War: Deepened Faith, Appreciation for Life

By Stan Friedman

IRAQ (September 17, 2005) - Following is the final article in a six-part series taking an in-depth look at the ministry of Evangelical Covenant Church chaplains in war-torn Iraq and the people they are called to serve. In this installment, chaplains reflect on the impact of war on their faith.

Covenant chaplains say their faith and appreciation for life has deepened from the time they first landed in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan to the time they returned home.

"It has stretched me and shown me that with God's help, I can do more than I thought I could," says U.S. Army Major Judith Hamrick, who served in Afghanistan (top photo shows Hamrick in a Blackhawk helicopter). "It has deepened my trust in God's ability to sustain."

"More so now then ever, carving out a time of quiet and solitude, to the point of locking my office door first thing in the morning, has become a matter of spiritual survival," says Navy Lieutenant John Anderson. "The wars that are being waged for the minds and souls of these men demands nothing less than absolute obedience to Christ and a desire to be more like him in all I think, do, and say."

Captain Mark Nakazono says, "I am more emotional. It's funny, but I shed a few tears during movies now and then."

The chaplains say they have been blessed to serve overseas despite the dangers to people, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. Not all have survived so well, says Major Noel Cisneros (lower photo). He had a close friend who was a chaplain in Kuwait before joining troops in Iraq. "When he came back, he was totally different. The thing that struck me about him coming back was that before he went up there, he was an easygoing fellow, fun loving. When he came back, I saw a total change in his face. There was no longer that smile in his face. He had been through hell."

Cisneros says it took a while for him to get used to being in Kuwait, especially as the war dragged on. "My initial reaction when we hit ground in Kuwait was that 'this wasn't happening.' It was surreal. I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't all in some kind of denial," he explains. "Most of us thought we wouldn't be there very long, that we'd be there a couple months and then go back home. But it didn't turn out that way."

While they were growing in their faith, the chaplains worked hard to ensure that the troops were as well. Chaplains tried to make sure that those under their care received exposure to living the gospel in many ways. Hamrick shares what one week of activities was like at her base:

Sunday - Inspirational movie night including Passion of the Christ

Monday - Radio Theater such as Focus on the Family's dramatization of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Tuesday - Women's Bible study, such as a video series on the Song of Solomon.

Wednesday - Men's Bible study, including James Dobson's Bringing Up Boys.

Thursday - General Bible study. One four-week study focused on comparative religions using material from Ravi Zacharias

Friday: Catholic Bible study.

A noontime daily Mass also was offered except when the priest traveled to provide services at a remote location, which Hamrick also would do every other week. Troops constructed a chapel at the base to replace the well-worn tent that was being used, Hamrick says. "The new one was built by soldiers who put a lot of heart and care into it. Civilian contractors - and even local employees - had a hand in some of the finishing touches. A local man even carved the Good Shepherd on the front of the Tabernacle installed for the Catholic community."

Anderson says many troops appreciated having someone help them along on their spiritual journey. "Never once have I been turned down when I ask if any want to pray with me before a mission," he says. "The men are always open to discussing and studying the scriptures with me. Many of them desire to grow in their faith and want to come home better sons, husbands, and fathers."

(Editor's note: this online series of articles complements other exclusive material presented in the September issue of The Covenant Companion. To order just the special September issue, call Eric Gonzalez at 773-907-3311. To order a subscription to the magazine, either call Gonzalez or order online at Companion. To receive a free daily Covenant news headline service by email, please visit Newswire.

To read earlier accounts in this six-part series, please see:

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