To the Other Side of the World and Back:

It’s 2:00 in the morning as I find paper and pen to record my recent trip to Afghanistan.  Four days after arriving safely back in Little Rock, Arkansas from Kabul, Afghanistan, jet lag has still not allowed me to put days and nights back where they belong.  As the lights in my living room flicker momentarily, my mind is instantly in my room at the guesthouse of SOZO International, our home away from home for the duration of our stay in Kabul.  The lights there not only flicker at midnight, but bid us aloha until morning.  I pray fervently that Zack will awake in sufficient discomfort to rouse the caretaker to turn on the generator.  Ah . . . the fan is on again.

It’s hard to believe that just two weeks ago my teammates with MAFS and I boarded NW Airlines to fly almost nine hours nonstop to Amsterdam.  After a couple of hour's layover, we flew to Dubai in the UAE.  This eight hour layover came complete with McDonalds and a luxurious hot shower.  Ready now to conquer anything, we boarded Ariana Airlines for a surprisingly smooth three hours to Kabul.  Before we disembarked, the women of our group had already donned the fashion of Kabul, and we passed through the airport without adventure (thankfully).

Unknown to me as a first-timer, however, the flight was not quite over.  We proceeded to fly in our two vans through the streets of Kabul.  One could only laugh, surrender oneself to the driver and the mercy of God, and try to catch a glimpse of whatever we sped past.  It’s one huge game of chicken where the winner is the one who keeps honking and pushing forward at the highest speed possible.  As I glanced from side to side through the van windows, I saw streets filled with people, small shops, construction projects, colorful fruit stands and of course, the mountains surrounding Kabul.  Many people live in the squared-off clay homes that dot the face of the mountains.

At the guesthouse, a lunch of rice, mutton, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and naan (bread) was soon served.  Fantastic!  I had no controversy with the food.  It served to settle my somewhat nauseous stomach.  After rest, and yes, food again, we met as a team to organize and prepare for the first day of the workshop.  The topics for the week were:

-             leader as a learner

-         creating goals

-         decision-making

-         building trust

-         change management

-         conflict management

At first, I wondered if the ideas presented would be received because they seemed so counter to the Afghan culture.  The idea of a leader having the humility to admit not knowing everything is very Western.  Would they think we were just imposing our American culture on them?  The idea of servant leadership is also not in the culture. Yet we saw several doing small things such as putting away another’s plate from lunch, while others commented on the example of servant leadership displayed.  Many times during breaks or small group sessions, I could see different ones using what they were taught.  For example, the one chosen as leader for a small group would make the effort to obtain input from “the team” in the decision-making process, and then make decisions that reflected their input.  By the end of the week, I was convinced that the leadership training was a positive and beneficial asset for the brave souls attempting to lead Afghanistan in the direction of freedom, economic stability, and equal rights for all citizens.

As it was my role to wind up the week with a brief review, I was able to listen and observe during the first few days of the workshop, a very advantageous position for a first-timer.  This also afforded me the opportunity of getting to know the people participating.  I was truly amazed to meet male and female representatives from the different government ministries, as well as an outspoken woman from the Ministry of Human Rights, a female doctor, and a female journalist with a radio station.  The women made up approximately one-fourth of the group and seemed well-accepted.

Many friendships were begun during the small group times, as well as during lunch and break times as we talked about our lives.  Many pictures were taken, and many hugs given as we left.  I cannot forget the faces and the personalities they exude.  I've glimpsed a slice of their lives and breathed the dusty air.  The other side of the world is not so far away.

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