Canada is renowned for its policy of advocating peace around the world. As a result, it is little wonder that it has made its presence known in Afghanistan. I have always admired soldiers of peace who risk their lives to maintain the freedom of a far-away country, and when I heard from the custodian at my school that there was the possibility for my class to write to some of these soldiers, I was excited.

So were my students. Each one of them took great pride in writing their letters. They wrote about themselves, about their homes and their schools and their interests, but most importantly, they wrote that they cared for the soldiers and that they prayed for them.

The letters were sent, and we hoped they would reach their destination. I didn’t know what kind of response to expect, but certainly not the one I received. It was during lunch time last week when I was called to the office for a phone call. Imagine my surprise when it was a call from a foreign country, a call from a certain Canadian soldier stationed in Afghanistan. He had received the letters from my students and he took the time to call my school and thank them. The message was clear: these letters meant a lot to him and to his unit, and he wished to encourage my students to continue praying for them.

When I shared this news with my class, and later with the entire school via the P.A. system, every student was silent. They were in awe. Someone in Afghanistan appreciated their efforts enough to take the time to call and let them know about it! It blew their minds. It also motivated them to write more letters to heroes of a war-torn country!

It is amazing what a simple word can do. It can either bring encouragement or it can work to tear down someone. May we learn from this experience to follow the example of the Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and become peace keepers, building up those around us instead of criticizing them. This could encourage others to do the same, which could, in the long run, serve to revolutionize not only entire towns, but provinces and states as well. Perhaps even entire countries! What a difference this would make in our world!

Putting people down brings no real satisfaction. Making someone smile does, and this would make our entire existence worthwhile.

Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9 NKJV). John would later write: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7 NIV)

Would you like a call from Afghanistan?

A big thank you to all of our soldiers of peace out there. You are making a difference in this world!

Rob Chaffart