International Short-Term Trips

No water = No life…a simple phrase voiced by a widow in Barek Aub, but it holds so much truth. In a place whose name means “broken water,” it’s not hard to put a visual to this truth.   

Today was the day we got to visit Barek Aub.

I think for most of us, the love we feel for Afghanistan began in this dusty, remote, community full of survivors, whether you’ve ever stepped foot on the rocky paths, sat on the floor of a one-room mud house, or viewed it in photographs from the big screen in Lafayette, Barek Aub is where it started for most of us.

As we left the busy chaos of Kabul far behind, and pulled around the last final bend into Barek Aub, I was almost giddy with anticipation. Would it look different? Would we see faces we recognize? Would we feel hope? Yes, Yes and Yes. In some ways, I could answer “no” to the same questions, but my love for this place makes it hard to. Without doubt it has grown. And we most definitely saw many faces we have come to know and love, and the recognition was mutual. And with growth and development, there is always a sense of hope for what’s to come.

Our team of women spent the day seeing the evidence of past hopes fulfilled…from the 2 pump stations, to the schools, to the clinic. We got to visit with a room of women in a literacy class, learning how to read and write in Dari. We got to laugh and joke with a few widows who fed us wonderfully fresh naan and spoke of years of survival. And we got to see the how awesome the clinic is through the eyes of the nursing student on our team, like the importance of using new needles, and the family planning focus that has ensured healthier babies and healthier families.

As we have said over and over, Afghanistan is a place of contrasts. In the midst of seeing the cool things mentioned above, we also witnessed firsthand the harshness of this place as one of our teammates passed out (she recovered quickly and is fine now), and another teammate had to spend a portion of the afternoon in the car to cool off. The heat and remoteness (translate, long car drive), took its toll on us, and reminds us of how daily life out here is far from easy. In both cases though, it was water that refreshed

We began our day asking for God’s eyes and God’s heart as we went through the day. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we got to once again see that He loves this place. He loves these people. And there is hope. The hope we feel is really only found in water…living water. No water = no life. Living water = Life. 

As we wind down from our day, playing mafia, and laughing until our sides hurt, I’m reminded of how powerful the relationships are between women. Which makes me all the more anxious to see how our creative God might use relationships to bring water to these women we have come to love.    Kelly

The day began early…as usual. The bright sun was shining through the windows reminding us of the glowing day yet to come. Today was the day we were going to the zoo! I have not been to a zoo anywhere in years let alone in Kabul, Afghanistan. There were one hundred animals and insects in total to be seen.

After breakfast we drove over to the zoo and waited for the first bus full of students to arrive. The rumbling of the packed bus was soon heard along with the laughter of the students on the bus. Seeing the smiling faces, wide-eyed looks, and bubbling up joy from their hearts made us all realize what a meaningful day this would be for them. We had not yet realized how it would impact our hearts as we walked along the pathway through the zoo. 

By the time we passed the ostriches (translated “camel chicken”) all of our hands were grabbed by the little ones, and the beautiful transferring of love and joy began. It was so incredible to see in cultures seemingly so different there are still some commonalities: bears can make you take a double look, jumping jackals are scary, and peacocks are beautiful. The children could hardly contain their excitement as we walked from exhibit to exhibit, and the team’s ear-to-ear grins were not to be missed by any. 

Although, the two trips to the zoo were very different from one school to the next, the team still saw the sense of innocence, raw excitement, and sheer joy coming from both groups of God’s children. I began to really make sense of why Jesus told His followers to be child-like. The essence of a child is like nothing else on this planet: simple, helpless, trusting, and humble without accomplishments. The children taught us so much, we can only hope they caught a glint of the amount of love we have for them and why we have the burning desire to serve them and make sure they know they are loved now and forever.  Ashley

Two deals on the table….the choice we have to follow the path that Jesus shows us to a better life or the path that eventually leads to destruction. You can almost close your eyes and hear Jim or Scott talking about “two deals on the table.” Right? OK… hold that thought, I will get back to it later.

So let me paint the picture of the 5^th day of our trip. The weather was amazing, after 4 days of heat the temperature was mild and there was a light breeze under bright blue skies. We headed out early to the new Kabul school for a day of teaching about the fruit of the spirit. When we walked into the walled courtyard we were all struck with the same thought…. this is different. We quickly discovered that the kids are happy and energetic, the teachers love their jobs, the community is cared for and the kids WANT to be here!

We quickly organized into teaching and support teams and had a great time teaching the students about the fruit of the spirit and how having these gifts helps you have a better life. We gave each child a drawing of a tree with the gifts of the spirit labeled as fruit on the tree along with crayons. Now let me take a moment to explain the pure joy these kids showed when they understood they were going to color the tree - themselves – some coloring for the first time ever! Imagine 250 kids excited about hearing a new message and coloring!!

During one of the breaks we had the opportunity to spend time with the principal at the new Kabul school. We were curious why this school felt different from others. He talked about choices each student has…. to be a scholar and become a great leader or to ignore the opportunity of an education and become a beggar in the street who cannot support his family. This principal believes he must provide an excellent environment for students so they are inspired/encouraged to stay in school and better provide for their future. Two deals on the table! Really, the same message several thousand miles from home.

He explained his mission is to provide an environment where kids will come to understand that they are loved, honored and challenged. He told us several things he does to create this environment… including making hand washing mandatory; packaging up left over food (they provide lunch for the students) and sending it home for families; taking attendance and contacting families when a student is missing for a day! Oh, and field trips – every kid loves field trips! Almost made me want to go back to school… almost.

I think all school principals are brave but this guy is super brave. When asked by the prestigious private IKS (International Kabul School) to bring his students to their school for the day, he accepted! He said he was initially concerned because of a food drive they ran at IKS which had minimal response. But he was completely thrilled when his students were accepted even embraced by the private school students! And when they did a food drive this year the response was overwhelming.

It was a great day….we got ‘schooled’ by this amazing principal, spent time with some joyful students sharing an important message, enjoyed lunch with an inspirational school staff and learned that the Truth is the Truth regardless of location, language or speaker.   

As soon as you arrive in Afghanistan you are struck with contrasts…the dramatic Hindu Kush mountains versus the brown deforested plains… kids with no shoes but displaying infectious smiles… bombed out buildings and new construction… speeding autos and mule drawn carts in the same lane of an 8 lane road. Contrasts! It is easy to look only at the deviation, the lack of resources, destruction and poverty… but today God showed us the contrast  of hope, love, growth and an inspired  teacher.  Mary

Sitting in the open doorway of the guesthouse patio, I find early morning relief from a few hot days. I know it’s warm at home, but 90+ with a chardor, three layers of clothing and a cup of hot tea it’s a different story. A woman’s life here creates the stamina required to survive. Kabul is slowly waking. Roosters crow, birds sing their morning song. As morning light melts over the city, I pray for the Light.

In the hazy distance, Prayer Hill. We climbed Prayer Hill once many trips ago. After passing through a cemetery, you come upon an abandoned swimming pool built by the Russians all those years ago. So many have left their mark here…and the city has left such a mark on me.

I struggle to find hope that lasting change is on the horizon. Centuries have led to the current state…how many days, years, heartbreaking centuries must Afghans wait to live in peace? The coming year is full of so much potential, so much at stake. In the meantime I pray: you’re the King of these people.

A visit to the Darul Aman Palace gave us an incredible opportunity to tour the interior. We climbed to the third story and peered out over a city that’s growing, changing, anticipating. The scars from years of violent war have enveloped the Palace – what a symbol of a lost time we had the privilege to discover. 

Bless the Afghan woman we continue to connect with. She is the life of Afghanistan. Her beauty, her pain, her simplicity, her complexity. I’m in awe. She is the key, the hope.

The early morning call to prayer has begun…and my prayer continues: greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city.  Amanda

Step by step. So far I feel like this is what our trip has been about. From our travels to every relationship we have had. Walking into the Kabul school yesterday we had an overwhelming sense of joy. To see little faces get insanely excited by remembering us from previous trips was an incredible feeling as was introducing new members of our team to the staff and teachers.

Today we split the team up. Half of us went back to the school and the other half went on home visits. At the school we went back to play games to reiterate the fruit of the spirit. Step by step they each started remembering more qualities of the fruit of the spirit. From the translators to the teachers to the students, each one is hoping that these qualities (love, hope, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, and thankfulness)  will improve lives and their countries future.

For the other half of the day we went on home visits. Preparing for the day we all felt that talking to women has been a step by step process. Time spent with these ladies is super significant. In the first visits several years ago we started with small chats and gift giving. Today we enjoyed more in-depth conversations and have hope for long conversations in the future. Women love to chat, you know!

We are praising Him for every person we meet, every conversation and chance to share our lives with each other. I feel so special to be a part of this process and thankful for each one of us being on the team. Megan

It’s all about relationship. At least that’s the way it should be. There wouldn’t be much purpose in teams of people traveling 36 hours (13 of them stuffed into one seat with 12 inches between your nose and the back of someone’s head), meeting a bunch of new folks who speak a different language, taking a tour of the city, handing out some school supplies, medical supplies, coats (fill in the blank), and returning home to have another team repeat the process months later. 

This morning our team woke to be reunited with staff women here that we love and have been excited to see as we prepared for this trip. With five of eight team members returning for their third time (or more), the scene was more like reconnecting and catching up at a family reunion. Our relationships picked up where they had left off, and moved forward today as we talked more about each others’ children and families, unexpected losses, special occasions, and the struggles that mark real life for women in all places, all over the world.

As we taught lessons to several hundred street kids at the Kabul school today, we experienced the same reconnection and renewing of relationships. Some of the kids we have come to know over the past several years have completed their studies here and moved on. It was a joy both for us and the kids when we recognized those kids we are now watching grow taller, more confident, and more prepared for a potentially better life. Previous teams have taught the kids lessons in counting, colors, language connections, and then more deep lessons about the story of the prodigal son from the Bible. We had the pleasure today of sharing with the kids a lesson about the fruit of the spirit, what that means, and how it changes our lives. 

What is true here, right now, with this team, is true in every relationship wherever we are. As you get to know someone more deeply, you are allowed to be more open. As relationships deepen, we can share the really important things with each other. Things like the truth we believe that makes us who we are, and determines our priorities. Things like how we can have joy and peace when all the circumstances of our lives contradict that possibility. We took deep and meaningful steps today. We walked openly and joyfully into sharing who we are and what we value. The steps were so easy as we looked into the beautiful eyes of kids we so easily love, kids we will see again.

It was a truly beautiful day! Karen

The furthest east I’ve ever travelled in America was to Atlanta, Georgia. Needless to say, the arrival into the Dubai airport, yesterday, was quite a culture shift. It was surreal. I remember not wanting to miss a thing and to soak up every bit of this new experience but also not wanting to stare and end up creating more curiosity than we had already created as eight American women walking through Dubai’s airport. We spent the day there and decided to venture to the top of the Burj Khalifa and experience Dubai’s beautiful cityscape from a wood balcony somewhere around 2,000 feet above ground.

This morning, we ate breakfast and headed to the airport to continue our adventure to Kabul. It was hot and humid in Dubai so Kabul’s dry heat was a welcome relief. A couple of us had some anxiety before arriving into Kabul. Although our faith, hope and trust was in God, there were people from past teams that shared concerns with us about the intimidation of Kabul’s airport. I honestly felt more comfortable and at peace in that airport than I’ve ever felt in any other place I’ve visited.

The guesthouse and its hosts are incredibly welcoming and are already teaching me more about hospitality than I’ve ever witnessed before.

Our team’s anticipation is high as we continue our adventure tomorrow. For now, sleep.  Jen

The team has arrived in Dubai, heading out to dinner and some sightseeing.

Today was are final day to work for Musana. We started the day off at the dairy farm finishing planting the trees and digging for the chicken coup. We got to eat lunch with the kids and we ended up making a Musana Harlem Shake Video which is absolutely amazing! It turned out so good you guys will all think it’s great. It is crazy to think that this journey is slowly coming to an end. We only have 2 more days with the kids before we leave this Thursday. It’s great to know that I’m going to see all my family and friends again, but at the same time very sad that all these new relationships we made are coming to an end. For most of us we may never see all these kids, staff, or even come back to Musana again. I know God has his plan for us all and maybe this will help all of us in the future thinking about all the friends we made here. Peace and love and all the above see all of you soon. Alex

Today we woke up very early to distribute new mattresses to all of the kids beds. We had a plan in place for how we would move and unwrap 150 mattresses but as soon as the kids saw what we were doing, they jumped in and and started to help…. Which was, as you can imagine, very joyful and chaotic at the same time. After the mattresses were in place we made our way to the chicken coup’s that are being built on the property… They have already built 5 coups in the past month, but we started the construction process of digging the foundation for number 6 and 7.

After lunch we joined the kids for a very competitive round of volleyball. Which by the way,  I am sad to say that our group of college students can’t seem to beat a bunch of 10 year olds… so we split the teams mixing our group with the kids. Much more fun that way if you ask me!

This evening we had dinner at the guest house with all of the Musana Department heads. We all sat in the Gazebo talking for hours, sharing stories and learning about the amazing jobs they have at Musana. Tomorrow, we are heading back to Bukonko (location of Musana’s Dairy Farm) to work for the day.