Today is the first day where I am officially preparing to go home. I will spend this week packing and sending the last of anything worthwhile home, cleaning my room and saying my goodbyes to all of my friends and collegues. Today this all hit me rather solidly as I walked back from breakfast, "this is it, it is ending."
I guess the best way to look at it is "bitter sweet." I am leaving most of all I have known for the past year to return home to what I love most. What I have known is more then what you would find back home in a sense that the people that I have become close to I have become really close to. There is so much emotion and need I guess when you are all away from home that it adds a new dimension to fellowship.
We are here living together but everyone is alone and lonley, if that makes sense. Thaink of each Holiday, birthday, first day, ball game, Sunday Sevice, small group etc, where you are not with your family. You may be with others but not the ones that own your heart. This is why I say a different level of closeness. In the states I recall people talking about finding intimacy in a small group and then holding on to it like a precious jewel. Here intimacy comes immediately, and the rest see it as an opportunity to show mercy and grace, compassion because it stems from that same deep hole that we are all in together. I don't know if that made the point but I will miss it tremendously, and hope to gain it back home.
This is also a week of "lasts". Everything that I do will be the last time here. Monday night prayer with Robert and the other Kenyan men. Tuesday "I Am Second" with Mike, Val, Ryan and the others. Wednesday night Open Bible study at the Chapel. Thursday, Manly Men, Whooha with Ryan, and the rest of the guys, this is one that I will bring home with me for sure. Also dinner with Chief, Gun Ship Piolet exstrodoniar who does not wear a skirt and high heals of course! Sunday Shindand Holy Smokes, the only Christian Cigar outreach that I know about on Sunday nights, and sitting with Walley on the deck having a smoke together watching the activities on the flight line as the sun goes down. There is something about an Apache riding through the setting sun that gives you goose bumps.
Oddly enough there will be some lasts here that will transfer back home also. This will be the last week that I have to call into my Accountability group at 3:30 in the morning. It will be nice to have that meeting be face to face and at a reasonable time. It will also be the last weekly phone call to Frank for our Discipleship, he has been a loyal friend this year and again we can st in actual fellowship face to face again. Lastly, and Steve will be happy for this, no more bringing Mike in a box to the Staurday morning Mens Group. I will again be able to sit with my Brothers at the church rather then ojn Skype as we have done.
I have so much anticipation for the return though and I have been praying heavily for God to bring me through to the next step. I want to see where God is working when I return and bring myself to that for Him, place myself where He will need me most. One of the biggest things on my heart is becoming the True Man of God my family needs me to be and the one that God made me to be. I must be the Spiritual Leader of my House and fight everyday for the Salvation of those within it. I think about it alot as I know that I have grown this year and this aspect of my calling will be different in my house. Yes I was the father, but not necessarily the leader that I needed to be.
I also pray for my ability to come back into the fold with my friends and the Church. Alot can change in a year. I, being absent, may not know all that has occurred for in my mind it is still primarily June 2010 back home. New relationships await and old ones may be gone, things will not be exactly as they were. I pray that the Lord keeps my heart open and my mouth closed for a while until my reality and that which is actual come back in line with each other.
So, I am sure that I will have ups and downs this week. I will say goodbye and probably cry a hundred times as this all winds down. I will also cry tears of joy as each leg of my return home unfolds until Saturday the 25th when at 9:30 in the morning I will set foot Home Again and see the faces of my family.
Lord, I trusted in you and continue to trust in you. This is not over, just changing. Continue to give me your strength, grace and compassion as it unfolds. Amen
First time in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor under a one year contract. I have been brought here by God and intend to speak the Gospel of Christ however I can.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Year Plan Completed
Today I am getting to the Blog very late as the interent was out on the Flight Line this morning. I hope I didn't miss Brother David who I believe is always the first to read the Blog.
Speaking of Brother David, yesterday I finished the one year Bible reading plan that he had given before I had left for Afghanistan. I started the day that I left home last year and ended nine days ahead of schedule. The plan brings you through the Old Testiment once and the New Testiment twice in the year. I am very pleased that I was able stick with this plan and actually look forward to starting it again for this year.
I know that many people don't like this type of reading of the Bible feeling that it makes it a choir and does not allow for meditation of the scriptures. For me I have made it that my meditation and study comes in addition to reading in this way. Reding through it I know that I have read the Word of God in it's entirety and with that placed it into myself. That my wisdomhas grown and that over time He will better be able to reveal Himself to me as I walk for Him.
This morning, I was also given an opportunity to wittness to a man that works here at the ADACG. I have known him for a while but have never engauged in much converstaion with him. Because of the internet being down and flights being a little slow we were both sitting in the smoke pit, I reading and he smoking. He happened to mention that his wife was having some difficulties at home and was looking forward to him returning next month on an R&R. As the conversation progressed and I listened I prayed for an opportunity to wittness to Him.
After several minutes of listening I metioned God as being who he should place his trust in and through that have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He then spoke of many occurences in his life that had caused him to loose his faith in God. Like many people he could not understand how a "good God" could allow bad things to happen, and he had seen a lot of bad. Ultimately our converstaion focussed on the personal relationship that is needed and the faith that that brings us to in God and His soverigntey.
I love when this happens and I will tell you that when he first sat down I put my book to the side and thought that I would wait until he left to begin reading again. It was at first going to be a distraction to me until I purposed myself and prayed for the opportunity that did come. he pace that my heart was in had a lot to do with me hearing and obeying or passing by the opportunity without a thought as to its occurance.
So I will end with wishing you all well and asking you for some additional prayer for me in these last few days here at the Base. I will be drastically winding down here, not working anymore from today forward and just dont want the Devil to have his playground in anyway. Thanks in advance for those prayers.
Lord, T=thank you for keeping in my heart the committment to read your word this year and maiking the goal to do it in one year. Also thank you for the switch in my heart to be open and willing to wittness to this man today. May seeds have been planted and hopfully grow within him and bring him back to you. Amen.
Speaking of Brother David, yesterday I finished the one year Bible reading plan that he had given before I had left for Afghanistan. I started the day that I left home last year and ended nine days ahead of schedule. The plan brings you through the Old Testiment once and the New Testiment twice in the year. I am very pleased that I was able stick with this plan and actually look forward to starting it again for this year.
I know that many people don't like this type of reading of the Bible feeling that it makes it a choir and does not allow for meditation of the scriptures. For me I have made it that my meditation and study comes in addition to reading in this way. Reding through it I know that I have read the Word of God in it's entirety and with that placed it into myself. That my wisdomhas grown and that over time He will better be able to reveal Himself to me as I walk for Him.
This morning, I was also given an opportunity to wittness to a man that works here at the ADACG. I have known him for a while but have never engauged in much converstaion with him. Because of the internet being down and flights being a little slow we were both sitting in the smoke pit, I reading and he smoking. He happened to mention that his wife was having some difficulties at home and was looking forward to him returning next month on an R&R. As the conversation progressed and I listened I prayed for an opportunity to wittness to Him.
After several minutes of listening I metioned God as being who he should place his trust in and through that have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He then spoke of many occurences in his life that had caused him to loose his faith in God. Like many people he could not understand how a "good God" could allow bad things to happen, and he had seen a lot of bad. Ultimately our converstaion focussed on the personal relationship that is needed and the faith that that brings us to in God and His soverigntey.
I love when this happens and I will tell you that when he first sat down I put my book to the side and thought that I would wait until he left to begin reading again. It was at first going to be a distraction to me until I purposed myself and prayed for the opportunity that did come. he pace that my heart was in had a lot to do with me hearing and obeying or passing by the opportunity without a thought as to its occurance.
So I will end with wishing you all well and asking you for some additional prayer for me in these last few days here at the Base. I will be drastically winding down here, not working anymore from today forward and just dont want the Devil to have his playground in anyway. Thanks in advance for those prayers.
Lord, T=thank you for keeping in my heart the committment to read your word this year and maiking the goal to do it in one year. Also thank you for the switch in my heart to be open and willing to wittness to this man today. May seeds have been planted and hopfully grow within him and bring him back to you. Amen.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Looking For God
If you search for God on your own, you will find your own god!
Do not mistake my statement with the fact that youir Salvation, coing to Christ and your relationship with God is a personal experience and will be, at the moment that it happens, between you and God. What I am stateing is that if you are a person who does not believe in organized religion and seek your answer to who God is by examining all religions you may just end up producing a god of your own making.
This goes bak to the man I wittnessed to two wednesdays ago, but also to anyone who has made God what they want God to be without truly seeking to know Him. To refresh your memories, a couple of weeks ago a a man came into the Chapel during our Wednesday night Bible study. He was looking for "Holy Books". When I approached him to help him out we fell into a discussion about what he was trying to do. With that he indicated that he was fed up with organized religion, being raise Christian, and wanted now to look at all the religions to find God for himself.
I have thought about this a lot since then. I was for many years the very same way. I believed that if there were a God that he would not care how we believed as long as we did believe. Throw in a touch of me thinking that being a good person also weighed in a lot to everything and I got what I had, no god at all. I did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted, up to the place where I drew my own line. So with this man, who is seeking answers from many sources, he will get what he is looking for, he will get what I had, my own made up god.
Now you may be asking, what is wrong with finding the answers from many religions about who God is. Why is one any better then another, why not even take the best of them all and make waht works best for me? Simple fact is that there can only be one absolute truth. There can only be one God and anything less then that God is just an idol, a stop gap for us that allows us not to have to have real faith in Him.
So what must occur is acceptance of what this absolute truth is. The purest way to find that is to ask God to reveal it to you as you whole heartedly seek Him. Not an intelectual excercise, not a sentence in a book that finally reveals to you who He is, but with all your heart, mind, body and soul knowing and wanting to be in a relationship with Him. When you look in that manner you will be given the answer that you seek.
By this young man being angry at organized religion he was relly angery at "fallen men" who were not satisfing his need which only God could fill. He was placing percieved standards onto what the people of the church should be and when they did what all men do, fail, it became his excuse to deny God in that situation. Where he went wrong is by not allowing God to be God and man to be man. He was not giving man the same grace and forgivness that he was looking for in God. He had even made the Church the god instead of God being God. He also looked from the perspective that he was ok and everything around him was amiss. When we want people to fill all of the emptiness in our hearts that only God can fill, we will remain disappointed.
The point to all this, and what I explained to this young man is this, you will most of all never find a perfect God in a man. This only happened in Jesus Christ, perfect man, sinless. You may find aspects of God in men, some more then others but never sinless perfection. With this you will never find a perfect religion, a perfect church or organization, they are made of imperfect people. The only way to find the perfect God that you may seek is when you come to Him, in asolute openess and devotion and ask Him, the one who was perfect into your heart to guide you. Only then will you see the perfections that you seek, only then you will know God only then will you find absolute truth.
You can make God what you want Him to be. You can look for Him or not in many places. You can blame the people of the Church for not finding Him. You can look in every book and every place but as long as you look for Him in other things He will not be what He is, He will only be the god you want Him to be. Open your heart to the Truth, the absolute truth of the one true God and you will then find what you seek.
Lord Jesus, reveal your truth to this young man and to those who truly seek you. They may have been looking in other places but when they ask you personally to be in their heart then you will be there. Amen
Do not mistake my statement with the fact that youir Salvation, coing to Christ and your relationship with God is a personal experience and will be, at the moment that it happens, between you and God. What I am stateing is that if you are a person who does not believe in organized religion and seek your answer to who God is by examining all religions you may just end up producing a god of your own making.
This goes bak to the man I wittnessed to two wednesdays ago, but also to anyone who has made God what they want God to be without truly seeking to know Him. To refresh your memories, a couple of weeks ago a a man came into the Chapel during our Wednesday night Bible study. He was looking for "Holy Books". When I approached him to help him out we fell into a discussion about what he was trying to do. With that he indicated that he was fed up with organized religion, being raise Christian, and wanted now to look at all the religions to find God for himself.
I have thought about this a lot since then. I was for many years the very same way. I believed that if there were a God that he would not care how we believed as long as we did believe. Throw in a touch of me thinking that being a good person also weighed in a lot to everything and I got what I had, no god at all. I did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted, up to the place where I drew my own line. So with this man, who is seeking answers from many sources, he will get what he is looking for, he will get what I had, my own made up god.
Now you may be asking, what is wrong with finding the answers from many religions about who God is. Why is one any better then another, why not even take the best of them all and make waht works best for me? Simple fact is that there can only be one absolute truth. There can only be one God and anything less then that God is just an idol, a stop gap for us that allows us not to have to have real faith in Him.
So what must occur is acceptance of what this absolute truth is. The purest way to find that is to ask God to reveal it to you as you whole heartedly seek Him. Not an intelectual excercise, not a sentence in a book that finally reveals to you who He is, but with all your heart, mind, body and soul knowing and wanting to be in a relationship with Him. When you look in that manner you will be given the answer that you seek.
By this young man being angry at organized religion he was relly angery at "fallen men" who were not satisfing his need which only God could fill. He was placing percieved standards onto what the people of the church should be and when they did what all men do, fail, it became his excuse to deny God in that situation. Where he went wrong is by not allowing God to be God and man to be man. He was not giving man the same grace and forgivness that he was looking for in God. He had even made the Church the god instead of God being God. He also looked from the perspective that he was ok and everything around him was amiss. When we want people to fill all of the emptiness in our hearts that only God can fill, we will remain disappointed.
The point to all this, and what I explained to this young man is this, you will most of all never find a perfect God in a man. This only happened in Jesus Christ, perfect man, sinless. You may find aspects of God in men, some more then others but never sinless perfection. With this you will never find a perfect religion, a perfect church or organization, they are made of imperfect people. The only way to find the perfect God that you may seek is when you come to Him, in asolute openess and devotion and ask Him, the one who was perfect into your heart to guide you. Only then will you see the perfections that you seek, only then you will know God only then will you find absolute truth.
You can make God what you want Him to be. You can look for Him or not in many places. You can blame the people of the Church for not finding Him. You can look in every book and every place but as long as you look for Him in other things He will not be what He is, He will only be the god you want Him to be. Open your heart to the Truth, the absolute truth of the one true God and you will then find what you seek.
Lord Jesus, reveal your truth to this young man and to those who truly seek you. They may have been looking in other places but when they ask you personally to be in their heart then you will be there. Amen
Thursday, June 9, 2011
At The Flight Line
At the Airfield I have been pleasantly relaxing to tell you the truth. I have offered to do whatever I could which has resulted in basically a passenger service guy. Each time a plane comes in I walk out to it and get the passengers off and back to the PAX Terminal in one peice. Other then that most of the other jobs are technical in nature and therefore beyond my current abilities.
I do find it very cool that I can be so close to some of these aircraft. The C-130's still amaze me. I usually stand just thinking that when in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be standing here. To stand behind the engines as they are still running, the exhaust hot against the skin and the prop wash almost to strong to bear. Way, way cool!
Today, the Air Force was doing a FOD walk of the flight line. This is Foriegn Objests and Debris, stuff that will mess up the engines and tires and such of the planes needs to be picked up. With this I was able to see the base Commander briefly. He knows I am leaving soon and asked how many days I had left. I have know him since I arrived at the base, and he always stops to shake your hand or say hello. Also spoke for a while with the Sgt Major. He also has always been very friendly to those around the base. They both will also be leaving soon so we are all in the same mind set.
In refernce to these two men, they both, along with most of the others in leadership here a faithful men. Most come on a regular basis to the Sunday services at the Chapel and when you speak with them they quite frequently make reference to God and His working in their lives. I figure that with the responsibility that they have there is great reverence for the Lord in each of them. They understand more so what life is and more importantly who God is.
So I am making the best of these last few days before I pack up my belongings. Being here at the flight line is anjoyable and has allowed me to see people I might not have seen before I left. It is also a nice way to wind down and concentrate on what I need to do next week. Next week I will spend saying my goodbyes to all those that have become my friends over this past year.
I do find it very cool that I can be so close to some of these aircraft. The C-130's still amaze me. I usually stand just thinking that when in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be standing here. To stand behind the engines as they are still running, the exhaust hot against the skin and the prop wash almost to strong to bear. Way, way cool!
Today, the Air Force was doing a FOD walk of the flight line. This is Foriegn Objests and Debris, stuff that will mess up the engines and tires and such of the planes needs to be picked up. With this I was able to see the base Commander briefly. He knows I am leaving soon and asked how many days I had left. I have know him since I arrived at the base, and he always stops to shake your hand or say hello. Also spoke for a while with the Sgt Major. He also has always been very friendly to those around the base. They both will also be leaving soon so we are all in the same mind set.
In refernce to these two men, they both, along with most of the others in leadership here a faithful men. Most come on a regular basis to the Sunday services at the Chapel and when you speak with them they quite frequently make reference to God and His working in their lives. I figure that with the responsibility that they have there is great reverence for the Lord in each of them. They understand more so what life is and more importantly who God is.
So I am making the best of these last few days before I pack up my belongings. Being here at the flight line is anjoyable and has allowed me to see people I might not have seen before I left. It is also a nice way to wind down and concentrate on what I need to do next week. Next week I will spend saying my goodbyes to all those that have become my friends over this past year.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Faithful Wittness
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here
2 Corinthians 5:17
Last night, Tuesday night, we have a group here, I Am Second. The group has always been very good, based on personal testimony and living second to Jesus Christ. The program uses online video testimonies from all sorts of poeple, famous and non famous, young and old. Generally the testimonies are five or six minutes long and then lead into questions from the Leaders Guide. Last night was a very powerful evening as we were blessed wwith the tesimony from a Soldier here from our group.
I am not going to give the Soldiers name and I am not going to speak of the details of his teatimony. What I will say is this, if I had not heard his testimony I would have never thought this man other than a life long, strong wittness to Jesus Christ and a faithful servant to Him. Very vividly do you see the truth in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here...
This young man, by trust in the Lord, courage and faith relayed the the person he was, the tragic events of his life, his coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, and the new creation that he has become. As I listened I was forced to contrast what he was saying with the man that I new. Darkness and light, evil and good. Feeling at one point the pain in his voice as he recalled the events of his childhood and then the joy and hope of coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
If you have never heard the testimony of one who has been saved, one such as this, you are missing the real transforming work of God. In these testimonies you wittness true grace and forgivness that is offered freely from God through the faith in His Son, and the work that He accomplished on the cross. As this young man stated in last night, the Bible states that if you are guilty of breaking one commandment you are guilty of breaking all. Until he accepted that all sins, all sins have been paid for this change could not have happened.
He was set free of the bondage of guilt and self condemnation that so much was and would have consumed him by asking Jesus Christ to save him, to be his Lord and Savior. He has been made new. He is a new creation. He was born again. He lives now walking in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. the Spirit is in Him and he is a tremendous wittness to the transformation that all men are freely offered by God.
If you are guilty of breaking the least, you are guilty of breaking all. We are all sinners, every man, regardless of how good you think you are you are guilty. It is our nature to sin, we can never break free of it on our own. Our only hope is to accept that Jesus Christ has gained victory over this sin and therefore can, if we ask Him to, stand before God on our behalf. If you have not done so, ask the Lord to be your Lord and Saviour. Place this truth in your heart and follow Him as He has asked. You to will see, and be a wittness to, the transformation of the old creation into the new in Christ Jesus.
Lord, thank you for your faithful servant who has poured out his testimonny to strengthen this body of believers. Continue to strengthen his wittness and allow him the hiopes of his heart as he lives for you. Amen.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Last night, Tuesday night, we have a group here, I Am Second. The group has always been very good, based on personal testimony and living second to Jesus Christ. The program uses online video testimonies from all sorts of poeple, famous and non famous, young and old. Generally the testimonies are five or six minutes long and then lead into questions from the Leaders Guide. Last night was a very powerful evening as we were blessed wwith the tesimony from a Soldier here from our group.
I am not going to give the Soldiers name and I am not going to speak of the details of his teatimony. What I will say is this, if I had not heard his testimony I would have never thought this man other than a life long, strong wittness to Jesus Christ and a faithful servant to Him. Very vividly do you see the truth in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here...
This young man, by trust in the Lord, courage and faith relayed the the person he was, the tragic events of his life, his coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, and the new creation that he has become. As I listened I was forced to contrast what he was saying with the man that I new. Darkness and light, evil and good. Feeling at one point the pain in his voice as he recalled the events of his childhood and then the joy and hope of coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
If you have never heard the testimony of one who has been saved, one such as this, you are missing the real transforming work of God. In these testimonies you wittness true grace and forgivness that is offered freely from God through the faith in His Son, and the work that He accomplished on the cross. As this young man stated in last night, the Bible states that if you are guilty of breaking one commandment you are guilty of breaking all. Until he accepted that all sins, all sins have been paid for this change could not have happened.
He was set free of the bondage of guilt and self condemnation that so much was and would have consumed him by asking Jesus Christ to save him, to be his Lord and Savior. He has been made new. He is a new creation. He was born again. He lives now walking in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. the Spirit is in Him and he is a tremendous wittness to the transformation that all men are freely offered by God.
If you are guilty of breaking the least, you are guilty of breaking all. We are all sinners, every man, regardless of how good you think you are you are guilty. It is our nature to sin, we can never break free of it on our own. Our only hope is to accept that Jesus Christ has gained victory over this sin and therefore can, if we ask Him to, stand before God on our behalf. If you have not done so, ask the Lord to be your Lord and Saviour. Place this truth in your heart and follow Him as He has asked. You to will see, and be a wittness to, the transformation of the old creation into the new in Christ Jesus.
Lord, thank you for your faithful servant who has poured out his testimonny to strengthen this body of believers. Continue to strengthen his wittness and allow him the hiopes of his heart as he lives for you. Amen.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Into The Teens
Into the teens I go! Eighteen days today left until I will be home. I do actually think the days are slowing down on e. Is that possible?
There has been another change so I am forced to do things a little different. I am at the ADACG now starting yesterday and because of that my schedule has changed again. Each morning they get on a bus at 0630 and head around to the Airfield. Last week I didn't have to report until 0730 to the CRSP Yard. Also I do not have an office at the ADACG so I can not plug the computer in and write my Blog as I usually have done each morning. Fo rthis week at least I will have to squeeze the Blog in to some time before I leave for work.
Like I said yesterday I worked, if you want to call it that, at the ADACG. I pretty much just helped out where I could all day. This meant that I would basically walk out to the Aircraft and if there were passengers, direct them off the plane and over to the PAX Terminal. Being that this doesn't take any special qualifications it was probably the only thing I could really do. Other then that I sat and read my book and helped some people out getting themselves situated for flights.
I did see many people that I know which was nice, most leaving or coming from R&R. That is the one benefit to being over at the ADACG is that it is the central hub for inbound and outbound movement. At one point the Base Commender cam by. He stopped and asked if I was leaving already as he thought I had more time here. I told him I was just working over here for the week but had two remaining on the Post.
I was for the most part boring however, filling time can have it's draw backs. I kept wondering what I would do once I finished this book. I thought that it would last me through my travel home but I should finish it today if it was anything like yesterday. I packed up all of the other books I planned on reading in the trunk I already sent home. I am hoping that my Kindle has a treasure in it but I hate to have that out and about here as the dust gets into everything. I ended up leaving the ADACG around 1430 and coming back over to my room.
Lastly, dinner last night was different, Seth was not there. He was able to get out with his unit yesterday and at this time should be enjoying a little more civilized and friendly atmosphere in a country to the North. I am sure he is very pleased but for me the table was empty for most of the meal. I got used to the conversations and time with Seth, and I guess will get used to eating now without him.
Lord, may the time just fly by over the next eighteen days. In that however please don't let me miss each opportunity that you may bring before me. Also, let each meeting that I may have with a friend be a great moment and our inevitable partings not be a goodbye but a so long. Amen.
There has been another change so I am forced to do things a little different. I am at the ADACG now starting yesterday and because of that my schedule has changed again. Each morning they get on a bus at 0630 and head around to the Airfield. Last week I didn't have to report until 0730 to the CRSP Yard. Also I do not have an office at the ADACG so I can not plug the computer in and write my Blog as I usually have done each morning. Fo rthis week at least I will have to squeeze the Blog in to some time before I leave for work.
Like I said yesterday I worked, if you want to call it that, at the ADACG. I pretty much just helped out where I could all day. This meant that I would basically walk out to the Aircraft and if there were passengers, direct them off the plane and over to the PAX Terminal. Being that this doesn't take any special qualifications it was probably the only thing I could really do. Other then that I sat and read my book and helped some people out getting themselves situated for flights.
I did see many people that I know which was nice, most leaving or coming from R&R. That is the one benefit to being over at the ADACG is that it is the central hub for inbound and outbound movement. At one point the Base Commender cam by. He stopped and asked if I was leaving already as he thought I had more time here. I told him I was just working over here for the week but had two remaining on the Post.
I was for the most part boring however, filling time can have it's draw backs. I kept wondering what I would do once I finished this book. I thought that it would last me through my travel home but I should finish it today if it was anything like yesterday. I packed up all of the other books I planned on reading in the trunk I already sent home. I am hoping that my Kindle has a treasure in it but I hate to have that out and about here as the dust gets into everything. I ended up leaving the ADACG around 1430 and coming back over to my room.
Lastly, dinner last night was different, Seth was not there. He was able to get out with his unit yesterday and at this time should be enjoying a little more civilized and friendly atmosphere in a country to the North. I am sure he is very pleased but for me the table was empty for most of the meal. I got used to the conversations and time with Seth, and I guess will get used to eating now without him.
Lord, may the time just fly by over the next eighteen days. In that however please don't let me miss each opportunity that you may bring before me. Also, let each meeting that I may have with a friend be a great moment and our inevitable partings not be a goodbye but a so long. Amen.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Great Wittness Day
Something must have been in the air yesterday. It was a great wittness day for me. I am not talking about people at the Chapel, other Christians for the most part but several people that were not Christians who I was able to share the Gospel and Jesus Christ with.
The first opportunity came when I left the CRSP Yard to go over to the Chapel. One of the workers came into my office and asked for the keys to the truck. He indicated that he was going out to perform some container inventories. I asked him where as I need to go over to the Chapel for the 11:00 service. It was just barely 10:00 so it was a little early but anyway he was going just by the Chapel so I asked if he could drop me off.
This man who is from Macedonia, on an earlier occsion had had a conversation with me regarding trying to get a job volunteering for organizations that may help people. He wanted to spend time just working in an area for no pay that would be for the good of others. I suggested some ways of finding these types of jobs and left it at that.
On this car ride he asked what I would be doing when I arrived back home. SO I began to explain how I planned first just to spend the summer with my family. In the Fall I told him I would be beginning school again, that I had enrolled in five class for my Masters. Inquiring, he asked for what degree in which I answered Biblical studies. This began us on the conversation about faith.
He beileves in God he said but that He was in many things. That there was not just one way to know God, many paths if you will. With that statement I began to wittness just in regards to Jesus Christ to him, what my faith was, and how there could be only one absolute truth so having many ways to God may present some issues of truth to those that believed that.
It was a verty good conversation as we traveled around the base. As he dropped me off at the Chapel we said our goodbyes. Before he left I invited him in for the service. He didn't show up but at least the seeds were planted and the conversation went well.
Now that I was about forty minutes early I went to take a walk through the PX and then through the Afghan PX just to see if there was anything interesting or needed for my trip home. Not seeing anything in either I walked back towards the Cahpel and past the Smoke Pit. There sitting having a cigerette was a soldier who I had met during this weeks Manly Men group. He said hello so I went in and sat across from him.
He asked me about what my plans were when I returned home as he had know that I was within a coupkle weeks of leaving. This of course brought us along the same path that the previous converrsation took. He stated though that he was planning on finnishing his degree in Political Science and hopfelly teaching. As we spoke we bgabn to compare and contrast religion and polotics, paticularly how people don't like to speak about either. As we spoke another Soldier sat down to have a smoke.
Shortly after sitting this new soldier began into the conversation expressing isssues with theology and the like. Now I did not gather if the second soldier was a Chrsitian or not, the first soldier was but seemed not to be big on organized religion. So as we all spoke the discussion became more focussed o the faith aspect. Always a better place to be when speaking to people about such things.
Within a couple more minutes two more soldiers had enter the smoke pit and began to interact with the conversation. These two were obviously not walking in faith and had some stronger opinions of God and what He was and wasn't. All in all this conversation was good, and lasted just up until the service in the Chapel began.
Sunday evenings we have Holy Smokes, a group that gets together for cigars and pipes. this group was started by Chaplin Sharpe as an outreach and fellowship for us here. It is generally pretty light on the Spirtual issues as it does draw a veriety of people in because of the cigars. For the last two weeks a new fellow has joined us, an Electrician for another company. He is a little rough around the edges but a jovial guy. Along with him a couple of the other guys that are regulars and Christians showed up.
As the eveing progressed the conversation became very faith based paticularly about accountability and fellowship. It also leaned alot towards Christian manhood, being a good husband and having a good relationship with our wives. The nice thing was that not only I this time but two of the three guys were Christians and the Electrician became involved in the conversation that we were all having. Holy Smokes was having its first real outreach to an apperently unsaved man and it was good.
So eventually the night ended and I walked back towards the LSA with the Electrician. I invited him to our Thursday night Manly Men group and explained what it was to him. He seemed interested as we parted ways. I walked the rest of the way in the dark back to the LSA thinking about the many opportunities that I was involved in during the day. I thanked God for each and prayed that the seeds that were sown may then be watered and grow..
Lord Jesus, be with each person that heard the Word yesterday. Allow them to set in their hearts, if not already there, the Truth of your Gospel and the saving Grace that comes from faith in you Lord. I am thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to serve you. Amen.
The first opportunity came when I left the CRSP Yard to go over to the Chapel. One of the workers came into my office and asked for the keys to the truck. He indicated that he was going out to perform some container inventories. I asked him where as I need to go over to the Chapel for the 11:00 service. It was just barely 10:00 so it was a little early but anyway he was going just by the Chapel so I asked if he could drop me off.
This man who is from Macedonia, on an earlier occsion had had a conversation with me regarding trying to get a job volunteering for organizations that may help people. He wanted to spend time just working in an area for no pay that would be for the good of others. I suggested some ways of finding these types of jobs and left it at that.
On this car ride he asked what I would be doing when I arrived back home. SO I began to explain how I planned first just to spend the summer with my family. In the Fall I told him I would be beginning school again, that I had enrolled in five class for my Masters. Inquiring, he asked for what degree in which I answered Biblical studies. This began us on the conversation about faith.
He beileves in God he said but that He was in many things. That there was not just one way to know God, many paths if you will. With that statement I began to wittness just in regards to Jesus Christ to him, what my faith was, and how there could be only one absolute truth so having many ways to God may present some issues of truth to those that believed that.
It was a verty good conversation as we traveled around the base. As he dropped me off at the Chapel we said our goodbyes. Before he left I invited him in for the service. He didn't show up but at least the seeds were planted and the conversation went well.
Now that I was about forty minutes early I went to take a walk through the PX and then through the Afghan PX just to see if there was anything interesting or needed for my trip home. Not seeing anything in either I walked back towards the Cahpel and past the Smoke Pit. There sitting having a cigerette was a soldier who I had met during this weeks Manly Men group. He said hello so I went in and sat across from him.
He asked me about what my plans were when I returned home as he had know that I was within a coupkle weeks of leaving. This of course brought us along the same path that the previous converrsation took. He stated though that he was planning on finnishing his degree in Political Science and hopfelly teaching. As we spoke we bgabn to compare and contrast religion and polotics, paticularly how people don't like to speak about either. As we spoke another Soldier sat down to have a smoke.
Shortly after sitting this new soldier began into the conversation expressing isssues with theology and the like. Now I did not gather if the second soldier was a Chrsitian or not, the first soldier was but seemed not to be big on organized religion. So as we all spoke the discussion became more focussed o the faith aspect. Always a better place to be when speaking to people about such things.
Within a couple more minutes two more soldiers had enter the smoke pit and began to interact with the conversation. These two were obviously not walking in faith and had some stronger opinions of God and what He was and wasn't. All in all this conversation was good, and lasted just up until the service in the Chapel began.
Sunday evenings we have Holy Smokes, a group that gets together for cigars and pipes. this group was started by Chaplin Sharpe as an outreach and fellowship for us here. It is generally pretty light on the Spirtual issues as it does draw a veriety of people in because of the cigars. For the last two weeks a new fellow has joined us, an Electrician for another company. He is a little rough around the edges but a jovial guy. Along with him a couple of the other guys that are regulars and Christians showed up.
As the eveing progressed the conversation became very faith based paticularly about accountability and fellowship. It also leaned alot towards Christian manhood, being a good husband and having a good relationship with our wives. The nice thing was that not only I this time but two of the three guys were Christians and the Electrician became involved in the conversation that we were all having. Holy Smokes was having its first real outreach to an apperently unsaved man and it was good.
So eventually the night ended and I walked back towards the LSA with the Electrician. I invited him to our Thursday night Manly Men group and explained what it was to him. He seemed interested as we parted ways. I walked the rest of the way in the dark back to the LSA thinking about the many opportunities that I was involved in during the day. I thanked God for each and prayed that the seeds that were sown may then be watered and grow..
Lord Jesus, be with each person that heard the Word yesterday. Allow them to set in their hearts, if not already there, the Truth of your Gospel and the saving Grace that comes from faith in you Lord. I am thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to serve you. Amen.
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