Story number 2 for 10 Oct 2002

(Afghanistan)–Elsewhere, in the wake of the Taliban’s fall, the adult generation dreams of a future for their daughters. Operation Blessing International’s Jodie Nelson says they’re working to address that now. Since cultural standards are firmly in place, they’re working within strict constraints. “In Afghanistan, girls can’t sit outside in groups; it’s considered ‘unseemly’, once they reach a certain age. Since there aren’t school buildings for girls, a lot of them can’t attend school at all.” Nelson says offering girls an education in a Muslim society like Afghanistan’s is one way to reach out with the hope of the “We’re in the process of building a school there and, once that’s completed, 400 girls will be able to go to school. When someone comes into a dangerous area and they are offering their services freely, through the love of Christ, that’s really sensed. People can tell, and, many, many times, whole families will come to know the Lord.”