Today I want to share the unique perspective of team member Jim Dixon.  Jim was on the team in April 2009 that dedicated the clinic and this was his first time back since then.  I love what Jim wrote... I could not have expressed my thoughts and feelings about returning to Barek Aub any better.  –Bob
 

Day Four
Returning to where it all began... Barek Aub.
 
I can't imagine what it is like for the people of Barek Aub. I can't imagine leaving my home and moving to another country for the safety of my family at a time of violence. I can't imagine returning to my country years later only to be told the city is too crowded, but I can have a free piece of land in the desert where I can start life over with my family.
 
I can't imagine praying for the amount of help that would be needed to start a community from the ground up. Where do we start? Living in tents with hundreds of other families... how much hope is there? Will we ever get back on our feet? What did I do to deserve this?
 
I can't imagine the relief that must've been felt by those families when Flatirons' partner organization stepped in and offered help to the families in Barek Aub. 
 
I remember in 2007 sitting at Flatirons, thousands of miles away, and learning of this place called Barek Aub. A simple request – come up and put money on a carpet that was laid out on the stage so Flatirons could help these families get water. The response was amazing and I knew at that moment that I had to come and see. After the well there was the school and the clinic. I was fortunate enough to make my first trip to Afghanistan in early 2009 and see the development of this community. 
 
Today I saw a different Barek Aub. Not a community in its infancy any more, but now a more grown-up Barek Aub. There were patients in the clinic, students in the school, and more and more homes than I imagined there would be. There were more sources of water spread out so that nobody had to walk too far to fetch water for their family. There was even a tower with cell phone antennas so residents could communicate with others outside of their community.
 
During our visit to Barek Aub, the men got a chance to meet with the elders while the ladies shared some Colorado chocolate with the women in the Literacy Program... adult women learning to read and write. 
 
The men expressed a sincere appreciation of all that Flatirons has done since we came alongside and helped the families in this community during some of the darkest times of their lives. They reminded us that they are not done yet...they have big plans and look forward to being an independent, inclusive community with thriving businesses so they can all help support each other. The residents of Barek Aub include some knowledgeable and skilled people of all different types of trades.
 
We got to visit the school and there is a picture from Flatirons hung just inside the door. It read "The world lives in hope. We are praying for you." The print included pictures from each of the services on the weekend I mentioned above in 2007. We visited a sixth grade classroom and the kids were preparing for a test. One boy showed off his skills and counted for us in English. 
 
As the picture at the entrance to the school related, our prayers have made this relationship possible. Only a God as big as ours can connect the Flatirons Community with the Barek Aub Community, over 7,000 miles and ten time zones away. Only God can see to it that we keep coming back to build and maintain relationships with members of this community. The return visits let them know that we have not forgotten about them...but more importantly as a reminder that God loves them and will never forget about them. 
 
--Jim
 
 
Waiting outside the clinic...
 
 
Waiting inside the clinic...
 
 
Getting ready for the future.
 
 
Always up for a game of cat's cradle.
 
 
Meeting with the elders.
 
 
Special growth in Barek Aub.  The two youngest were born here.
 
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