Final Out!

Well, after 18 months on station at FT Jackson the mission of the 2-485th Unit Ministry team has come to an end. We have seen almost 5000 new soldiers some through here. There have been 30 full 9 week training cycles. In that time we have had about 75 Sunday services. 75 times soldiers gathered together to worship God. 75 times they sang songs together prayed together. We've seen God do some amazing things. We saw one young man literally brought back to life on the floor of his barracks after a cardiac arrest. We have heard countless tales of God healing family members and soldiers. We've seen young soldiers push through difficulty and overcome. We've also seen over 400 of these embrace for the first time in their lives the salvation of Jesus Christ. Many had never been in a church at all. Some were atheists that found the light of Christ brought a freedom that they never dreamed possible. One young soldier last summer came to me after coming to grips with his own mortality on the grenade range of all places. He pleaded with me to give him some hope for beyond this life. He too embraced the life of Christ, the grace and mercy that we all so desperately need.

We've also made some really good friends that we'll never forget. Friendships forged in the Army are hard to beat. The fellowship of warriors is a bond that I wish all could know. It cannot be contrived or made up or bought, it must be experienced and lived and it only comes through difficulty, shared difficulty. 18 months ago I was on a plane headed for a mission to Afghanistan. I had no idea it would end up like this. God's ways are indeed not my ways and His plan is perfect for me and you. Over the next two months I'll taking some time off, going hunting with my boy, eating too much turkey, riding my motorcycle, fly fishing, and getting some sanity back to my household. In January I'll take over as the Chaplain at 1-61 INF and look forward to supporting them for few months before I go home. Thanks to everyone in 2-485th, its been a pleasure and an honor to serve as your Chaplain. Blessings to you as you move on!