PAKISTAN - January 2011

Since 2008 I have been doing administrative work for Friends of PEB Inc., a US non-profit that supports the schools of the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan. Veeda Javaid (PEB Executive Director) and our pastor Ed Morgan have been encouraging me to visit Pakistan so I would have a better understanding of the mission and be better equipped for my job. It took two years for me to decide to go and, now that I've done it, I don't understand what took me so long to make the trip. I was joined by 6 other people on this trip (3 from my church).

Despite a one-day snow delay and overnight in Chicago at the start of the trip , we arrived safely in Lahore at 2:30 AM on January 19 to a warm greeting by about a half-dozen members of the PEB staff. It had been a very long flight (about 19 hours total, with stops in Chicago and Abu Dhabi), but I think our excitement at that hour of the morning overruled our exhaustion. Having already lost a day of our schedule, we had to hit the ground running.

The PEB staff had scheduled an exciting itinerary for us. The focus of our visit was the PEB schools and students. Kinnaird Academy in Lahore (next door to the PEB office) was our first stop. We were awed by the welcome we received -- flute and drum revue, bouquets of beautiful flowers, children throwing flower petals, and lots of bright smiles! For the first time in my life I felt like royalty (undeserved, of course, but I enjoyed every minute of it).

We visited each classroom and were greeted by very polite youngsters. They had the opportunity to ask us questions and we shared a bit about ourselves and our country with them. Their enthusiasm for learning was so obvious, and they have aspirations to be doctors, teachers, engineers. I pray they achieve their dreams -- they are definitely on the right path.

We spent a day at Forman Christian College where we met with the President, faculty, administrators, and students. The students (both Christian and Muslim) were very congenial and so appreciative of our presence and open ears -- believe me, they had a lot to say and we listened! The campus is being rebuilt and restored following decline when the college had been nationalized by the Pakistani government. One of the students said he was so excited about a future student center -- something we take for granted at our American universities. One of the students had attended Southern Illinois University on a Fulbright Scholarship. I was instantly taken with Mary's bubbly personality and was looking forward to chatting more about her experience in the US, but we ran out of time. Mary and I are now Facebook friends so our conversation is ongoing.

The other PEB schools we visited were at a distance from Lahore -- some as much as 3 - 4 hours away. We usually traveled in vans. In addition to the 7 visitors, there were 6 or more PEB staff persons accompanying us wherever we went. On a couple of occasions we also had police escorts. See our "Secret Service" below -- we were in good hands!

Blue Water grou

Once we left the city of Lahore, the roads were poorly maintained, which translated into very bumpy rides. Traffic was challenging: cars, buses, and vans shared the road with motorcycles (thousands of them!), donkey carts (tangas), pedestrians, cattle, overloaded trucks -- you name it, it was on the road. I held my breath a lot as our very able drivers maneuvered our vans through this unorganized traffic. We survived the trips with no traffic mishaps; angels were watching over us.

At every school we were welcomed with much fanfare -- always flowers, gifts, music, dancing. The children had prepared programs for our entertainment which were very creative and most enjoyable. They all exuded such confidence and I don't think they have a clue what stagefright is. I could learn something from them! Each school visit was different and special. They all face challenges but the children are thriving.

Welcome

We also visited Christian Mission Hospital at Sialkot. They are doing very good work in that city and nearby rural areas where they conduct clinics for people who don't have easy access to the hospital. Their nursing program is training much-needed nurses and needs to expand to meet the ever-increasing demand for qualified nurses.

We had the opportunity to get within a hundred yards of India when we attended the Wagah Border flag ceremony. This event was almost like a football game with all of the cheering, flag-waving, and concessions. It was great entertainment. See a video here.

The Presbyterian Education Board has done an amazing job of bringing the schools back from the deplorable condition to which they had sunk while the schools were nationalized. There is still much to do but they are managing to educate children as they find ways to continue rebuilding and expanding. One of the highlights of the trip was breaking ground for a new boys' school at Sargodha. This school will accommodate 2000+ boys and is desperately needed since the government does not allow coeducation beyond fifth grade. Our church is supporting this effort, so it was a privilege for me to be a part of the ground-breaking ceremony.

While in Pakistan, the women travelers were required to wear Pakistani clothing which had been expertly sewn to our measurements and ready for us on arrival. The shalwaar kameez (pants and tunic) are so comfortable that I plan to wear them at home during warm weather. I was very amused that many people thought I might be Pakistani, Indian, or Sri Lankan! I guess it's my skin color; as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, they learned differently.

I really enjoyed the spicy food in Pakistan. Several of our travelers got sick in the second week and had to eat a bland diet, but I stayed healthy and was able to take advantage of all the spicy foods offered to me. On our last night, we treated the PEB staff and friends to dinner at Salt & Pepper Village, a restaurant specializing in regional foods. I wish I could have tried more of the dishes on the buffet because everything I tasted was delicious. It was a wonderfully relaxed evening following some "incidents" in Lahore earlier in the week.

And speaking of the PEB staff and friends! I don't really know how to convey the warmth and graciousness that they shared with all of us. Within minutes of meeting them at the airport, I felt that I had found a family I never knew I had! And this feeling continued throughout the trip as I spent more time with them and got to know them better. They are a wonderfully dedicated and caring group of people. I treasure each one of them and look forward to working with them in the future and just being their friend.

And the big news is that we have twins! Ken and I have "adopted" Jessica and Esbah (they are actually 2/3 of triplets; they have a brother, too, and an older brother). We will provide scholarships for them for the next 10 years so they will have the opportunity to complete at least their high school education in a PEB school. This is a joy for us to share our blessings with them, and they will be a blessing to us as well. Now I have two very good reasons to return to Pakistan occasionally!

Khalid's family

I went to Pakistan with little knowledge of the country's history and relationship with the US, so I was open to learning. I still don't know much history (I'm working on that) but I learned a lot of what really matters:

God is present and at work in Pakistan.
Committed educators will go the extra mile (or kilometer) for the good of their students, regardless of their own personal sacrifice.
Love transcends boundaries that have been imposed by humans.
It's really good not to take yourself too seriously.
A good laugh works wonders in any culture.
It is heartwarming to hear someone say that you've brought the "soft face of America" to Pakistan.
The inability to speak a language does not have to be a hindrance to building a relationship.
It's OK to step outside your comfort zone; you will probably be richer for it.

So I give many thanks to everyone for making my trip so special. There are a few who I must mention by name:

My fellow travelers, for your humor, understanding, and grit
Rubina and Amir, for being my personal shoppers
Umer, for the delicious meals (I want some red carrots TODAY!)
Aqueel, for the DVD (I'm working on my dance moves!)
Aqsa Ijaza, for the beautiful bracelets
Obed and Sofi (I smile every time I think of you)
Margy and Lynn, for your wonderful color choices for our shalwaar kameez
Johnson, Khalid, and Aktur, for being such expert drivers
Veeda, for your gentle persistence in getting me to Pakistan and your warm welcome when I finally arrived
Simon, for making my visa happen
Teachers and principals in PEB schools, for your excellent work in educating the children who are Pakistan's future
Students in the PEB schools, for reminding me of the joy of learning
Khalid, for sharing your family with us
Khurram -- where do I start thanking you?
And to everyone else I met (and some who I didn't)-- my sincere THANKS!

Friends, if you want to learn more about this mission, just let me know. I can really tell the story now!

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