Beauty Beyond the Walls
by
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Toward the end of the summer, it was clear we wouldn’t meet our production goal. I broke into a cold sweat as I sat opposite the grant officer ready to give this update.
When I finished, he slammed a stack of manila file folders on his desk.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked. Not waiting for a reply, he continued, “This is a pile of failed projects. Failed, Failed, Failed,” he said as he took the top files from the stack, one at a time, and threw them onto a new pile.
“Now you’re telling me this pile is where your file belongs too? I expected better from you, Sonora, I really did. You have an MBA after all! So what should I tell my boss? We have a pile of lemons?”
“I guess so.” I stammered.
“What kind of an answer is that?” I thought. “Give it to him! Tell him he doesn’t know anything about the world beyond his air conditioner. Tell him he can take his money and go home. He doesn’t know how hard everyone is working to try to make this a success. All he cares about is looking good so he can take credit for someone else’s work.”
I left without saying anything more, but his words stayed with me. If our project failed, so had I.
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About the Book
Strong, driven, and fiercely independent, Sonora Brown leaves the comfort and convenience of her American life to provide economic relief to communities in Afghanistan. As she steps behind walled communities, she is braced to experience a country known for violence and hostility, where women have no voice or privilege. What she uncovers is kindness, hospitality, and a graceful strength that defy circumstances and confront her own cultural prejudices and understanding of God.
Beauty Beyond the Walls is an honest, perseverant chronicle of faith—a witness to the work of God in a place often deemed hopeless and forgotten. Brown’s experience teaches that when we surrender ourselves to embrace those around us, we open our hearts to know God.
About the Author
Sonora Brown is an international development and humanitarian aid worker. She spent seven years in Afghanistan and two years in Lebanon as a finance and human resource manager for NGOs. Brown holds a BA in Religion and an MBA in International Economic Development. She is a native of Colorado, and an avid Broncos fan.