Today we journeyed to the village of Istalif which is located on the western edge of the Shomali Plain about 20 miles north of Kabul and the first Afghan village our organization got involved in.  Istalif sits high above the Plain at the very foot of the majestic Paghman Mountains and if you closed your eyes you might think you were in Boulder or Estes Park.

 

Istalif’s high location overlooking the Shomali Plain made it a strategic target of the Taleban and the entire village of Istalif was seized by the Taleban in 2001 and shortly thereafter burned to the ground… homes, shops, crops, and livestock all destroyed.

 

Our organization got involved shortly after the fall of the Taleban and people started to return to Istalif to rebuild their lives.  They helped rebuild the area’s only medical clinic and funded the staff, medications, and all supplies needed to provide care on a 24/7 basis.

 

People often ask me if I see change taking place each time I come to Afghanistan and today I noticed significant change on the way to Istalif.  Not only was there a lot of new construction all along the highway to Istalif, but the road up to the village itself is now paved all the way – a huge change from the deeply rutted single track we first encountered in 2008.  There are fewer bombed out houses and buildings than before having been replaced with new construction.  Even the health clinic in Istalif has a fresh coat of white paint inside and out.

 

We were given a tour of the clinic where they specialize as much in preventative medicine as they do curative medicine.  They have trained 80 community health workers who go door to door to educate mothers about birth control, burn prevention, nutrition counseling, and other issues common in their community.  At the end of the tour we were fortunate to meet with Hajji Haider – a lifetime resident of Istalif who stayed during occupation by the Taliban and successfully fought to drive them out – who described in great detail how our organization worked with the people of Istalif to rebuild not only their clinic, but also their schools, businesses, and lives.

 

We then took a stroll through tree-lined paths to the remains of the old Istalif Hotel, once a popular resort and vacation hot spot for the rich and famous throughout much of the 20^th century.  The hotel met its demise when the Taleban, who had hidden hundreds of pounds of explosives beneath the ball room, invited all the village’s men to a “celebration” at the hotel only to detonate the explosives as soon as most of the “honored guests” had arrived.  Only a rough shell of the hotel remains, but the panoramic views from the remaining portion of the roof still clearly testify to its strategic value during the civil war.

 

After a tour of the hotel, we were treated to an authentic traditional Afghan lunch by the river.  We all sat on Afghan rugs and toshacks under the warm Afghan sun sharing freshly grilled lamb kebabs, Shorwa (traditional Afghan sheep fat soup), and freshly baked naan.  To say the lunch was delicious is an understatement… to say it was lo-fat would be ridiculous.  It was definitely a meal to remember… every one of us is going to come home with a very shiny coat.  ;)

 

Before heading back to the guest house, we stopped briefly at the local Istalif bazaar to check out some of their world-famous pottery and haggle for a few souvenirs to bring home.

 

When we arrived back at the guest house, we spent the rest of the evening journaling, sharing stories, and resting.  Several on the team have developed digestive ailments, head colds, or both and the opportunity to rest for the evening was most welcome.  Please pray for our brothers and sisters for a prompt recovery.  We have only one more full day here and we greatly miss their participation and fellowship.

 

Signing off the for the night.  Tomorrow promises to be one of the trip’s highlights.  I can’t forecast our schedule, but I can tell you it involves kids… the highlight of ANY trip.

 

Thank you again for your continued prayers and support.

 

--Bob