Greetings dear friends,

 

Just a quick note to let you know we’ve arrived safely in Kabul and are settling in at the guest house.  Arrival in Kabul provokes a variety of emotions… exhaustion from the journey mixed with excitement and eagerness for what’s to come.

 

We have a big day planned for tomorrow so I’m going to sign off now to get some sleep, but I want to leave you with one thought.

 

When the team boarded our flight from Dubai to Kabul, I ended up sitting next to a friendly looking Afghan man who appeared to be about my age.  We exchanged smiles and greetings and endured that brief awkward moment when it became apparent he spoke no English and I spoke no Dari or Pashtu.

 

As we sat waiting for the plane to load, he held his cell phone screen for me to see.  He motioned toward the most recent voice-mail message caller ID and looked at me quizingly.  I read the person’s name aloud to him, he nodded his approval, and promptly called the person back greeting him warmly by name.  When he completed his call he looked at me and smiled.  A minute or so later he asked me to read him another name, which I did, and he promptly called another friend greeting him robustly by name.

 

I hit me that this bright, friendly Afghan stranger couldn’t read his own cell phone.

 

I’ve been to Afghanistan almost a dozen times and I still catch myself taking things like literacy for granted.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to not be able to read a good book, or a doctor’s address… or your best friend’s name.

 

I am so thankful that we are renewing our focus on literacy here in Afghanistan particularly with the street kids in Kabul – the next generation of Afghan fathers and leaders.

 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for our team and the people of Afghanistan.  We're here and SO eager to see what this week brings!