It’s not every day that you see a miracle, but we had one at Camp Eggers this week. Every week, military members, contractors, DA and DoD civilians, coalition members, local vendors, and people from the embassy and the State Department, come together and prepare donated items for distribution to our poverty stricken Afghan brothers and sisters. We’re used to that “miracle.” This time we had a miracle of loaves and fishes.

Bottom line up front, this week we did not receive enough donations to make 50 bags of mixed items for poor families; we needed 100 for a mission to a large refugee camp. Somehow, by the end of our weekly preparation, we had enough to make over 100 bags. We added some shoes and some women’s clothes from previous donations, but we finished with enough of those left over to store them again for another day. I don’t know how it happened. No angels appeared. No waters parted. We did not run screaming down Gator Alley rejoicing in an unexpected blessing. People here on Camp Eggers have no idea what happened.

No doubt some of the volunteers came to different conclusions regarding our surprising bounty. But that’s a miracle for you. There were probably some who ate miraculous fish and bread and did not know from where it came. Some may have thought there was a rational reason, like the fish and bread came from their neighbors, or they just didn’t see the delivery porters. Some may have known it was a miracle and told no one. But I saw this one, and I don’t know what happened. But I know what I think happened. And I pray that all of the bags distributed at our next mission bless their recipients in miraculous ways.

And if anyone reading this wants to help desperately poor Afghans, please send donations of gently used clothing, blankets, coats, shoes, socks, sundries, toys, and school supplies to:

CH Albertson
VCR Program/ Chaplain Section
NTM-A/CSTC-A APO, AE 09356

NTM-A