No worries... We're still alive :)

hello all-

i've gotten a couple of worried emails asking if we are still around and what's going on. sorry!!! We've been traveling and quite busy and we have not had much time to blog.

We are currently hanging out in their office down in Jalalabad. today we were able to head out to one of the far off villages to see what's going on down here. they have two really cool programs going on out here. the first is a cattle/goat program, where they find a poor family, widow or orphan and supply them with one cow or goat free of charge. the only stipulation is when the cow or goat has their first female baby, they are to send the baby back to the organization for another family. from then on, the animal is theirs to keep and any offspring or milk it produces is theirs to own, sell, drink, eat, etc. it has really done wonders for the economic development of the area. in the last few years, these villages have become the best place in the whole area to purchase milk and cheese, and a very desirable place to breed other cows.

the 2nd project out here is a literacy program. in case you didn't know, there are over 50 languages spoken here in afghanistan and many of them do not have a written alphabet. so what they are doing out here is working with the village elders to actually make up an alphabet for a few of the local languages and then help to teach the written language to the community. it is great, because now everyone in the area is learning how to read and write in their own language. it is completely transforming the business community out here.

thanks for all your prayers and encouraging emails and comments.

we are planning to head back to Kabul tomorrow morning. then we will be getting on a plane to come home friday afternoon. please keep us in your prayers as we travel.

we are looking forward to coming home, but wishing our trip was not coming to an end.

we will see you all on Sunday morning!

till then~
Matt B