Friday is the Muslim Holy Day and a day of rest throughout Afghanistan, similar to Sunday in America.

 

We were very fortunate to get together this morning to sing, talk, and pray together with a few ex-pat members of our partner organization’s team living in Kabul.  It was a real treat to spend time with folks from the US as well as from Latin and South America, some who have been serving in Afghanistan for decades.

 

After lunch we took advantage of the sparse Friday traffic throughout Kabul and headed to visit an icon of the city's heritage, the Darul Aman Palace.  The palace, whose name ironically means "abode of peace" stands today as a painful reminder of the civil war that destroyed much of Kabul in the early 1990’s.  For the first time in my 11 trips to Kabul our team was allowed access to the interior of the bombed-out structure.  A stroll through three floors of rubble was a sobering experience knowing that every bullet hole, crater, and crumbling wall told a story.

 

After visiting the Darul Aman Palace we did a quick drive-by of the Kabul Zoo (where we hope to take a couple groups of street kids from the Kabul School) and on to Chicken Street to purchase a few souvenirs and thank you gifts for supporters back home.  As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a familiar face, Amar Khan, a map-selling street kid I've known since my first trip to Kabul in 2008.  Amar is now 15 years old and sells purses because he says no one buys maps any more, but all the men buy purses for their ladies. ;)  I had to go before I had a chance to ask Amar how his plans for schooling are going, but I hope to see him again before the week is out.  It amazes me how someone like Amar actually remembers me considering how many people he meets in any given day or week, but I'm thankful for the connection we've made.  He's a very special young man.

 

Our teams typically have dinner out on Friday nights to give the guest house cook a much needed night off.  Tonight we visited a local restaurant and were joined by the Assistant Afghan National Director, his right-hand man, and two chokidar/drivers for some great conversation and an opportunity to share a few laughs and learn more about Kabul's rich history.  After dinner we headed back to the guest house for a good night's rest.

 

Tomorrow is Saturday, similar to a US Monday, and we are determined to hit the ground running for the rest of our all-too-short visit.