It's December and I can't believe almost a whole year of my life has been spent here in Afghanistan. Some people are begging to go home at this point in their deployment, many are ready to sneak on to the next plane leaving but not me. I miss my family and want to come home but there's a part of me that now belongs here, that wants to continue this mission b/c it is important to the Afghans and the rest of the world. As Christmas draws near, the care packages are arriving and we've delivered our first boxes full of toys and warm coats to children at a local orphanage here in Kabul. This is my second trip here and many of the children remembered me!! As we opened the boxes of barbie dolls, tonka trucks, spiderman masks, potato heads and frisbees, the once bare room with only rugs on the dirty floors filled with laughter and vibrance. These children are just your little ones at home. But, they don't get to go home to a mommy or daddy when the sun goes down. This building they live in is home. They all thanked us for the great gifts and as we were leaving the ladies working there asked for help with buying firewood for the winter. I was concerned that they did not have electricty but that was not the case. They have power but can't afford the bill if they turn on the heat so they use a wood burning stove to keep all the kids warm at night in one room of the house. Don't worry, I'll cover the cost of the firewood...less than a night out to dinner and a movie with the family.
So, it's time for bed and I'm thankful for having the chance to help these children and tomorrow, I'll look for more ways to bring a smile to more faces here in Afghanistan. Won't you try it as well at home? If feels great:)
