DISPATCH 008--21 NOV 2006

“Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

Genesis 50:19-21

Joseph wrote these words in response to his older brothers who were concerned for their safety and the safety of their children. They had reason to be afraid. Joseph had been rather bold as a youth, even to the point of sharing with his brothers the dreams he had about his family. In these dreams, it was apparent that Joseph one day would be the most powerful and influential of them all. Well, as you can imagine, this did not sit too well with his ten older siblings. One day, after traveling a great distance, Joseph met them in the fields where they were tending to their father Jacob’s flocks. Evil got the better of the older brothers, and after deciding against murdering Joseph, they instead sold him into slavery.

Thus began an interesting chain of events for the brash young man. Once he his father’s favorite, he now found himself traveling in a caravan on his way to the slave markets in Egypt. Sold to an important member of the king’s, or Pharaoh’s, staff, Joseph grew in stature until his boss’s wife made a pass at him that he refused. The spurned woman turned on Joseph and accused him of attacking her. Betrayed once again, Joseph found himself thrown in prison, probably thankful for his life, and hanging out with Pharaoh’s chief baker and butler, who were in trouble with the king. One thing led to another, and because of Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, he found himself placed before Pharaoh to explain the king’s dreams. Giving all the credit to God, Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams; and, impressed by the youth’s connection with God, Pharaoh made him his second in command, placing him in charge of the collection of surplus crops in order to prepare for the coming famine, the famine Joseph correctly predicted from the dreams.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s very guilty brothers had returned to their father. They lied to him and told him that a wild animal attacked his son. Heartbroken and inconsolable, their father was never the same. When famine gripped the land, they traveled to Egypt, for they heard that the wise Pharaoh had stored food to sell. When they met Joseph again, they did not recognize their brother, but he recognized them. Now was an interesting time in the history of Israel, in the history of the world. Would Joseph seek revenge, or would he seek mercy?

As we read from the above passage, after testing his brothers, Joseph granted mercy and did not seek vengeance. Vengeance, like all lies, entices those who seek her with the promise of satisfaction and justice. Lies are just the truth slightly twisted, and this lie is no different. Retribution is a self-breeding vice, a journey down a path that never ends. As soldiers, we have seen the effects of vengeance and its wicked offspring of mistrust, hatred, and bitterness. As soldiers, we are facing the giant task of teaching in both word and deed that the way things in Iraq have been done in the past is not the way it has to be.

One of the most important qualities of our nation’s soldiers, your family members, is that they day after day still bring a sense of hope to their vocation: hope for themselves and the Iraqi people. To be sure, we have cynics in our ranks, but, for the most part, the vast majority of us hopes and secretly prays that our attempt to sow peace will take root and grow.

I spoke with soldiers at Patrol Base (PB) O’Ryan, and they shared with me how impressed they were with their Iraqi Army counterparts. They told me of the Iraqis' desire to learn and to execute their mission to do the dangerous and important work to keep their country safe. Our soldiers had seen their Iraqi neighbors weep for joy when they heard that Saddam was convicted of his genocidal war crimes. The tears were not for vengeance, but shed in hopes that, in the words of one of the Iraqi soldiers, “my children will one day play on the streets of my hometown, play without fear, just as I did thirty years ago as a young boy.”

We have heard many voices openly questioning our resolve and our need to stay in Iraq. Our military families, with the numerous deployments to our war zones, have paid a high price for the service their family members render. With all the negative things we hear, it would be easy to lose hope not only for the future but to become jaded about what we have already done.

I have heard many times and have come to believe that the way we see the world is only a reflection of our own values. If we are constantly plotting on how to get ahead and scheming against others, then we will see the world as an untrustworthy, unhappy place. I asked some of our soldiers how they see the world around them, here, in Iraq. Do we see it through the eyes of those who have called our sacrifice in vain, or do we see it through the eyes of Joseph, a man who despite all the evil that had been done to him, despite the numerous reasons he had to doubt and disbelieve, still saw God’s hand and mercy working in and through the very people who had betrayed him?

Permit me to share with you a true story about another man who had every reason to seek vengeance and to grow weary and cynical about the world around him. As a boy of 7 years, his family was forced out of their home, and he went to work. When he was 9, his mother died. He lost his job as a store clerk when he was 20. He wanted to go to law school, but he didn't have the education. At age 23 he went into debt to be a partner in a small store. Three years later the business partner died, and the resulting debt took years to repay.

When he was 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him, and she turned him down. On his third try he was elected to Congress, at age 37, but then failed to be re-elected. His son died at 4 years of age. When this man was 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At age 47 he ran for the vice-presidency and lost. But at age 51 he was elected president of the United States.

The man was Abraham Lincoln, a man who learned to face discouragement and move beyond it. Did you know that it was Abraham Lincoln who, in the midst of the Civil War, in 1863, established the annual celebration of Thanksgiving? Lincoln had learned how important it is to stop and thank God in the midst of great difficulties.

What do we have to be thankful for on this day?

I will close with this thought. I asked our soldiers, I ask myself every day, do we look for God in this place? Well, I would like to turn this question around. How does God see us, this world, Ft. Hood, or Iraq?

Perhaps we can find the answer in the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. It begins the Christian season of Advent, meaning arrival. God saw the world and came as a child, a child without power, importance, or wealth. As a child He, too, would flee to Egypt with those in power already beginning to seek His life. God then, and now, did not and has not lost hope for this world, even though we at times might. He still sees those war-torn areas, where there is every reason to despair, and He still comes.

Because of faith, we still have reason to hope. Because of His promises, we do not have to despair. And even in this place, with towns like Balad, Ad Dujayl, Baghdad, and Mosul, we can still see that, while some might have given up hope for the future, He still is coming, working, seeking to sow peace.

Our prayers, thoughts, and dreams are with and go with you.

Gratia et Veritas,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright

DISPATCH 007--15 NOV 2006

Hello from Iraq,

The missions continue at PB Paliwoda, PB O’Ryan, FOB Brasfield-Mora, and LSA Anaconda. Your soldiers keep performing the everyday, common things that should make you proud of their service. As a certified news junkie, I have been keeping up with the results of last week’s elections and subsequent predictions about what the future military mission will look like in Iraq.

First, I think we should acknowledge something that is all too easy to take for granted: we live in a free country with a free press and a democratic system of government. Our elections, at all levels, with very little or no exceptions, are free of fraud and manipulation. Our political parties may argue, and candidates will oftentimes sling mud at each other, but for the most part our disagreements pale in comparison to how the rest of the world operates. It is not uncommon in other parts of the world, including here in Iraq, for political opponents to physically attack and sometimes kill one another. We are blessed to live in the only country, the only democracy in the entire history of the world, where the military has never staged a coup’d’etat or taken over the government. No matter who is in office, our military and her leaders will adhere to a foundational tenant of our Constitution--the military answers to the civilian leadership and not the other way around. We take these truths for granted because they operate in the background of many people’s lives, like they should. C. S. Lewis stated that the only reason government exists is to ensure that a man can sit beside his fireplace with a good book and not have to fear the lawlessness and chaos that comes with anarchy and war.

The second thing I would like to do is to send a belated Veterans' Day thank you to those family members, loved ones, and friends that give their veterans the support that we need to be able to focus on our mission. We often celebrate the man or woman in uniform, but he or she can only stand tall by resting on the foundation of the sacrifices that you have made for us. Our military families should all feel a sense of pride for the service that they have rendered to our republic. We could not keep ourselves together here without you being there, back there, for us.

Lastly, I want to share some eye-witness observations of what many in the media are labeling an all out civil war in Iraq between the Shia and the Sunni. We have both groups in our area of operations. While the two are both Muslim, the overly-simplified explanation of their differences is that the Shia believe that the true succession of leadership of the Islamic community (or umma) goes through Ali and then Hussein, both direct blood descendents of Muhammad. The Sunni believe that an elected caliph from Damascus was the rightful heir to this leadership position. Over the course of centuries, both factions have developed their own customs and traditions.

I have watched as our commander, LTC Dunlop, discussed some of the tensions with local city council members, and all these leaders emphatically shared how both groups have lived beside one another, have intermarried, and have worked together for centuries. I have spoken with my counterpart, a Shia chaplain in the Iraqi Army, and he has corroborated all that the leaders have said. LTC Dunlop has surmised that the conflict has its roots in outside influences and the struggle for economic and political power. Our challenge is to work with the Iraqi leadership from both communities to ensure that these outside terrorists do not cause feelings of distrust and vengeance. While things might be dire in other parts of the country, our soldiers have done a great job of deescalating the conflict between these groups while taking the battle to the enemy.

Our leadership is asking our soldiers to crush the enemy while constructing a nation. Many have said that this cannot be done or that it is asking too much of our young men and women in uniform. Here, on the ground, our guys and gals have been up to this complicated and demanding task. No matter what you might see or hear, there is still reason for hope and optimism about the future of those communities that we protect. Our soldiers’ actions also give me reason to believe that, by modeling their behavior and professionalism, the Iraqi forces we are training and working alongside of will be able to operate on their own.

We continue to ask you for your prayers, support, love, and loyalty. I would echo what I said in previous letters that I would encourage you to forward any questions about anything to me. I will try to answer them if I can or get you the answer. We miss and love you all very much.

Gratia et Veritas,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright

DIGIJOURNAL 004--13 NOV 2006 part 1

DATELINE: 13NOV06 FOB PALIWODA

Hello to everyone from FOB Paliwoda. I am sorry that I have not written in awhile. Much has happened the past week so this entry will be in two parts. Again, I thank you for your support, your prayers, and your packages. I will be posting the packages I receive on this website under the title “Wall of Blessings.”

I spent a good part of last week visiting our soldiers at FOB O’Ryan. When I say soldiers, I not only include those from my own battalion but all the attachments as well. It is fairly normal for small sections to get attached to a larger military unit in order to support a distinct mission. For example, we sometimes have Air Force EOD teams with us. These airmen go out and locate and diffuse explosive devices. We also have Civil Affairs teams that work with the local people to help them build up their infrastructure. As a chaplain, I am also responsible to all these add-ons as well.

It was good to see our folks at O’Ryan. They are doing a great job. For some of the attachments, it was the first time they had seen a chaplain in months. It is important that I visit for counter-intuitive reasons. The folks that like to see a chaplain do not necessarily go to my services or seek me out. What I represent to them is that their chain of command has not forgotten about them. I also hope to convey that, by extension, God has not forgotten about them either.

While I was at O’Ryan, I had an opportunity to go out on a patrol and to attend with the commander the local city council meeting. While on patrol I saw miles upon miles of vineyards. It is quite amazing how much agriculture Iraq can support. During the patrol we stopped at a cluster of homes to speak with the people. The usual gaggle of children came to talk to us. We passed out some food and candy, and this made them pretty happy. Well, on our new Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs), we have some pockets on the outside of our sleeves for carrying pens and pencils. One of the kids spied the pens and immediately began asking if they could have one. The soldier gave his pen out and pretty soon all the children had asked for pens or pencils. We handed all of ours out, and they were eager for us to write their names in English. Many of us wondered why the pens took precedence in importance over candy, food, and other stuff. I was reminded of what I saw in Ghana, Africa many years ago. In impoverished countries, education is a privilege and not a right. Children cannot attend school unless they bring their own supplies. Our area is very poor, so few kids can attend school. Our soldiers could hardly believe it, and I reminded them (hopefully in a non-preachy way) that this is the way that most of the world lives.

The next day we went to the city council meeting in Ad Dujayl. A third of the city was razed in 1982 because someone tried to assassinate Saddam there. He also killed over 150 people and 400 more “disappeared.” In fact, the crime for which Saddam was sentenced to death was the atrocity he committed in Dujayl. The city council received us with open arms, and the meeting reminded me of a church committee. Because it was the first time that the C Company Commander had attended, they prepared a lunch for us afterward. I will now describe the cultural ways a meal is served to guests.

First, Iraqis, and Arabs in general, are very hospitable. They are some of the most generous people in the world. They will go so far as to place themselves under some economic strain in order to, in their eyes, properly entertain someone. Ever since the Bedouin roamed the deserts, a man’s wealth was measured in his flocks, his wives, his children, and the way he entertained his guests. It is not by accident that one thing lacking on the list is material items. It is pretty normal for even the simplest meeting to be followed with a meal.

The Iraqis served the meal on big communal platters. You do not use your left hand or utensils (which, as a lefty, makes eating an adventure). On this day we had lamb, some fresh vegetables, bread, grapes, and the ever present orange Fanta. We essentially tore the bread open, placed the lamb and some veggies in the bread, and dove in. I love Middle Eastern food, and I was not disappointed. The food was great, and the grapes were huge.

One washes his hands after the meal. After everyone has refreshed themselves, it is then time for chai tea and to talk business. The leaders usually sit according to a fairly rigid social structure that I have not figured out. You will have government leaders, tribal leaders, police leaders, and military leaders all shifting around to be seated correctly. Whenever someone new comes in we stand up, greet them with “Salaam Aleikum (may peace be on you),” touch our right hands to our hearts, sit down, and then raise our right hand and say, “Allah Bel Kheer (God is good).” Remember, these are official meetings, so there is obviously no hiding of one’s faith even in governmental arenas. Tea is then served and we get down to business.

Chai tea deserves its own paragraph. I absolutely love it, and it was one of the few things I was looking forward to during my second trip to Iraq. I am still not sure how they make it, but they boil the tea for awhile while mixing in sugar (like true Southerners do with their ice tea). The tea then gets hyper saturated with sugar. After this, they pour the tea in large shot glasses, add more sugar, and then serve. The way they pour it is important. If they like the guest, it is typical for them to fill the glass entirely so a little spills over the edge. This is to signify the abundance of blessing upon the host and the guest. If they are neutral, no tea will be spilt. If you do not get served tea, I guess you are in trouble.

One of the reasons why the commander brought me to the meeting is that the normal, non-insurgent Iraqis have a tremendous amount of respect for a person of the Christian faith. As Americans, we are so accustomed to talk in religiously sterile language that it sometimes gives the Iraqis the idea that we do not believe in God. It is also important to say “Inshallah (God willing),” when you speak, so as to not give the impression that we do things by ourselves apart from God. There are times when “Inshallah” is used as a face-saving, cloaked “no,” but mostly it is genuine.

At the meeting we found out that over 400 families had sought refuge in the town. They had come because they knew it was safe. The city was trying to take care of them, but they still needed quite a bit of clothes, blankets, and stuff for winter. Many Iraqis have been displaced by the violence here, and they have left everything in order to move their families to safety.

After being well-fed and well-hosted, we returned back to O’Ryan. I felt pretty good about the day and prepared myself for our trip back to Paliwoda. I did not get any sleep that night, shivered with chills, and had a bad case of “Saddam’s (rather than Montezuma's) Revenge." Paul said I needed a blanket and my mommy. It turns out that I had food poisoning, and I was very sick (with a fever, headache, and all the fun that comes with intestinal ailments) for the next four days. I know exactly how I got the food poisoning, for I violated a cardinal rule of international travel. It is usually fine to eat the cooked stuff, but do not eat the washed stuff. After several days of saline IVs and a constellation of meds, I finally made it back to Paliwoda.

Tomorrow I will send Heather part II of this letter. Until then, please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Take care and God bless,
Warhorse Archangel

SERMON OUTLINE 002--12 NOV 2006

CHARACTERISTICS of a CHRISTIAN WARRIOR
Passion

FOB Paliwoda
12NOV06

I. Introduction

A. The Courage of Joshua; the Humility of Andrew; the Perseverance of Nehemiah

B. What is your vision of God?
In September of 2006, Sociologists from Baylor University released the results of a study looking into America's different views of God. Part of the study was a survey conducted by the Gallup organization, which identified four distinct views of God's personality and interaction with the world. Baylor researchers outlined the results as follows:

1. Those who believe in an "Authoritarian God" who is "angry at humanity's sins and engaged in every creature's life and world affairs": 31.4 percent.

2. Those who believe in a "Benevolent God" who is forgiving and accepting of
anyone who repents: 23 percent.

3. Those who believe in a "Critical God" who "has his judgmental eye on the
world, but he's not going to intervene, either to punish or comfort": 16
percent.

4. Those who believe in a "Distant God" who is more of a "cosmic force that
launched the world, then left it spinning on its own": 24.4 percent.


C. We must be careful of how we worship, because we will become what we worship

D. Which is the easiest God to love?

II. The Passion of David

A. We could do an entire sermon series on David. His first and primary quality was his love for God.

B. Characteristics of David: loyal, courageous, faithful, humble, perseverance, and the list goes on, BUT also: adulterer, liar, betrayer, murderer, poor father

C. How can we have David’s passion?

III. Passion Comes From the Heart

A. Why did God choose David?


7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7



B. Passion must be genuine. Can you really express love with words? How many times have you told a woman you loved her and you really did not?

C. Passion is an all consuming hungering for God

IV. Passion Must Be Nurtured

A. Illustration: the boy crawling into the crib with his brother asking about God

B. What do we tell our children when they ask about God? Why do children have an easier time believing?

C. We are justified, but are we being sanctified?

V. Passion Must Be Tested In Order to Grow

A. In whom did David trust?


31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 37 And Saul said to David, “Go,and the Lord be with you!” 38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put abronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:31-40



B. Saul and his armies put their faith in the armor of this world, which was unwieldy for David. David put his faith in the Lord. David did not fight for Saul or the Israelites; he fought for God.

C. Deployment is a test of that passion. It is very easy to fall away from the Lord in this environment.

D. Like a muscle, passion must be exercised if it is going to stay healthy

VI. Passion Must Be Maintained

A. Do you still date your wife? Should you still date your wife?

B. Example of how one man maintains his passion: Troy Polamalu

C. Are we in a state of constant prayer?

VII. Passion Must Be Expressed

A. David was not afraid to express his love for God:


1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals....16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house. 20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” 23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 16-23



B. Are you a camouflage Christian? I know I can be sometimes. Can people see your love for God, or do they have to dig for it?

C. Would you have danced before the Ark?

VIII. Can People See Christ In You?

A. What type of God do you worship?

B. With what vision do we look upon those around us? It is critical even here on the battlefield.

C. How do we look upon other soldiers?

D. Who do we pass by?


In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to ascend the 29,035-foot peak of Mount Everest. They were not the last. In the 1990s, Nepal lifted its once tight restrictions on climbing the legendary mountain in order to boost tourist dollars. As of 2006, more than 2,700 people have reached the summit of the world's tallest mountain, many paying over $60,000 for the experience. One result of this commercial influx has been the erosion of the traditional moral code of mountaineering. In the rush to the top, amateurs who have paid a fortune for the bragging rights will do anything it takes to get to the summit, including abandoning other climbers.


David Sharp became a casualty of this modern mentality in March of 2006. The 34-year-old engineer from Cleveland did manage to reach the summit on his own.
However, he ran out of oxygen on the way back down—984 feet from the top. As he
lay dying, 40 climbers passed him by, too eager to achieve their own goals to take a
chance on using up their oxygen on someone else. As a result, David Sharp froze to
death.


According to Ed Viestrus, who has scaled all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter peaks, Sharp's death is not unique. "Passing people who are dying is not uncommon.
Unfortunately, there are those who say: 'It's not my problem. I've spent all this money, and I'm going to the summit.'" This attitude has produced disgust in many climbers, including Sir Edmund Hillary. "On my expedition," he said, "there was no way you'd have left a man under a rock to die."



E. Do you shepherd your passion? Do you maintain it through trial and through boredom? Do you show it to others? How many people could have been freed from the slavery of this world have you passed my on your own climb to your personal summit?

DIGIJOURNAL 003--02 NOV 2006

DATELINE: 02NOV06 FOB O'RYAN

Hello from lovely FOB O'Ryan. Paul and I have been conducting the magical mystery FOB tour. We have soldiers scattered over four different FOBs, so CPL Paul “buy me a vowel” Crnkovich and I plan on being on the road quite a bit.

In order to keep a positive attitude, I am no longer calling this a deployment. I will now refer to my time in Iraq as an “Adventure Vacation.” Many folks going through a mid-life crisis pay good money to thwart death. The US Army is not only providing me this opportunity free of cost, but they are actually paying me. Paul thinks I am losing it. I am not sure that I ever had it.

I must at least provide a short rebuttal to the Honorable Senator Kerry. In the words of our Command Sergeant Major, he has “done lost his mind.” I guess the message I will tell my sons is that they must study hard and do well in school or else they will wind up in the Army like me. Paul put it this way, “If I only studied harder in school, I would not be fighting for other people's freedom.” Truth be told, those of us in the military do not take seriously what the liberal (or conservative) Brahmin say about us untouchables. We are too busy trying to defeat the bad guys and to keep ourselves and our buddies alive with all of their digits functional.


Paul is always good for a quote. The other day as we listened to the soft thumping of our mortars going outbound, I asked him the rhetorical question of what that sound was. I told him that it was democracy going downrange. He in turn said it was freedom ringing. Now he has all the battalion saying the words.

I am reluctantly having to admit to myself that there is beauty over here. Yesterday I watched a thunderstorm, complete with lightning, roll across the Tigris River valley. The birds here are magnificent, and the near tropical vegetation around the river gives the impression of Eden. When we went out on patrol two days ago, we saw acre after acre of lush grape fields. They have citrus orchards along the Tigris as well. Again, I believe that this country, if it ever got its act together, could be a beautiful and productive place.

Our soldiers are something else. You can always tell an American GI by his generosity. Out on patrol, our soldiers stopped to talk to the families living in a small village along one of the canals. As their leaders were conversing, our Joes started passing out food and candy to the kids. As we prepared to leave, an older boy brought out his infant sister to wave goodbye to us. One of our guys had an extra chocolate muffin, and he tossed it to the girl. Her big brown eyes melted about everyone. I am glad we do this--getting out to talk to people--for it prevents us from becoming overly cynical about this place.

Well, must sign off. We are going to walk around the FOB talking to guys. Please keep us in your prayers. We love you all.

Warhorse Archangel

DISPATCH 006--02 NOV 2006

Hello from Iraq,

I am writing to you from FOB O'Ryan where part of B and C Companies are located. CPL Crnkovich and I have been trying to get around to see our soldiers on all the different FOBs. Monday we went down to Logistical Support Area Anaconda (LSAA). While there we were able to visit with some of our soldiers in E, HHC, and F Companies. It is amazing to see how many of our soldiers are doing so many different things. I am very thankful that our battalion has made it through these first thirty days without a significant incident. I remind God of how thankful we are every morning and every night.

While we have been at O'Ryan, I have been reflecting on the meaning of a much overused word: Hero. In this modern age, I think we often confuse the word with celebrity, power, or wealth. It is also overused to describe what can often be every day, normal activities.

I think that I see what a true hero is by watching our soldiers doing their jobs and carrying out their responsibilities. It is no secret that we have already come into contact with several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). A few have detonated, but none have caused any significant injuries. What is amazing is how the very same soldiers who were hit earlier will gear up and go out on another patrol the very same day. I have gone out a couple of times with C Co. My trips have been blessedly boring, but even on these trips I deal with the fear that creeps in as we get ready to leave. I try to push it to the back of my mind, or it would interfere with my focus on the mission. Compared to many of our soldiers, I am rarely in danger. My admiration for them, my thoughts for them, and the honor I have for being even remotely associated with them reinforces the hidden treasures of being called to minister to our military. I do believe that, by doing those every day things, our soldiers are heroes.

Yesterday I was part of a group that met with the city council of a local Iraqi city. They received all of us with open arms. We also found it interesting that they received me with a positive attitude. Over here, their faith saturates everything they do. Before every meeting, we all ask for God's blessing. “Inshallah,” or “God willing,” is a favorite saying. I reminded the leaders at the meeting that both myself and many of our churches are praying for the Iraqi people. In worship on Sunday our soldiers pray for the Iraqi people. This always surprises them a little because many Iraqis believe Americans are atheistic materialists who live shallow lives. We should not be surprised since they are fed a steady diet of American Television over here. Their favorite shows are Jerry Springer and Baywatch. I shared with them that the vast majority of the American people want to do good things for the Iraqi people and want their nation to heal, especially since that would mean that we would get to come home.

Well, I must be off to visit some of our guys and gals. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Again, if you have any questions or want to pass on a message, please do not hesitate to write. We love you all.

Gratia et Veritas,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright