Friday, August 24, 2007
Halfway home...
In answer to the question when will I be home, I am typing this from a hotel in Paducah KY. That means I am halfway home. See y'all in church on Sunday.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
More Pics
Me leading daily worship for the protestant chaplains. Not the way the head, arms and guitar seem to float magically in the air (since I am wearing camouflage and you can't see me).
Another picture of daily worship. Look at those floating heads.
Another classroom shot for you all. Hopefully I can get some pictures from silver flag up soon. Those are much more fun.
Back from the field
I survived the 5 day field exercise labeled Silver Flag. It was HOT!!!! They sent us out to the field in Tyndle AFB. Our"Hooch" was not air conditioned. It averaged around 100+ degrees every day we were out there. Talk about got. I have lots of stories to tell but the stories will make more sense once I have the pictures a guy was taking. Instead, this post will be about 2 things.
Story #1 (From Silver Flag). One of the scenarios we ran, a guy wanted to talk to a chaplain, so he talked to a friend of mine, but he went "nuts" and shot the chaplain outside and then came it. So, I was in the back of the tent and didn't know the first part. I saw this guy with a gun come to the front of the tent and tell the guard, "GET DOWN!" and I saw the gun. So I yelled "GUN!" and jumped out the back of the tent. I ran to the next tent and asked the engineers if they had any guns. They said no. So I said, "CRAP!" and kept running. I went around the front and and found another few CE guys. I told them, "Hey, there is a bunch of chaplains gettin' shot up in that tent. Can you help me?" (They know its just an exercise.) One of them looked at me and said, "Well, we could give them last rights for you." I replied something to the effect of, "You're no help." Then I was about to try to sneak up on the guy from behind when the exercise ended. What I found out later was that he went in the tent and said, "Who is a chaplain?" One guy raised his hand and got shot. Then, he said again, "Who is a chaplain?" and ANOTHER GUY RAISED HIS HAND!!! One of the instructors said, "When this happens, you yell gun and get down." And I said, "I did yell gun and then I ran." One of the students said, "No you didn't." And the guy with the gun (who later said that I was the one he really wanted to shoot since he knew I was a karate instructor) said, "I heard him say it." The guy who was sitting next to me, said, "I was like, what? A gun? Where? Oh there? That could be a problem. but then it was too late to leave." Shesh! The instructors said they will be telling that story for years.
Story #2. I got promoted to 3rd degree. Pictures to follow. Yeah God!
Story #1 (From Silver Flag). One of the scenarios we ran, a guy wanted to talk to a chaplain, so he talked to a friend of mine, but he went "nuts" and shot the chaplain outside and then came it. So, I was in the back of the tent and didn't know the first part. I saw this guy with a gun come to the front of the tent and tell the guard, "GET DOWN!" and I saw the gun. So I yelled "GUN!" and jumped out the back of the tent. I ran to the next tent and asked the engineers if they had any guns. They said no. So I said, "CRAP!" and kept running. I went around the front and and found another few CE guys. I told them, "Hey, there is a bunch of chaplains gettin' shot up in that tent. Can you help me?" (They know its just an exercise.) One of them looked at me and said, "Well, we could give them last rights for you." I replied something to the effect of, "You're no help." Then I was about to try to sneak up on the guy from behind when the exercise ended. What I found out later was that he went in the tent and said, "Who is a chaplain?" One guy raised his hand and got shot. Then, he said again, "Who is a chaplain?" and ANOTHER GUY RAISED HIS HAND!!! One of the instructors said, "When this happens, you yell gun and get down." And I said, "I did yell gun and then I ran." One of the students said, "No you didn't." And the guy with the gun (who later said that I was the one he really wanted to shoot since he knew I was a karate instructor) said, "I heard him say it." The guy who was sitting next to me, said, "I was like, what? A gun? Where? Oh there? That could be a problem. but then it was too late to leave." Shesh! The instructors said they will be telling that story for years.
Story #2. I got promoted to 3rd degree. Pictures to follow. Yeah God!
Friday, August 3, 2007
1/2 way home...
Today is a fairly big day. As of right now there is more time behind me than in front of me (here that is...not in my life). Today marked the half-way point of my time here. Can you believe it has been 3 weeks! I don't know what it's like back home but time is FLYING here.
So, what should I talk about today? The last few days have been really hard here. After the counseling, pre-marital counseling, marriage enrichment counseling (all of which were really fun and really helpful) we moved into 2 days of suicide counseling and today was domestic violence. Monday is sexual assault. I know that this training is good but it was really hard today. They played a tape of a 6 year old girl calling 911 because her dad was basically killing her mom. You couldn't miss the terror in her voice. They also showed us a few pictures. Not pretty.
The part that really infuriated me was the way the pastors in these stories responded. They kept telling these women to go home because "God hates divorce." even after their husbands had beat them and pointed loaded guns at them and told the women they were going to kill them. I thought, surely this is outdated, but then one of the teachers here was talking about doing a workshop with civilian clergy on domestic violence and HALF the pastors in the room said that the woman probably did something to deserve it! I just got sick to my stomach. Also, the way the abusers were using Scripture to justify their beating up their wives was just twisted. I'm not saying I support divorce in cases of abuse...I am just saying that common sense and human decency says "Get her out of that house!" Needless to say, after these last 3 days I am emotionally spent. I really don't feel like I have much left to give. Thank God that today was Friday and I get 2 days away from class (although I do have to write a paper this weekend). What is going on Monday you ask? Sexual assault! That will mark then end of our counseling training.
I will say this, as hard as the last few days have been I am REALLY glad that I got this training. I feel SO much more prepared to deal with these counseling situations than I did a few weeks ago. God forbid that I should ever have to use it, but if I have to, I will be much more able to help people than I otherwise would have been. I don't know how hard it has been on the church to have me gone, but I can tell you, you are getting back a much better youth pastor than you loaned out...there's a whole new picture for "return it in the same shape you borrowed it."
So...things you can pray about. I turned in a project today, I have a paper to write this weekend and an take home (a take hotel test just sounds weird) test for Monday night. In all seriousness, there are days that are better and there are days that are worse and the only thing I can figure is that the better days must be when people are praying for me. We're half-way home. Can't wait to see you all again. Wendy and I (and Grace) really miss everyone...well I guess not everyone. There is that one person...you know who you are. 8-)
So, what should I talk about today? The last few days have been really hard here. After the counseling, pre-marital counseling, marriage enrichment counseling (all of which were really fun and really helpful) we moved into 2 days of suicide counseling and today was domestic violence. Monday is sexual assault. I know that this training is good but it was really hard today. They played a tape of a 6 year old girl calling 911 because her dad was basically killing her mom. You couldn't miss the terror in her voice. They also showed us a few pictures. Not pretty.
The part that really infuriated me was the way the pastors in these stories responded. They kept telling these women to go home because "God hates divorce." even after their husbands had beat them and pointed loaded guns at them and told the women they were going to kill them. I thought, surely this is outdated, but then one of the teachers here was talking about doing a workshop with civilian clergy on domestic violence and HALF the pastors in the room said that the woman probably did something to deserve it! I just got sick to my stomach. Also, the way the abusers were using Scripture to justify their beating up their wives was just twisted. I'm not saying I support divorce in cases of abuse...I am just saying that common sense and human decency says "Get her out of that house!" Needless to say, after these last 3 days I am emotionally spent. I really don't feel like I have much left to give. Thank God that today was Friday and I get 2 days away from class (although I do have to write a paper this weekend). What is going on Monday you ask? Sexual assault! That will mark then end of our counseling training.
I will say this, as hard as the last few days have been I am REALLY glad that I got this training. I feel SO much more prepared to deal with these counseling situations than I did a few weeks ago. God forbid that I should ever have to use it, but if I have to, I will be much more able to help people than I otherwise would have been. I don't know how hard it has been on the church to have me gone, but I can tell you, you are getting back a much better youth pastor than you loaned out...there's a whole new picture for "return it in the same shape you borrowed it."
So...things you can pray about. I turned in a project today, I have a paper to write this weekend and an take home (a take hotel test just sounds weird) test for Monday night. In all seriousness, there are days that are better and there are days that are worse and the only thing I can figure is that the better days must be when people are praying for me. We're half-way home. Can't wait to see you all again. Wendy and I (and Grace) really miss everyone...well I guess not everyone. There is that one person...you know who you are. 8-)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Some Pictures
Early morning PT sucks! Thats me in front row 3rd from the last...if you look close you can see my shoes!
Early morning breakfast. That's me on the left. Is that coffee in my hand?! When did that start?
Why do they always put us good looking guys in the front row. This is my classroom and the people I sit with. The mirrors in the back are 2 way so that we don't know when people are watching us. Also, the TV in the back is not for us. There is a big projector screen up front. The TV is in back so the speakers don't have to turn around.
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