Election Day!

I bet a LOT of you wished it was in the US! I'm not talking about a US election, I'm talking about the second democratic presidential election in Afghanistan tomorrow. Should be very interesting the next several days. If' you are praying for me and the team - give us a double dose for tomorrow! This should be the most "interesting" time since we've been here.

I can tell you one thing, I'm glad MY time is almost done. Things are certainly going to change around here - in many different ways - especially the weather. Yes - it's been HOT and windy - but I'd MUCH rather have that than cold, muddy, rain/snow - and throw the wind into that mix and you have much worse conditions to work in than we have had. How ironic is it that the teams from GA and MA (no strangers to cold weather) spent a majority of their rotation in the heat and the team from HI (no stranger to nice weather) will spend their time in the cold/snow!

The other thing we've come to enjoy here is our own little space in these BHut's. It wouldn't surprise me if all that changes also. For the time being, we've secured a direct swap with the HI team. I just hope they are able to maintain this "luxury".

Lots of things around here are changing fast - including the time we have left. Yup, things are starting to shift rapidly now to focus on the transition. I just hope the Airmen remain professional, positive, and postured to make the HI team successful. We don't need to be selfish right now and just think about getting out of here. That will come - but it's important to finish strong and do this the right way. I can tell you that WE had it very good here when we arrived due to the diligence of the previous team. They set us up with billeting, worked with us to make sure projects continued, and left us a lot of work. The last part is pretty easy - there really is no shortage of work. There is always something to do. I really want to do the same (or even better) for the next team.

So - if your looking for something specific to pray about, try this. Pray that I stay a strong and alert. Pray the Taliban miss if they decided to act. Pray that God will show me the best way to lead everyone home safely and give me the strength to finish strong for the team coming in. For the team, pray the leaders stay focused on the mission and that everyone will be safe and come home to their families.

There you have it - short and sweet. That should cover the basics. There are many details to worry about, but the good news is we are a strong team together and I have no doubt whatever happens will be God's will and we will be able to get through this together.

Thank you all for all your prayers already and the many more to come.

The reason I wrote this was because I know many of you ARE already praying for me and the team. If your curious how I'm doing, well - really, I'm fine. I'm still smiling and I have a positive attitude. I'm proud of what we have done here as a team and I'm very glad to know there is a strong, competent team coming to replace us. I know my family is OK - they miss me, true, I miss them, but they are all strong people too. All of you have been extremely supportive and I hope you know how much that has really meant to me. From packages to prayers, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Mark