Over the weekend, Cindy and I received a phone call from some very good friends of ours in Texas.  They told us about the recent murders of 10 people in Afghanistan.  These people were part of a medical team who brought eye and dental care to remote villages all over that country.  They were gunned down in the northern province of Badakhshan on Thursday while on a medical mission.  They were ambushed, robbed, and murdered in a remote area of the country.  When, after 36 hours, they didn’t contact their base, people went looking for them.  The area is so remote that you first take a four-wheel drive vehicle, then horses, then finish on foot.

One of the members of that team was a young man named Brian. He was 25 years old.  His parents are our friends.  Mike is the administrator of a school in Kabul, Afghanistan.  They have been living there for several years and have fallen in love with the Afghan people.  The last few days, they have been in Northern Virginia celebrating with their oldest son the birth of their first grandchild.  And now, they will also mourn the death of Brian.  I can’t image what they must be feeling.

Brian lived his life with passion, dedication, commitment, and with a love for God.  He was someone who believed his life should be a reflection of his beliefs.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, “If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong…Love from the center of who you are, don’t fake it.  Run for dear life from evil, hold on for dear life to good.  Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.”

Brian’s passions are evident in his photography – a talent that allowed him to share his life with others.  Please pray for his family, his friends, and those whom he touched….in life and, now, in death.