I’ve been attending a military group in Kabul, Afghanistan for the past several months while working at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. I’ll be returning next week for another nine months of dust, long hours, living in a metal trailer, and worshipping with 15 “old guys.†I have a great deal of affection for the old guys. They welcome me to Priesthood Meeting every week with a glint of humor. Every once in a while someone makes a joke that it’s actually Relief Society, and asks me where the centerpiece is.
We meet on Friday, our only day off during the week. No one minds. There is not much to do on your day off. We used to have one hour meetings, but recently switched to two hours because our attendance was hitting a steady sixteen every week–sixteen saints, separated from families, wards, friends, and all the normal trappings of the Sabbath, including Sunday itself. It’s very hard to find where the group meets—there are no directions on the church website—yet everyone managed to find the meeting and keeps coming. There are no mid-week activities, no home or visiting teaching, no basketball, no enrichment night. We all operate under very strict security restrictions that make these activities impossible.
We share a makeshift chapel with several other denominations, on the second floor of a temporary building on the army base near the embassy. The floors creak and the staircase wobbles a bit, as if the building is protesting the perhaps unexpected faithful attendance that it has to endure. The room is decorated with a mural on all four walls—strangely symbolic in its efforts at non-denominational spirituality. There is a shepherd, so huge and disproportional that he looks a bit like a Disney villain with his broad chest and narrow legs. Despite his sinister appearance, the sheep flock to him, and they all look out over a giant waterfall—rivaling Niagara in its size. There is a violent whirlpool at the bottom of the waterfall. A warning? Fluffy clouds and blue sky take much of the rest of the space—oddly juxtaposed with the heaving water. I have a hard time concentrating on church talks—but have somehow memorized the mural.
There is a rock band set up in the corner of the room—for someone else’s slightly more ebullient worship. We borrow the keyboard, and my calling is to play it. The keys are narrow and I’m out of practice. A couple of months ago the group leader had to say: “Brethren, we’re certainly grateful that Sister Hall is here to play the piano, but that doesn’t mean you can stop singing.†I remarked that perhaps they were just having a hard time following me. Church is a little less formal in Kabul. Several of the men wear their gym shorts because if they’re not wearing gym clothes they have to be dressed up in full gear, including bullet proof vest, no matter how hot the weather is.
While there is always a level of tension in Kabul, I don’t feel unsafe. I do my job, I follow the security guidelines, and I take all the advised precautions on movement, safety, etc. I don’t feel like I’m in danger. I imagine the men I worship with feel much the same way. Humans have a great ability to become used to their surroundings, no matter how foreign they are. However, there is always a little tug in my heart when I walk up the creaky stairs to go to Priesthood Meeting. There is something very familiar and comforting about our services, despite the haphazard surroundings. I’m enough of a cynic to say that in part it’s habit, but I’m enough of a dreamer and idealist to recognize the soothing of the spirit, to know that attending meetings on my day off in a funny little building with a bunch of old guys is as important to my spiritual protection as security guards are to my physical protection. While there are no other sisters in my corner of Zion, I am grateful that there are other saints, and grateful that I can worship with them while I’m away from home.
January 30, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Thank you for this insightful glimpse of what it is like for you to go to church in Kabul. (I was quite fascinated by your previous description of the little metal trailer you live in while you are there.)
Let’s see, women in priesthood, gym shorts to church; perhaps there are some things we could learn here in the west from your experience!
January 30, 2007 at 6:39 pm
It’s good to see you around, Karen. Thank you for the post, and best wishes.
January 30, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Thanks for this, Karen.
January 30, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Awesome post, thanks for sharing it. Love the pictures. (There needs to be more photos in blogging.) When you say “old guys” I’m picturing grey heads. How old are they?
January 30, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Awesome post indeed! I love taking a tiny peek into your world. Thank you for your service over there, by the way, too.
And for reminding those of us who sometimes feel a lack of pageantry that we do indeed have our own familiar Latter-Day rituals.
January 30, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Thanks for this! I have been thinking about church in the middle east lately, as I am moving back to Saudi Arabia in August, and I’ll be living on a small compound on the gulf of about 2500 people. I don’t know how I’ll find the other LDSers there or even if there will BE any church members, and I hope I am not the only sister in that corner of Zion myself.
And I’m scared that all the internet blocks there will prevent me from bloggernacling.
Anyway, thanks. It’s nice to hear from a strong sister living in unusual and challenging conditions. You give me courage!
January 31, 2007 at 4:14 am
Karen, brilliant. Take care over there.
January 31, 2007 at 6:21 am
Karen, I’ve been hoping you’d post at some point about your experiences in Afghanistan. I’m glad you showed up.
I can’t help but grin a little bit when you refer to part of your experiences as “our corner of Zion.” This clearly marks you as taking part in the nefarious worldwide imperialist Christian Zionist conspiracy.
Are you picking up any Pashto (Pashtun? what should I be writing here) or Urdu words? C’mon … teach us some Afghan linguistics or slang.
Take care of yourself over there.
January 31, 2007 at 6:37 am
Do you qualify for a hardship differential? Danger pay?
January 31, 2007 at 7:38 am
Beautiful post, thanks for the glimpse.
January 31, 2007 at 8:10 am
Thanks all for your good wishes, I’ll just respond by number:
4. Frankly, don’t have any idea how old the men are…I’m such a slanderer. Most have crew cuts, so kind of hard to pick out grays. I’m sure some aren’t so much older than me, so…not *too* old. Others talk about their grandkids regularly.
6. Not so much courageous, mostly just whiny about the occasional cold front, and very much enjoying my job.
8. Definitely not an imperialist–just grateful I can go to church. I’m thinking of taking Dari (closely related to Farsi and Tajik). It is most commonly spoken in the Kabul area and among government oficials. I’m not a linguist, but I think Pashtun is more commonly spoken in the south and east, and Dari in the north and west. They are both official languages of Afghanistan. I know a few polite words, but am embarrassingly reliant on translators. I hope to change that.
9. Happy to talk offline about this…
Thanks everyone, has been fun to share some pictures and experiences. BTW, the two landscape pictures are from Bamiyan province, in the central mountains. Perhaps you’ve heard of the giant Buddhas that the Taliban destroyed. They were housed in those mountains. The street picture is from (I believe) Mazar-e-Sharif, but is very typical of a Kabul street as well.
January 31, 2007 at 9:41 am
Thank you, what a picture you paint. This type of experience should be shared with all. I believe it helps to focus our perspective.
January 31, 2007 at 10:07 am
Very interesting Karen. Being in a foreign place causes people to seek out familiar sign posts. In that context it seems that worship rituals would be especially important. It is ironic how force of habit can dull spititual life, yet the same habit is imbued with additional meaning when we experience a disruptive event. Should diligent disciples of Christ cultivate ostranenie as a means of deepening and renewing their faith? Is it possible to do so week after week in the same building worshipping with the same people and doing the same things? Or does it necessarily require a disruptive event such as an illness, a death, a change of place etc.
January 31, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Good to hear from you, Karen. Steve shared with me one of your emails a few months back; sounds like your life is one big adventure. I’m jealous.
Aaron B
January 31, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Be safe over there.
February 1, 2007 at 5:42 pm
This is great, Karen. Good luck in all you do.
February 2, 2007 at 4:41 am
Great post.
February 2, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Karen,
Thanks for the post. I am sorry for this open question here, but I am thinking about joining the military, after I am done with my graduate work (this December). I was just wondering if anyone knew how it worked with being an endowed member, and going through Basic Training, group living, etc…. I know my ignorance is showing through, but I appreciate your indulgence. I appreciate any help, knowledge, etc… in getting my questions answered. anyone who can help please email me (I am trusting everyone to not distribute my email address unncessarily) [edited]@gmail.com. Thanks!
February 5, 2007 at 9:05 am
Dan, first, as a practical matter, it is better to spell out your address like this kaneabal at gmail, so the spammers don’t pick you up. If you want, I can ask the admin to edit your post.
Second, I’m not in the military, so I don’t know about those issues, but I’m hoping that some of our readers have experience…anyone?
February 7, 2007 at 3:45 pm
It has been many years since I was in basic training (1985). When I was ther, I had a drill instructor take me aside and explain that I was welcome to wear my garments rather than the standard issue briefs. I was not endowed at the time so it was not an issue for me. I understand they do make brown garments for the military. The biggest problem was actually finding the local branch and getting permission to attend. Typically, you were either Catholic, Jewish or Protestant. There was no other delineation. It was my first experience seeing how others worshipped though. Eventually, I discovered that the local branch met early in the morning on the other side of Fort Knox. I had to get special permission to leave the company to go worship on my own.
February 8, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Karen,
thank you for your advice, please ask admin to edit my post.
Tom, thanks for the input. I appreciate the help you both gave me.
March 7, 2007 at 11:03 am
Karen, You are just what I am looking for! An LDS church member in Kabul! It’s a long story, but I’m trying to get some handmade Afghan dolls from a woman’s group in Kabul, but they can’t ship then into the US. Please be in touch with me and I’ll explain more. It would be easiest for me if you would email me at nlcasas@fairpoint.net and that way I’ll have your email address and I’ll write back. Thanks.
Libby, a church member in Maine.
March 16, 2007 at 8:42 am
meems,
I am not sure if you are still keping up with this thread, I am late in picking it up myself. I live in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and I know that there are members and church units in Saudi. Our Stake President lives in Saudi. We are part of the Arabian Penninsula Stake (which covers KSA, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and all of the service men and women in Iraq), and there are (I think) 3 or 4 branches and 1 or 2 wards there. It depends on which city you live in. Let me know if you have any other questions and I can put you in touch with the Stake President to find out if there is a unit in the area you will be moving to.
Good luck,
Jonathon
April 10, 2007 at 11:54 am
I will be traveling to Abu Dahbi and then on to Pakistan in June. Is there a ward/branch of the Church that meets in Abu Dhabi? And how can I find out where and when?
Thanks.
Dan