Day 339: Goodbye...again!

Goodbye’s are never fun. They are especially not fun when they involve little girls crying because they can’t quite understand why daddy has to leave...again. Today marked the ending point of my fifteen days back home for leave as I stepped on a plane heading to Dallas. It was a great break. We were able to pack a trip to Disneyland, an overnight getaway to Midway, an 8 year old’s birthday party, Abbie’s baptism, 10 plus episodes of Lost, bike-riding and playing with the kids, a trip to Thanksgiving Point, family get togethers, visits to the girl’s school classes, and even a little work around the house into this short period of time.

In some ways it is hard to believe that I am really going back to Afghanistan. It felt so good and right to be home with my family. I’m sure the reality of returning will hit me once I get to the dust of Kuwait and they give me back my body armor and send me to sleep in a tent. The good news in all of this is that the journey is on its last leg. Nearly a year ago I left home and now I only have a few more months until, as Eden would say, “daddy comes home forever.”

So although today is a sad day, it is also a happy day as it marks the beginning of the end of the journey. To my family today, I want you to know how much I love you and miss you. Smile and be happy. Remember that today was the last goodbye of this 452 day adventure. I will see you all soon!

Day 333: There's No Place Like Home

Well the reason I haven't posted for a while is because I have been busy...busy coloring Easter eggs, riding on Space Mountain, celebrating my cute little Abbie's 8th birthday, and escaping for a getaway with my Susie. That's right I am home. I'm back in the States for my 15 days of leave and will be here in "paradise" for a few more days. It has been amazingly nice to be home with my wife, kids, and family. I am grateful for the time back home. I have enjoyed every moment and am cherishing the last few days I have left. Here are a few highlights of the trip so far.

Day 318: Vision

Shortly after Brigham Young arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, he went to a nearby mountain that overlooked his new home. On this mountain, known as Ensign Peak, he had a vision of where the Temple was to be built and of a city that would someday fill this desert land. Despite the desolation and harsh land that lay before his eyes, he had faith that the vision that he had seen was inspired and that the Lord would help it come to pass. With faith and dedication, the prophet and his people, made this vision a reality.

Nine years ago today, I took Sue to that same mountain. As we sat there that night, I knelt down and asked Sue to marry me. My hope in asking her there (besides the romantic atmosphere that it would provide :), was that we too might have a “vision” of what our life together might bring. I think that night, mixed in with all the excitement of our new engagement, we felt a glimpse of what our future might hold and the happiness our marriage would bring to us.

Little did we realize at that time the adventures that the subsequent years would bring. I am sure neither one of us ever thought that nine years later I would be writing about the event while sitting in a wooden hut in Afghanistan. Yes, there have been a few bumps along the road. However, overall the memories of these past nine years are full of joy and happiness.

I am grateful that in this life we are able to have “vision”. To see beyond what is in front of our mortal eyes, and view ourselves, our families, and life’s circumstances with an eternal perspective is a great blessing. It helps us to keep going, even when we think our strength is gone. It straightens us when our natural tendencies would try to detour us down crooked paths. It allows us to see the light in even the very darkest of nights. It reminds us of who we truly are and of the love that our Father has for each of us.

Sue, thanks for saying yes those nine years ago and helping to create this vision that will ultimately lead us to happiness in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. I love you!

Day 317: Parallel Parking

I still remember my driver’s ed driving test. Everything was pretty easy...except for the parallel parking. I still remember well my teacher sounding out instructions over the radio and the orange cones being knocked over one after another. Ultimately I was unable to get that “big” car into the small, tight parking space. Despite my poor performance in parking, I still did well enough to pass my test and get my license. Consequently, parallel parking was quickly chased to a remote part of my memory and was replaced by the excitement of finally being able to legally drive. Little did I realize however, how handy the parallel parking skill would later become.

Flash forward eight years to the day Sue and I arrived in Washington D.C. to start medical school. I remember well arriving at our Capitol Hill apartment and finding that the only parking available was on the street. With Sue in the passenger seat and my landlords watching, I was once again asked to parallel park and put our Camry in between two other vehicles. This experience went about as well as the driver’s ed experience...although my failure this time was a little more embarrassing. Luckily after this second disastrous experience, I had four years of congested D.C. streets to help me master the art of parallel parking.

Well, the last few days I have felt like I was back in driver’s education class. I decided to take a three day course to qualify to get a license for our new uparmored vehicles that we are driving out here in Afghanistan--the Cougar. I have mentioned these vehicles before in previous posts. When I first arrived there were essentially none of these here at Camp Stone. Now, almost everyone drives them. They are huge compared to the Humvee. Most importantly, they are safer than their predecessors. Outside of the risk of rolling this top-heavy giant, you are pretty safe once you are strapped down inside one of these monsters.

It has been an interesting course and valuable to learn more about how to drive, maintain, and evacuate yourself from the vehicle. Tomorrow is the driving portion of the course. We will be “tested” on what we have learned and our ability to traverse the dusty Afghan countryside. Hopefully I will pass. I should do fine...unless parallel parking is on the agenda!

Day 313: The Afghan National Dance

Every once in a while I get a phone call from one of my Afghan counterparts. I always laugh when they call me because they should know better by now not to call me directly. I can speak well enough in Dari or Pashto to say hello and greet my Afghan friends. I can even follow it up with a few simple phrases. I can understand quite a bit when they talk slowly and talk about medical stuff. However, once they start really talking, our conversations don’t last very long.

For moments and phone calls like these, I am very grateful to have interpreters to help me out. I have three interpreters I work with on a daily basis. Many others I know and work with on occasion. They are generally good people who fill an important role for us out here. Without these guys there would be a lot of Americans and Afghans sitting around each day playing charades or pictionary in an attempt to figure out what the other was trying to say.

Well today, to show appreciation to our interpreters and the important job they fulfill, we had an interpreter appreciation ceremony. All of the interpreters lined up and were presented certificates and letters of appreciation. Afterwards, we had a brief lunch and then the Afghans treated us to a rendition of the Afghan National Dance. It was pretty entertaining to watch them dance. Some were pretty good, while others looked like me out on the dance floor (well maybe not that bad).

Overall it was a nice afternoon, and a good opportunity for us to tell our interpreters tashakor (thanks) for all they help they provide us.