For this week's Weekly, we're turning our attention to Kelly Schumacher Fuller, of St. Michael in Virginia Beach, and her recent her recent work in Afghanistan. There she worked with the organization Ascend: Leadership Through Athletics which uses mountain climbing as the vehicle to empower young Afghan women, ages 15-23. 

Below is her first-hand account of her time Afghanistan this summer. Kelly's essay was written during her time working in Afghanistan, but she has since returned home to the United States. 

Before I left the States one of my best and sweetest friends sent me one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received - an envelope full of cards, one to open each week I'm in country.

She's a busy mama (making sure my goddaughter and her little sister are well taken care of!) and an incredible artist, and each little envelope feels like a true gift. Knowing that the hand lettered quote enclosed within was prioritized over some other task that was inevitably looming on her to-do list means a great deal to me. (I'm sure she's thankful that I'm only gone for a few months! :))

All that is to say, the simple messages enclosed in these colorful envelopes hold more than I would have imagined, and probably hold more than even she intended. (Fun fact: I chose to start opening them on Monday mornings as a logical beginning of the week ritual, only to find out that the work week in Afghanistan actually starts on Saturdays... #rookiemistake.)

So, while the message isn't new I think it struck me harder because I'm here, in Kabul, where I'm regularly wrestling with so many things: living in the midst of celebration and sadness; holding heart wrenching pain and incredible beauty simultaneously; attempting to live out of love instead of fear; being distinctly American among Afghans; going to Embassy functions and spending time with the Ascend team; and missing "my people" in the States, while attempting to build relationships here. It feels like there's a tug on me in each direction.

I can't lie - it's easy to focus on the ever decreasing countdown of days until I'm back to the familiar, where I have freedom of movement, freedom of choice and reliable electricity; where I understand what's going on around me and don't have to think twice about whether what I'm doing is culturally appropriate. (And, yes, I realize the extreme amount of privilege in that statement.) It's easy to get lost in Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat catching up on what's going on with my people (you) back in the States. It's easy to focus on answering emails, making sure that programming is happening the way it should, and arranging logistics. It's easy to talk with the hubs and plan our weeks of life post-Kabul. (Sidenote: Minnesota State Fair, I'm coming for you!)

But, here's the thing: I took that little yellow card as a challenge, and trying to "be all here" here in Kabul has been kind of amazing.

The girls hadn't hiked since pre-Ramadan, so it was the first time in a long time they had gotten outdoors all together. Although it was a smaller group than normal, it was one of my favorite parts of my time here thus far.

I could have easily been focused in on how much time it was taking, whether the hike was meeting programmatic goals, and if we were fitting into the predicted schedule, but instead I tried to embraced the whole thing. From the girls arriving very early in the morning looking like (bleary-eyed) proper Afghan young women who then, in a matter of minutes, geared up to look like proper athletes, all the way to us arriving back to the office and the opposite happening (transforming from sweaty mountain-climbers to proper Afghan young women in heels, perfect makeup, and long dresses), and everything in-between.

I still feel like I'm fully developing my thoughts around all of it and its impact on my heart, but I can't help but share a few things that struck me, because I was committed to noticing them:

To read more about Kelly's accounts during her time in Afghanistan, visit her blog KellyAscends. To learn more about Ascend: Leadership Through Athletics visit AscendAthletics.org