In my more quiet surroundings in the north, there are just as many Germans as Americans and the familiar Australian faces are replaced by soldiers from a bevy of Scandinavian and Balkan countries.
The change of faces is accompanied by a modest (and pleasant) change in temperature and a small community that lends itself to more collegial relationships (the Canada house hosts a good many cigar functions).
I am up here to visit several of my soldiers, lead a chapel service, and give the invocation for a joint American-Canadian Memorial Day ceremony. In the run to this trip, life was incredibly hectic due to a variety of tasks and the omnipresent challenge that was the Ragnar. But the strenuous lifestyle dissipated into relative leisure.
After sleeping on every available surface yesterday, I arrive somewhat refreshed to visit with my soldiers. It was a happy reunion, followed by a brief refresher tour and dinner at a former DFAC-turned-pizza place. My salt deprived body enjoyed most of a very salty pizza, but my smaller waistline couldn't polish the ol' gal off.
While my soldiers worked, I enjoyed a game of pool with my chaplain assistant and teaching him ping pong through several fun rounds. I also enjoyed good conversations with soldiers throughout the post. In the late afternoon, we rehearsed our ceremony, and soon afterward, I led an informal chapel service. The presence of Protestant chaplains here is quite rare, so the soldiers who came were glad to see me.
One attendee is a gal in her early-twenties with a fascinating history. She has both Native American blood and roots from the slave-holding South (she is black). Her family was part of the slave migration to the African country of Liberia long ago. When the gal was six, her family escaped the rampant strife of Liberia by returning to the States.
When this gal was 19, someone sent her a You Tube video of a message by a pastor. This small act and modest tool became the practical instrument of her salvation. God took a hold of her life and she began to drink deeply of God's Word, His Spirit illuminating it for her for the first time. By God's grace, she was also equipped with discernment to withstand those falsehoods of those who believe you need to speak in tongues in order to be saved, and she came to cling more closely to the Gospel of grace.
Following links attached to this pastor's video, she began watching/listening to sermons by John MacArthur. From there, she stumbled upon John Piper and a number of others in the resurgent Reformed movement speaking across evangelical Christianity. She has developed a great love for the dear women oppressed and exploited by the modern sex slave trade. She asked me about a good biblical counseling program. I told her about Westminster Philly. She had already stumbled upon them online as well and has read some stuff by Paul Tripp.
She will soon be leaving the Army to pursue an undergrad degree in psychology, followed by a Masters in biblical counseling. I plan to remain in contact with her, and knowing the extent of God's grace, expect to see her counseling "the least of these" in the days to come--bringing not only the hope and joy of freedom from the bonds of slavery, but life, and life to the full through the freedom from sin's guilt granted by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And in God's providence, it all started with someone sharing a You Tube clip...
