Sunday Morning

Another Sunday morning in Afghanistan. One of very few left here (at least this time around). As is typical, I will spend much of the morning figuring out what to talk about tonight in Chapel. I am perhaps one of today's leading procrastinators. Funny, being married to one of the era's great planners. Sometimes hard to believe that she has endured 18+ years of spontaneity and general chaos.

It is a beautiful morning here in Kowst Province and the paratroopers of Denali-land are well underway with plans to return home. Hard not to start counting days at this point - though it is not particularly helpful to do that. We are so anxious to reunite with our families . . . and our Salmon . . . and our Moose's Tooth Pizza. But it will come - and a watched deployment doesn't end any quicker than a watched pot boils.

A couple things are on my mind this morning - and some relative to chapel service tonight. Firstly, I am positive that God has been in this whole thing with us. I do not mean that in any sort of political sense. I mean that, as a Sovereign God (as my Chaplain Assistant - the good Calvinist, always reminds me that God is), He thoroughly controls the events of our world. That raises tons of questions, I understand that - and have no intention of addressing all of them here - nor do I suggest that I even have the capacity to address all of them. But if that is true - then ALL the events of our lives have the potential to both glorify God and serve our good (at least as God envisions our good).

John Piper, in his book Desiring God - which I heartily recommend - would tell you that those two ends are NOT (as so many fear) mutually exclusive. God's glory -and our good - work together, are - in fact, mutually supportive. All that to say, you and I may very Biblically and very truly say "it was not (the Army) who sent us here, but God." I know that sounds like an incredibly bold, even audacious claim - but it is in keeping with the Biblical record of God's working in the world.

What purposes then does He intend? Not sure that will just be crystal clear all of the time - but I think we will come to identify much of it. I think too, that the man and woman who set out from the place of faith - will more readily see it. Some will say that is something like "self-fulfilling prophecy" or "you see what you want to see." I think it goes much deeper than that. You can't read any of the Scripture narratives and fail to see that God is an Author. He writes the stories of lives. Not only for those who want His Authorship - but for the world. Recognition of that - submission to it - and ultimately gratitude for it - that is the what is called for - especially in light of the incredible end to which God has gone to call us out of our fallen story and into His glorious one.

Whatever He intends, I AM SURE that it does not include the disintegration of our marriages. And that is, for far too many, a byproduct of a year-long separation. Incredibly, I know that some of you are wrapping up your third, fourth, even fifth deployment. I am amazed by your resilience - but it takes a toll doesn't it?

I want you to know that a group called Family Life will be hosting a Marriage Conference @ the Anchorage Marriott Downtown on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of March. It is called "A Weekend to Remember" and it is truly a phenomenal event! Really, it is maybe the best thing going for marriages. Whether yours is thriving or barely surviving - this will be a worthwhile experience. It is not a military deal - though our offerings are usually good, these folks have been holding conferences for years - all over the world. More than one million couples have attended a "A Weekend to Remember."

If you think you might be interested - go to www.familylife.com and check out more about their conferences. I think it is truly Providential that this conference will be in Anchorage (which only happens once every year) right when we are getting home. Please spread the word about the event - and get registered as quick as you can. Seats sell out every year - all 650 of them - so don't delay. Also - I suggest that you plan to stay at the Hotel - or a nearby hotel for the whole event. It starts Friday night and ends Sunday Morning - plenty of time for just you and your spouse - but you need to really get away to maximize the experience. It will be fun, the speakers are great, and it is an absolutely NO pressure kind of deal - so don't get worried and worked up about it - just go.

The "Weekend to Remember" tickets will be about $138 bucks per couple (that is with the military discount) and the hotel price @ the Marriott is something like $99 per night - for conference attendees. So - you are looking at about $350 bucks all total (before meals). Not so much when you are talking about an investment in your marriage.

For those of you outside of Alaska - check out the conference page on www.familylife.com anyway - they hold events all over the place - and many more of them in the lower 48.

Can't wait to get home and see you all - and hope to see you at the conference!

grace and peace to you in Christ - the Author and Finisher of our faith,

ch matthew

Shepherd's Table (January Frozen Spur/Squadron Newsletter)

SHEPHERD’S STABLE

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is

the way of death. – Proverbs 14:12

There are different kinds of deaths. No one would argue that, I don‟t suppose. There is, of course, a physical kind of death and we have dealt enough with that this year. Some we expect. Combat deaths we expect. We hate them, but we expect them sometimes. A lot of soldiers have had to go home to grieve the death of a mom, or a dad, or a grandparent; some of those are expected too, and some are not.

It is a point of very personal sadness for me to witness the death of a relationship. Obviously, as a chaplain – marriage counseling is a constant. I love this aspect of my work. Not in the same sense that I love fly-fishing, which is always enjoyable too – whether the results are good or not. I love working with couples because I know so well the difficulty of military marriages, for that matter marriage in general. God knows how well I know this – having come so very close to losing my own. But marriage counseling is not always a joy, at least not like fly-fishing. Sometimes it is grievous, sometimes it is heart wrenching, but always and sincerely an honor and a work that I believe is deeply important. As I have observed through the years, the natural tendency in a relationship, the natural flow of it (at least in a marriage relationship) is toward isolation and not greater oneness. That is especially true in the context of a military marriage, where soldiers are leaving home with such regularity, and for so long. Not that there are not some great things that come out of deployments too. Certainly, a lot of couples grow fonder of one another. I suppose that if "familiarity breeds contempt,‟ then the converse must be likewise true. But that does not always translate into a stronger relationship at redeployment. No, in fact, because the quality of a relationship is so often based on time spent together, on memories built, it is rare for a relationship to grow closer during a deployment. Fondness then, does not necessarily transfer to oneness – and oneness really is the goal.

Fondness is temporal; think of the early days of your marriage for instance. The first two or three months are great, and then comes the revelation that you will spend the rest of your life with this person! Honeymoons don't easily transfer into marital success any more than fondness easily becomes oneness. The briefings that soldiers and spouses receive are good and I am certainly a proponent of them, but really, only helpful if applied. The trouble some- times is, we hear so much of this stuff that it becomes background noise. I guess then, if I could urge us toward the embrace of one value or one point of intentionality with regard to reunion, one point that will move us from fondness to oneness, it would be to resist the urge to criticize. I have talked before, about how it is that wives need to know that they are unconditionally loved, chosen. For a woman, that is as fundamentally necessary as air. I have talked too about how it is that men need desperately to know that they are respected. There is this God-born need in men for respect; it is why we get angry on the highway, when someone cuts us off. It is the root cause of so much dissatisfaction in marriage with men – a sense that their wives do not really respect them.

Let me assure you that a critical spirit will communicate un-love to a wife and dis-respect to a husband, and it is an easy habit to fall into. Maybe not at first, while the newness of just being together again is ruling the day – but that will eventually wear off and there will be, for some of us, this natural inclination to become critical. I have dealt very personally with this, and I have found that much of the time my criticisms towards my wife and children have been very unnecessary – and the heaviness of my words has far exceeded the annoyance that called it forth.

There are, of course, several good ways to deal with this tendency. But I want to leave you with just this one thought – if the thing you are about to criticize will not matter a year from now, then it probably is not worth criticizing. The thing is, probably most of us are more critical than we ought to be – especially when we are not acting intentionally to quell that tendency.

I will tell you very directly that many marriages die over this very thing – criticism that communicates un-love and dis-respect. Sure, the criticisms swell into bigger issues and so, when the marriage is pronounced dead – the cause, they say, was infidelity, or abuse, or ne- glect, or something like that. Really though, the virus from which the symptoms derived – the thing that killed it, was criticism. If oneness is what you are after, rather than isolation, I would tell you that this is a very important part of it.

The most frustrating part of this whole "critical spirit‟ thing, is that it is the way most folks will go unless they very purposefully strive against it. Our nature is not to affirm, encourage, build- up. Seems like, in many ways we are self-destructive by design. Or perhaps it would be better to say that there is a sickness that has infected our design – and now, all of us are at war against our own tendencies. That is the more biblical way to say it. Nevertheless, there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. If you will war against that natural tendency in you, I believe that your marriage will be the stronger for it. “But encourage one another day after day, as long as you have the opportunity, so that none of you will be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

~ Hebrews 3:13

Chaplain Matthew Atkins Squadron Chaplain

A few last pics

Worship service - Camp Clark.

The monkey who thought I wanted his 'fruit leather' and tried to rip my eye out. Course, those fruit leathers are pretty good.

The 'castle' on the border and an outstanding Denali medic.

More Photos

A Sniper finds his range - less than a click from Pakistan. The Taliban need to get their estates in order if they intend to try and over-run here.

A great platoon sergeant in his new castle.

A rare episode of personal hygiene . . . just kidding jamie.

A high ranking commander of ground forces meets with our Scouts before they leave to take over a volatile piece of geography.

A Few Photos

Been a while since I was able to post any photos - here are a few dating from early November until just a few days ago.

One of our great 13Foxes at the top of a tough climb.

Matt M. on the way up another mountain. I think we will all miss the mountains the most . . . no, really.

This joyful and kind man had just been released from a 7 year term in a Pakistani prison. He, like many others we have met here, was an exceptionally welcoming and generous host.

Think he was hoping I had some candy to offer.

Worship service in Camp Clark. Finally a FOB with some amenities - but the telephones are horrid.

Late December

It is good to be clear of November and well on our way to finishing out 10 months in Afghanistan. Funny how little impact the annual calendar has on Denali Families these days - it is all about the deployment calendar. Both are drawing to a finish - finally.
I am sorry to have been so quiet during the last several weeks. We have transitioned, as most of you know, to Kowst Province - and the change has created more for all of our Warriors to accomplish before we leave. Not only are we learning to operate in a new geography - but really in a very different realm. Our paratroopers are now partnered with Afghan National Army Soldiers and serve to train them, evaluate them, and improve their capabilities. It is a daunting task - but one that is absolutely essential if we are to someday cease work in this country.
Of course - it is a difficult transition to make for us all. Certainly we have been working alongside the ANA for sometime - but this is very different - it is a very complete kind of partnering, and at every level. Just a few weeks ago some of the more high-ranking US Commanders in Afghanistan visited our FOB to see how the Denali Squadron has set out to accomplish this mission. They were decidedly impressed, pleased, and hopeful - I think, that what is happening here will be replicated elsewhere.
Our Commander would be the first to tell you that the credit for our successes at this new mission belongs to every Soldier in the Squadron. The work is difficult, sometimes very frustrating, but must be done with the end in mind. None of us wants to be back here in five years - and so the foundations must be laid with diligence.
So - we are sprinting until the end of this thing. You know, I expect that most of us will be running so much that the day of our departure arrive as something of a surprise. Maybe that is not the case at home right now. Lots of snow, we hear. Not too many hours of daylight. Wow. We really are living different realities right now aren't we? Still - in just a few months we will have been home for a while, and deployment memories will have already grown more distant, hazy.
We are looking forward to seeing you all again soon! Guys are getting ready for PCSs', for leave - they are talking about snowboarding and King Salmon season. Mostly its just going to be nice to see our families again.
Oh yeah, your Squadron Chaplain was scratched beneath the eye by a hungry and defensive monkey at an Afghan National Police station today. I will leave you with that. I guess you were expecting something inspirational - maybe scripture based. Guess I'm not on my A game all the time. :-)

Grace and peace to you all today! Live gladly.
denali shepherd

October 25th

Well, I am figuring that we are somewhere under 100 days to go on this deployment! Please do not accept that as gospel (or authoritative) - I am not writing this on behalf of the command, nor do I know the exact day of our departure. You may accept it as gospel (in the sense that it is good news!) - which is what the biblical word means - as, 100 days - give or take a few, is doable I think.

I understand from other Paratroopers, and from Facebook, and from my wife (who gets right to the point from time to time), that 100 days doesn't necessarily feel like good news right now. I definitely get it. With eight + months down - everyone seems to be feeling the cumulative weight of separation. For all of you who follow this blog from home (FT Rich) - know that we feel it too. Still, Jamie reminds me that it is more intense on your end. We leave, and life becomes entirely different. The sites, sounds, certainly smells, everything - for a year of our lives, have changed. Sometimes, in the course of things here, I find that it is very difficult to spend much time thinking about home. As I have explained it to Jamie before, it is just too hard trying to live in two places at the same time - emotionally then, I begin to disconnect in some ways. I certainly care deeply about what is happening back home and am anxious to hear about it, but my living has to be done here, in the company of soldiers.

I understand that for a soldier's wife it just is not that way. A soldier leaves, and the family just goes on - with much the same routine . . . minus one. Many of the things that were done as a family are still done, and the absence of the one is keenly felt. That must be very hard.

Then, 0f course, there are the typical hard things - like a house full of sick kids! As I am writing tonight, my wife and both kids are sick - all together; and I am asking the Lord for a fast healing for at least one of them! Last time this happened our son recovered first, as I recall, and was summarily called upon to heat soup, refill glasses of Gatorade, and generally become a servant. At the end of the day, my wife and I were glad for the experience on his behalf, and proud of the way that he rose to the occasion. Perhaps this time the result will be again to the development of a Christ-like spirit. Of course, I am getting of track - and the point was, that this is an especially difficult time - chiefly at home.

Encourage one another at least with this thought - no Airman, now arriving in Afghanistan, will complete his tour before Task Force Denali returns home! It took us a long time to arrive at this point - but we are finally there! I probably should not so often give voice or text to my Air Force envy - surely the scriptures address such a poor spirit but sometimes I just can't help it. I spent three years in Panama - most of it in the jungle - while my Air Force neighbor was home by four-thirty every work day (of which I think there were relatively few!) :-) Too often I came home filthy, frustrated, exhausted to Jamie's first words of greeting - why didn't you join the Air Force?

At any rate - we are not too far off now! Many of us will have been home a month before the Iditarod gets started. That is worth celebrating. Truly, that is good news.

Below (or above - now sure how this thing will format) - you will find some pictures from Sunday Service (today's) with the guys from B Troop. Perhaps you will see someone you recognize! If you don't - and you were supposed to (like - if the soldier you're looking for is in B Troop) please tell him to go to church! It is good for him! - and that his chaplain, but most especially his God - loves him!

Alright - enough for tonight, I suppose.

Grace and peace to you all, from our Lord Jesus -

chaplain matthew

Note - Can't get the Images to upload correctly right now - will try again later, I promise.

Hello Again . . . finally

I am sure some of you have been wondering whether or not I would ever return to this blog. There were times when I wondered myself. A series of discouraging episodes with the internet kind of sucked the life out of me for a while - but I have been on Environmental Morale Leave and am mostly better now.

My intent will be to renew the postings here at least every other week for the remainder of the deployment - but I guess we will see how it goes. I have intended lots of things over the years.



We left August in pretty good spirits, I think - all things considered. While a couple of other Battalions in our Brigade took some pretty hard hits, and not a few casualties - we were very glad to have a few injuries but no lost soldiers during the violent days surrounding the Afghan elections. Not to say that our Denali paratroopers were removed from the fight - in many places they were right in the thick. Sometimes there is just no accounting (on this end of eternity, I suppose) for the way a battle turns. We have been very sorry though, to hear of the loss of several of our Brigade brothers during that same period.



I took leave at the end of September, as I have indicated. It was super to be with Jamie and the kids for a few days - really nice. Went fishing with a dear friend who is also an Army chaplain, and the District Superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene in Alaska. He is an incredible man, who is quite possibly the most down to earth Senior Church leader that I have ever met. Not that those are rare, I doubt that they are - he is just strikingly real and sincere in faith. I cannot imagine a better Superintendent (and he does not read this blog - so that cannot be misconstrued as flattery).



Gets me to thinking about myself when I am around folks like that - and how I want much more to be transparent, and at the same time more faithful. Those who know me well know how inadequate I have often felt as any sort of Christian leader. (Please do NOT respond to this with comments to the contrary - that is not my purpose!!! - just an attempt at greater transparency.) I think too, that I have wasted much time in wishing to be much more than I am - on some grander scale - and failing to be consistent in smaller things. Things like, routine - daily time with God in prayer and the scriptures, daily prayer with my family (when I am home). I suppose if I could name just two things that are so needful for me - those are the two.



I was looking at some old pictures with my dad the other morning (before catching a flight out of Dallas) - one was the living room of his family home in Laredo, Texas. His father and mother spent more than thirty years in one Salvation Army Corps in Laredo - how common is that these days? Anyway, he told me that his family spent most every morning in prayer together in that living room. How simple, and what a profound influence that must have had on the whole family.



Lord, shape that kind of consistency into my life - for the sake of my wife and children, for my own, and especially that You would be pleased and glorified in me. Shape us around the little consistencies that add up to a grand life with You.



Sorry this is short - but I will be told any moment now, "computer 17, your time is up."



matthew

Tuesday Morning

Began at 0400, which is not so typical for me – but is for a good percentage of our men.  Matt M., who has been back on station for about a week, woke me and we began the gearing up process   Getting all of that gear on always reminds me of my Dad’s regular riverside quote preparing for a day of fly-fishing, “what a production.”  By that he means the whole thing of tucking pants into socks, pulling on waders, folding rock-guards over boots, hooking up chest-packs, camel-backs, connecting four pieces of rod, cutting and tying tippet, selecting flies, etc. . . . yep, he’s right – it’s a “production.”  The tough part for me is, by the time we actually get to the water (after at least one trip back to the house to get the gear my dad forgot . . . can you believe that we met in New Mexico once to fish the San Juan tailwater, and my dad forgot to pack his reel?) anyway, by the time we get on the water – I am so anxious to get a line wet, that I tend to rush through the “production” and skip a guide stringing line on the rod, or tie too short a leader, or something.  Always gets me into trouble later, costs extra time spent riverside – sitting on some rock re-rigging, watching someone else fight fish.

The stakes are a little higher here, so Matt and I spend a little extra time making sure things are right; right uniform (the flame retardant variety), right equipment, plenty of water, fresh batteries, whatever the mission requires.  Just the two of us is easy.  The team leaders and squad leaders go through the “production” with each of their guys – its called PCCs’ / PCIs’ (pre combat checks / pre combat inspections).  After that, we all meet for the mission brief, talk through rehearsals, pray, load up.

Tuesday’s mission was a slow drive up the wadi (river-bed), before dismounting and clearing to several small villages.  ‘Clearing’ is exactly what it sounds like – walking in front of the vehicles looking for wires that might run to mines, pressure plates, anything to indicate an IED in the road.  Our paratroopers find them frequently, but you would never find one from the relative safety of the truck. 

We didn’t find any mines, but we sure did talk to a lot of locals.  The wheat harvest is on right now – and the wadis’ are lined with crops.  Fields terrace the hillsides; hand-dug canals channel the water through the fields before emptying back into the stream.  I walked with the LT along the hard-packed hump of earth, built up to contain the flowing waters.  We stopped near a Mosque to talk with a local man about the upcoming elections.  Even in these remote places, the folks here are surprisingly well informed.  This man knew that the elections were just around the corner and offered some advice toward increasing voter turnout. 

While the LT continued to talk with a gathering crowd, I slipped back toward the wadi to check on Matt.  On the way I startled a group of young girls driving their goats toward the water.  They ranged in age from about four to maybe eleven (the girls, not the goats . . . I have no idea how old the goats were).  The oldest of them quickly covered their faces with their scarves, just as they had been taught I am sure; all were smiles and waves, at least after the initial shock of the encounter.   

I confess that, in several ways, I envy the families here.  They all work together for the good of the family, the good of the community.  I’ll bet that most times children are much too tired to back talk their moms and dads!  On this morning, those children who were not tending to the animals were working in the fields.  It was about 6 am when we  made our way through that particular village, and the families were fully engaged in the harvest.  Moms and Dads bent low, sickles working, piles of stalks in their wake, children feverishly gathering, bundling, and strapping those bundles to donkeys for transport.  Some of these kids could not have been more than two or three years old.  It is something to see.

It was apparently a great year, the big heads of grain called to mind the descriptions in Pharaoh’s dream – about the seven years of plenty.  We walked right along the edges of the fields – and the smell of the wheat reminded me of Ann Buckner’s pantry, or Sarah Holley’s kitchen– where there is always fresh ground wheat bread baking.  I owe them a tremendous debt, as they are the gals most responsible for Jamie’s own affection for making fresh bread.  We have tossed around the idea of leaving the military someday and opening a Great Harvest Bakery somewhere in Chattanooga.  Sounds good, but not sure I could work in that environment all day without gaining substantial weight. 

As Lieutenant M and I rounded a corner of one of the fields, we scared one poor little afghan girl half to death.  She looked to be between two and three years old, not a parent in site.  The little girl ran bawling into the wheat fields, and our interpreter followed to tell her it was ok, that we were not as bad as we looked in all of that gear!  It was an absolutely vain effort, she wouldn’t believe it, just ran faster in the direction of her family Qalat.  I can’t blame her.

It was a very quiet day, and I think, a productive one.  Just maintaining contact with locals is part of the campaign here.  Reminding them that we are a far cry from the Taliban, or the foreign Islamic fundamentalist invaders whose primary goal is the continuance of chaos.  Sounds like another well-known villain – the one whose chief end, our Lord says, is to steal, kill, destroy.  It is doubtless that Satan is the force behind the terror here.  Not something so simple as religious or political ideology.  Someone will say, how are those simple?  Have not politics and religion been the source of wars and rumors of wars for millennia?  In so far as they are used to advance greed, lust for control of others, certainly.  But directed toward those ends, they are tools, and someone has to wield them.  Therefore, the folks engaged in jihad here have prostituted themselves, sold their allegiance and service to the “prince of the power of the air” as Paul refers to him.

At any rate – the politics and the religion of Christ are so completely unique, that many don’t like to refer to Him in those terms at all.  Maybe that is safer; given the mixed-up images those words conjure.  Jesus, the suffering servant; what an incredible manner of introduction to the world!  How different too, His ideology, His manner of living, loving, giving Himself.  Living here makes the contrast between Christ and every other ‘god’ all the more clear.  Then, the call is for us too, to live in contrast to the world, to make the difference that is in Christ clear, to make his praise glorious.

For we are His workmanship!  Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand so that we would walk in them.   – Ephesians 2:10

"Where do we find men like these?"

The title line was a question asked by our Squadron Commander during a visit to BAF several days ago. Been a difficult week in this part of Afghanistan. The Summers are historically difficult here - and perhaps this one the more so, given the shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, and given that the elections should take place this year. Nevertheless the Squadron is faring pretty well. We have suffered a few injuries, most minor - a couple, however, more significant.

Two outstanding Non Commissioned Officers were taken out of the fight in one attack. Had the opportunity to visit those men in Bagram, and that is when the aforementioned question was posed. There is no standard answer. These guys are the most sundry group you will ever meet. One of our Infantry platoons is comprised of a degreed philosopher, a Master of Political Science - with much experience in national level campaigns, at least one future missionary (possibly more), a couple of the most accomplished fishermen / outdoorsmen I have ever met . . . some of the most colorful characters imaginable, from all over the US, and a few from outside of it. Dickens could not have dreamed up a more eclectic group.

I was talking with another fine NCO a couple nights ago - and wondering aloud about the long-term success of the mission here. What a challenge, connecting these rural folks to their still nascent government. Rural is really not the word. The countryside is dotted with the tents of Cuchi's (sp?) - nomads who travel with tents strapped to the backs of camels; wives, children, sheep, dogs all in tow. The villages are folded between ridgelines, always along a stream - used for bathing, drinking, ceremonial washing (ablution - which occurs 5 times per Muslim per day), cooking, cleaning, watering crops, etc. Villages, in most cases, are pretty obviously peopled by an extended family or two - and not many more. Tribal disputes abound. Folks are still fighting over land disputes raised hundreds of years ago. These spats are often resolved with knives and guns (sadly, some areas of tribal life have progressed - mostly in the line of weaponry). Really, though, I don't guess they are ever 'resolved' - just quieted, passed to the next generation to take up again at an opportune time.

As you can imagine, these dynamics make this mission an extremely difficult one. Add to that the opportunists, like Chechnyans and Uzbeks who have come for the sole sake of engaging in 'jihad.' Its a very confused world out here. The constant, which has been made so cliche in every war movie since "The Longest Day" (which my wife refers to as "The Longest Movie"), is love for one another. As SSG F and I talked the other night, it just hit home again - that these men lead, and fight, and carry on here - not primarily out of hope that Afghanistan will change dramatically over the next year, but out of love for their brothers. Ideology sometimes doesn't last long, especially during a firefight. Love is an enduring motive.

Hopefully things will change here, though we all expect we may be talking more in terms of decades than years. The fight is a worthy one, the Taliban are as evil as they come - and have long enough tyrannized these poor folks with their hateful theology and their blood lust. If we see change during the course of this deployment it will be incremental at best. Really, the most we can hope is to continue to lay the groundwork for an internal uprising and wholesale rejection of the Taliban - from this population. You look around though, and realize just how disconnected these poor subsisters are - not just from the national government of Afghanistan, but from villages only miles away - and you just know the challenges are huge. Still these paratroopers press forward. Daily attending to the mission - and the driving force is love.

That was the tenor of the conversation of a few nights ago with one of our great squad leaders. That conversation was broken up as one of his guys came running to let us know that another platoon had struck an IED - and the Quick Reaction Force was ready to roll. So, we threw on body armor, and helmets, gloves and eye-pro, and rolled out - not knowing the extent of damage, worried about injuries. That, by the way, was the most intense drive I have been on yet. SGT N, who has a future as a 'get-away-driver' someday, ripped through the Wadis' like there was no tomorrow. I spent half the ride praying for the platoon in contact, and half just praying we would live through the ride to help them!

We arrived to find the large and heavily armored vehicle on its side - a gaping whole beneath it. The Mine Resistant vehicle had lived up to its reputation - everyone inside was ok - minus a broken leg and a couple of concussions. Really very minor injuries considering the size of the IED that hit them. By the time we arrived the injured soldiers had already been flown to the nearest hospital - and it turned out to be a long, quiet, reflective night. We spent it securing the area, recovering the damaged vehicle, interviewing the families in Qalats living alongside that stretch of road (of course, in spite of the fact that most windows looked down on the spot where this IED was buried - no one had any idea who could have emplaced it.

That evening, I prayed with many, cried with a couple - the cumulative anxiety of living in this place just kind of leaks out after a friend gets hurt. Still, I am amazed that these guys are so able to weigh out their feelings, be deeply angry, sometimes truly scared - and control their response. The Taliban, I suspect, if the tables were turned, would have burned the nearby village to the ground. Of course we are not here to create more enemies, or further brutalize these people - but you understand the sentiment to react is there! Nineteen and Twenty-something young men in this mix, and all able to respond with restraint, with professionalism, and in doing so - make the evil of our enemy all the more pronounced.

I sure do love these guys, and there is nowhere I would rather be at the moment. Ok - maybe that could use re-phrasing. I would rather be home with my pretty wife and great kids. I would rather be hooking into a King Salmon right now, and an egg-engorged Rainbow Trout a couple of months from now. So would all of these men. But given that they are here - that we have been called to be here, compelled by forces we don't control; given that - most would choose to remain.

You know - when we walked onto the airplane bound for the the Hospital in Germany last week; with the two NCO's wounded pretty significantly - their greatest expressed regret was not the extent of injury, but the fact that they would not be able to carry on with their brothers. Pretty incredible. I do not know the answer to the Commander's question - 'where do we find men like these?' - but I certainly thank the Lord Jesus for them.

Sunday Evening

Beautiful evening here in Paktya! Its been quite warm lately - throughout the day - but cools nicely in the evening. You know, there are a lot more stars in the sky than I used to notice in the lands of ambient light (lower 48 states). Surely there are a few remote places (probably all in Kansas) where you can see the Milky Way - but it sure is distinct out here.

Almost all of the COPs / FOBs out here are "blacked-out" at night. In fact, other than those in the big cities - Bagram, Kandahar, Jalalabad - I suspect that all are blacked-out. Makes for some interesting scenarios - and some very looong walks to your B-hut, when you have forgotten your light. About a week ago I stepped off the side of a walkway and over about a five foot drop! No damage done - but glad no one else was there to witness the event. One of our COPs had to begin marking air-conditioning units with chem-lights, after about the third set of stitches sewn into the heads and faces of soldiers 'finding' the units in the dark! Anyway, it has been a beautiful evening - cool, clear, stunning.

Short entry tonight - just wanted to drop a line and especially let all of you Cav families know that we will be hosting several marriage enrichment retreats on return to Anchorage. We will look for some great locations, nice accomodations - and you have my personal guarantee that the focus will be on "retreat." Plenty of free time for couples, families - our BDE Chaplain is committed to that concept and I am a glad passenger on that bandwagon.

So, anyway - he (BDE Chaplain) wrote today asking that all us Chaplain types report back our particular marriage enrichment training certifications. Among them, I included a few that are not on the Army approved list - such as, "Fly Fish Your Way to a Better Marriage" - my personal favorite; and - "Love at 200 or More Yards: a Guide to Communication and Restraining Orders." Ok - so maybe the last one isn't so funny. Some comments that sound humorous at midnight fail to impress the next day . . . this is probably one of those.

Alright enough nonsense I suppose. Hope you are all well.
May the grace and the peace of Christ be yours.
matthew

Where to Begin?

A rest after a looong walk through the mountains hunting enemy caches.
One of our leaders with his platoon's big find - a very large cache.
B Troop conducting a Shura - meeting with community leaders.
A religious materials table - with some of our new Good and Evil Bibles.  They went very fast - every one of them in the hands of a grateful soldier.  Thanks Chattanooga Valley!
Our Squadron Doctor gives toys to children during a patrol through a busy bazaar.

Well, once more I am apologizing for the delay in updating the blog.  Be sure it is not entirely laziness, frequent travel and lack of connectivity are always hindrances around here.

Been quite an eventful last few weeks around here.  Our soldiers have been increasingly engaged with the enemy, as we all expected they would be around this time of year.  You will be delighted to hear that, while we have sustained some damage to equipment - no injuries have resulted as yet.  That is not the case for the Taliban.  Several times over the last few weeks our soldiers have been ambushed in different regions across the Province; and in almost all of those incidents the Taliban, and the foreign fighters who aid them, have suffered.  I pray, these days, for decisive victories - and the hopeful result that perspective Taliban recruits will consider the futility of that decision.  

The good news is that our Task Force has continually interfaced with the communities we support.  This has emboldened public support and encouraged many Afghans, who otherwise would have kept quiet for fear of Taliban reprisal, to turn over information about bomb-makers, weapons caches, etc.  Just last week, one of our great platoons, acting on such a tip, uncovered a very large cache - one of the largest (I think) found in this part of the country!  

You can imagine that this was a day of celebration and praise, as it is certain that the explosives and munitions found were intended for use against our soldiers, the Afghan government, and any civilian that supports either.  One soldier commented, while removing an IED kit from the hole, "this one might have had my name on it."

Still seems to me that setting IED's is one of the most cowardly acts imaginable.  Worse, I hear reports that the majority of suicide bombers are recruited from the drug infested slums of Pakistan.  So called "religious leaders" convert these poor souls, first by way of deception - holding out the hope that the addict can be rehabilitated.  Then, on arrival at the "rehabilitation center," these men (and sometimes women) are reminded how vile they are in the eyes of God - and encouraged to redeem themselves in Jihad.  I do not know how long this whole process takes - presumably for some, it is a very short distance from the slum, to the terrorist training ground, to the grave.  That this continues to occur in the name of the Creator is beyond sickening.  

Certainly this practice sickens many in Islam too - but my question is, can anyone even imagine such conduct in the Name of Christ?  I cannot.  Speaking of which, I have dear friend here who is an Afghan convert to the Lord Jesus.  He has been "in the light," as he will say, for about the last three years.  His testimony is powerful - and his commitment to Christ is unswerving.  Just last night he shared that story again - and a precious soul was saved.  After the meeting -  a weekly soldier-led Bible study - one soldier hung around to tell me that it was time that Jesus was Lord of his life too!  Thanks be to our loving and merciful God!  

Sadly, this meeting with our Afghan translator turned Christian, had to be somewhat secretive.  It is, after all, a crime in Afghanistan for a local man or woman to convert to Christ.  That crime carries with it the penalty of death.  And while my friend is prepared and willing to die for the Name of Jesus - we are in no hurry to hasten the day!  He is the one who first spoke to me saying, "if the government will once get it's foot off the necks of the people - you will see them leave Islam by the thousands."  

While you continue to pray for us - for our protection, and that the Lord will use this year to build us spiritually - please, let's pray all the more that the freedom finally won here will be a seed-bed for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

grace and peace to you all today!

matthew

Back again . . .

A Paratrooper improves a fighting position.
Traveling by Gator to lead Easter Worship at an observation post.  Great day.
Easter Worship service in the new Combat Outpost.
Remembering / Proclaiming our Lord's sacrifice together.

Sorry so long without posting.  

Been a great deal of travel lately, though that is nothing new.  We have spent a lot of time in locations without much in the way of connectivity.  So - here I am up north again, at the only location we have with consistently reliable internet service.  So much time has gone by - hard to know where to start - and as usual, not a lot of time to write.  

One of our Troops conducted a very successful campaign - assuming control of a piece of high-value real estate once under the authority of the Taliban.  The anticipated battle for the terrain did not develop (Thanks be to God!) - though our Warriors were prepared for the worste.  So, we spent Easter weekend putting up Hesco barriers and developing a defensible combat outpost, from which we will certainly conduct more patrols deeper into reported enemy strongholds.  

Early intelligence reports suggested a much greater resistance than we found on arrival.  Word on the street is that the insurgents left when it was certain that we were coming.  Another very significant answer to prayer - we expected the roads to be IED saturated, but four days of rain prior to the mission made emplacement of them extremely difficult.  The one or two that we did encounter (the day after) were discovered prior to detonation.  I think, all total, we received three of four poorly aimed rockets - none of which posed any real danger to our soldiers.

And now, the sad news.  A couple of days after the emplacement of the new COP - some of our Afghan Army brethren hit an IED which killed two and significantly wounded two others.  Our soldiers responded immediately, and won the gratitude and respect of the ANA (Afghan National Army) and the folks living in the nearby village.  Certainly a tragic day for all of us - and we continue to pray for the families of these soldiers, and the resolve to ensure victory and a lasting peace in return for the payment of lost lives.

Ok - so this was a very short post.  I will update later.  Before I go though, want to say thank you very much to all who have sent packages, books, items to distribute to our Cavalry Scout Paratroopers!  Thanks so much to all of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers who have taken up our support.  Believe me - our Warriors are grateful.   Thanks again to the Caravan Kids!  - package #2 is waiting for me back at my home FOB.  Thank you Bill and Hermina for the package - what would a deployment be without a box from Hermina?  Thanks to Nana and Papa for the frisbee!  Played my first game of Ultimate here yesterday - and think I might have really hurt my ankle.  No surprise right!  I have been limping all day - but mostly hiding it well, I think.  Thanks very much to my "partner in the Gospel" Mike - you are a one of a kind friend - and I know, a true asset to the Army Chaplaincy!  The books are great - and the DVD too.  I have passed out a couple of the books - and been promised that they will be returned.  :-)  I have received cards and letters of encouragement from so many folks that I would certainly miss someone if I listed them all here.  All of you are very dear to me.  

Of course - I am so very proud and so very thankful to God for my incredible wife - without which, my life would lack the direction that it has.  Not to take away from the Lord - but it is so clear to me that He has most directly led me through Jamie's influence.  She is a treasure.  One of a kind.  

Ok, enough sap I suppose!  

grace and peace to you all - from our Risen Lord Jesus.

matthew

ramblngs

Not sure how to communicate the experience of the last few days. Weather has been terrible - which prevents operations, and some that are of great importance to the long term success of the mission in Paktya. So, there has been a good deal of waiting around - to be sure, taking care of details, upgrading living conditions on the COPS, etc.
For me personally, these last few days have been a time of questioning - specifically, what will I do long term, what is the best course for my family and I in service to the Lord - and general care for one another. Some elements of this ministry are especially hard for me. Like most, I really like having a 'mission.' I realize that ministry, evangelism, bearing witness to the Lord - that is a mission - but one that, for most, is exercised in the context of daily life - in and with the folks with whom we work, sleep, eat, play. It is very much the same in the Army, with the exception (for a chaplain) - that I have to find opportunities to involve myself in the daily lives of soldiers - I have to, sometimes, create them.

In that sense, there is no 'finished product' for me after a day of work. Granted - there are moments - especially after providing especially needed counsel to a soldier - or praying with another for forgiveness and Christ's Lordship - established in his heart, those are moments for which I would not trade anything. Then there are days when I have to 'look' for work - when the military mission is the priority - and the role of the chaplain is to pray - certainly a vital role - but one that sometimes feels like an afterthought, or - maybe more accurately - one that is difficult to justify as employment. I feel sometimes like I am missing the satisfaction of a mission completed - and I don't wonder that most chaplains struggle with this from time to time. This can be the absolute best job in the world, and sometimes the most frustrating.

Very difficult to put words to my feelings. If I were C.S. Lewis - I am sure that I could word this in such a way that you would all be able to immediately comprehend and relate. You know - I am sure that a lot of folks would say, 'I can't imagine what the problem could be! The government is paying you to witness to Christ - and to those who are in perhaps the greatest need of that witness!'
I completely understand that sentiment - still, wonder sometimes if it would not be better to be paid for a product - and the witness to Christ part be free, wrought of love - for Christ . . . not the paycheck. Still, I would do this work (for now) if the Army paid me as an E4 - it is not the money for which any chaplain serves (at least, not at first).

Sometimes too, there is the fear that we are moving more and more toward some grand equivocation - where all religion is considered to have the same end, and thereby equally worthy of acceptance. I understand fully that, a big part of my existence in the military is to support the free exercise of religion of our soldiers - regardless of their bent and conviciton. Still, at this point, I do that because Christ has given all of us freedom of will - I do not do that out of compulsion that just any faith, other than the one faith rooted in Jesus, is worth pursuing. But ours is not a religion like Islam - compulsory - nor has our Lord ever approved of an evangelism that is not grounded in freedom and love. Still - doesn't it seem like the direction of things is more and more toward a toleration that bleeds over into syncretism? I think the day may come when many chaplains will have to choose between allegiance to our Lord Christ and allegiance to the State and a paycheck.

Well, a little over a month and a half have gone by - and this seems to be the time that things start to get hard, at least in the short term. The newness of deployment is dissipating- and through the thinning mist, we can just make out the mountain of days we will climb before the outline of home is visible. I think the next month will be hard for all of us - and a time for consideration too - of what the Lord will do - what He wants to do in our lives. Please Lord Jesus, use this time to speak Your will clearly - and by the grace of difficult days - make us responsive. You never looked for 'work' in the sense that I do Lord, but You dedicated Yourself to the Father, spending your days with Him - and Your life was broken bread for us. Lord Jesus - that our experience of life and work would be the same - dedicated to You, consumed by You, broken bread in Your hands.

Big Thanks to Chattanooga Valley Nazarene Caravan!!

Thank you very much for the great gift packs for soldiers!

As always - you guys amaze me with your persistent generosity and love.  I am grateful to you - and the Warriors of Team Paktya send their thanks too!  To all who are curious - the bags were packed with a great assortment of nuts, cookie packs, jerky (always a favorite), a variety of candy, a letter from Pastor Jon, and cards from the kids (which were great by the way).  The packages went very fast!  I brought the box into the Tactical Operations Center and the little morale / welfare / recreation room they've got up here and it was empty in about 30 seconds! :-)  

So - I am just guessing at the journey this box has taken . . .

- Left Flintstone, GA some several weeks ago - via what I am sure was a very interesting route, it eventually arrived in Bagram, Afghanistan - probably loaded onto a C-130 and flown somewhere south of Paktya, before loading onto a CH-47 Helicopter - to finally arrival at my FOB in Paktya (not that I own any property there).  The package was delivered to the FOB Chapel via Gator; then I carried it back to the airfield - loaded it onto the aforementioned (previous blog) Puma - and carted it off to the COP on which I am currently located.

Wow!  What a journey!  But I'll bet the care and concern with which it was sent far outdistances the miles travelled.  Don't know how I have come to be blessed with such friends - but I am very grateful to the Lord for you all!  So - again - thanks Pastor Jon, Mrs. Libby and all your great Caravan Leaders - and especially all you great kids!  You guys are the best!  Thanks too for the book Nathan (I am already reading it) - and for the personal notes - sure do miss you all.

grace and peace to you guys,

matthew

Living Gospel

Hanging out up north again today.  Very glad to be back out on the road!  Also - very much missing my Chaplain Assistant, tending to family for a bit.  Flew in this morning on what is known as a PAW flight (Presidential Air-Ways).  These are civilian pilots (sometimes Russian) flying French made rotary-wing aircraft; at least, I believe they are French made.  Not at all a bad flight really - fairly roomy and smooth ride; and the large windows are nice.  Below, were miles of mountains, streams (though none looked likely to contain a trout population), bright green fields, tall-thin hardwoods serve as boundaries between them.  High-walled mud Qalats are everywhere; some house large fields - where nothing yet grows, others serve as something like family compounds.  I imagine that, in many cases, several extended families share a Qalat - they seem to be subdivided for that purpose.   

The fields are mostly located at the base of the mountains - where the intermittent streams meet wider waters of the valley expanse.  Beyond that, the rocky, sparsely-treed mountains rise abruptly, and the streams are lost from view within their folds.  Trails web the lower hills within the valleys - children traverse them, presumably between Qalats, or on their way back from the mountains with firewood.  Women walk the fields in single file, balancing oversized baskets on their heads, or pots - usually with only one hand raised for support.  The pots are typically brightly colored - but no match for the women's dresses.  When we travel the roads, we are reminded not to watch the locals, especially the women . . . not that there is much risk, all eyes tend to be fixed directly ahead - scanning for potential IED sites, command wires, etc.  So - flight provides the best means of satisfying curiosity. 

I am back on a COP (combat out-post) where our medics have daily provided support to the local populace.  I mentioned in an earlier post, that - last week, these men did everything in their power to save a severely burned young girl.  She finally died, about 10 hours after our soldiers had received her and begun treatment.  It has been a very difficult few days for these men - who are very much heroes in my eyes.  

Still, our Living God works all things together for good.  Word of the compassion and care these men displayed has spread for miles, and a steady flow of visitors come to meet the senior medic, to offer their gratitude - and teary-eyed hugs.  They have heard how these men stayed by her side all night, how they fought desperately for her life, how sincerely they cried with her father - and how tenderly they helped prepare her for burial.  Truly - the Name of our Lord was glorified because of their example - and many who are ignorant of our Christian ethic wondered at the spirit that motivated such love.  Thanks be to God - who has received this child into His eternal Kingdom, and who makes men "well pleased to impart not only the Gospel of God, but also their own lives." 

 

It has been a while since my last update –

Been doing a lot of waiting for flights lately – but also taking that opportunity to work improvements on the Chapel in preparation to receive the TF Warrior Ministry team – the two of whom will be a welcome addition in the spiritual support of Team Paktya.  There are so many agencies at work in this AO – that, instead of Task Force Denali – our Commander has come to refer to this many armed organization as above indicated – Team Paktya. 

You all would be amazed at the depth and diversity of support this organization provides to the Afghan people in the province.  For instance, at last night’s Bible Study I met a soldier who was assigned to this team specifically to teach improved ‘Bee Keeping’ techniques to locals!  This soldier, a sergeant in the Army National Guard, is a University Professor in the civilian world.  Just goes to prove again, that – if you are looking to meet interesting folks – a hitch in the service is the way to go (and hey, free shoes!).

So – I have been waiting to get out to one of our more remote COPS (sitting in the PAX terminal as I write), where our soldiers have routinely shared their medical skills and resources with the local population.  (By the way, the three boys wounded in the mine blast are all doing very well – though, of course – the one lost a good portion of his leg.  Still, he is very much alive – and I am sure, thankful for the care he has received.)  They have shared in the grief of that community too – most recently mourning the loss of a young girl burned in an accident at home (and to whom they provided the highest level care of which they were capable).  What still impresses me is that, though the kinetic fight has not gone away – and by all expectations the level of violence will only heighten through the spring and summer; yet our soldiers are very good about tuning their responses to the circumstance.  When compassion is the order – they have not come short; and when aggressive action is required – they are inferior to no one.  There is a degree of frustration over the kinetic constraints (the sometimes too restrictive rules of engagement) – but as yet, that has not embittered our Warriors past ability to empathize with a war weary population.  It is our mutual obligation (yours and mine) to pray that this spirit continues even as the fatigue of deployment intensifies.  If we fail in that regard, if our attitudes become poisoned and we begin to treat the people of this province with disdain, then we might as well give this mission up for lost.  We are nowhere near that place I think – but as the frustrations mount, I am sure that will be a threat against which we will have to exert ourcombined efforts of will and prayer. 

Several of you have emailed asking how you might help with assistance to the population or soldiers here – so let me take a couple minutes to provide some feedback.  In my contact with locals (especially children) I am repeatedly solicited for pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, etc.  I was initially instructed that the Afghans would prefer coloring books without words – but so many have proudly presented their English lesson books to me, that I suspect they would be delighted to receive a coloring book with ‘easy’ English as well (guess that means that the “Paradise Lost” coloring edition is a no go).  Memo books for older students would also be a big hit out here, and really – school supplies of any variety.  Now, here’s the thing, we are not authorized to make any mass deliveries of school supplies, or anything else – as aid efforts like that fall under the authority of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and the Non-Governmental Organizations.  With the exception of Dr. G’s coats, all of our distribution efforts will be very small in scale – and with the intent of building relationships in more remote and potentially volatile villages – so, no need to empty the ‘back to school’ aisle at Wal Mart.

As for our soldiers – we have a great many more comforts than I would have expected.  Still – any small gifts are appreciated and serve to remind us that folks back home remember their sacrifice.  I would say that, if there is a book that has particular meaning to you – you might send a copy, especially good Christian biographies.  I have found that nothing is quite so spiritually revitalizing as the stories of our faith heroes.  I pass out books with regularity – and the returns are usually worth it.  Good movies are also in short supply– and guys will spend a lot of their down time watching films.  You know the quality of most of the stuff available – it is nice to be able to provide a decent alternative.

 

I want to tell you how much I appreciate the feedback on the blog!  Thank you for your many kind and encouraging words – they have served as inspiration for me to continue relating the story of our journey in this region.  It is nice to know too, who all is following – to whom I am writing.

Finally, I am full of praise to our Lord for the grace and strength He daily provides to our families!  We had a rather close call back in Anchorage this week – and God proved again that He is both faithful and good; that what our mutual enemy intends for our destruction – our Living God will use for our deliverance!  Though I will not convey specifics in this instance – it is enough to say that we have great cause for rejoicing in Him today - for His care in a very particular circumstance, and the expectation of redeeming and finishing love!

May the grace and the peace of our Kinsman Redeemer be with you all today.

matthew

 

Tragedy and Calling

It is unusual that I have the kind of free time I've had today. I hope it is also unusual to have a day end with such trauma; especially one that began so well.

This afternoon - a few hours after I updated the blog, a teenaged Afghan boy was near the FOB when he stepped on a land mine left over thirty years ago by Russian forces. At the conclusion of their failed effort at colonization, they littered the countryside with land mines - millions of them. It is estimated that there are more mines in Afghanistan, than there are Afghans - an absolutely atrocious act that will continue to impact these poor children for many, many more generations.

It certainly had no little effect today. This young man lost his foot, another was peppered with shrapnel in the face - nearly costing his sight, and still another received lesser shrapnel wounds. A couple of things are especially noteworthy about the event. Had this happened under a Godless Russian governance - these young men may still be lying in that field, or at best - struggling for life in a poorly equipped Afghan hospital. I cannot believe that the Taliban would do much better for these three boys. Our soldiers, on the other hand - treated these three with as great an expediency and concern as they would our own forces.

Again - I am so proud to be associated with these fine soldiers - who daily risk their lives for the sake of the folks of this country - many of whom do not realize how far removed we are from the Russian invaders of thirty years ago. We drive through villages daily - where it is entirely clear that we are not welcome. Our soldiers understand the experiences and the history that make that sentiment common; still - when there is a need, our men rise to the occasion. Understand that I am not trying to make these Warriors out to be larger than life - we have got our faults for sure. They are, many of them, deeply in need of a life-changing relationship with Christ - but there is something qualitatively different about our soldiers and those of most other nations. Perhaps it is the still pulsing blessing of our Lord, even now stirring a people once fired by the pursuit of God. However you would define it - it is clear (especially from this vantage) that - at the level of the street, our warriors are all together unique.

We celebrated tonight - in our Bible Study - how it was that God worked all of this together to save the lives of these boys today. Our last vehicle was entering the FOB when its passengers heard the blast. Assuming it was indirect fire, they turned to search out a possible point of origin from a likely location. Instead, they found a crying woman and the boys in the mine field. They retrieved them and quickly applied life saving tourniquets and brought the three (along with their father) to the FOB. Our medics took over from there - stabilizing the wounded boys and preparing them for transport via helicopter to a surgical center.

The weather was the next issue, and - at first, would not allow flight. That would have meant a very long convoy without air support, an undertaking that would have required several hours. Well, the weather broke just in time to allow the flight and the boys (with father) arrived in time to save the life of the one, and the sight of the other.

God was faithful - and He used our Soldiers today to bring hope and healing to three young Afghan boys. They are glad to have been used of God in this service - and I know that God is pleased with their selfless acts. There was nothing in it for them - except to serve, because they are called to do it. The thing is, the way they fulfilled their calling betrays hearts motivated by love.