Christmas Time

A few days before Christmas we took 97 care packages to the airstrip to be packed up and airdropped into some of the remote bases throughout the area.  I was amazed by how people back home sent us care packages!  Because I am at a large base, we have almost everything we need which gives us the great opportunity to be able to ship packages our to places that are not as fortunate.  I have already heard from one Soldier who was very happy to receive personal hygiene products because the area he is in does not have a PX to purchase it. 
  At first we were overwhelmed by moving all the boxes from our office to the van, but when we arrived, we were immediately helped by some of the locals who work with the riggers.  I always like working with them because some of them are really energetic, and ready to help however they can. 

I was told that the ruins on the furthest hill was built by Genghis Khan, and
the nearest one was built by Alexander the Great.   

A day or so after packing up the care packages, my assistant and I made the trip to a small base that does not have a permanent chaplain.  We were lucky enough to be able to jump on a Chinook on the morning of the 22^nd and almost froze to death as we made the ascent from our home base (at 4500 ft above sea level) to the small base (8000 ft above sea level).  We were met on the helicopter pad by our Soldiers and driven to their area of operation.  Just after we unloaded our gear we were challenged to a game of basketball on the outdoor court.  Still shivering, I took the opportunity to build others up by showing them how awful I am at basketball.  My assistant and I only lasted a few points before we realized that breathing at 8,000 ft is a lot different than 4,600. 

On Christmas day we held a service that filled the chapel.  We had a few contractors, 4-6 Polish Soldiers, and the rest were US servicemen and women. It is always so encouraging to me to see how eager people are to gather together and sing familiar songs, to take communion, and to hear the birth story of Christ again.  We had a couple of Soldiers volunteer their time to work with my assistant in singing and playing music, and two others who volunteered to read some of the Scriptures during the service.  I was also really glad to have some small candles that my parents sent over to us.  I always enjoy ending a Christmas service with candlelight.  It was such an honor to be able to provide this service for such a mixed group of nationalities, services, and jobs. 

We jumped back on a chopper and flew back home on the 26^th and have been swamped ever since.  I really like coming back from other bases because everyone wants to her about how things are at other areas.  It makes me laugh because they are almost saying, “what news of the outside world?” as they ask about living conditions, places to eat, and how the Soldiers they know are doing. 

Oh!  And I must brag on my Christmas tree sent to me by Lindsay, Ethan, and William.  I believe that Williams two feet, and Ethan's hands make up the trunk, and then the “ornaments” are a collaboration between the two of them.  Best tree I’ve ever had!

For those praying for us:

   Please remember all the Soldiers behind the scenes.  The Soldiers who delivered the tons and tons of Christmas mail, the workers in the dining facility who prepared and oversaw all the Christmas decorations, the dinner, and the cleanup, and so many more Soldiers that always work in places that many people do not see. 

   I also ask that you pray for our religious support teams as we work to meet people where they are, whether that be celebrating life, or mourning the loss of loved ones.

Christmas Time!

The Season of Advent (the time before Christmas for us Baptist Folks)

is something that I was unaware of until I started working at a Methodist Church during my seminary days.  As I sat through the Sundays prior to Christmas, it was clear that Advent is about anticipation of what God has done, is doing, and will do.  We didn’t have a wreath and that same Methodist Church sent us one to use during this season (thank you Buford Street UMC!).  I didn’t really think anyone would care about us having an advent wreath, but this week is the 4^th week in advent and I have heard a comment from Soldiers every week saying that it means a lot to them to be able to help out in the readings, and lighting of the wreath each week.  It’s a reminder of home, of hope, and of God. 

                This time of the year has also found us looking for Christmas decorations.  I was getting a little irritated at people running into my office asking for Christmas decorations.  They just assumed that I was secretly sitting on some decorations stock-pile and would not let anyone have it.  I was humbled when my assistant went to a storage container and found a good amount of Christmas decorations from the previous year…    We were able to give out trees, decorations and lots of stockings for everyone to have to hang on their doors and place in their offices. 

This time of year is difficult for all of us who are separated from our families.  Please pray that the right people walk in at the right time to help our Soldiers.  This happened to me yesterday, as my family celebrated Ethan’s second birthday party.  A good way to deal with it is to not dwell too long on how much you want to be there, but sometimes you cannot shake how much you miss your family.  I was walking outside and one of our Soldiers met me and we started talking.  I asked how he was doing and he said, “alright, but I am really missing my family because my sons’ first birthday party is going on right now.”  Thank you God!  I immediately shared that Ethan’s was happening as well and we began to talk about all that we love and miss about our sons.  This was a complete God-send to us both because instead of having to get bogged down in how much we want to be home, we were able to share about our joy and love and longing for our families.  And since we were both going through the exact same thing, we both completely understood.  I left that conversation feeling recharged and energized because I knew that this conversation was a gift to me, and to this other Soldier.  Thank you God! 

Time flies!

I cannot believe that it is already December!
          I ran out of time on my Internet access and will not purchase more until next week so I cannot post any pictures of the past couple weeks. 
 
          Energy and motivation is fairly high right now.  For me, I am always looking for the next neat thing I can learn.  Some of the Soldiers laugh at me because I still find the "army stuff" really cool.  When soldiers are about to leave out on a convoy, I am always asking them questions as the check all their gear, vehicles, and guns.  At first they thought I was just doing it to make sure they had checked all their equipment.  Now they know that I am fascinated by it and humor me by telling me what they are doing as they go through their checks.  One of the latest examples was when I was with the Riggers a couple weeks ago.  I had heard that they were going to air drop a forklift into a remote FOB (Forward Operating Base).  I cannot put a picture of it up now, but here is the Army Times write-up about it which has some good pictures of it:

 http://www.army.mil/article/69951/Heaviest_air_load_ever_dropped_in_Afghanistan/

And our Brigade Facebook page has some good pictures of the whole process:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=319044388112110&set=oa.10150426639748205&type=1&theater

            I cannot tell you how awesome it was to see the Soldiers strapping the forklift down.  I was giddy as they were explaining how it was all going to work.  One of the officers looked at me and said "chappie, this really isn't that big of a deal."  But I still could not get over it.  They were getting ready to drop a 4k forklift out of the back of a plane!  As I looked closer, my excitement only grew.  The size of the forklift compared to the small ropes that held it, the parachutes, and the platform together baffled me.  The drop went perfect, and everybody was happy.  

That next morning my devotional scripture was 1 Cor. 12:12.
 ¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

        Isn't it amazing how the word of God cuts us to the core, yet still fills us up at the same time!  I was smacked in the face with the different times that I assume that I am a hand , or a parachute when God has placed me in a situation to be something else.  Not a parachute, but perhaps a small knot.  A knot so small that you don't even see it compared to the size of the situation, but it is there, helping to hold things together.


For those praying for us:
         Please pray for the Soldiers who are struggling in their marriages, and are trying to find help.  I feel frustrated many times because people will put off coming to speak with me or another Chaplain until the absolute last second.  Why not go to us first, before you marriage gets so bad that it would take a miracle to save it!  And I also struggle sometimes because I want a button like the "easy" button on the Staples commercials that has "Jesus" on it.  So many of our problems could be helped out (if not completely avoided) if we would allow Christ into our lives. 
Where was I? 
       Ah yes, prayer for marriages!  We have already had a couple family emergencies back home which has required the Soldier to go back home.  This is not a pleasant process, and it is really difficult for the Soldiers here, who lose their battle buddy, for the Soldier going home because they feel like they are abandoning their Soldiers, and for the families back home who are having to deal with issues ranging from a death of a family member, to medical issues. 
      
     Thank you so much for your prayers! 

This is the day

              What a great Lords day!  Today was my first opportunity to preach at our 1000 service.  The scripture today was John 16:33.  We also looked at job 42:1-6 and 2 Corinthians 11:24-33.  For me, it seems that all these verses point to how our temporary suffering and pain can lead us into closer relationships with God.  Job was able to say “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.”  This change in his understanding of God came only after the most difficult times in his life.  And Paul proudly states, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”  And this statement only comes after a list of what seems at first glimpse to be that of someone who is cursed by God, not blessed.  Anyhow, Both of those cases point to Jesus’ words that trouble will come, but take heart, fear not, be ye not afraid, don’t fret, don’t stress, don’t worry, He has overcome the world!  That’s a good point to dwell on when we are in strange and tough places in life. 

After the service I was given the great honor of being able to Baptize A Soldier that God has called to follow him.  I had met with this Soldier numerous times before, and she one day told me, “Its time I quit running from God.”  We talked a little more, and Baptism into a new life and into a new relationship with God was what she wanted.  Praise the Lord!  We build a baptismal, got the fire department to come over and give us some water (most of the other water we have here is not suitable for drinking), and had baptized away.  I love how the water is just pouring off of a person who is newly baptized.  It’s like the grace of God is just rolling off of them and saturating the ground underneath them.  Its’ so abundant that they cant absorb it all.  Its too much for just one person to hold.  It cant help but spill out, over, and all around us.    Amen! 

For those praying for us:  I would ask that you pray for those soldiers who are struggling with depression and difficult life circumstances.  It is hard enough to be deployed, but to be so far away from family when crisis hits must be incredibly difficult.  Also, Lindsay, Ethan, William, and Keith began their drive to North Carolina today.  I ask that you pray for their safety.   

Rigging

          
There are a few different battalions that I serve.   One of those battalions are called the Riggers.  These are Soldiers who pack up supplies to be dropped out of planes to Soldiers in remote areas.  I was given a warm welcome when I met them, but because of my travels I have not been able to get to know them very well yet.  On Monday they invited me out to come work with them and so today my assistant and I walked out in the morning and began helping. 
          
Our first task was to help them get all the Parachutes out of the boxes.  After disposing of all the cardboard, plastic, and trash, we then began to learn how to tie up some of the barrels that were going to be dropped.  My days of working in the hay fields paid off well when it came to some of the knots that are used to hold everything together.   
             

In regards to prayers: We have a couple Soldiers who are struggling with too much on their plates.  Struggles here, at home, and the threat around us makes it very easy to use up all our strength and not take care of ourselves.  This affects everyone from the leaders at the top, all the way down to our younger enlisted.  I would also ask that you pray for me.  I am preaching my first deployed sermon on Sunday and am looking forward to what God is going to do. 
Blessings! 

My Plans

The past week has been a long, but good one.  Our plans were to visit as many bases as possible, but only got to two because of travel difficulties.  We were stuck at one base for two nights, and at another for two more nights.  This was pretty frustrating because I was focused on getting to as many bases as possible so that I could see my troops.  Instead, however, the last base we were at only had two of my Soldiers on it.  As the window for travel to other bases closed, I felt more frustrated because I was not getting “God’s work” done.

 

Brass rounds turned into luminaries

It was Saturday night and I was walking around the base in a frustrated mood. It just so happened that I ran into a 1 LT who had a guitar with him. I asked him how long he had been playing and he said, “ever since our youth group band started.” I found out that he was in the praise band for the local chapel and he asked if I would be staying for the chapel service on Sunday. The plan was for us to be long gone by Sunday, but I was beginning to realize that we would probably be there. “Yes, we might be around,” I told him. He was very excited at the news and then informed me that they don’t have a Chaplain that speaks English (since it is a Polish base). I followed him back to the chapel and observed the praise team practicing for the service in the morning. They were all so happy to see a Chaplain, and were overjoyed when they found out that it was not just one, but two chaplains that were going to be present with them for worship. (I don’t know if I explained this or not, but another chaplain that has been in the country for a while traveled with us to show my Assistant and I around before we make the trip ourselves). I immediately felt God remind me of proverbs 16:9 “in his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”
After the practice was done, the LT and my assistant had a jam session of worship music which fed my thirsty soul. Its funny how true worship awakens us to how thirsty for God we really are. We went to bed and were woken up by the Polish singers and organ player practicing for the mass at 2300. I am very supportive of practicing before we go into a service, but who does it at 11pm on Saturday night?
We woke up on Sunday morning and started getting ready for the service. As we looked through the Lords Supper supplies, we noticed a box of “Grabbin Grape” Hi-C by the communion cups. We knew that this one box would not be enough, so we watered it down a little bit, and then the Polish priest let us use some of his wine. Communion and worshipping God with Soldiers in a war zone is an amazing gift. It’s a reminder to me of just how present God is no matter where we are and what our circumstances may be.

Base Hopping.

As I completed my Chaplains basic training, I was told to expect to spend a large portion of my time in pax terminals waiting for flights to and from my destinations.  They were right.  Yesterday we spent 6 hours waiting for a flight that never came.  When we heard that the flight was cancelled, we went back to the billetting office and signed back in for the third time.  Its to the point now that they just laugh at us and say "you just thought you were leaving."  Yesterday we did end up getting on a chopper, but were turned around mid-air due to bad weather.  BUT, the great thing about being a Chaplain is that this only gives me more chance to minister to the people where we are at.  And when we are stuck in a flight terminal, that just gives me a chance to work on bible studies and sermons.  Currently I am at a location that only has a handful of my Soldiers, so we were able to meet them all and get to know them better.  Also, we have been able to meet the chaplain at this location and work on religious coverage plans. 
All that being said, our hopes are that we are able to jump on a bird tonight and move on to our next location so that we can meet more of our Soldiers and continue jumping form base to base.   

Please pray for the Soldiers in the mail rooms because there is litterally tons and tons of mail that will pass through thier offices over the holiday season.  They are working very hard to prepare, but just imagine how difficult it must be to work that job! 
Also, prayers for myself, another chaplain traveling with us, and my assistant would be greatly appreciated. 

What do we fear?

 

Today was the first Sunday service with just the 10th Sustainment Brigade in charge.  The Brigade Chaplain preached a sermon entitled “what do you fear.”  The Scripture he used was 2Tim1:7  

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (or fear in some translations), but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.”

Just before the service began, A Soldier walked in and loudly began to joke about how long it had been since he attended chapel.  He was doing his laundry which is in the same building as our service and another Soldier talked him into coming.  “Do you think that I might catch on fire during the service,” he jokingly asked ( I guess because of how sinful or evil he feels he is).  Comments like these are tricky because you can never know how God is working with the individual.  One thing that I like to do is to try and use that moment to help the Soldier feel accepted, without belittling how sharp the conviction of God can feel at times.  I promised him that we would not be throwing holy water on anyone during the service and he laughed as he made way to his seat.  After the service, the Soldier said “I didn’t even get singed.” We shook hands and he said that he would try and get back again next week.  I love this calling!   

After chapel we went to the office to facilitate the United Through Reading Program which allows Soldiers to read books to their children.  We video tape them reading, and then mail off the recording to a facility that matches the dvd with a copy of the book and then mails it to the family.  Its really great to hear the Soldiers talk about how meaningful it is to send a bedtime story to their children. 

In regards to prayers:  Please pray for our families back home.  The reality of an entire year of being deployed is beginning to set in.  This realization is a hard one, and can create some real problems.  Without getting into any details, I ask that your prayer focus around God placing the right people around the families at home and the Soldiers here. 

Birthday, pushups, and a new home. What more could you ask for?

I can’t thank everyone enough for all the birthday wishes and prayers for me.  The Christian family that God  has placed around myself, and Lindsay is amazing.  I am so busy here that I really didn’t even remember that it was my birthday until one of the Soldiers came to me and said “happy birthday chaplain!”  It is always a good thing to have people around you to help bring you back down from the business of life.  Later that day I was surprised by my 1sgt who informed me that I was moving into a new living space so I guess you could say that my birthday present was a new room.  And, since the person who was here before me didn’t clean all their stuff out, I found all sorts of neat presents.  I pair of worn out boots, a cup filled with writing pens, and a lamp with no light bulb in it.  I am really happy with my new room and was able to get my Internet up and running today.  Wohoo! 

Now that our counterparts have left, we have all made ourselves at home and are getting into the routine of our tasks.  I know all the different locations where my Soldiers are on the base, and I have been able to meet with them a few times.  My Brigade Chaplain has started the routine that every morning we begin the workday by doing as many push-ups and sit-ups as possible.  Then, when the day is done we do it again before going home.  I can’t wait to see how many I am going to be able to do by the time we redeploy.  The office that I have moved into is right next to my Brigade Chaplain.  This allows us to work a little quicker on all the different things that pop up throughout our days.  It is a great office and I am really excited to be able to have it. 

In regards to prayers, I have been asked by one of my Soldiers to ask you to pray for him as he goes through a very difficult time.  His Grandmother raised him, and he found out that she is in the process of dying.  She has severe dementia and is in extremely poor shape.  The message he received is that she is expected to pass very soon.  What makes this complicated for me is that this is a Soldier on another base that I cannot just walk to.  Because of this I had to talk to him over the phone which I did not like at all.  The Soldier has his battle buddies with him, and he said that it would make him feel better knowing that people are praying for him, and his grandmother. 

 I also ask that you pray for me.  I have heard it said before that in the chaplaincy, you are only limited by your imagination.  I really believe this to be true and ask that you pray for God to show me what activities will help me bring Soldiers into a closer relationship with Him. 

The Armor

The past couple days have been tough.  Isn’t it great to serve a God that knows exactly when you need some encouragement?  I was in my office and my Brigade Chaplain was working on a prayer for a ceremony that is coming up.  “Let me read this to you” he said.  The prayer reads as follows:

God, I am honored to be your warrior and I take my stand today…I take up each piece of the armor of God.

I take up the shield of faith and extend it over our soldiers…may it extinguish all attacks of the enemy.

I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my battle-mind from the enemy's attacks. I proclaim that I have a clear and decisive mind.

I put on my battle armor of righteousness, which covers my body with total security…no harm may befall me.

I take up the belt of truth. This truth will uphold my integrity and I will act with benevolence.

I prepare my feet with vigilant training and because of this; I rest in peace each night, even amongst the chaos and turmoil.

I hold the Sword of God in my hand and apply it to any situation I may face…it will show me the truth.

I will continue to pray daily for my fellow warriors that they may be safely protected, have joy in their life, and peace in their souls.

Thank you, Lord, for the whole armor of God. Please surround us with your hedge of protection as we move forward on the battlefield both physically and spiritually.

We ask your blessing now and forevermore…Amen."

 "What do you think," he asked.  "Heck yeah!" is all I could respond with.  Your body armor is one of the most important aspects of your gear if not the most!  The armor of God is thick and complex.  It covers us, equips us, and enables us to do so much more than we could ever do without it.  I grew up hearing this verse all the time but after putting in many hours of wearing my the Army armor, I now have a fresher view of how vital my spiritual armor is. 

    I have decided that there is almost nothing better than getting a package from Lindsay, Ethan, and William.  This is a "party in a box" that I received yesterday.  My Soldier that works in the mail room smiled when he saw that the packing list had "pinata" written on it.  I guess there are not many pinatas in Afghanistan.

  

    Our counterparts (the people we are replacing) are starting to pack up their stuff and head home.  This is a great time for them because they are on their way back to their loved ones.  Its also a great time for us because we are all full of energy and eager to get on with our mission.  I was able to spend a good amount of time Yesterday and today trying to clean up and organize my office.  My assistant has spent much of his time with his counterpart learning the ropes on how to arrange travel for us when I have to travel from post to post. 

  

   It is such an honor to serve our Soldiers.  Early this morning I was able to go out and pray for our convoy before it left out on a mission.  I cannot stress enough how stressful it is to go on a convoy.  Roadside bombs and IED's are the number one killer of our Soldiers.  These young men and women know that they are driving dangerous roads and yet they still go.  These fathers, sons, husbands still go out.  These mothers, daughters, and wives still go out.  They know their duty, and the strength they have as a unit of Soldiers working together to complete the mission.  What an incredible devotion to each other, and to the country.  I cant think of a better example of bravery.  I would ask that you say a special prayer for these people as often as you can. 

Chapel services

Wow!  Its Wednesday and I am just now getting time to write about what happened on Sunday morning.  On Sunday I was able to sit in on the service that we will inherit once our counterparts redeploy.  I was impressed with the number of Soldiers that were there, and am really looking forward to the times that I will be able to share God's word there. 

The set-up we have is in a lounge area created for Soldiers to watch movies and for group presentations.   We are so fortunate to have this area to meet in!  My Brigade Chaplain has come up with a great outline sermons for the year as well.  His idea was to look up the 50 most searched for scriptures and use one a week through out the years deployment.  We will also be having bible studies, morning devotions in this same building. 

As the days go on, I am also starting to really enjoy the scenery here.  Bagram is really dusty and so it is sometimes hard to see the distant mountains, but when you get a glimpse of them, they are quite beautiful. 

In regards to prayers, myself and my assistant will soon be traveling again.  In the next few days we will begin doing our second battlefield rotation.  The first was a short route and this one will be a long route which will probably take more than a week to complete.  There is a safety aspect that is always a concern, but I also ask that you pray for my energy, enthusiasm, and ministry skills as we meet so many Soldiers who are going through so many different issues. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers! 

Have Bible, will Travel

   My assistant and I are currently waiting for a ride back to our base of operations.  When we arrived in country, we immediately went into training about how to recognize dangers along the roadways, and how to increase our situational awareness.  Right after that training, all the Soldiers with weapons (everyone except the brigade chaplain and myself) went to the range to zero in their sights.  While they were doing that, the brigade chaplain and myself went back to meet with the chaplains we are replacing and learn what has worked and not worked for them.  It was then that it was confirmed that I had been scheduled to get on a flight that night to go to some of the surrounding bases to visit Soldiers.  Don't get me wrong, I love being with Soldiers, but I had to work very hard to muster up the motivation because I was so tired from lack of sleep.  I left a note with my assistant so that he knew what time to meet us after he got back from the ranges, and then went back to my room to repack the bad I had just unpacked.         The verse for my devotional that morning was 1 Cor. 9:24:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to

get the prize.

I was really hoping for something line Matthew 11:30 "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" or something else like that.  At this point my eyes were no longer focusing, and if I stood up I felt dizzy.  My prayer focused on this verse and prayed for God to help me with the strength and motivation to continue.  There is nothing worse than an unmotivated Chaplain!  We got on the plane, and I was able to sleep during the flight.  This gave me a boost, and when we landed, we ran into some of my Soldiers who were very happy to see me.  I believe it was 0330 when we arrived so after talking to the Soldiers we went and found a bed to get some sleep before our next flight at 0800 at morning.  A little more sleep gave me a little more energy, and the next day we jumped on a helicopter to go to another base.  At the next base the Soldiers there were happy to see me and we were able to catch up on all that has been going on since we last saw each other.  we ate lunch, and ran into another chaplain who frequents this base.  We went with him to a bible study he was having for the Soldiers, and had some desperately needed fellowship and study of the word.  After the bible study I found a bed and was able to get my first full nights sleep since being here.  Thank you Lord for sleep! 

There are a couple prayer requests that I would like to make known: 

      The first has just learned via facebook that his uncle (who was more like a father) has just unexpectedly passed away.  He talked to him on the phone the day before which is helpful, but it is just so hard for the Soldier to grasp the fact that the man who raised him is no longer alive.  The Soldier has good support here, but this is such a long way away from home.   

      Our leadership had to work very hard to get all the Soldiers squared away and to their destinations.  Getting Lindsay, Ethan, William, and myself from New York to North Carolina was a struggle for me.  I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to get an entire battalion halfway across the world!  I would ask that you keep them in your prayers for their rest, their clear mindedness, and their accomplishment of their missions. 

     And please pray for all Soldiers who have left families back home.  It is so hard that we don't even want to talk about it.  We focus on getting our tasks complete and making sure we are doing the best job we can. 

Thank you so much for your prayers! 

Why "Thus far..."

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and

Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said,

"Thus far the LORD has helped us."

                                                                  -1 Samuel 7:12

    Lindsay and I started dwelling on this verse heavily when we arrived to Ft. Drum in September of 2009.  This is one of those verses that, for us, provides comfort, hope, and refreshes our sense of purpose.  1 Sam 7:1-12 shows us how, when God's people return to Him, God-sized events are not far away.  For me, God-sized events are the times that life seems to be heading one direction, and God shows up and redirects, speeds up, or slows down our course.  I do not seek to define what these events look like for everyone because they are so different for us all.  However I do see that there is one commonality that is present in every case.  The credit goes to God, and God alone.  People's lives are changed and that spot of their lives is marked with God's grace and love.  Samuel wanted to make sure that everyone who passed by that stone knew that God, and God alone, had delivered the people that day. 
  Lindsay and I never thought that I would be an Army Chaplain.  When God started putting it on my mind it seemed like a funny joke.  As time passed and it kept coming up, it began to seem more like a bad joke because the sacrifice, hard work, and stress began to set in.  However, through all the paperwork, selection boards, and stress, God continued to move in ways that only He can do.  There were times that I would hang up with my recruiter having just been told that I was not a valid candidate and would not be able to join the Army.  Then, a couple days later I would get another call saying that my paperwork was due to go before the selection board.  I was told that I would have to go into the National Guard at 10:00 and then was called back at 12:00 and told that I could go active duty (I remember the times because Lindsay and I were driving from Asheville to Ashboro to go to the zoo).  The thought of me deploying and leaving for a year was a hard one, but neither Lindsay nor I were ever overwhelmed by it.  God placed the right people in our paths to help affirm that this was God's calling on our lives. 
  All of these events, and so many more, led us to the point of knowing without any doubt, God, and God alone, has helped us to this point in our lives.  God has called us to serve the men, women, and families of our military.  We are honored to be given such a great and awesome task.