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.