Friday is the Muslim Holy Day (like our Sunday in the US) so schools and clinics are closed and the staff at the guest house is given the day off.  Our teams also typically take the day “off” to rest, worship together, and prepare for the rest of the week.

Today after breakfast, we hung out around the table for a while chatting about some of our favorite authors and speakers, and other common ground.  Our team is incredibly diverse in terms of our backgrounds and life paths so it’s more than a little surprising to see how we’ve all arrived in Afghanistan at the same time with many of the same interests and goals.

We also continued to discuss some really sensitive issues that came up during our morning devotional chat.  I’m not going to share what was discussed (that will stay between us guys), but I will tell you that I’m really moved by the way this team has pulled together as a band of brothers.  They are genuinely concerned for each other, sharing closely guarded thoughts and concerns, and praying for and supporting one another and the team.  I am deeply honored to be a part of this group of men.

Since today is the Muslim holy day and we’re obviously unable to worship with our friends and family in Lafayette, we held our own home church this morning sitting around the dining room table with a few other ex-pat staff members.  We sang along as one of the guys played some great worship songs from his iPhone and a couple team members gave brief devotional messages that had been on their heart.  We prayed and worshiped together for two solid hours – which sounds like an eternity when talking about “church” – but the time flew by… it was a fantastic worship experience.

After lunch we headed out to shop for some gifts and souvenirs only to find Rauf’s Carpet Store – the definitive Afghan carpet merchant and good friend to FCC teams – closed!  In fact most of the shops on Chicken Street were closed probably due to the Victory Day celebrations in the city.  (Victory Day is to Afghans as Independence Day is to Americans.)

Rather than head directly back to the guest house we made our way to the Intercontinental Hotel for a spot of afternoon tea.  You may remember the Intercontinental was attacked last June while an FCC team (mine!) was in Kabul.  Damage to the hotel has been completely repaired and it is actually undergoing a complete renovation with gorgeous white marble everywhere.  It was great to see that magnificent hotel not only under repair, but getting ready to reopen better than ever.  The Intercontinental Hotel is a shining example of Afghan resilience, determination, and indomitable spirit!

Unfortunately our afternoon trip was minus one team member.  Bart fell victim today to a case of the “Kabul diet” and decided riding around the bumpy roads of Kabul in an SUV would be unpleasant… for everyone.  Please pray for a quick recovery for Bart.  This team has grown pretty tight and we’re not the same without him!

That’s it for now.  We’re heading out very early in the morning on a special assignment that I can’t wait to tell you about… tomorrow.  ;)

Thank you (again!) for the emails, words of encouragement, and prayers for effectiveness and safety.  We serve a great God and we continually see his handiwork throughout this marvelous country and its people.

--Bob