Randy Scheel
From Mark Dieter - January 23, 2011
Hi Everyone!
Wow.. what a year for Wisconsin! Badgers in the Rose Bowl and Packers in the Super Bowl! Maybe I should deploy to Afghanistan more often? J
Am in my last few days here and definitely happy about packing my bags!
We had a Talban rocket hit close to our compound just a few days ago which killed a young soldier, badly injured one of our Seabees and injured many others. Our warning system did not detect it, so when I felt my office shake from the blast, there was no question what had happened. It was a direct hit on the chow hall during dinner. Please keep everyone in your prayers especially the family of Spc. Joshua Lancaster and our Seabee who is now in Germany.
Have enclosed my final church letter from Afghanistan.
Thanks so much for your continued support for our Bees and this unique time to be in Afghanistan. Your care packages, prayers, cards, and concern have given us encouragement during some challenging and dangerous missions in heart of Taliban country.
We’re all ready to bid farewell to this ancient, dusty, and mysterious land!
This email will no longer work as of the end of January. If you’d like to stay in touch while I’m in Kuwait for most of February, you can use my civilian email at: markdieter@hotmail.com
Signing off from the land of the Afghans!
Chaplain/Pastor Mark
Mark's Word Document - Final Church Letter
Hi Everyone,
I’ll soon be seeing Afghanistan in the rear-view mirror. My time in this ancient and dusty place is drawing to a close. It won’t be difficult to say good-bye…. uhh, let’s see…good-bye!!!! Once I am able to clear all the dirt and camel hair out of my lungs all will be good. There are a number of Afghans that I will miss however. One, in particular, is an older Afghan who is at the bazaar here at our base each Saturday morning. His name is Afzal and his face could easily grace the cover of National Geographic. I have no idea how to estimate his age. In America, I’d say Afzal would be in his 70’s. Here in Afghanistan, however, he could easily be 50-something. The life-span for Afghans is far lower than back home due to the harsh conditions for living and lack of health care. It God turned the clock back a few hundred years life in Afghanistan really wouldn’t change much. Last I checked, a camel has the same owner’s manual as when the Wise Men journeyed from this part of the world to find the King of the Jews. Afzal could easily be imagined presenting gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus!
Captain Bittner, our Battalion physician, and I love to go see Afzal at the bazaar. We enjoy chatting with him and learning more about life in Afghanistan. His English is pretty good and his weathered face speaks of a life far different than ours. Afzal is the only antiquities dealer at the bazaar. On his simple table are wonderful treasures that date back well into the centuries before Christ as this land is filled with ancient artifacts still lying in the ground. Many empires have journeyed through Afghanistan including the Greeks under Alexander the Great, Persians, and Mongolians with Genghis Khan. Kandahar was actually established as a city called Alexandria in honor of Alexander the Great who conquered the area in 330 BC. The ethnic Hazaras in central Afghanistan, with their noticeable Asian features, are descendents of Genghis Khan’s Mongolian warriors who settled in the area in the early 13th century AD. Empire after empire has tried to tame the tribes in Afghanistan. It is interesting that all the empires are gone, but the Afghan people in their inhospitable, mountainous land are resilient as ever!
Because Afghanistan lies between the East and West, it has historically been at the crossroads for trade. It was a key point in the Silk Road, or trade routes, which allowed goods from China to reach the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Europe. That’s one of the reasons there are so many ancient artifacts surviving here. So far I’ve been blessed to purchase an ancient Persian spear tip, numerous coins, and examples of Afghan and Roman pottery. Afzahl is more than willing to describe where the artifact was found, its general date, and, of course, a starting point in dollars to begin the wonderful art of price haggling. CAPT Bittner knows how to drive a hard bargain with Afzal which is entertaining to watch. As for me, I wouldn’t make a very good Afghan trader!
My adventure in Afghanistan is soon to end. The courage and daily commitment of US troops is remarkable. While government leaders and political pundits debate timelines and funding from the safety and comfort of home, I see the grit and determination of US Seabees and troops whose goal is to simply do whatever is asked of them. Our flags frequently fly at half-mast due to the continued loss of US troops. With all of the publicity of the recent tragedy in Arizona, I hope America hasn’t forgotten the daily losses of her sons and daughters here in Afghanistan.
Even though we are within our last month here no day can be taken for granted. We learned that lesson again this week. A Taliban rocket made a direct hit near our compound resulting in the death of a young US soldier and injuries to others. Please pray for one of our Seabees who sustained significant injuries from shrapnel. We are thankful as the rocket attack could have hurt many more people than it did.
We are certainly concerned for those who will be serving in Afghanistan in the months ahead. The Taliban fighting season is about to start again as the weather warms. While my bags are being packed I’ll be thinking about this place. I’m wondering what Afghanistan will look like in 10 or 20 years. Though I have no idea what will become of the Taliban or the Afghan government, I do know that people like Afzal will simply be doing their best to carve out an existence in an ancient and mysterious land. And when next Christmas rolls around, I’ll likely remember Afzal’s face and imagine him with arms full of frankincense and myrrh.
Thanks so much for your prayers, support, and care packages over the past months. You have been a blessing from half a world away!
Signing off from Afghanistan,
Chaplain/Pastor Mark
|