29 June
An interesting thing is happening as we get closer to the end of this deployment. You might think that stress levels would go down, but for some reason we're seeing just the opposite. I think it has to do with recent changes we've had to go through in order to get ready for our replacements to arrive. (Nobody likes change!) We're moving offices and consolidating space to make room for more bodies to be here soon. You see, the last few weeks of our cycle will be the first few weeks for the battalion that replaces us. So we will spend about two weeks training them before we go. The only problems is there really is not enough room for double the people. This means Soldiers are starting to pack up and ship their extra stuff home. But it also means some of our poeple will be vacating their rooms soon and will be sleeping in the RSOI transient Soldier tents on the other side of the base. Nobody is looking forward to that! So please keep us in your prayers as the summer progresses. People here are tired and sick of this place, this war, and each other. We all want to go home, but we can't... yet. I know the day is coming, but until then we have to just make due and get along! [At least there is job security for the Chaplain. These stressful issues keep me busy with counseling sessions!]
I also have a few pictures I want to upload today, but we've been having internet problems over here recently and it's giving me troubles. So I will keep trying and hopefully get them posted soon.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
USO & Rugs
24 June
It has been a slow week for me so far. We are not traveling again for awhile and will be moving offices soon, so much of the week has been spent on moving supplies and cleaning out my desk. We're vacating a larger space and moving into a smaller one. Oh well. Not much I can do about it when the boss says we got to go. On a different note, I recently bought some rugs over here and had them shipped home. I guess they are known for their elaborate hand-made silk rugs in this part of the world, so I wanted a few memories of this experience. The shop owners expect you to barter with them and haggle about the price. I hate doing that, but I was successful in knocking $50 off the original price. Maybe that was good, or maybe I still got taken. I'm not sure I'll ever know.
I wanted to send a few pictures along of a recent FOB I visited that had a great USO. I actually do not know what it stands for, but I know they are places where service members can go and relax. They have them all over the world, even here, and this one stood out to me. They hung a parachute from the roof, which gave it this cool "cave-like" appearance. They have TVs and movies and books and video games for the soldiers to watch and play with, so it was a pretty popular place to hang out.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Traditional Dinner (Like Jesus?)
21 June
This past weekend was Father's Day. My first without my dad, who died last Fall. My wife and kids and mom sent nice cards and two different care packages to help make it a special day. I appreciated that. It is nice to get stuff from home. I spent some private time in prayer yesterday thanking God for my dad and the man that he was. I have gone through many of the predictable stages on a young man's life and I'm to the point now where I want to be more like my 'ol man and hope that I would have made (or did make) him proud for the kind of dad I have become.
It has also been more than a week since I added to the blog. That's because I was traveling much of the past 6 days. I had an interesting experience that I want to share with you. We visited one of our teams stationed near the edge of the Tora Bora mountain range. I'll try to upload a few pictures soon, if the internet will allow it). You may remember that name as the mountains where the bad guys escaped from our forces back in 2001 or so. We pounded that range with bombs back then, but no luck. Now here I was, standing at the foot of those very same mountains and wondering how things have changed since then, and how the world might have been different had we succeeded?
But we also had the opportunity to have a traditional Afgan meal with some of the local men. Our team at this small FOB had been invited for dinner with some local men, and they allowed us to come along. It was a rare treat. As a Chaplain, I am actually considered to be something like their "mullah" (or religious leader), and so they typically see me and treat me with respect. It's kind of a cool position to be in. Anyway, we actually sat on the floor (on mats) and ate with our hands, using the local bread as our utinsils to scoop the meat or beans out of the bowls. It was quite delicious, I must admit. But messy. I had it all over my pant legs. Oh well. You will see from the pictures how our hosts served us (in bare feet), walking on the same floor that we ate off of! Bugs were flying in and out of this small hut, and a cat tried to walk in the front door! But I have to say, the people here can be very friendly and generous. They have so little, and yet they gladly gave to us out of their hospitality. It was neat to experience that. It made me think of Jesus reclining at the table with his disciples. They probably had something similar to eat, and the room might have felt somethink like what I experienced that night as well.
This past weekend was Father's Day. My first without my dad, who died last Fall. My wife and kids and mom sent nice cards and two different care packages to help make it a special day. I appreciated that. It is nice to get stuff from home. I spent some private time in prayer yesterday thanking God for my dad and the man that he was. I have gone through many of the predictable stages on a young man's life and I'm to the point now where I want to be more like my 'ol man and hope that I would have made (or did make) him proud for the kind of dad I have become.
It has also been more than a week since I added to the blog. That's because I was traveling much of the past 6 days. I had an interesting experience that I want to share with you. We visited one of our teams stationed near the edge of the Tora Bora mountain range. I'll try to upload a few pictures soon, if the internet will allow it). You may remember that name as the mountains where the bad guys escaped from our forces back in 2001 or so. We pounded that range with bombs back then, but no luck. Now here I was, standing at the foot of those very same mountains and wondering how things have changed since then, and how the world might have been different had we succeeded?
But we also had the opportunity to have a traditional Afgan meal with some of the local men. Our team at this small FOB had been invited for dinner with some local men, and they allowed us to come along. It was a rare treat. As a Chaplain, I am actually considered to be something like their "mullah" (or religious leader), and so they typically see me and treat me with respect. It's kind of a cool position to be in. Anyway, we actually sat on the floor (on mats) and ate with our hands, using the local bread as our utinsils to scoop the meat or beans out of the bowls. It was quite delicious, I must admit. But messy. I had it all over my pant legs. Oh well. You will see from the pictures how our hosts served us (in bare feet), walking on the same floor that we ate off of! Bugs were flying in and out of this small hut, and a cat tried to walk in the front door! But I have to say, the people here can be very friendly and generous. They have so little, and yet they gladly gave to us out of their hospitality. It was neat to experience that. It made me think of Jesus reclining at the table with his disciples. They probably had something similar to eat, and the room might have felt somethink like what I experienced that night as well.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sick
Sun 13 June
Warning: the following subject matter may not be suitable for younger audiences and may even make my wife embarrassed. (Sorry honey). I am sitting on my bed typing this blog, having spent most of the last two days sick with food poisoning or a stomach flu. This was actually one of my worst fears come true over here: being so sick that I needed to run to the filthy porta-john and not know whether to sit on it or throw my head in it! (The stench alone is enough to make you vomit sometimes!) It was not a fun two days, let me tell you. I think I lost 4 lbs. the hard way! It makes you realize how much you miss home because there is nothing worse than being sick away from home. When you feel that bad all you want are the comforts of home: your own bed and bathroom, maybe a glass of ice water and a cold washcloth for your forehead. Maybe even your mommy (or wife) to take care of you. Nope. Ain't got none of that over here. (Although one of the guys in my B-hut did get me some food and gatorade. He was good to me).
I have heard stories of a number of Soldiers who have also been sick at one time of another, so I guess it's not too uncommon to get something bad from the DFAC food. Some of our guys up in the hills recently had to get antibiotics and "deworming" medicing after eating with some local nationals in a village. They were sick as dogs for a week or more until they could get to a medic. That must have been awful. Needless to say the dining conditions were not very sanitary. And knowing what we know about how the locals wash their hands and bodies, it explains a lot! At least mine was not that bad. Maybe a 24-hr bug, and now I'm recovering. I feel beat up and drained of energy; you know that feeling in your stomach muscles after you've been vomiting? Well, at least it's over for now. I hope to not go through that again!!
Warning: the following subject matter may not be suitable for younger audiences and may even make my wife embarrassed. (Sorry honey). I am sitting on my bed typing this blog, having spent most of the last two days sick with food poisoning or a stomach flu. This was actually one of my worst fears come true over here: being so sick that I needed to run to the filthy porta-john and not know whether to sit on it or throw my head in it! (The stench alone is enough to make you vomit sometimes!) It was not a fun two days, let me tell you. I think I lost 4 lbs. the hard way! It makes you realize how much you miss home because there is nothing worse than being sick away from home. When you feel that bad all you want are the comforts of home: your own bed and bathroom, maybe a glass of ice water and a cold washcloth for your forehead. Maybe even your mommy (or wife) to take care of you. Nope. Ain't got none of that over here. (Although one of the guys in my B-hut did get me some food and gatorade. He was good to me).
I have heard stories of a number of Soldiers who have also been sick at one time of another, so I guess it's not too uncommon to get something bad from the DFAC food. Some of our guys up in the hills recently had to get antibiotics and "deworming" medicing after eating with some local nationals in a village. They were sick as dogs for a week or more until they could get to a medic. That must have been awful. Needless to say the dining conditions were not very sanitary. And knowing what we know about how the locals wash their hands and bodies, it explains a lot! At least mine was not that bad. Maybe a 24-hr bug, and now I'm recovering. I feel beat up and drained of energy; you know that feeling in your stomach muscles after you've been vomiting? Well, at least it's over for now. I hope to not go through that again!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Encouraging Words
10 June
It has been a pretty quiet week so far. My assistant and I are not traveling again for awhile, and I'm "on-call" for three other Chaplains this week. So it's a good thing that all is quiet on the western front, so to speak. An interesting thing happened to me recently: I had a civilian contractor come up to me while at lunch and state he felt God leading him to tell me that I had made a difference in his life over here. He had been a regular attender at one of the chapel services that I support (and preach at), and now was getting ready to go home. So he just came up to me out of the blue and gave me a very nice compliment and an encouraging boost for the day. Then today I received a letter in the mail (snail mail) from a friend back home that used to go to my church. She stated she was thinking of me because she found an old sermon handout from one of my very first sermons back in June of 2005, where I preached on the Ark of the Covenant. She told me she still remembers that sermon and the illustration I used that morning, and did not want me to think that what I do or say is not remembered by others. I was really touched by her kind words. It was pretty cool. I am not sure why God is giving me these separate "pick-me-ups" recently, but I won't complain. Wasn't it Mark Twain who said he could live off of one compliment for three weeks? (or something like that). Me too!
It has been a pretty quiet week so far. My assistant and I are not traveling again for awhile, and I'm "on-call" for three other Chaplains this week. So it's a good thing that all is quiet on the western front, so to speak. An interesting thing happened to me recently: I had a civilian contractor come up to me while at lunch and state he felt God leading him to tell me that I had made a difference in his life over here. He had been a regular attender at one of the chapel services that I support (and preach at), and now was getting ready to go home. So he just came up to me out of the blue and gave me a very nice compliment and an encouraging boost for the day. Then today I received a letter in the mail (snail mail) from a friend back home that used to go to my church. She stated she was thinking of me because she found an old sermon handout from one of my very first sermons back in June of 2005, where I preached on the Ark of the Covenant. She told me she still remembers that sermon and the illustration I used that morning, and did not want me to think that what I do or say is not remembered by others. I was really touched by her kind words. It was pretty cool. I am not sure why God is giving me these separate "pick-me-ups" recently, but I won't complain. Wasn't it Mark Twain who said he could live off of one compliment for three weeks? (or something like that). Me too!
The pictures: (1) Our company HQ's door. Many reminders of home. (2) Myself and my company commander and the logo she designedd and painted on her office door. It represents our command and the many different teams we work with and under. (3) A shot of the pasture land right ourside the fence. I took this picture while driving to church last weekend. The local shepherds can graze right up to the wire.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
June is Here!
5 June
It has been almost a full week since I posted a blog. I was traveling again and got back to my home base this morning. Some places we go have good internet access, but not so at all of the FOBs. We were hoping to get to a smaller place and see some of the guys who rarely get visitors, but the flight options in and out of there did not cooperate with us this past week. So we had to change plans and stay at a larger FOB and see the teams there. Some of these places are so bare-minimum that they do not accomodate women. They can't really, because they do not have the space or the extra facilities. Guys only. My female Chaplain Assistant is not too thrilled about that, and we may still try to get to one of those places in a few weeks. We can do this because our battalion commander--a Colonel--is also female and she is making a fuss about it. So off we go. Some of these FOBs do not even have toilets or showers, and I have heard stories of Soldiers going months without showering. I only plan to visit for a few days. A little B.O. never hurt anybody!
The picture is of me standing next to a Chech tank overlooking a valley below. The place we visited has this nice scenic spot for pictures, but you have to share the space with the tank. I doubt it has ever been fired in this war! But it looks cool sitting there on top of the hill. It may have been made by the Russians for this very terrain 30 years ago, who knows?
I had to be at the flight terminal at 3:00 am this morning to secure a seat on a flight back to my base. So I sat there in the dark, looking at the stars and half-moon. It was still bright enough to light up the ground. I wondered if my family could see the same moon I was looking at? Do you remember that scene in Apollo 13, where Tom Hanks uses his thumb to gauge the size of the moon, and then his wife is back home doing the same thing? Being so far away, it makes me wonder if we can see the same sky at night? The stars here are fantastic -- but I've already mentioned that in a previous blog. It is one of the things I will actually miss about this country and experience.
By the way, we are getting close enough to or end date that people have started a countdown. I won't put it here, but we are close enough to see light at the end of the tunnel, but still too far away to get excited about. Business as usual for awhile more.
It has been almost a full week since I posted a blog. I was traveling again and got back to my home base this morning. Some places we go have good internet access, but not so at all of the FOBs. We were hoping to get to a smaller place and see some of the guys who rarely get visitors, but the flight options in and out of there did not cooperate with us this past week. So we had to change plans and stay at a larger FOB and see the teams there. Some of these places are so bare-minimum that they do not accomodate women. They can't really, because they do not have the space or the extra facilities. Guys only. My female Chaplain Assistant is not too thrilled about that, and we may still try to get to one of those places in a few weeks. We can do this because our battalion commander--a Colonel--is also female and she is making a fuss about it. So off we go. Some of these FOBs do not even have toilets or showers, and I have heard stories of Soldiers going months without showering. I only plan to visit for a few days. A little B.O. never hurt anybody!
The picture is of me standing next to a Chech tank overlooking a valley below. The place we visited has this nice scenic spot for pictures, but you have to share the space with the tank. I doubt it has ever been fired in this war! But it looks cool sitting there on top of the hill. It may have been made by the Russians for this very terrain 30 years ago, who knows?
I had to be at the flight terminal at 3:00 am this morning to secure a seat on a flight back to my base. So I sat there in the dark, looking at the stars and half-moon. It was still bright enough to light up the ground. I wondered if my family could see the same moon I was looking at? Do you remember that scene in Apollo 13, where Tom Hanks uses his thumb to gauge the size of the moon, and then his wife is back home doing the same thing? Being so far away, it makes me wonder if we can see the same sky at night? The stars here are fantastic -- but I've already mentioned that in a previous blog. It is one of the things I will actually miss about this country and experience.
By the way, we are getting close enough to or end date that people have started a countdown. I won't put it here, but we are close enough to see light at the end of the tunnel, but still too far away to get excited about. Business as usual for awhile more.
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