Kabul24

As a book review blogger for Thomas Nelson, I recently read Kabul24 by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson. The story grabs your attention from the very first page and takes you into a world we see in the media but never quite grasp the inhumane conditions for both citizens and prisoners alike. Just prior to the 9/11 attacks, an organization called Shelter Now International was working in Afghanistan to help the people have the basic needs of life; medical care, food, shelter, education, and a hope for the future. Much to their surprise, eight of the international workers (and sixteen nationals) are taken prisoner. As I read it, I was horrified at the conditions that the "prisoners" were forced to live in and inspired by their commitment to God and their unyielding love for the Afghan people. While we all watch the news reports from around the world and think that someone should do something to help, these eight people stepped out in faith to lend humanitarian aid. Even while being persecuted, they never failed to have faith that their God was bigger than the problems they were facing and could use their circumstances to His glory.