Friends:   Here’s the first update since we hit the ground in Kabul.  I know I promised to keep these short so I apologize for the length, especially  of Thursday ‘s update… and I assure you I only scratched the surface of what we experienced -- I will add even more (lucky you!) when I post my entire journal on the BarekAub.com website with all the photos after my return.  By request, I have included a few photos in this email… I hope they don’t take too long to load. -- BT

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Wednesday 6/25/08

After 33 hours traveling across 10.5 time zones, we arrived safely in Kabul and are settling into our rooms at the guest house.  We will spend the rest of the day preparing for our first day of construction work on the school tomorrow at Barek Aub.

Now that we’re here, our immediate goal is a very simple one: to try to stay awake this afternoon and crash at a “normal” bed time tonight in order to get our bodies adjusted to “Kabul time” as soon as possible.

Even with the exhaustion brought on by extreme sleep-deprivation, the team chemistry is strong and everyone is eager to get to work tomorrow. I am really excited about this remarkable and wonderfully diverse team of guys who all want to go love on a village of people they don’t even know.

We would ask for your prayer support in three specific areas: 1) for strength in dealing with the heat (forecast for mid-  90’s all week), 2) for wisdom for our partner organization'sstaff as they reorganize the plans for our first few days here due to a communication problem, and 3) for team flexibility in dealing with these last minute changes.

We all thank you for being our prayer support… it is critical to the work here.

More tomorrow… hopefully with photos of the school!

--Bob Tunnell

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Thursday 6/26

What a truly amazing day.

Thank you for your specific prayers yesterday… to no one’s surprise they were all answered.  Our Afghan hosts were able to make all the necessary arrangements for us to travel to Barek Aub first thing this morning and the entire team approached the day with open hearts and willing hands.

When we arrived in Barek Aub we were surprised at the progress that had been made… the foundations for the school AND clinic are complete, and they’ve begun on the external and internal walls.  Both buildings are much larger than any of us envisioned – the school will eventually have two floors with approx. 5,400 square feet on each floor!

We split up the team and pitched in wherever we could help – mixing mortar, moving granite blocks for the clinic boundary wall, ferrying bricks and mortar to the bricklayers on both building sites.  Micah was even allowed to lay a couple bricks… before it was politely suggested that perhaps his true value to the school children of Barek Aub was in hauling mortar .  Jeff got to review the blueprints for both buildings and Dave H. was able to do some initial soil evaluation dealing with water use and sanitation (all with good results).  All of us were able to work one-on-one directly with the local craftsmen and a number of new friendships and bonds were forged.

Jeff and I spoke at length with Abdul Jalil, a 15 year-old living with and helping raise his 10  brothers and sisters, who brought tea out to the construction site for the entire team.  We also met Mohammad who is in his final year of medical school in Kabul and hopes to be one of the first doctors hired to work at the clinic full time.  We met Bashi, Shaka, and Mustafa, three of the many young boys who worked with us, all of whom quickly mastered the fist bump as taught by Dave P.

Naieme, the main cook at the guest house, came to BA with us today and prepared a fantastic lunch of chicken, naan, and fruit which we shared in a small tent they’d erected (complete with an elegant Afghan rug and toshaks to sit on) just so we could get out of the sun.  And speaking of the weather…

Your prayers for relief from the heat were answered, too, as strong breezes made the mid-90 degree temps more tolerable.  But maybe y’all prayed a bit too hard as the winds continued to build in the afternoon causing severe dust storms throughout the Shomali Plain and bringing work for the day to a halt!  Not many complaints from the team though, as we were all exhausted anyway.  We headed back to the guest house for some chai tea, Uno, and naps before another marvelous Naieme-prepared dinner.  Wakil was able to join us for dinner and shared more of the long term plans for construction in and around Barek Aub.

I apologize for the lengthy update, but today was truly historic and I’m still only hitting the high spots.  Tomorrow, Friday, is the Muslim holy day so we won’t be doing any work at Barek Aub.  We’re looking forward to seeing Chicken Street, Prayer Hill, and some of the other sights of Kabul.

Our prayer request for today is less specific than yesterday (y’all did too well!).  Please pray that we will continue to enjoy good health and high energy, and for guidance in playing a part in God’s plan for Afghanistan.

Thank you again for all your support.

--Bob Tunnell
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The team at Terminal 2 in Dubai... where it really hits home that we're leaving everything familiar behind.

On the ground in Kabul... at last.  See that LandCruiser behind us... the one right smack in the middle of the lane?  Yeah, it's parked.  Welcome to Kabul.

Jordan hauling a load of bricks.  The bricklayers affectionately nicknamed him "Qåter Borzog"...  The Big Mule.

Dave H. and Levi inspect (and approve of) the rebar tying at the school.

I hand off a couple bricks to Mohammad Kahn, an official with Sozo who worked with us for the day.  We moved an estimated 12,000 bricks before the dust storm moved in.

Dave P. teaching one of the local kids to count to 10 in English... or maybe gang signs... we're not sure which.

Two pals from Barek Aub who are eager to start classes in their new school as soon as possible!

Four friends getting out of the wind and dust... sharing a half piece of naan they just found.

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