VEILED FREEDOM & FREEDOM'S STAND by J.M. WINDLE are two of the most thought- provoking novels I have read. Set in war-torn Afghanistan with the Americans trying to help rebuild the country with humanitarian aid and para-military protection, we meet, amongst other colourful characters, a young aid worker, Amy, an ex Special Ops soldier, Steve, and a young Afghani, Jamil, who is full of hatred and the desire for revenge.
Amy builds up New Hope where women who have been released from prison can live with their children. She comes to love these people, and Steve at first finds her rather naive and far too trusting, although he comes to see her true strength in the end. Amy lives out her Christianity and many are touched and drawn to Jesus, or Isa Masih as He is called there, through her witness. She tells the children Bible stories from the Old Testament to which they can relate.
Jamil is her helper and we see how he is also touched by the love of God and how his hatred melts away when he understands the sacrifice that was made on the cross to set him free. Whereas he feels that he can never do enough to make up for his sins and satisfy Allah, thus attaining paradise, he comes to know that the God of the holy book Amy has given him will welcome him freely. We see how he struggles to accept this free gift of salvation which goes against all he has been taught. The gentleness and understanding he sees in Amy's dealings with everyone and her uncompromising faith in her Lord, affect him profoundly. Amy is careful not to proselytize, but is desperate for the people she has come to love so much to find true freedom. She and Steve feel that there will never be true freedom in the country until people are allowed to choose who they will worship. Also women should be able to choose as far as marriage and a career are concerned. There is much fuss made about the up-coming elections, but there is not much to choose between the equally immoral candidates. Steve sees the double standards of the Americans who are willing to turn a blind eye in order to keep the peace at all costs, backing Khalil in spite of proof of his corruption because he is relatively pro America.
It is dangerous to practice Christianity there, in spite of the fact that the country has been "liberated" by the Americans, and dangerous to interfere where women are concerned as they are still treated like chattels. This is something Amy feels very strongly about and she is desperate about "her" women and children until she realizes that Jesus loves them more than she does and commits them into His care. Things change at New Hope while she is home in the States for three weeks leave and this devastates her. She is passionate about her work there and is forced to sit back and watch the place being run as a tight knit business by her new superior and the Afghani couple she left in charge while she was away.
We also see clearly the very understandable mistrust that the Afghanis have of the Americans who often don't bother to try and understand their ways and who can leave and go home to their own country at any time. We also see the very real corruption in high places and amongst the populace, where there may be talk of democracy but where it is each man for himself.
We see how Steve, this muscular, focused soldier, who is afraid to love because of the risk of getting hurt, softens and turns back to God, letting people come close.
All three of the main characters show unconditional love, the willingness to forgive, and to lay their life down for others as they serve The Lord under very difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Whilst each book can be read as a stand alone novel, I recommend that they are read together in order to get the most out of them. The novels are very exciting and are so full of biblical truth that I can highly recommend them.
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