Continual noise, constant activity, and no personal space; these are three of the things that quickly wear on a Soldier when deployed.  After seven months in Afghanistan, and looking at another six months before I could head home, I was definitely ready for a break.

The break came when I found out that a group of Soldiers & Airmen had been stationed on a small base for several months and no chaplain had been able to visit them.  The base was located in a relatively peaceful and beautiful part of the country, so it did not take me long to give the answer “yes” when asked if I wanted to do “ministry of presence” there.

The Soldiers & Airmen were generally glad to see me.  One of the Army officers stated that he had wanted to start a Bible study at the base but did not know what curriculum to use.  Another seasoned Soldier told me that this was his second deployment and he was getting close to retirement.  His first wife had left him several years earlier.   A third Soldier showed me his new guitar that he was busy learning how to play.  These are the stories that I regularly hear as an Army Chaplain.