the team spent the past two mornings out in barek aub getting to know a few families better. we videotaped interviews, translated by our wonderful host, to bring back to our "flatirons community" when we return. each family was selected by the town elders and one of the community development trainers. all ten of us were invited into the homes of these wonderful people, sitting on the traditional toshaks (large pillows on the floor) in their simple 8x10 one-room homes. each of the five families had a different story to share, yet there were many common themes: a comfortable life turned upside-down by war, lives lost to the taliban, fleeing to pakistan, returning to nothing, getting the land in barek aub, the struggle, the progress, the hope...and the strength.
it is difficult to sum up all that we heard in those five homes, so i will try to share snapshots to give some idea. one woman (wife) sat facing away from the men in the room of her home, looking at us women during the entire interview. however, she shared her heart at the end and her strong spirit was evident. one father shared how he did not expect his wife to survive childbirth, but the new clinic in town helped her get to the hospital in kabul in time for a c-section. both the mom and 10 week-old baby were doing well...sitting in front of us, smiling. in another home, many of us shared tears with a family over the many lost lives due to the taliban...a teenage son of one mother, 30+ members of one man's family... we grieved together, finally grasping the devastation. we shared how our hearts break with them, how we are family now. we shared hope for the future, for barek aub and for the children. we shared smiles as one man told us of his wedding day (30 years ago) and complemented his wife in a way that awkwardly reinforced our cultural differences. yet there we were. sitting together. sweating together. sharing our hearts, our hopes, our stories.
it has been such a blessing to be able to continue to build our relationships with these people. continuing the work our "flatirons community" has been invested in, ever since we first partnered with this village over a year and a half ago...back when it was only an IDP camp (refugee camp).
i am excited to see how these stories change lives of people back home...how they will change my life. i still want to stay, although i realize our time is running out here. i will pray that God will let me return soon to these people.
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