Our Mission for the Holidays

Our family landed in Islamabad, Pakistan on Aug. 15, 1995. We were the only non-Pakistanis that stepped off the Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 747. As my wife and three children disembarked through the door of the huge aircraft, the smell of jet fuel, dirt and jasmine flowers hit my senses full on. As the five of us walked the two stories down from the 747's door to the tarmac of the airport, waves of heat radiated off my face. I saw no one who looked, dressed, or spoke like me. It seemed that all eyes stared at our family — not to be rude, but because our family was as unique to them as they were to us. We were now officially in Pakistan — “The Land of the Pure (Islam)” — and we were thrilled!