Hey Afghan Roadies! What's happening?

Shout out to the Roadies in JBAD and KAF!!  What's up?  U guys alright?  I know the reports people hear from far off are never right.
We have had some EXPLOSIONS in Kabul too!  Never a fun thing.
New tactic for this city. There have been quite a bit of police imposters making attempts at our perimeters.  We had one the other day at our gate.  A guy was dressed up as a Afghan soldier and attempted to get in....he is no longer with us.  Needless to say when I get some time off I won't be hanging around the outer gate!!

I am smoked right now and wanted to quickly sum up last weeks truth and fairness discussion.  Bottom line is God may seem unfair in light of certain events here on earth, but the reality is God is very fair.  Think about it.

1. Everybody is welcome. 
2. Everybody gets in the same way. 
3. Everybody can meet the requirement.

This is very fair.  Without a doubt the most fair!  So we can be thankful that we may not always understand God's ways and we most certainly can't live up to His standards, but that by true faith in Jesus Christ we are good to go.
Thank goodness...cause otherwise I'd be toast. 

You guys rock!  Keep up the good fight.  Watch out for the birds!

Matt

Hey Afghan Roadies!

I hope you all are well.  Things are well here in Kabul.  Not sure  

if you realize it, but it's been a rough last couple of weeks for  

coalition forces.  I know in KAF and Kabul its been a pretty costly  

10 days or so.  Looks like the winter is officially over and the  

hills are alive!  Be careful out there.  What may have been a safe  

valley in February, may not be now!!!  Bottom Line Up Front:  Watch  

the recenty thawed out high ground!

On another topic; I would like to vent just a bit about a topic  

close to my heart.  Hope that's ok.

While I am in Afghanistan I seem to run into more and more people  

that just don’t like the message that salvation can only come  

through faith in the resurrected Christ Jesus.  They say it’s unfair!

It’s a basic argument for most people.  The argument that “good  

people” will be able to go to heaven.  This thought process is of  

course a very palatable and fair idea.  I get that logic.  I  

understand the human desire for “all people” to be good, and that if  

you’re good; you get a good outcome after you die.

For me it’s hard to look at people that you know are going to  

struggle to walk out a faith in Christ.

For example, if I were to lead one of my Afghan interpreters to  

faith in Christ.  Of course this could occur only by the power of  

God’s Holy Spirit.  Anyway, this faith would be a suicide mission  

for him.  He would have to be so sold out for Christ because his  

entire world would be shattered in unimaginable ways if he even  

mentioned believing in Christ as the risen Lord.  Is this unfair?

So, do I not tell him…….?

Of course not, I have to tell him.  Now, I have to be smart about  

how I do it and I mostly have to pray for him, but this brings me to  

my point.

Fairness has nothing to do with truth.

Put another way….for something to be true, it does not have to be  

fair.  Sorry, that’s the truth.

FAIRNESS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF TRUTH!!!!

Realizing this truth as a Christ follower is what fuels a lifelong  

passion to tell other people about the truth that is Jesus.  It may  

not be fair from a non-believers perspective, but God is holy and  

great in ways humanity can’t understand, so I am compelled to trust  

Him, even if his judgments don’t seem fair.

What do you think?

Hey Roadies in Afghanistan!

I know some of you are rotating in, so if you can let me know where you’re at.  I would love to hook up.  Things are well in Kabul.  Lots of rain.  I have pasted a little video for you.  I flew on this mission over a year ago.  We still work with these guys several times a week.  Can anyone tell where this is??? Sound off if you’re at KAF?  I will be down there for a week very soon.  070-734-7915 is my local cell.

Take Care and God Bless You!
Matt

Happy Nowruz (New Year)!

As you know Monday the 21st was the New Year on the Iranian calendar used in Afghanistan.  The celebration is called Nowruz and has its roots from way, way back.  So Happy New Year in Afghanistan!  This makes the second New Year for me in Afghanistan.  One with our Gregorian (Western) calendar on January 1st, 2011 and now my first in Afghanistan where we rang in the year 1390!!!!!   

Well, I completed my first week back and I have to say it has been much easier getting back in the swing this time.  I am so thankful this has been a good week for me.
I had begun to anticipate the work I would do upon my return and began to get anxious.  As you know the pace in Afghanistan is fast, so I started to think and worry about my return quite a bit my last week home.  I can honestly say that the anxious worrying feelings did me no good at all.  I don’t know why I do that to myself.  There really is no reason to worry.  I love that the Lord tells us in Luke 12:22–26 (TNIV) 

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 

All of that worrying I did while the entire time Christ had it covered for me!  May I encourage you to join me in a renewed effort to not worry so much? Whether you’re coming or going from Afghanistan, or there are things going on at home that are out of your control….do your best to lean on Christ’s words and wisdom in this matter.  It works!

Be Blessed!

Welcome Back Crossroads Afghanistan!

Well, it's been five weeks since I last blogged.  My intent was to possibly blog a couple of times while I was home, but I was OBE (Overcome by Events).  All I can say is WOW!  There are so many things to do when you get home with so little time to do it.  Especially, when you are on a quick return clock.  I know many of you only get two weeks at a time, so it would be extremely difficult to get stuff done.  If you only get two weeks on your R&R I would just stick with immediate family, because that time will go by really fast.  Two weeks is better than nothing though.

Well in the five weeks I was gone I missed most of the cold weather here in Afghanistan...that's good.  I came back to a country that still has a lot going on.  I know each of you is really busy and I just pray that you are finding some peaceful time to yourself.  I can say with all honesty that Crossroads Community Church DOES think about you and pray for you.  You are a big deal to Pastor Gene and the rest of the team.  This blog is actually a very small thing when compared to all that is going on to bring you a better capability to stay connected (video).  Trust me its coming.  It's coming with much love and effort having been put into it, so I am very excited about that.

That’s it for now.  I am back in Kabul.  My cell phone has not changed 0707347915.  Call me if you can.  I am not sure when I will be out and about, so if you get anytime in Kabul please call me.

Be Blessed
Pastor Matt

WOW!

BLUF: I hope you are enjoying the current series, “PLAY” @ Crossroads.
If you have fallen behind on listening, that’s ok.  Try to make time to listen to the series “Play” if you can.  I am really digging it, and I am sure you will too.  It’s a word of encouragement and perspective.  It’s a message of how to be joyful no matter what your circumstance.
If you are having the same “Afghanistan ups and downs” that I do, I am sure you can use a word of encouragement.  I am sure you could use a little help with being joyful.
Give yourself a break and take make the time to sit down and listen.  It lifted me I and I hope and pray that it will lift you up too.

BREAK BREAK
We are getting plenty of snow and rain in Kabul.  I know it’s been rainy and foggy in Kandahar.  It was freezing last time I was in Herat.  Basically the winter has arrived all over the country.  I hope you're all staying close to the weather forecasters and learning the trends of your area.  I have been caught in low visibility in the mountains and it’s not fun!  Let’s all just decide not to push it…even you medevac pilots.
Anyway, I am going home to Enterprise in a few days.  I will keep blogging from home.  I will keep praying for you from home, and if I get the chance I will make a special shout out to ya from home.
I pray that you are blessed and at peace here in Afghanistan.
Matt

What a day! I have to tell you this story.

To some people of high importance or special position a story like this may be old news, but for me it was a new experience that was pretty cool.

My friend and interpreter Hamid has been trying to assist me with getting a very special “all access” badge for the Kabul International Airport. It would be hard to explain all the details of this process, but what I can say is that the process is definitely a “who you know” kind of thing on many levels of bureaucracy. Having the right stamp and the right signature on the right paper on the right day is HUGE at every stop. Hamid has been walking the papers and pictures through the whole time. Having this badge will definitely assist me with moving people and things in and out of Kabul.

Today one more wicket was required. I needed to go to the airport special security office and have my picture taken. All of the most important approvals for the badge have already occurred and it seemed like it may have been one of the final steps. I was thinking that if they take my picture, in addition to the passport photo I already provided, I would surely be good to go.

I mentioned in my last blog that I am in no way an Afghan cultural expert, but I do know enough to understand various customs and courtesies. Today I was fortunate enough to experience one of these customs first hand.
Before I go on I should mention that in a country like this moving in and around an airport is no small task. Hamid puts himself at great risk as did I. If you think security at home is bad…try walking up to the International Airport in Kabul. It aint happening!

So we go into the older of two airport terminals on the Afghanistan held side of the airport. This brought back memories, because more than two years ago this is exactly where I first set foot into the country. Our contact lead us into the office area up several flights of stairs where I sat in a room full of men waiting to get my picture taken. The office was very busy and the entire setting was really interesting! This is where it got pretty cool.

It is custom in Afghanistan to have tea and show hospitality to any person that you would do business with. After we got our pictures taken Hamid indicated that the senior intelligence officer for the airport wanted to have tea with me. Of course I agreed.

After being lead into another office, in a different location, I met another gentleman and the four of us sat and had tea. They also brought out a “sweet treat” similar to peanut brittle, but no peanuts. We sat and talked about all types of work and personal related items for over 40 minutes. I closed our talk by telling them how thankful I was for their assistance and especially their hospitality to me. It was a very cool experience! Hamid mentioned that they would like to have me back for lunch sometime soon. I am definitely in for that.
On a personal note, the entire experience has me thinking about God’s love for ALL people. How Christ is the most important thing in Afghanistan too.

Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way because it’s so easy to just see the Islamic exterior of these people and forget about God’s intent for their interior. What an amazing challenge. What an even more amazing responsibility.

I hope you are experiencing some of this too. I know if you are flying around at all you have to see the villages and the people. It’s really incredible. I don’t mean to sound so enamored with this people. I know that many of you are only seeing the business end of the “not so nice” Afghans. I got that. I have seen the business end myself. However, the fact still remains that the larger majority of these people are for us, and not against us.

Be Blessed!