Day 4

Today was one of the driving elements for the composition of this particular team. Our team is made up of men, all of whom are experienced leaders. Today, we participated in training the leadership of our host organization's key leaders. These are the rooted leaders who are truly empowered to bring sustainable change in Afghanistan. They are leading the future leaders of this country and are critically important in keeping the country on the right path. In America, we might say "this is where the rubber meets the road." The approach was open ended and designed to engage in conversation between our two teams and it was effective.

Discussion focused on servant leadership and the components that drive its success. We exchanged practical examples in our work environments through the lens of these components, including honesty, integrity, consistency. Topics such as conflict resolution were particularly insightful and the need for translation in all the dialogue was not a roadblock whatsoever. I was encouraged when heads were nodding in agreement from both the Afghan and American teams.

After training, we broke bread over a massive lunch which is likely to ensure skipping dinner.  I'm not used to eating this much food but I sure enjoy the community it creates with the Afghans. I am so very challenged by the hospitality of the Afghan people. Sorry friends, but we din the west don't even come close to the level of community created here. It washes away any sense of being in a war zone. Now I understand why my team leader has often expressed how he never feels unsafe here.

A couple of us revisited our cultural training as a team before coming here and the point made that what we experience here and how we process it is just the tip of the iceberg. In other words, we will return and over time continue learn more deeply what we experienced and how we can provide support to the Afghans and how we can apply that gained knowledge to our own lives. My prayer and hope is that Afghans will share that goal.