orphanage- loving on kids and providing a life for them that they never had before.

And in 2016, Aigul and Bolat were able to adopt their first child- sweet Dimmash.  Aigul is thriving and truly making a difference in her city, changing lives forever.