White Flag

Prologue

Kabul, Afghanistan - August 2011

Considerably a greenhorn but nevertheless a strong-willed lady, 21 years old student missionary volunteer Savannah Zimmerman stood on the sill of the door of the center's prayer room panting. Her heart almost dropped out of its cage when she found it in the sink contaminated by a drop of Lux lavender soap in the master bedroom's bathroom.

It happened this morning, one of the young Kurdish girls who was playing explained. She thought it is a good idea to mix anything liquid she could get her hands on when Savannah was in the kitchen having flatbread with masala and Karak tea together with other accompanying missionaries from the United States, Anya Scotts, and Kim Lee, ages 23 and 20 respectively.

Savannah anxiously looked towards the direction of Dr. Avery Choi who was administering to a young runaway bride nursing an imaginary baby at her bosom. Dr. Avery Choi notices everything like a hawk. Savannah worried she may throw a fit in front of everyone or give her the silent treatment if she whiffs the scent of lavender or after she identifies the lumpy silky color floating around the bottle of the oil used solely for anointing the sick. Besides she was tasked this week to manage the ground floor and make sure everything was in order.

If there was anything in the center that could burn down from a sudden explosion, Savannah definitely knew Dr. Choi would run to safety clutching on to her most prized possession, the bottle of virgin olive oil gifted to her by the missionary organization which Samuel Choi emphasized as he toured them around the quaint two-story house on the first day of deployment to Afghanistan.

Started by an Irish descent husband and wife social worker duo in 1996 residing in the United States, they lobbied their proposal to establish an NGO for the oppressed citizens of Afghanistan realizing that doing it by themselves without enough financial support will make them less effective in executing their noble intention in a broader reach.

Finally, one day they found strong support from a group of affluent Christians who share the same passion in helping. However, this group of powerful Christian investors preferred to be unnamed and quietly invest than do actual mission work in high-risk countries.

Initially, without stability in Kabul City due to the country's volatility from wars and terrorism, Noor Badr Center has gradually found its footing and has turned into a low-profile NGO. Through the years of its operation, despite backlash from the Afghan locals' due to housing females who were deemed dishonoring their entire clan by seeking escape in a western institution, it still somehow has emerged with a strong and reliable image among the oppressed women and children, paving way for a high rating of goodwill against similar counterparts from the NGO industry.

Long-term volunteer missionary Dr. Avery Choi presently heads the women's ministry with the assistance of her tall and sturdy built, dull-looking but intensely hardworking 28 years old younger brother, Samuel Choi. Both of them replaced the previous missionary family who served Afghanistan for two years.

Widowed at 34, she has since devoted her life in taking the gospel wherever the Holy Spirit of God may lead her. Thus, every single matter under her management is thoroughly and carefully accounted for, like for instance, the unfussy bottle of precious oil pressed and extracted from Galilee's garden of Nephtali.

Dr. Choi's strict voice called upon Savannah who was brooding in her thoughts. She finally snapped back into view.

'What are you doing? Is your mind shutting down? Hurry!' Dr. Choi said irritated.

Her eyebrows knitting in the middle as she looked towards Savannah pointedly while securing the head of the young runaway from continuously hitting her head on the wall.