It was just a week ago that Russell took me to these beautiful gardens in Kabul. A group of us were there. We had a picnic and talked about life in Afghanistan. Except for Pattie, Linda, and me, everyone was under 30. Way under. Russell, wanting to show Pattie and me as much of his life as possible(in 3 short days) planned the picnic, bought the food, got the drivers, and invited his friends. I ate up every minute of our time together. His obvious love for the Afghan people, and his desire to see healing and peace in their country, gripped me for my whole visit.
Linda, having just moved into her new flat 4 days earlier, hosted Pattie and me for our visit. She also hosted Russell, who slept on the floor next to my bed for the entire visit. It was great as it allowed for extra time together to talk and just hang out. Linda faces challenges settling into her new place. No water pressure.. A leak on the street in front of her house which keeps the dirt road nice and muddy. But it is spacious and new, with lots of sunlight and a great view of the surrounding mountains and the city. Ok, the four flights of stairs was a challenge at 6000 feet but great exercise!!!
Two of Russell's friends were married on Friday. We loved meeting many of his friends there. Pattie and I nearly froze as the temperature was dropping and it was an outside wedding. However, the colors of all the beautiful Punjabis and long dresses were wonderful. Blessings to Dan and Oksana.
 |
| Russell's front yard. I loved the roses!! |
 |
| Some coworkers at SRS. What a wonderful group of people. |
My time in Kabul, though short, was wonderful. I loved being a part of Russell's life. I loved seeing his day to day challenges and meeting his friends. I'm glad Pattie went with me so we can laugh together about our adventures. I don't know if I will get another chance to visit but I hope so. For now I am counting the days until Russell comes to see us ...just 3 weeks.
