A Little Information on Recent Events

We are going on our third day off school.  Instead of snow days, we have security days.  Saturday was off due to a credible threat.  I actually felt guilty having the day off since I had complained the day before about needing an extra day of my weekend.  The kids and I were lazy all day.  We watched movies, I did school work, and we even ordered out for lunch.  In the afternoon after a quick walk to the office, we started decorating for Christmas.  Noel came home.  We heard some shots but thought nothing of it.  Security is tight right now around parliament so we just thought someone had accidentally fired his weapon.  Soon we realized it was more than that.  Information came in that the kids’ friends house was under attack.  The fighting lasted for most of the evening, and we went to bed with word that only one person had died.  About midnight, we found out we were wrong.  The father, son and daughter had died.  This family had lived in Afghanistan for 11 years.  They lived their lives with abandon doing much for the believers here.  Their house was targeted for being known as a seminary.  Both the son and daughter were members of the kids’ youth group.  JP was a big guy with a bigger heart.  He constantly rode his bike everywhere and was always up for a game of basketball or just hanging out.  Currently he was schooling online and is the same age as Winter.  He, Winter, and two others are currently leading the youth group.  Each Friday they met at our house in order to plan, study the bible, and just be together.  To see JP’s heart, see his blog that he just started.  Below, JP is the guy in the black at the right.   Then for the volleyball picture, he is the one in the middle with another boy on his shoulders.  He was  great friend to both of my kids.

We didn’t know Rode’ that well.  She was David’s age and also did school online.  She always had on a smile and loved playing her guitar.   The family is from South Africa.  The mom will be returning there once her affairs are in order here.  They were loved by all here.

We were also sad to hear that our old relief chaikidor who worked for JP’s family was also killed in the attack.  He left a wife and three kids.  Pactec is helping with food and other things.

Hopefully school will start back tomorrow.  We will keep a low profile but our security doesn’t feel like we are a target so we just need to be careful.   So we are grieving but processing.  Yesterday we spent time with another family who has teens.  It was good to talk and share.  You think incidents like this would make us want to leave.  We are not at that place.  Our hearts are here.  Our lives are here even if at times things get crazy.  The day after the attack, this verse showed up on my memory verse app.

“I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Winter and David are holding up well.  They have cried, grieved with friends around the world via Facebook, and spent time with friends yesterday.  Pray for them that they will grieve well.   I have seen their faith grow in the last few years.  They are strong but life is hard.   They have seen a lot of death in the last year and this one hit really close to them.  Pray for wisdom for our team and ISK as they make decisions.  Pray for those who are struggling that God will give them wisdom on whether to go or stay and may they feel the freedom to follow God’s leading.  Pray for the ISK teachers who will be signing or not signing  their intent to return forms in this coming week.  Pray that they will follow God’s leading and not react out of fear or feel guilty if they decide to not come back.  Lastly pray that God’s glory will shine brightly through the events of this week.  May this somehow strengthen the local church here.

Many blessings.  God is faithful even when life is hard.  T