Chaplain Cisneros Reflects on Ministry to Troops in Iraq

CHICAGO, IL (May 25, 2004) - Covenant pastor Noel Cisneros of The People's Covenant Church in San Juan, Texas, is back in his home pulpit again.

An Army Reserve chaplain, Cisneros was called up for active duty February 3 last year, spending extended periods at Camp Doha near Kuwait City in Kuwait and at Camp New York, a desert camp that handled general troop movement in and out of Iraq and Kuwait. His last stop in the Middle East was in Camp Udairi, which hosted as many as 14,000 people at one time as troops rotated in and out, replacing those who had finished their tours of duty in Iraq.

Following a brief period in the U.S. last February, Cisneros finished his assignment at Fort Hood, Texas, in early April and was home for Easter Sunday worship services at the church he pastors.

Cisneros expressed thanks for the support of his family, his congregation, his larger Covenant family, Midsouth Conference Supt. Garth Bolinder (who provided regular email/phone communications) and the interim pastors at his church, Kay and Jack Beaulac. He was especially appreciative of those who cared for and supported his wife, Debbie, during his time away. And he was grateful for the way his congregation cared for each other during his 14-month absence.

He took time to visit family in Chicago (sons Christian, Peter and Matthew reside in the city) before fully re-engaging in his ministry and during a May 4 breakfast interview discussed how his life and spirituality have changed during the past year.

Q: What was it like to finally return home?

Cisneros: I was real thankful for that, it was great. They (family and parishioners) weren't quite sure I would be home in time for Easter. I mentioned in my weekly letter that there was the possibility I'd be home for Easter and that we were praying I'd be home for good. I was relieved. It's great being back home, especially being gone that long. You just want to get off the plane and kiss the ground. One of our stops was in Bangor, Maine - we refueled there - and there was a celebration by the VFW people there. They greeted us at the end of the terminal and handed us phone cards and it was nice to be able to go to the gift shop and make phone calls. There were thousands of troops that had already gone through there and they did that for everyone. That was something special to have that kind of reception.

Q: How is your wife doing?

Cisneros: It's been fun just to see her. Debbie is working full-time, so I've been doing my own thing during the day, but it's nice to see her during lunch hour and pick her up at the end of the day. We didn't do that before - some things you take for granted - but when something like this happens, you realize life is short. You realize you want to want to live life to the fullest. I think she was ready to turn over some of the responsibilities - maintenance of vehicles, repairs of the house - and I can be running around doing some of the errands that need to be done. I think she's appreciated that and I don't mind that because I'm the type that doesn't like to just sit around. I officially started (full-time) in the middle of April, attending our Midsouth Conference annual meeting in Carrollton, Texas. That next Sunday (April 25) I was back in the pulpit, preaching on John 21.

Q: What are some of the most poignant insights you've gained during your time in the Middle East?

Cisneros: Shortly before I came home for rest and relaxation in February, I was sitting with soldiers. A lot of them were 18 or 19 and those who are going up north (to Iraq), not knowing whether they would make it back alive. I had wondered what I was doing here. I wondered if this was meaningful (being a chaplain) and it dawned on me that being able to minister to them was important. I had learned about the shortness of life . . . and the point came home even more in March when I did a memorial service for a young Marine who was killed in Iraq. I was already turning over the reigns to a young chaplain when a Marine came to request services for a memorial service. He had not been there more than 10 days when he was killed. What made it more sad and discouraging was, not only his age, but also the fact that he was engaged to be married. He was 23 and one of my sons back in Chicago is 23 years old. It could've been my son. The Marines really thanked me for doing the service and I realized that while my ministry came to an end, the Lord needed me in ministry at that moment and time and it was significant. I was wondering if I should be back home because my congregational family needed me. But the Lord showed me that there was ministry there. And the Lord helped me do ministry when I felt powerless.

Q: Whether or not you're into politics, there are bound to be people that will ask you whether it's right for the United States to be so actively involved in the affairs of Iraq. How do you respond to them?

Cisneros: Is it a good thing to be there? Given the fact that I've been there and have seen the situation and heard from people there, I believe what we did initially to remove Saddam (Hussein) and his dictatorship was right and the people in Iraq have appreciated that. But we (the U.S.) need to help them help themselves and we need to help them to support themselves. I don't get into the political side of this, being a chaplain. I was there as a chaplain ministering to the soldiers. I didn't get into asking them whether what they're doing is right or wrong. As a soldier, you obey orders. That's what these soldiers have done. They feel they are doing the right thing and they're sacrificing themselves for it. It's hard for me to hear people flippantly say whether the soldiers should be there. I see it from the standpoint of the mothers and fathers who've lost their sons and daughters. I am proud that I was able to do what I was called to do as a chaplain and have been able to serve our nation. While some may see us as some big satanic person, there is no other nation who would do what we've done to provide humanitarian aid.

Q: You have a unique perspective on the military. You served after you graduated from high school three decades ago. How do you feel that Americans have responded to the soldiers in Iraq as opposed to during Vietnam, when you were a teen?

Cisneros: I graduated in 1973 from Edcouch-Elsa High School in Texas and I volunteered (for the military) and I had my number to be drafted to Vietnam. I never went to Vietnam, but we volunteered for three years of active duty. When we got to Corpus Christi in April, we went to a hotel reception and a general and dignitaries were there to greet us. A Korean and Vietnam veteran came to me and said, "We didn't get this kind of reception when we came home from Vietnam." They were spat upon and they were booed, they said . . . until you've been there and walked in those shoes, whatever they me be, you shouldn't have any business expressing your views. But that's what is so good about our country, our freedom of expression. And that's what people are fighting for.

Q: Were there specific Bible passages or Bible characters/stories that have been especially encouraging to you during your time in the Middle East?

Cisneros: The scriptures that really fortified me were from Psalm 91 and 121. I prayed those daily, Philippians 4:6-7 and 13, and I Peter 5:7 ("Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you"). For me, they weren't just words written on a page - those became real and authentic for me. Bible characters? The story of Joshua was encouraging, especially where he is told, "Do not be dismayed or discouraged for I am with you wherever you go." He was also a soldier and a chaplain (in his situation).

Q: Any final thoughts?

Cisneros: When I joined the Reserves, the Lord called me to that. There was the realization that I might be called up to serve, which happened. But even if I had not made it back, for whatever reason, the Lord was still with me, for the words of Psalm 23 told me that. It's got nothing to do with bravado. It's a confidence that if we believe in the word, we have to be confident in it. A pastoral friend I know was diagnosed with cancer and I remember his words as he was walking through that valley. He said, "We tell our congregation these words, but now it's hitting home. Here I am walking through it." I know now that I can talk about my faith all I want, but if I can't believe in it, my preaching is futile.

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