"A Welcome Milestone ..."

Progress can always be seen best by looking at the youth of the country. Afghanistan is certainly no exception to the rule. Yesterday, we met with an impressive young lady working for a government organization best resembling the secretary of state back home.

To be clear, she was in no burka ... in fact she was quite the fireball! Very sharp and committed to the bright future of Afghanistan, she spent time telling us about her battle against the corruption amid other governmental branches. As I thought about it this morning, I began to realize the implications of the role we get to play here in Afghanistan.

It is amazing that not more than five years ago, women were not allowed to attend school and speak in public, let alone experience the world from outside a burka. Make no mistake, this subtle yet revolutionary change is what provides the conduit for truth to enter these borders. I am delighted to play even the most minuscule role in making sure this change continues, and in such more truth is made known.

"Bob's Chicken Wears a Burka"

The Schedule fills ...

It is quite amazing to see how our time fills as the week goes on. Upon each trip's arrival there are always the written objectives (thanks AmyLu!), yet in spite of that our agenda feels quite empty as we hit the ground. Over the last two days we have been given marching orders of some key things that will need to happen before leaving ... and as always, we sit at this point wondering how we will be able to get everything done!

Consequently, this is making it difficult to blog as often as before ... and I hope that you will not expect many pictures as it has simply become a casualty of priority. (however, you can still enjoy some of my older work below!)

Our large focus at this point centers around determining the benefits of a changeover from NGO status ("non-government organization" - you could think of it as a foreign non-profit) to a for-profit entity. No, we are not trying to get rich ... rather, if our desire is to maintain a long-term impact in Afghanistan and beyond, we must develop a model that is self-sustainable. In truth, a self-sustainable model is a prerequisite to increasing our scope of impact through the Middle East and Central Asia. It is our only chance at developing multiple schools, language training centers, jobs, and consequently hope and exposure to truth for years to come.

However, the implications of this type of move are significant, and no doubt this decision will effect the landscape of our work here for years to come. As mentioned before, I would encourage you to ask on our behalf for wisdom as we work through the process.

Stay tuned ...

It's good to be back ...

There are few things in life worth the struggle of 30 hours through airports and plane rides. However, from the first step off the Kam Air flight onto Kabul soil, I realized at that moment, there was nowhere else I would rather be.

We were able to enjoy the reliable good laugh at the subtleties that occur at the airport in Kabul (my favorite part is how they ram your bags through an x-ray machine on your way out of the airport, and nobody's looking at the screen to boot). After a car ride through the city, which has come a tremendous way through the rebuilding process, we finally arrived at the school to see good friends and rest from our travels.

This morning we are all rested and ready to get to work. We ate breakfast with a woman who is involved with 22 different small businesses location throughout Central Asia. It was encouraging to hear about her work and gain perspective from her success and struggles alike. The sky is indeed the limit with the type of work that could be done here. As always, we are asking for clarity and wisdom in regards to the part we should play.

We believe our niche and gifting lends toward the development of language training centers throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and China. If all goes according to plan, we will begin the process with our first in Kabul this week!