Update

Since my last post, I have watched and prayed and acted where I could in order to help people in Afghanistan where I used to teach. Some of my friends (Afghan nationals who worked at the school there in various capacities) have since made it out of the country to safety, praise God! However, some of them had harrowing or even traumatic experiences with that. Please continue to pray for all their needs. And get involved if you can: some communities have organizations to help settle Afghan refugees, like Salem For Refugees here in Oregon. https://www.salemforrefugees.org/

One group of people from/in Afghanistan that I don’t really know personally but has been on my heart is artists, especially women artists. In a previous post, I highlighted the art of Shamsia Hassani, a graffiti artist and professor at Kabul University. A few years ago, the city I now live in flew her here to paint a beautiful mural that I pass by frequently. I’ve been very worried about her and other artists in Afghanistan since the new regime took power. Recently, she posted a link to this article from The Guardian (copied below) on Facebook. It shows that she is safe. I am very relieved, but also sad for her and her country. I have a strong feeling that she will continue to bring beauty to the world around her, and pray that somehow it will reach Afghanistan, too. Read this article if you are interested in what has become of some of the artists of Afghanistan. Their journeys seem both devastating and hopeful to me.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/oct/23/we-planted-a-seed-the-afghan-artists-who-painted-for-freedom?fbclid=IwAR0EpZ1aRajuV4F89XKN8KeOETruyFdwTZH8OasQQTkNQevK-6j-7Xoowh0