Bob & Patty's Excellent Afghan Adventure - Day 4

If you received our daily email updates you've seen most of it, but not all. Since our return I've added a few notes and comments which I've put in blue italic type so those of you who don't want to read it all again can pick out the "new stuff." <g> I've also added a couple photos from each day of the trip, which weren't always in the daily updates.

If you'd like to see more photos from the trip, follow the link to the left. I took most of them, but some were taken by other team members Ron Atchley, John Eisel, Gary Goodenow, and Susie Knezel. (John and Susie are pros, so the best ones probably came from them. <g>) If you'd like hi-rez copies of any of them just let me know.

Thursday, April 24

By 10:00 Thursday morning Patty and I were standing in the refugee settlement of Barek Aub. Emotions were flooding throughout our hearts, but we were struck with the remoteness of the camp in the foothills of the Hindu-Kush mountains and far removed from Kabul and the rest of the world. These people are figuratively -- and quite literally -- alone.

As we entered the camp we soon drove slowly past 4 large green canvas Army-style tents (the temporary school) and word began to spread that we had arrived -- each doorway was soon filled with smiling faces and frantically waving hands and the air was filled with the squeals and laughter of hundreds of children, We all agreed that was a good noise -- a WONDERFUL noise. Then the kids lined up outside and we got to personally distribute the "goodie bags" with their new school supplies inside and we chatted with them, laughed with them, took pictures with them, and often held hands and hugged them. It was an amazing morning finally getting to see the first fruits of the help and love we've been sending over there for several months an amazing morning indeed. I know for myself, if we had to head home today, I would consider the trip a success.

After leaving the kids we drove up the hill to the temporary clinic and site for the new school building. We left the camp full of hope that those kids will go on to help their village and their country develop and prosper so the next generation won't have to endure the suffering their families have survived.

After lunch we took a trip to the Dar-ul-Aman Palace, which was bombed out by rival Mujahideen factions in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet occupation. The skeleton of the palace is still standing and is a painful reminder of that period in Afghan history. Along the way we saw evidence of the rebuilding effort going on in Kabul ­ the newest and biggest buildings are for new schools, a new university, and new medical centers.

We finished off the evening by going to a Thai restaurant quite a surprise. I'm still not used to being escorted everywhere by armed guards, but I can honestly say I feel every bit as safe as I do at home.

It's getting late and we're all exhausted so I'm going to sign off now. There is no Internet connection tonight so I'll send this sometime on Friday.

Barek Aub... in the middle of nowhere. The large green tents are the temporary "school"... the smaller tents in the foreground are "homes."

Giggling, squealing school children... absolutely giddy over receiving a new pencil, eraser, and ruler. AND having their picture taken.
A little goes a long way in Barek Aub.

The Dar-ul-Aman Palace ("abode of peace") was built in the 1920's by King Amanullah Khan and destroyed in the early 1990's by constant shelling from
rival Mujahideen factions. It is hoped the palace will be rebuilt with private funding and will someday house the future Afghanistan parliament.