Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Long Day


1-7-09

First real taste of Army life today. I was up at 4:00 am to be in formation -- in the rain -- by 5:00 am. We did some marching, ate at a mess hall, and spent all day doing our medical in-processing (hearing, vision, blood draw, shots -- oh yeah, I got 4 of 'em -- and pee in a cup). Fun stuff that should have been completed by lunch took all day. And then we sat and waited 2 hours before the bus returned us to the apartment building. As they say, "Hurry up and wait!" The Lord is working on my patience with all of this, as I have many suggestions to improve the process -- but no one cares. Oh well, I'll get over it.

I am attaching a picture of the dorm where I live. I was not able to take any others today, but I will try to have more pictures soon. By far the majority of Chaplains here are Protestant Christians (of many different denominations, but lots of Baptists). However, we also have a Buddhist Chaplain and two Jewish Rabbi Chaplains as well. Doug, my Ohio State buddy here, has already become a good friend and is my assigned "prayer partner." The Army actually calls it a "Battle buddy" but we vetoed that name and chose prayer partner. Seems to fit us better, don't you think? Gotta run. I'll write more tomorrow.




3 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting!! Why Darren, I can't imagine you having a better way of doing things :)

    Hang in there. Seems like God has provided you a like kind buddy. I look forward to hearing more.

    Love,
    Your sis, Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Darren, I've enjoyed reading your daily log. It must be very exciting to start a new journey at this time in your life! I know it will also be difficult to be away from your family for this brief time. Following God's will can be scary, but just continue to follow his leading, and you will feel at peace.
    I am down in Florida, now and enjoying the wonderful weather! I've
    played golf 4 times and hope to continue once or twice a week from now on. I also try to walk two and half miles 3 or 4 times a week to
    keep the blood pressure and cholestral down. Yours must have im-
    proved greatly! Aunt Gladys and I ride our bikes for 6 miles, three to four times a week because her feet can't take long walks. So, you see why I love coming down here, so I can be active in the winter.
    We will try and keep up with your blog each day. Know that we are
    praying for you and your family! Take each day as a new experience to
    learn new things and ENJOY!

    ReplyDelete