My Afghan Army counterpart, Colonel Shah Zad Gul, and his medical staff had a pleasant surprise for me just before leaving on R&R. He bought me some authentic Afghan clothing to include a hat, vest, and a festive head covering accessory that hangs down from my head to my back. He went on to tell me that this is the Afghan way of saying "thank you" to good friends. He then offered to take me for a night out on the town, Khowst City, as he thought I would blend in quite easily and getting captured by some bad guys wouldn't be likely. I respectfully declined.
I was so appreciative at such a generous gift as I know Afghans make hardly anything at all. But beyond the giving of some tangible gift, I'm blessed to see that they saw a value in having me be a part of their medical mission, and that they saw me as one of them.
As much as I have had my share of frustrating and discouraging mentoring moments, I'm glad to have been not only a mentor but also a student of their often misunderstood culture. A culture that has been tarnished by the few who continue to perpetuate their extremist views that have resulted in this Global War on Terrorism, but in my opinion a culture that has survived decades of war and poverty because of their loyalty, generosity, strong sense of family and friendship, and spiritual strength.
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Acts 20:35 NIV
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