Mike's News
Vehicle Borne Bomb causes soldiers to ask about Jesus
I have duty all day at the chapel today. I need to see a couple of soldiers already. One shot and killed a terrorist yesterday and he is having a hard time dealing with seeing a man die. I can’t say I blame him. Last night, at our Band of Brothers meeting, one of the guys who leads a bible study at one of our remote FOB’s (forward operating bases) shared a story about the last trip they took to their FOB. On the way, at an intersection where we have a lot of problems, a vehicle borne bomb exploded right next to his vehicle. Before every mission, he prays with the team going out and has been a bit frustrated about not seeing more desire to learn about Jesus from the soldiers. The VBIED (vehicle borne bomb) was blowned to dust; the largest piece of the car was about 10 inches; the rest of the car was nothing but dust. When these bombs go off it sends junk about 300 yards into the sky and about 300 yards in a circle around the explosion. The only injury was to one soldier who received a minor scratch in the back of the neck. The entire team stopped and praised God for protecting them. They then turned to this young man and said they want to know more about Jesus. Obviously, he was rejoicing that he has more of an open door to share about Jesus with all of them. When I come home, I can show you a short video clip of what it looks like when one of these bombs goes off . Our BCT has not experienced any serious injury or death for over 6 weeks in a row now. Please continue to pray for God's protecting hand.
Mike
- I copeyed this off of another good military blog about an Army Chaplain in Iraq... a lot is sad, but I find it important that we know (from a soldier's point of view) what is actually going on out there. Read about some of God's hard lessons about war; and the great victory He brings to Iraq! Go here.
Jennifer
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3 comments:
I came across your blog by accident, and I'm glad because its a gift to be given an insight into someone's mind when they live half way across the world.
What I don't get though is why you and other Americans are so patriotic. Few people in the world are as patriotic as you guys. I'm a little sceptical about such views though, because I believe in human love first and foremost, and I think that when we elevate our love of a certain kind of people, 'our kind of people', we run the risk of developing negative feelings towards 'other kinds of people'. Why is America any better than other places? You guys are the biggest polluters on the planet. Millions of your people can't access basic health care. Just like everywhere else America is a place of contradictions. You take the good with the bad (I am aware of the good - so many interesting ideas come out of America), but you're not any better than anyone else.
I am always surprised when I meet Americans by how little they tend to know about the rest of the world, and how little they tend to know about what America has done in the rest of the world. Like Vietnam for example - heard of My Lai? And you guys should know better, having cast off your colonial oppressors to form your country. Now your government does the same thing. If you start to understand this maybe you'll start to understand why there is so much anti-American sentiment everywhere. Not that I advocate any kind of violence or hate towards Americans, I think just like the rest of us your government does abhorent things that the people have no say over. But just try to empathise and understand other people and stop colonising the rest of the world with your wars and your all-controlling companies and we all might just get on a bit better. Anyway, good luck with your life, I hope you enjoy great happiness.
I'm Jennifer's mom and find your comments interesting aussie girl. I find your thoughts on patriotism disconcerting though. Everyone who lives in a free country without a lifestyle of torture and abuse should love their country, stand up for it and be willing to fight for it. If someone takes away your personal property you would do all you could to get it back and have justice done to the thief, right? Isn't that a basic tenet of living in a civilized culture? It's just in a much bigger way that our country belongs to us and we love it, work for it's good and fight for it (verbally or physically). Don't you love your country??
We always love those we know and are close to more than those who are strangers to us, but that doesn't mean we hate the strangers. My goodness, what a bizarre conclusion to make. I simply don't love them as much because I am distant from them. Loving one's own country certainly does not result in hating other countries. I think Americans that have heard direct and personal news of the Iraqi people have come to love them because our country is personally involved with theirs. Our soldiers are putting their lives on the line to give them freedom and justice. Our soldiers weep when they see their children killed by bombs meant for them. And we weep with them. We agonize that the terrorists would wait for the children to run out and greet the soldiers and then set off the bomb. We hate wickedness, but we bond with those around the world who embrace justice and freedom with us.
The elites of our country, which includes the mainstream media, are in the blame America first crowd, so you will hear things from the media which are negative and false. You can't trust what you hear from them. For example, the issue of health care is absolutely not true. Everyone here can access health care. Absolutely everyone. NO ONE GOES WITHOUT. We live in a small town and if someone has lots of bills that they can't handle, then the community has a benefit meal for them and the town shows up to support the one in need.
I don't know if America is better than other countries, I just know that it's mine, so I love it. I have travelled in 6 other countries and lived in a 7th for 6 years. I loved the differences that I experienced in those countries and I loved the people that I met, but they still weren't mine. I love the Austrailians I made friends with while being in Asia too. Being patriotic doesn't mean I put a wall around myself, on the contrary, if I have learned to love and accept differences I reach out to and embrace those of other countries. We meet many internationals here in America too and have them into our home, enjoying hearing about their homes, families and way of life.
I agree with you that our public schools are doing a great disservice by not teaching about the rest of the world, or not teaching it in a way that is relevant enough for young people to remember it and understand what is happening in current events. That is one reason we are home schooling and my daughters have taken a great interest in what is happening around the world and trying to learn all they can. Not all Americans are the same!
Because of the sin nature of man, there will always be bad mixed in with the good. We know our soldiers and government have mishandled events and happenings at times, but compare our soldiers taking over Europe to the German and Russian soldiers. The Germans and Russians raped, killed and pillaged every country they took control over, EVEN THEIR OWN, but when the American soldiers came, the people came out to rejoice and celebrate their arrival. Why? Because they meant freedom from the death and injustice that they'd been living in and because they had no fear of abuse from them. This is only because of the Christian heritage of our nation that has taught us it's wrong to abuse others who are weaker than us, but we are to protect them instead. It doesn't mean everyone in the country is Christian by any means at all, but we benefit from its teaching in the past. Yes, our soldiers abuse, but it's not the common thing but the exception, thankfully.
Give me some evidence of how we are colonizing. We gave Japan and Germany freedom after we conquered them. Our only goal was that they stop killing our people and to stop them we had to kill them and take control. After negotiations and diplomacy didn't work that was the only option left. We are in the same boat today with the terrorists vowing to kill and destroy us and we've learned that they mean it and won't stop until either they do it or we conquer them. But in the process of fighting them we are giving freedom to the common people who have no intention to conquer us and who wish the terrorists would leave them alone too. Watch freedom spread throughout the Middle East over the next years. It is exciting to behold, as they haven't had freedom for.... how long? Too long to remember!
"For example, the issue of health care is absolutely not true. Everyone here can access health care. Absolutely everyone. NO ONE GOES WITHOUT"
This is an outright falsity. I'm glad in your small town that you have access and support from others. But for many people all across this nation, in various cities of all sizes - access and expense of healthcare and prescription drugs is limited for many who do not have health insurance through their jobs...and cannot afford to pay for health insurance on their own. Here's a fact sheet - put together by a "bipartisan" non-governmental orangization.
http://www.kff.org/uninsured/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=49531
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