Day 153: New Year's Rockin' Eve

I'm not a fan of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve or even a hard core fan of video games (there was a time...). Most New Year celebrations have typically been spent with friends, family, a glass of Martinelli's finest, a peak at the ball dropping into Time's Square, and a quick chorus of Auld Lang Syne to herald in the new year...actually it's more of a hum as I have no clue what the words are.

Happy New Year from Afghanistan!

Well here in Afghanistan, we can party just as hard. To bring in the new year, I hung out with some avid fans of the video game Rock Band on Playstation 3. Our "concert venue" was staged in the dining facility and we were generous enough to offer free admission. We had a great time! There has always been a small part of me that has wanted to bang on some drums, but there has always been a part of me that has always been uncoordinated. Well, for a few hours my little fantasy came true...

Camp Clark Rock Band

After several hours of imaginary play I was beat! The whole experience was indeed a very effective method to unwind. Well, it's just past midnight (Afghan time)...HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone...the year that I come home!!!

Day 151: Connection

FINALLY...after waiting patiently for our internet service to be up and running, I was finally able to return to the world of webcam. For the first time in over 2 months, I was able to see my beautiful Gemma, Maxwell, and Maya face-to-face! We had a great time. Maya has really filled out, great job nursing honey! Maxwell was talking in phrases and singing his favorite songs, he is really turning into a little boy. And Gemma...you look as gorgeous as ever:)


I can only say that by the grace of God have I been able to press on out here in Afghanistan. Not only as a soldier simply surviving but thriving! Blessings such as functional internet, free phone calls home, and time in the Word have allowed me to stay connected to my most valuable sources of strength. In hindsight, although 2008 has brought it's share of disappointments (big ONES!), I can only say that there was someone much higher than myself who had remained more involved in my life that I had realized.

"From the end of the Earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Psalms 61:2 KJV

Day 150: Bad Day

Today was a bad day. I really have no other descriptor other than "bad" to summarize the events of the last 24 hours. Unfortunately, my criteria for rating this day as "bad" had nothing to do with my clinical responsibilities or the food in our dining facility or lack of hot water in the shower.


As I was returning from an Afghan Army meeting this morning, I just happened to be walking in the direction of a loud BOOM which was promptly followed by an all-to-familiar mushroom-shaped cloud (see pic above, off in the distance). Come to find out, it was an SUV rigged with explosives and a suicide driver who was targeting a local government meeting in the Mandozai District of Khowst Province only a few miles from our base. The saddest thing is that the bomber detonated the vehicle in the vicinity of a school which took the lives of 14 local Afghan children who could have very well been children that have been seen in our free clinic.

Such a vivid and painful reminder of the realities of war. An image that will be forever etched in my memory. My heart goes out to the people of Afghanistan and the families of those children. During a spare moment, please take the time to lift up the people of Afghanistan in prayer as they continue to live, essentially, as casualties of war.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4 NASB

Day 148: Letters

I had mentioned in my previous blog that I had spent a significant part of my Christmas sorting through a bunch of letters and greeting cards from kids all around the country. It's amazing to see that so many children, of a variety of ages, have taken the time to remember the troops that are out here in Afghanistan. I couldn't help but share some of the letters that really put a smile on my face.

Merry Christmas to all. I hope that you are safe where you are. If you are ever unhopeful, say to yourself "I think I can" over and over again. Don't give up. Be Safe! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God! -- Cate

Dear Soldier, Merry Christmas! I wish you could be with your family. I hope you get some presents. Be safe and come home soon! I want an X-box. --From Grant

Check out all the letters and cards!

Dear Soldier, Thank you so much for your selfless sacrifice in defending our country. I just wanted to take the time to tell you that we all appreciate what ya'll are doing over there. Your actions in defending our country helps all of us sleep at night knowing that you are here to protect us. Thank you again for everything you have done for this country. God bless. --Anonymous

Dear Service Person, I'd like to thank you for defending my freedom. That's a wonderful gift you're giving me this Christmas: freedom. It really means a lot to me. You know, Jesus suffered for us to. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. --Mary

Dear Service Person, Thanks for your service to our nation! As a high school senior, I sometimes get caught up in the stresses of life--searching for colleges, doing well on tests...but then I'll see something as simple as an American flag bumper sticker and realize how much I have for which to be thankful. People will always find something about which to complain -- the economy, the President -- but you guys are out there risking your lives every day for our opportunity to complain. THANK YOU! --Sincerely, Sara

It's amazing to read the maturity in perspective that some of these children have. I hope that in reading these sincere expressions of appreciation, please take every minute of freedom that you have and make the most of it because you will never realize how valuable it is until it is taken away.

Day 147: Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Although I am spending this holiday season away from Gemma, Maxwell, and Maya without the joy of opening gift-wrapped goodies, singing Christmas carols, or enjoying a Christmas service at church, I can still say that I had a very memorable holiday experience. Here are some highlights...

DFAC at X-mas

As you can see, a very festive dining facility (DFAC) with a wood-carved sleigh in the center and our senior enlisted advisor, Santa "Clauss" (his real last name) giving out presents. We had great food and had a wonderful time of Christmas feasting and fellowship.

Santa's Little British Helpers

Navy team on one side, Santa's Little Helpers on the other. Actually that's me sitting with our British allies who have been helping us with the Afghan mentoring mission as well. Great guys to work with, and they definitely know how to get into the holiday spirit!

A Christmas visit to the ANA clinic

Even though Afghans do not celebrate Christmas, they are familiar with the popular holiday and the traditions that come with it. They have seen the red Santa hats, the giving of gifts, and the mention of Jesus' birth. When I went to give them a box of Christmas goodies it was so nice to receive such warm Christmas greetings...one of the Afghan medics said to me, "I wish for you a Happy Christmas and Congratulations!" I thought that was pretty cool, especially coming from someone of an Muslim background.

Well to cap off the rest of my day, I spent time on the phone with mi familia, won a Christmas ping pong tournament, watched some home DVD footage courtesy of my brother-in-law George, and rummaged through a plethora of letters/cards from elementary school kids all around the US wishing troops a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I even wrote some of them back! I thought it was definitely a Christmas day to remember!

Merry Christmas everyone and may we continue to live the gift of Jesus every day.

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Day 146: One

"One Team, One Fight!" or "Army of One"...catchy, motivating cliches coined to foster a sense of unity in the war against terrorism. Over the last couple of months, our Navy Garrison support team has made a concerted effort to find unity amidst a diverse group of individuals in order to be a team of true "force multipliers" (another clever little phrase from the Army). And what better time to celebrate and reflect on the milestones that we, as a unified Navy team, have achieved than during the holiday season. Everyone gets along at Christmas! So here is a rare photo op of all Navy personnel aboard the Camp Clark quarterdeck looking happy as ever...we practically look like family!


Also, in the spirit of unity, we shared our Christmas traditions with our Afghan Army Garrison counterparts. We introduced them to traditions such as gift giving and the consumption of yummy care package cookies. I especially had a wonderful time expressing my appreciation for the hard work that my counterpart, Colonel Shah Zadgull, was putting into the clinic. I think he really liked my Christmas gift box with special mention to the bright blue fuzzy pillow!

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body,
so also is Christ." I Corinthians 12:12 NKJV

Day 145: Powerless

In the eyes of the Afghan people, we Americans are perceived as a country with unlimited resources. Despite the repeated requests for village elders to limit the amount of patients that are sent to the free clinic to 30-40 patients per week...well today, close to 300 showed up at the front gate!! Yes, I said 300!!! Unfortunately, we had no choice but to turn the vast majority of them away. We still ended up taking care of 45 patients which was 15 more than what we had prepped for, but I couldn't help but feel powerless as I wish I had the resources available to take care of all 300 of those patients.

Hanging out in the waiting room!

Of the 45 patients seen at the free clinic today, one particular patient stuck out in my mind. He was a 19 y/o male who was cachectic, bedridden, and had multiple painful pressure ulcers on his lower back and arms with some sores eroding down to muscle and even bone. Apparently, his family was not aware of the need to turn him regularly. When I saw him, he was in so much pain that his family couldn't take him out of the car seat so I could evaluate him. I attempted to obtain what ended up being a very convoluted and broken-up history regarding his medical condition which, in the end, still rendered me clueless as to what was going with him. Wow, if there was ever a time in my medical career that I felt so powerless...it was now. As I talked with him and painfully took down his old dressings, I could sense the hope that his family had in me as the "American doctor" who can do anything and everything.


In the world of medicine that I'm most familiar with...this patient would have been admitted to an inpatient facility and a multidisciplinary medical team would have been involved with his care. But, in the world of medicine that I am currently working out of...I had some gauze, sterile water, tape and my own 2 hands working out of the front seat of a beat-up Toyota Corolla for a hospital bed.


After painstakingly cleaning his wounds, replacing his dressings, and telling his family that the liklihood of finding him specialty care was highly improbable...I couldn't help but feel like I was letting them down. But, as I reflected on the deeds of the day, I realized that in my simple acts of "powerless" medicine, in the eyes of the Afghan people, I was still seen as powerful...not because of the uniform I was wearing, but because of the character I was displaying.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And went with him and bound up his wounds..." Luke 10:33,34 KJV