Afghanistan

Go into all the world and preach to all creation

Pictures of the dust here and how I deal with it.

Sunday, May 8th

I went to Sunday morning church today.  Since usually I teach on Sunday mornings, this was my first opportunity to go (because of the down day).  It occurred to me that what our community is feeling was much like what we felt after 911.  That was a tragic blow to our nation.

On our fateful Wednesday here in Kabul, the remaining Americans, military, DOD civilians, and contractors; were evacuated to a more secure compound on the Afghan base.  There were around 100 of us there who work on the Afghan side.  There were nine Americans murdered.  That is close to 10% of the Americans who worked there are no longer with us.  That is a pretty high percentage!  The community is grieving together.

I remember on the day of 911 . I was at my place of work at DLI, a school of many nations.  The international students wept with us, including the Arabic speakers.  Our grief was their grief.  Last night at the dorm, my Jordanian neighbor across the hall brought me a yellow sticky with John 11:25 written on it:  Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”  I was amazed.  A few minutes later he came back and told me that he was a Christian.  I was the first person here that he had shared that with.

The tragedy has brought us all closer together.  Those from other nations on this NATO base are also saddened by the loss.  I invited this Jordanian with limited English to go to chapel with me this morning.  He hesitantly agreed but afterwards said it was just like his church at home.  Jesus is the same.

Today is the first Sunday after Easter.  The enemy likes to attack at Easter time.  Easter is all about resurrection.  The disciples had to first experience the darkness of the cross before they could enter into the resurrection experience.  We are experiencing the darkness of grief.  But after the cross comes resurrection.

Tragedy opens doors.  During the sharing during the service, one military person said that on that day he was able to pray with some co-workers; that would never have happened in normal circumstances.  The chaplain shared that he had been able to share the Gospel with several people in leadership here with whom he had had no opportunity before.  I got to host four Muslim young women in my tiny bedroom.

Isaiah 59:19 KJV, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”  I think the Lord is saddened by our grief.  But He restores our souls and He comforts us.  We know the way forward is with Him.

Friday, April 30th

The memorial service was nice.  They had the rifles standing up with the helmets on top and boots at the bottom.  Very stirring.   Most people were fine throughout the service until the end.  Then they had a roll call. They called a couple of men's names and men from the audience answered "Here!"  then they called one of the victims.  No answer.  A second time.  Silence.  A third time.  Full name now.  No answer.  Then they went on to a couple more names which people in the audience answered, "Here!"  Then they called out a second victim's name.  No answer.  Three times for each name. For all nine fallen heroes.  You could hear many sniffles in the audience.  It was really sad.

Life is still not back to "normal."  We take it one day at a time.

Cindy

Thursday, April 28th

We are all grieving today.  Even though I was not close to any that died, I know that at least one was in my Air Advisory course.  He had just come up from "dangerous" Kandahar for a couple of days.  I spoke with him the day before.

It happened 2 buildings from where I was.  I heard the gunfire but didn't recognize it as such.  Most all students and staff were gone as we had canceled classes due to the holiday.  One non-English class was going on.  The students were outside on break.  They heard the shots and came running back in.  We immediately went on lockdown.  This class, one contract instructor, myself and one American sergeant were the only ones there.  Brenda had stayed at the dorms sick.  (She had her own lockdown adventure!)  The sergeant normally there had had to go to a meeting .  But he had arranged for one of his colleagues to be there so that I would not be alone.  I was so glad!!  (And so was he!)

We began to hear bits and pieces through the phone and an Afghan guard who came to the door and spoke to the students.  Then we looked out a back window that faces the clinic and saw people being carried to and from ambulances at the clinic.  We knew it was bad.  After a couple of hours, the Afghans on base began to move around so we released our Afghans but the two of us Americans stayed on lockdown.

In a bit more, American (and one Brit!) came from a more secure compound and escorted us there.  Eventually, we were all removed in an armored convoy.

I had given an ECL that morning to one of the 4 female Afghan pilots in training.  After the test, the four tried to leave to go home for the holiday but their car didn't make it to the gate before this happened.  So they were stuck.  Because my roommate had just left for R & R I had some sleeping space so they wound up staying with me for the night.  Five of us in our little room!  And, of course, we had a rocket attack during the night!  But we managed and got a little bit of sleep.  Not much.

There was a ceremony this morning on the tarmac to load up the 9 coffins on the plane out.  The girls were not permitted to be a part of that so I stayed back with them.  They eventually left mid-morning .  They were grieving just as much as the rest of us.  One victim was one of their mentors.

We are having a few down days.  A memorial service will be held Saturday.  It will never be back to the usual.  But life goes on.  The war effort goes on.  I am ready to go back as soon as they let us. The rain falls on the just and unjust alike.  So do bad things.  But I still trust my God even when I don't understand or am filled with grief.  These were our friends and neighbors.  We are all grieving and helping each other with that process.  It touches me when I see someone giving a cup of coffee, a gentle touch, a hug to someone who needs it.  The shared grief helps, I think.  Ps. 91:2, "I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."

These are my thoughts for now.  Thanks for caring with us.

Cindy

Praise God!  Cindy made it back safely from her time in Afghanistan. During her time in Afghanistan, her base was attacked.  Nine folks were killed.  Pray for peace in that land.

These are the helmets of the nine soldiers who died when the base was attacked.