Somewhere in the desert of Kandahar, Afghanistan, there is a
canvas army tent decorated in the colorful drawings and letters
sent by Carolyn Acosta’s first-grade class.
Somewhere in the desert of Kandahar, Afghanistan, there is a canvas army tent decorated in the colorful drawings and letters sent by Carolyn Acosta’s first-grade class.
The warm wishes and innocent pictures of rainbows, self-portraits and flowers give the men and women of the 173rd Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Brigade hope, comfort and a sense that someone is thinking about them, according to Acosta’s daughter, Audrey Bruun Larkin, who is assigned with a Knighthawk Helicopter Unit.
“She told me some people over there don’t even get letters or packages, so the class started writing to them too,” Acosta said. “These students’ letters have such an impact on those soldiers’ lives. They’ve told Audrey that it means so much to them knowing someone is thinking about them.”
About once a month, when the kids write to Audrey and others, the class sits on the big, soft rug at the front of the classroom and learn lessons in English, world culture, history, current events and science from their correspondence. Before they sit down to write their letters, Acosta helps them learn the proper format, and helps develop vocabulary for them to use. When they receive Audrey’s responses, they learn about the environment in Afghanistan and much more.
“I wanted to answer some of the questions from the last letter so here it goes,” Audrey wrote. “Are there rattlesnakes in Kandahar? Yes, there are a variety of snakes here in Kandahar, some of the deadliest in the world actually. We have found cobras and many types of vipers.”
Six-year-old Daisha Garcia enjoyed when Audrey explained the birds and other wildlife to the class. As she drew a picture of herself and Audrey, she said she’s exciting for her return.
“I really hope I get to meet her,” she said.
Audrey is expected to return to the United States in May, but Acosta has tried to not get the students’ hopes up in case she has to stay longer.
Vasquez said aside from sending Audrey questions, he likes it when she writes back.
“Sometimes she asks us questions and they’re really funny,” he said.
Every so often, the class will receive an extra surprise with Audrey’s letter. Care packages from her include items from Afghanistan which teach the students about the difference between the cultures. Last Thursday, their eyes widened with amazement when Acosta brought three soda cans out of a box. They looked normal to the students on one side, but when she turned them around the entire class exclaimed “wow.”
The words Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Mountain Dew were written in Arabic, which the students had never seen before.
“The sodas were really cool,” Dominic Gonzalez said. “I’ve never seen it like that before.”
Acosta said, beyond the academic perks of this experience, her students have learned a lot about the importance of family.
“This has given the class a lot of opportunities to talk about appreciating our family and loved ones,” Acosta said. “I think they also have a better idea of how lucky they are to have simple things like running water and heat.”
At the end of each correspondence, Audrey thanks the students for their heartfelt letters, and reminds them to keep her mom company, since she’s only spoken to her daughter twice in 10 months.
She writes, “Thank you all very much for your letters! Please give Ms. Acosta a big hug for me! Love, Audrey.”
