KABUL 24

by Henry O. Arnold & Ben Pearson

This book is a play by play through an experience that is hard for this American to imagine. Aid workers serving the people of Afghanistan were kidnapped by the Taliban before the attack of 9/11. This account pulls you into an experience of captivity, fear, confusion, tension, uncertainty and abuse of power that we rarely hear about in such detail. It's an action packed retelling that covers the spectrum of emotion and intensity, humor to sheer terror and days of captivity to wild road races in military vehicles.

I was drawn into this story on a couple levels. One, I had no idea this happened! I was struck by the renewed realization that things like this happen all over the world on a regular basis. I was captured by the first story of an execution in a full soccer stadium! The way fear and oppression were used to control people impacted my heart and soul. The love of those captured for the people of Afghanistan and their faith displayed when they turned down opportunities at freedom for fear of any of their captures being killed in the process.

Secondly, the philosophy of their ministry was impacting. They served people who had desperate need, built them schools, homes, provided medical assistance, taught, fed, loved them without requiring their conversion in return. In fact, their Afghan employees were all still Muslim. This organization gives the love of God away freely. They see people in need and they serve them. This type of giving of the love of God is beautiful and inspiring. I recommend this book. I believe it will challenge anyone who reads it to rethink how they live and who they live for. It will challenge them to a deeper faith as they witness a genuine trust, through action, in God.

This book is different, revealing, and it will help gain some type of perspective on a culture and world that is so far away... so difficult to fathom.