What in the heck have the Tunnells put on the side of their race car???

Well... it's a long story. And one we're eager to tell.

Several months ago Patty and I became aware of an extreme need for food, water, shelter, clothing, and hope in a little settlement in Afghanistan called Barek Aub. Stories we've heard from others who have been there have really touched our hearts.

In Dari, the native language of Afghanistan, "Barek Aub" means "fragile water." That is the name that has been given to a recently created settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP's) on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Settlements like this are often referred to as "refugee camps," but the residents of Barek Aub are not refugees from someplace else... they've returned to their homeland after decades of warfare and destruction at the hands of the occupying Soviet Army and then the Taliban.  If you've seen the movies Charlie Wilson's War or The Kite Runner you'll have some idea of what's been going on over there for decades.

But the problem with returning home is... there's no "home" to come home to. Their homes, businesses, schools, and clinics have been bombed out... their water supply (what little there was in the first place) has been contaminated or destroyed... their farms and grazing lands have been scattered with thousands of land mines. They have no homes and no way to earn a living.

In short... they have no hope.

An organization called Sozo International has begun an emergency relief and long term development effort in Barek Aub. Sozo International's goal is to provide immediate care in the form of food, water, and shelter for the thousands of IDP's in Barek Aub. And then once their living conditions have stabilized, Sozo Int'l wants to work with and train local villagers to rebuild their homes, careers, schools, and clinics... restore hope... rebuild their lives.

The church that Patty and I attend here in Colorado, Flatirons Community Church, has joined with Sozo International to help with the rebuilding effort. Donations from church members allowed the people of Barek Aub to dig a well so the village now has a supply of fresh water. We have also supplied food and firewood, coats, and gloves to help the villagers survive the harsh winter. (The climate in Barek Aub is similar to Denver's.)

Now we are using our race car and racing program to tell their story -- to help generate exposure for the needs in Barek Aub and elsewhere in Afghanistan.

Patty and I recently (April '08) traveled to Afghanistan and witnessed first-hand the utter devastation and bleak realities of life there. But we also saw progress -- the new well, many permanent homes, the site for the new school and clinic which will hopefully be built this summer. And we visited another village (Istalif) that Sozo has been helping for several years that is beginning to thrive on its own.

This taste of progress has given them hope... for many it's the first hope they've known in their entire lives.

Please follow the links to the left and visit the rest of the site. Also please drop me a note and share your thoughts or ask questions you'd like to know more.

Thank you for checking out BarekAub.com. Pelase check back often as I'll be posting more information about my return in June and the ongoing work in Barek Aub.

Bob Tunnell