Over 3500 years old, Kabul has long played a central role in the region. The country was first invaded by Arab armies within 10 years (642) of the death of Muhammad, but they were turned back. Islam would only take root in the region centuries later when Sufi traders began to arrive around 1200.

After that, the city was successively controlled by various regional empires. Kabul was a major center under Emperor Timur (14th century) and later became an important city in the Delhi-based Mughal empire (1526-1857). It was briefly under British colonial rule, but gained independence in 1919. Prior to the Soviet invasion, the city was growing and modernizing.

In 2001 Kabul became the center of a democratically elected government. Soldiers from dozens of nations have long sought to stabilize the region, and Kabul has always been a critical city in the ongoing battle against Islamist militants.

God is moving in Kabul in small ways. In one particular downtrodden minority group, perhaps a few hundred have responded to the Gospel. Among other ethnic groups in the city, there is a tiny trickle of response. Over the past decade media outreach has multiplied in the major languages. This gives unprecedented access to the Scriptures in a variety of local languages on mobile devices.

After the Taliban was removed in 2001, dozens of NGOs temporarily moved to Kabul. Today most of those groups have left. There has been a steady decline in Christian witness in the capital. And the security situation has steadily and significantly deteriorated. Both criminal activity and Islamist militants make Kabul an immensely dangerous place to live, especially for foreigners and believers.