I've had a rather quiet week....lots of time to myself.  I wouldn't want it all the time, but it was OK now.
I'm about finished knitting a matching sock to my first ever sock-in-the-round.  I've been reading and even watching some movies, since the family staying here was gone for three days and I had the place to myself.
    Cloudia had taken me to the Bush Bazaar to see favorite shopping spots, but also to buy some used drapes and comforter.  Found two new pillows, also.  Then we purchased furniture from the French Restaurant/Bakery that is shutting down, much to every expats sorrow.  They had trained their staff in English,  cooking/baking, management, serving.  A real asset to the country.  But were being forced to hire armed guards, which they couldn't do.  They are a wonderful couple who will now focus on a school they are involved with.  Out of their situation we bought a wicker settee and chairs, glass-topped tables, dishes, silverware, etc.  Tomorrow we go to pick up the last of it.
     In preparation for moving middle of next week, we had our room painted at the new house.  It is cheerful!  A picture will be coming soon.    Other than mentioning the vegetable of the week at the guest house.....okra.....Jon will finish up this blog with life from his experience here in Kabul:

"One thing is certain, "  I told the gathering of doctors  and as we stood at the foot of the hospital  bed during teaching rounds the other morning,  "God is with us in the birthing of life and at the end of life;  We are not abandoned."

Over night,  a mother of 5 children, in her mid thirties,  had been admitted due to abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss.  Typical symptoms  here, which would generate multiple possibilities as to diagnosis.  In this case, she had already been to several other doctors, including, as is not uncommon, to some in Pakistan.  She had recently had a kidney removed, with no clear explanation.  Other labs and X-rays which she had in hand fit with a diagnosis most certainly of cancer, now spreading from the abdomen into the lungs.  She seemed unaware.

In this culture, as I have found in some others, it is considered "bad medicine" to tell patients of their diagnosis if it is serious or fatal.  Unfortunately, this often leads to multiple doctor visits and the actual loss of important resources as families move from one practitioner to another to find help.  Only recently has the idea of Hospice Care been introduced here and is not available in our area.  At the bedside we talked of the need to offer specific help for specific problems, educate families as to expectations without denying hope,  and never abandoning our care and concern.

After lunch,  an energetic and enthusiastic foreign couple came to make another visit to the hospital and confirm their desire to have their first baby here under the watchful eye of our experienced faculty and midwives.  Due in about a month, this will be the first non-Afghan child born here.  And certainly the first with the father present in the labor room!  The staff here seem, at this point at least, willing to forgo the cultural norm of father definitely not present for the birthing of the newborn, even though his approval is most certainly required for any interventions.

Previously, I have observed how our society in general and physicians in particular respond to the birthing compared to the dying process.  It will be worth a future discussion here, as well.

I am certain, God is present in our birthing and in our dying.

Starting, finishing, dreaming, completing are not quick processes here.  But those like Dr. Tim , my predecessor here for 8 years, have definitely seen improvement in many areas including medical education.  Nevertheless, he left me with an incomplete list of some 42 issues to work on, and a parting comment:  "Have fun!"

This week, our Assistant Director and I culminated an agreement with another hospital for training of our residents in surgery and pediatrics.  It will begin in 2 weeks and greatly expand our opportunities for learning.  These negotiations, started by Dr Tim  some 18 months ago, were initially met with some skepticism and disfavor,  then delayed briefly due to some security concerns, now are moving forward with mutual respect and benefit.  I am grateful for Tim's vision and persistence.

In our dreaming and in our fulfillment, God is there;  we are not abandoned.

Jon

Downs and Ups

     Our new weeks begin Sunday.  Jon goes to work thru Thursday....picked up at 6:50 by Mosa, the driver for the residency and home at 5, if not earlier!  Dinner is at 5:30 then we sometimes sit out on the lawn near the trees and flowers, usually watered in the evenings and mornings to add to the cooling effect.  Sometimes we go to the roof and sit, taking in the sights and sounds of a busy city......actually there are many lights....mud homes creeping up TV mountain near us (named for all the technological hardware lined up on top of it), Wedding Halls flickering with garish coloured lights, traffic weaving thru more passable streets.
    We are nearing the end of another week, so' Funday' is tomorrow, a time to meet with expats for fellowship in the morning and probably a meal out later, since the cook doesn't work on the Muslim Holy Day.
    Saturday will be Jon's and my day together...to shop, with Mosa of course...our transportation, or relax.  We haven't had to resort to a game of Five Crown or Mexican Train yet, but that may be coming!  My week began last week with a bout of dysentery...kept me close to home for three days.  I will watch more closely what I eat that's not cooked or peeled or bottled.

     Jon was glad Dr. Jerry arrived from the states....a pediatrician who works both with CURE Hospital and Afshar.  It brightened his step to have a cohort in a new land.  After the death of a Parliamentarian here this week, Jon wrote.....

This afternoon, upon returning from the hospital, we were detoured from our usual route home along Dal Arman Road past the barren cemetery south of the decaying bombed out palace to avoid the pending funeral procession for customary burial within 24 hrs. There were more than the usual number of policemen, many in their high forest green pickups with a gun mounted in the back.

Otherwise the city seemed unmolested: older school sisters in their long black dresses and shawls guided their younger siblings along the busy streets, boys pushing their red ice cream carts stopped to chat with each other, old men rode their bikes with and against the traffic, carts pulled by people, donkey or horse plodded through the unstructured flow of cars weaving in and out, often facing off with each other but never managing to collide, jay walkers pacing their gait to avoid a honking truck advising of it's determination to continue without changing speed, prayers proclaimed and practiced at the usual times.  And for us, rice, potatoes, chicken, green beans and melons, again.

     The highlight of this week for me, besides getting my new tunics from the tailor, was getting out of Kabul yesterday!  Kamur, Director of Intl. Programs for Operation Blessing, invited me to go along with them to a couple clinics.  I grabbed my bag of necessities (water, big hankie, camera, phone, Kindle and passport besides the usual) and off we went!  Immediately upon leaving Kabul's crowded, crazy streets, I sensed a slower, simpler mode of life.  The sky turned from hazy brown to clear blue.  Even the smell was fresher!  We bumped through the stall-lined streets out into a small, narrow valley.

Soon a tiny stream widened and the water was even moving....rock walls replaced the mud ones along the road....weaving thru ancient villages somehow glued to a hill.

   Our first clinic was Lalander, staffed by a midwife and occ. doctor. After the fact-finding tour by Kamur, we were served tea in the guard's room on toshaks.  I found one that was not quite flat to the floor and hoped I could rise later on.  Actually, Kamur had to

give me a hand to get up...not an OK thing to do to Afghans.....but.....oh, well.

                                                                             

   

We saw
Burka-clad
mothers
with their
children...
one a
month old.

We stopped
by another
Morning
Star clinic
and school
before
heading
home...




Another fun thing this week was rug-
shopping with three friends.  Used
stores look like my father's farm sheds,
stacked high with many old things,
layered with dust and grime.
One of the gals was a real  sleuth,
hunting for that treasure midst the
mess. I found
a rug...2x3
meters...so-so
quality, but it
will suffice.
Bright red and blue and white.....familiar colors, huh?  For
4,000 Afs. we took it home.  I'm getting used to this personal
driver who carries purchases and takes me home!

  One sweet thing our family did for us was give us a packet of notes we are to draw from everyday......grandchildren, too.  It has been so fun to hear from them daily....drawings of handprints and reminders of being our little angel, Bible verses that encourage and remind us whose we are (Eph. 3:20-21), and Jana's memory ..."I love when dad is singing one of his favorite hymns, he sways on to the top of his foot on the high notes." Little things mean so much!

Living on tiptoes,  Jon and Marita
                                                                                

The gift of a week

We have been in Kabul over a week!                                                                                                      Each day holds a surprise or two. Yesterday three of us women from the guest house went to get pedicures and a haircut at a salon where deaf Afghani women are apprenticed.  What a delight to have our dust-clad feet washed, scrubbed, massaged, and beautified!  But, alas, one of the supervisors became dizzy and  proceeded to have a seizure, scaring everyone there.  Debra, from our group,helped care for her, a nurse was summoned and it was determined she needed IV hydration, so we volunteered our driver and van to take her to a hospital. Debra helped the other girls stay calm.  Mostly I prayed.  I got to sit up front with the driver because of the full load, and despite awful traffic, we delivered her to the hospital.  Upon changing seats myself, my camera fell off my lap into the shallow ditch.  I grabbed it, but it is not working yet.  Aggravating.  I was taking pictures of traffic since I had the front seat.  Now I will always keep the cover  nearby.  Hopefully, it will revive and/or the old one we brought will continue working.

To backtrack, the hospital had a farewell for Dr. Tim and Patti Fader on Monday, along with a retiring British midwife.  There were many speeches and gifts and much food.  Jon was also introduced and asked to speak.  He reassured them of his eagerness to work with them and his qualifications of experience.

Marita and Jon with Dr. Farooq

Jon and Tim with the Senior class

That was Tim's last day at the hospital and Jon has been in charge since.  It is becoming easier and they've accomplished some of the 42 things on the list Tim wrote down!  Today is his first day off and he slept in and is napping again.

     On Tuesday, Tim took Jon and I to Murad Khane, the last remaining section of the old city, developed in the 18th century but fallen into disrepair.  Much of it was lost through demolition, conflict, and neglect, but was listed on the World Monuments Fund's 2008 Watch List of the world's most endangered sites.  Turquoise Mountain, a Kabul-based charity, engaged in a wide-ranging architectural conservation project, restoring over twenty historic buildings and building a number of new buildings in the old style.  Tons of garbage had to be removed first, up to six-feet deep!  The Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture are divided into four schools:  Woodworking, Ceramics, Jewelry, and Calligraphy. Afshar Hospital was invited to operate a clinic in this project, opening just two months ago.  Jon is excited about working  with the residents there.

   Today is Funday, the Holy Day for Muslims......a good day to get together with the expat community and fellowship.  A group of men of all ages has been hanging out at the guest house today, waiting for their flight home.  They have been working on installing a soy plant up north somewhere.  These groups will be coming through every Friday.  WE are inspired and amazed by the dedicated people who are assisting Afghanistan in untold ways.  Their hearts are large.

    We have much to be thankful for....it's easy to dwell on the irritations, but with a bit of time, we get used to them.  Nothing a good night's sleep can't help!  Tomorrow Mosa, our driver, will take us shopping.  He's known to be a real sleauth!  On Tuesday, Nell and Cloudia are taking me shopping.  Between these two excursions, we should be closer to independent living.  Just need to have Akram hire a painter for the new room and have the air conditioner conditioned.  Cloudia has been an angel for me.  She and husband, with two little boys, are staying here this month, also.  They are Community Developers up north, but have had to take a break.  She and two others took me shopping to the fabric bazaar where I picked out three fabrics and they are at the tailor now.  She's advising me on decorating the room we will rent, took me to the FINEST grocer where I got Jon his beloved Pepsi Light and Ice-Cream Bars, invited me to watch a DVD with her one night, brought me a doughnut from the 'French' Bakery, and led the trek to the beauty salon.  We are having fun.  I will make my first sock animals for her boys soon.

     Your prayers are precious.  You are precious.  God's people here in Afghanistan are precious.  This is an opportunity we are glad to participate in and trust our needs will be met daily.
Blessings to each one of you,
Marita and Jon

Heat, Dust & Roses

Hello from Kabul, Afghanistan!
We arrived Thursday morning at 7 Afghan time....about 12 hours later than Seattle time.  All of our luggage arrived, no extra charges after Seattle as they checked them clear thru.  We did have to stand in line with hundreds of others in Dubai at midnight for what seemed like a couple hours as they checked passports and visas scrupulously.  All we needed was to retrieve our carry-on luggage that had been checked only to Dubai where we ended our United flights.  But, we found them, walked an interminable distance to the new gate, found ColdStone Creamery and had an hour's rest before boarding the last flight on Safi. The Dubai airport is a scene to behold......oppulance on every hand.  WE were about to descend into something else... 

 Careful instructions had us leaving the airport with hired boys pushing our two carts of 7 bags.  WE passed thru one gate with guards, then the boys dropped our carts and quit.
They were unhappy with the pay we were advised to give, argued. But we picked up the carts ourselves and found the next gate and another boy with a cell phone.  He called our # for the Faders and we hired him and another to take us to the next gate where we found our welcoming committee! 




Of course, we were exhausted and have spent these three days napping between activities.The Morning Star Guest House is a refuge for us thru July.  Ken and Debbie are the hosts and have bent over backwards to orient us. We have our own bathroom, even.  And two fans!  Meals are prepared and we just show up.  Today I put the laundry downstairs and...voolah, it  washed itself!   And the room will clean itself!  I like this.  Of course, dust gathers on everything constantly, so pretty soon 'grit' is the new feel.


We hit the social circuit Wed. afternoon as guests of PAC-TEC, pilots and mechanics who serve rural areas.  They have built an outdoor pizza oven and love to party around it.  The Faders graciously introduced us to nearly all of the young families.  Why is it everyone is so young anymore?  Hand-cranked ice-cream was also  on hand....a good start!  Musa, the driver took us women home while Jon and Tim attended a celebration at CURE hospital.  They were sorry they'd eaten so much earlier as a full-spread Afghani meal was offered!
Thus ended Day 1!


Yesterday was the Holy Day for Muslims...Friday, so the ex-pat community meets together every other week as a whole and then as small groups in between. Dr. Tim and Patti Fader were given a farewell following and we were introduced.  Names are swimming around in our heads, but they belong to very interesting people, of all ages...even our age! 


After our nap, Tim and Patti took us to High Tea at the Serena Hotel.  This is where they go  when they need a respite.....a *****Hotel, all of it behind high walls, with security checkpoint and gates.....the inside is a different world.  We strolled the beautifully landscaped grounds, checked out the swimming pool, then found the Tea Cafe and Ice-Cream Bar....yum.  They even serve espresso there!  And there is evidently a  "Starbucks" in town....I'll have to find that.    So, now we know where to go, other than a flight to Dubai, for a change of scenery.
Thus ended Day 2!


That brings us to today.....July 9.   We became locals with the purchase of cell phones!  It was quite the process, requiring giving copies of our passports, a passport photo, and checking them out for originality...meaning, they haven't been used and reboxed.  Musa, our faithful driver, helped do this......of course, after pulling up to the roadside bank (a man holding a fistful of money who gave us his exchange rate. It was excellent so we did business)  This intersection of town teemed with people, buses, cars, shops, craftsmen.  The shoe repairman was sitting on the sidewalk under a tree with his machine to punch leather....a few shoes spread out.. 

 So, now we had Afs(their bills) and cell phones.  We next drove to see the house we will live in, beginning next month.  It is beautiful, once you get inside the gate)  Our room needs a little fixing- up  to be homey and comfortable. The Silk Road people are being very generous to loan us their furniture and use of appliances, air con, etc.  The peacocks were penned up and the doves cooing in their cote.  The yard is surrounded by rosebushes...Darla, the primary renter, is a rose specialist and has trained her gardener.  The marble patios will be cool places to roost ourselves once we get a chair or two.  The whole house is shared by two couples and two singles.


So, how are we faring with all the changes?   Our heads are clearing up, Jon's throat is sore,
I'm feeling clothing-challenged( my meager efforts don't match the requirements), etc.   But these are minor compared to the devastation we see around us as we bump along the streets with our drivers.  The smell of sewage, the constant fog of dust, the crazy driving, the shambles of the city....all hit us head on.  But we hear of the school for women near our house that has enrollment of thousands of girls.  We hear of the efforts of M's and NGO's for years who see progress and pray that opportunity remains open.
There is HOPE! 


We thank God for you,
Marita and Jon

D-Day

   We have to be out of here in 3 hours!  Yikes!  As usual, we are finely tuning our departure to the last minute.   Many people have stopped and helped, for which we are thankful.  Meals, hugs, cards, gifts to send us on our way.

 I vow to get rid of a LOT of what we packed in the basement bedrooms!  I thought we had already disposed of a lot.  What consumers we are....as simple as I think we live.  It's always a relief to go on these mission years and live out of a suitcase and the good graces of our hosts.

We DO have a room rented in a house in Kabul.  More about that after we see it, but the yard has green grass, lots of roses, two peacocks and some doves.  Now, isn't that a bit of Eden in the desert?
Our house here is rented and nearly ready for occupancy.  Very nice people who love the place already.
Our cars have shelter waiting (just have to drive them there in the time remaining).  Muffin, the cat, has a home with three kids who looked eager to entertain her when she comes out of hiding.

We are desparately hoping the piles on the floor fit into the 4 cases and 2 carry-ons.  I've already sifted out the first batch that I could live without.  Hope I don't have to do it again.  The chocolate chips and frangoes will be next....poor Jon.

WEll, I'd better get to it.  Time is a wasting.  Just wanted to record that we are leaving tomorrow morning from our daughter, Jana's, in Seattle.  Tonight the family will have a BBQ there and we fly out at 7 am or so.  Then we can rest a bit (?) on the 36 hour trip to Kabul....thru D.C., Frankfurt, and Dubai. WE arrive 7 am Thursday Kabul time (7 pm Wed.).  Pray that we have a safe trip and get some sleep.  WE have parties to attend the first two nights there, and Jon has 5 days to learn the ropes before Dr. Fader departs.......our new life.

Stay tuned for the big adventure!

Love and prayers,
Marita for us