Barek Aub Day 6

"We bring greetings from the village of..."

Today was another day filled with hope for the Afghans. We visited Barek Aub, a former IDP camp turned strong community of people determined to become a thriving village. I was a bit surprised at the size of the village, which busted the seams of my interpretation and expectations coming up in our vehicle. It's set in a valley surrounded by stunning viewscape, including the Hindu Cush mountains. Just off a newly paved road, we drove on rocky sand paths to the newly constructed school. Our host made introductions with our team and the village elders and Mullah and we unloaded clothes for distribution to the children.

Our team lead greeted the children and let them know they are deeply loved and prayed over every day to live a long and happy life. Seeing these children in school knowing just a few years ago they were shipped out of Kabul to this desert with the "sky as their tent and rocks for their bed" (village elder) filled me with great hope. My favorite part was shaking hands and exchanging fists bumps with the boys as their faces lit up with huge smiles. Several times I had to fight back tears while standing in front of these classrooms. We toured the school library and supplies room, as well to get an understanding of their current needs, which remain great. Much is still needed to provide a good education, so this generation of children can one day make a positive difference in Afghanistan and the world.

We then toured the clinic, the only one provided for over 11,000 area residents in the valley. The lead physician explained how the clinic works, its current needs and introduced us to his staff. The clinic sees 30-40 patients per day, quite a load for a building housing an emergency room that resembles a waiting area. The pharmacy had only a dozen medications. This was discouraging but once again a huge step of progress when one's expectations are reset to reality out here.

And then there is the well. In 2010 we dug a 150M well which tapped pure, sand filtered water. This is a life saving water supply to a once drought ridden place and it gives ongoing hope to the residents. While there, our host gave his testimony of how he discovered the IDP camp and launched his effort to rescue them. This was a very powerful reminder to me how one transaction or decision can change the course of history. Instead of an unknown scene of the death of several families in the desert, Barek Aub will one day show up on the map as a thriving, self governed village with a strong economy and a place of production.