Covenant News
War: Emails to Wife Reflect Daily Struggles
By Stan FriedmanIRAQ (September 14, 2005) - Following is the third 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. This story is based on emails that U.S. Army Chaplain Major Mike Gillett sent to his wife that paint a picture of daily life in which the chaplain might endure long lines to call home, lead a Bible study, or meet with a soldier who has killed another man for the first time. The emails have been edited for content and are used with permission.
February 18, 2005
I've been waiting to use the phone, but the line is long . . . I don't think I'll be able to get on before you have to leave.
I've been spending a lot of time with the other chaplains and assistants, being their chaplain. I do the best that I can. I do like being the acting brigade chaplain, other than all the meetings. It wouldn't be so bad if they started around 0900 rather than 0700. I have to be at least 15 minutes early and walk about a mile to get to the meeting. The walking is good because it is a part of my exercise and personal care plan.
February 24, 2005
About the soldier that was killed last week, his father is an Assembly of God pastor and this soldier was a very strong Christian, sharing his faith with everyone. He was very active in the chapel ministry.
March 5, 2005
I have duty all day at the chapel today. I need to see a couple of soldiers already. One shot and killed a terrorist yesterday and he is having a hard time dealing with seeing a man die.
Last night, at our Band of Brothers meeting, one of the guys who leads a Bible study at one of our remote FOB's (Forward Operating Base) shared a story about the last trip they took to their FOB. On the way, at an intersection where we have a lot of problems, a vehicle-borne bomb exploded right next to his vehicle. Before every mission he prays with the team going out and has been a bit frustrated about the soldiers' lack of desire to learn about Jesus.
The vehicle . . . was blown to dust. The largest piece of the car was about 10 inches, but the rest of the car was nothing but dust. When these bombs go off, they send junk about 300 yards into the sky and about 300 yards in a circle around the explosion. The only injury was one soldier who received a minor scratch in the back of the neck. The entire team stopped and praised God for protecting them. They then turned to this young man and said they want to know more about Jesus.
Obviously, he was rejoicing that he has an open door to share about Jesus with all of them now. We have not experienced any serious injury or death for over six weeks in a row now. Please continue to pray for God's protecting hand.
May 22, 2005
I had a really sad day yesterday and today. One of my soldiers was hit through the neck by an AK-47 round. It went through his neck and out the middle of his back. I have worked with this young man on several occasions, helping him deal with issues back home. He is an excellent soldier and a very fine young man hoping to start his family when he gets home. I've wanted to cry all day.
May 24, 2005
Hi Honey. Sorry I haven't been able to communicate for awhile. Lots of stuff going on. The young man (from A Sad Day) has three broken vertebrae. He has not had the surgery to fix them yet. His spinal cord was severed and he will not be able to walk again. He does have feeling in his hands and is doing well otherwise. The same unit (crew) was hit again yesterday. They are a mess. I will be working most of the day with them.
July 19, 2005
I met with some of the locals (Imams) yesterday and they want to bring more of their associates to meet with me again next week (accompanying photo shows Gillett, center, with the Imams). They want to start meeting every week. I hope I can help turn the tide of the violence we experience. These are very influential people in areas that we clearly need to get some help. My command is very excited about this new development. Pray that I have clarity and wisdom as I work with these guys.
August 29, 2005
We just have meetings and awards ceremonies going on. The chaplains that will be replacing me are starting to do the shadow thing, following around trying to learn what to do. The unit replacing us came in very cocky, but they have already begun to have their eyes opened and are now beginning to try to learn and realize that they are trying to drink from a fire hose. It seems that it takes people a little while to learn how much they don't know before they can begin to learn the basics in order to stay alive.
It really has been concerning me that they weren't listening and they were going to get people killed because they were too cocky. I'm praying like crazy right now for our soldiers and the ones replacing us for their personal safety. The transition times are extremely dangerous because people allow themselves to be exposed. For some of my units, last night was their last mission outside the wire and that is very good. They might be asked to go on other missions to help the people transitioning in, so it's not over until it's over.
September 5, 2005
Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I will be in transition back to the States. I look forward to being in church again with the music and friends. It's funny how many things we take for granted. Being in the States is like being a kid in the candy store. Oh, to eat a steak, Mexican food and some good Italian food. We can't get in the car and drive to a restaurant for these types of foods, and we can't drive somewhere to go on a trip. It will be good to see the rain and to see green grass - they don't have that here. Rain comes in December and ends February or March. Most of all, seeing Carrie and the kids will be the greatest part of getting home.
(Tomorrow: a chaplain shares insights and observations into questions of living in the midst of violence and the morality of killing, as well as the effects of separation on marriage and media coverage of the war.)
(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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