Home

So it has taken me a couple weeks to readjust back to American life, which is why I haven't posted since I got back.  Sorry.

The last day in Afghanistan was a bit of a whirl-wind.  We were able to go visit the kids at the Sozo School in Kabul.  These are street kids that go to school in the mornings and are fed lunch and then they will head out into the streets to beg for money to help support their families.  In Kabul you'll see hundreds of these kids everyday, sitting outside shops or knocking on your window, and it breaks your heart.  But to know that 160 of them are getting an education, so that their kids won't have to beg that way, will also give you hope.

After lunch it was packing and then heading out to the airport.

Leaving Afghanistan is always bitter-sweet.  Just like any lengthy trip, I long for my own bed and the comforts of home.  But I also want to stay and spend more time with the people that I have come to love.  It is a tug-o-war on my heart.

And now that I've been home for a couple weeks, I can tell you that I miss Afghanistan dearly.  I miss my breakfasts with long-term team members of naan, Nutella and Happy Cow cheese.  I miss the beautiful mountains.  I miss the children, whose faces light up when they meet you, and who instantly invite you into their lives.  I miss the Sozo staff, who work so hard to make Afghanistan better.  I miss the crazy driving.  I miss it all.

But I also live with the hope that one day I will return.  And I will get to see the faces of the children and women that I met.  That I will get to see the difference that Sozo is making.  That I will get to see this amazing country full of amazing people continue to grow, and that they will thrive in the face of adversity and struggle.  One day.

Thank you all for your love and support.  You may not realize it, but you touched lives.  You helped give hope and encouragement to women in a place where they rarely receive such gifts.  I'm sure if they had the opportunity to meet you, they would hug you and say, "Tashakor" which means thank you.