Never a dull moment in Central Asia

Today I woke up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan knowing that whatever happened today, I just had to get back to Afghanistan. The plan was relatively simple…catch a taxi to the airport, fly to a city in the south of the country and cross the border. No problem. Right?

So, after a light breakfast with a dear friend of mine, we got in a taxi and began to head to the airport. About 5 minutes down the road, he ran out of gas. Okay, so he helps us get another taxi and we communicate (between Russian, English and a LOT of sign lanuage) that we’ll split the fare between the two drivers. We leave the guy on the side of the road to look for gas.

We then pull up to the airport which looked like a bus station… sure enough it was. But being cool-headed we just asked around and finally enough people pointed us to the airport BEHIND the bus station. So we go in and no one is at the ticket counter. We ask and the lady nods and points but then no one shows up. So we sit. About 20 minutes later, someone shows up at the desk and checks in our luggage. Whew…bags are off and we are ready to fly.

But the day continues to get more interesting. A guy comes over and sits RIGHT next to me. He goes through the languages….do you speak Russian? me: “Niet” Do you speak Uzbek? Me: “I know only a little Uzbek.” Do you speak Tajik? Are you Afghan? Me: “yes, I know Tajik.” (It’s the same langauge family as the language of Afghanistan). So between Uzbek, Russian, Tajik and English I get the gist that he wants me to take something down to the city that we were flying and into Afghanistan. Now, I’ve been in enough airports to know how harsh the warning is about taking things from strange people. And I’m just not that stupid. So, after I say no he starts laying on the charm…. “You know, you are very beautiful.” He inches closer (which the only thing between me and him is my purse and I’m not moving it for anything!). He then shows me what he has in his bag….oh, just your average, ordinary, everyday drugs.

Awesome. I just got asked to smuggle drugs INTO Afghanistan.

The man then received a FIRM no, and we escaped his creepy clutches by going through the security check point while he was on the phone. Although, we did notice that he got someone else on the flight to agree to take his plastic bag o’ goods. We get on the flight, wait a few hours for the plane because they were waiting for all the passengers to show up and fly a nauseau-inducing flight down near the border.

We catch a taxi with a seikh from India and start the journey across the border. This has got to be one of the most laborious borders to cross as far as the time it takes and all the things you have to do just to get across. There are 4 stops along this route that is maye 2-3 kilometers long. You give your passport to one guy who writes all the information in a book (they do have computers here but they are quite attached to still writing things in books). Then you go the the health checkpoint that has a few theremometers and just tell them “no I’m not sick” and they write your name in another book. Then you go through the actual customs check where they write your name in another book and check every inch of your baggage and belongings and count each bill of money (from all 4 different countries that I had with me). Then you get your passport stamped….and they write your name in another book. The the only thing left is you have to walk across bridge on the Amo Dariyo river that separates the two countries. It was built by the Russians and ironically called the “Friendship bridge” that they built as they invaded Afghanistan.

We donned our Afghan clothing and entered back into the country that feels like coming home every time I come through it’s borders. Crazy. Just another day in Central Asia.

Greetings from Kyrgyzstan!

Well, well, well....
It's been a long while since I've posted a blog.
I'm writing from BEAUTIFUL lake Issik-kol where the mountains are tall, the lake cold (despite the fact that it's name means 'hot lake'), and the Russian pop music at the disco rings loud and clear every evening.

Our meeting times here have been wonderfully refreshing. I have missed meetings with my "company" where worship is more than just standing and singing. Worship for us is interactive and spontaneous and cultural and absolutely a beautiful expression of our relationship with a living God. I've missed these times so much and every moment with my fellow brothers and sisters has been wonderful.



I wanted to add some fun things in addition to the email update I just sent out. Here's some fun events that have happened over the last week:

--My first night here I got eaten alive by mosquitos!! I woke up the next morning to my roommate asking me if I wanted to shower first. I turned and looked at her and said, no, you go first." She looked back and me and said, "what? Why that look on your face" I reached up my hand and touched my eye that was nearly swollen shut after getting bit by a mosquito on my eye lid. She thought I was winking at her or giving her "the eye!" So, there went my chances at meeting any goodlooking guys at the conference! I mean, the Quazi-Moto (sp?) look is attractive, but it's not a look I'm going for. Thankfully, my eye is back to it's normal, non-droopy, open self.

--We ran out of toilet paper a few days ago. (and I use the word toilet paper lightly, it's more like a wide roll of grey colored streamers that you use for birthday parties). When we asked the hotel staff for more toilet paper, they looked at us like I was crazy and adamantly said, "NO! You only get ONE roll!" (and this is for a week and a half, for three girls!) Another person kindly gave us a roll from their personal stash.

--We have had oatmeal to eat at every single meal and the meat and potatoes just take on a different form for each meal, sometimes mashed, sometimes boiled, sometimes in meatballs. So, there really is a LOT of variety. And I'm not taking a break in my carb diet that I had from Afghanistan.

--and in honor of my friend who keeps posting pictures of the food she is eating in Germany I am adding my own food pictures to make you jealous:

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog....mostly because so much has happened in the last few weeks and that I hardly even know where to begin. The village project is finished and the short-term team has left and we are gearing up to head to Ky-stan for a conference. Our journey is proving to be quite eventful as there are no direct flights from this country to there so we are having to get a bit creative with all the different passports and the visas needed for our team. This will be a bit of an adventure as we journey. Right now we will be crossing the border to the north the day after tomorrow and taking the train up to the capital city, then catching a flight from there to the country we will be staying at for two weeks, then catching a ride out to the hotel area we will be at. As always, prayers are welcome!



So, this was an interesting animal that I came across. It has horns like a goat and long ears and long legs like a donkey....curious. I wasn't quite sure what to think of it, so I just took a picture with it.

As we speak the guys on the team are all at the swimming pool while us girls are at home sweating in our long-sleeved clothes in the heat of the evening. Sigh. Soon, soon there will be relief from the heat for a few weeks!