16th August 2021

Workers

My heart is bleeding for Afghanistan – once more engulfed in turmoil and war with people desperately trying to escape. By the time you read this even more towns could be overrun by the Taliban, brutally enforcing their strict Islamic regime. Western forces have abandoned their ill-thought-out attempt to impose liberal Western democracy on a tribal, feudal society. Yet there are liberating gains which will be lost, especially for girls going to school and women able to work, gain status and self-esteem. I think of the eye hospital in Kabul where my friends worked in the 1980s; people BMS workers have helped to find new livelihoods and families joyfully welcoming babies born healthily because of better birthing practices (remember the ‘Life’s First Cry’ video).

Presumably our BMS workers (you can find their names on the last page of the Prayer Guide) will have to evacuate to UK. They will be trying to hand over as they go to Afghan workers they have been training, praying that these folk will be allowed to carry on their work and will not suffer from having been linked with Western workers and values.

It’s all so tragic and we feel so helpless… Thank you Heavenly Father that we can believe you know and care about all this, far more than we can, and your Holy Spirit goes on working as we pray bringing courage and endurance, prompting hearts to think and act more mercifully and bring good out of chaos.

Lesley Fuller