Our Soldiers

[Symphony]

Just looking at this website.  

Prayer for those families who have loved ones abroad, in Iraq, Afghan... and for those who are there!!

http://www.militarycity.com/valor/honor.html

[Whitehorse]

Amen-they deserve our prayers. Thanks, Sym.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Symphony,

I really appreciate this prayer request. The members of our Armed Forces are in my prayers every day. I give thanks that my son is safely in port right now in San Diego.

Most of you probably know that my home is Lawton/Ft. Sill. I'm sad to report that the number killed from Ft. Sill is probably up to 20 now, and I have no idea how many have been wounded. It's a hard time for the families and the community. Most of the families are young and have children, so I would request that the families be added to your prayers.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[sincereheart]

If any of you get a chance, would you say a prayer for our oldest? He's on his way to Iraq as I type this and he'll be there a year.

Thank you!  

[nChrist]

If any of you get a chance, would you say a prayer for our oldest? He's on his way to Iraq as I type this and he'll be there a year.

Thank you!  

Oklahoma Howdy to Sincereheart,

I will definitely pray for your son at the same time I pray for mine. It sure is hard when they leave home for the first time. I thought it might get easier after a year or two, but I guess I will always worry about him. He is our youngest. I think that  prayer for our children and grandchildren is part of a Christian parent's job for life, regardless of where our children are or what they do for a living. God will be with them.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[sincereheart]

Thank you so much, Tom!  

May I add your son to my prayers, as well?

Ours is presently in the Army after a previous four year stint with the Marines.

I've been telling myself that we've been praying for him and so must just continue to turn it over to the Lord. But after talking to him at length yesteday and knowing he was flying as I typed this morning just made me a bit melancholy!  

[JudgeNot]

May I add your son to my prayers, as well?

Uh-o.  I've been praying for everyone here without permission???

 

I'm here to tell ya - you folks here on c-unite are so special - such a blessing...

I pray for all of you everyday.
Thank all of you for being here - I feel like your families are my family

[Reba]

These kids need our prayers as do their families..This email i am passing along is about a sorta distant family member. He and his roommate will killed on Christmass day 2003. Maybe you can see the hope in this email also...


 I really don't know how to start this email, so many words that can never really explain what I feel and describe how you feel.  My name is Spc Paul Beiring and your brother was my dear friend, I'm only twenty two but Big H and me were very close.  Today we had the memorial for him and I gave a
speech about him, about my friend.  In August Big H approached me about starting a bible study with him, I was so excited to get a body of Christ built over here.  We started it soon after, some times he lead, sometimes I lead but it really did not matter because we learned so much about God and each other.  Since August I watched him grow in God, his love for Jesus was so beautful and so sincere.  His genuine love for Jesus always reminded me of a little boy, he was so happy and giddy to talk about Jesus, it really
was heart filling to see one of my friends grow in the Lord.

Today was one of the hardest things I have ever done, saying goodbye to my friend.  As I told the whole company toady, I am comforted by Jesus because I know Big H is in Heaven smiling down on me.  I know he his in heaven
walking on golden roads and singing his praise and worship to Jesus.

Every Sunday or Saturday night when we had church I would lead worship and the only one to sing as loud as me was your brother.  He never cared who heard him sing, his only audience was Jesus Christ, he was and still is my
blessing over here.  I thank God for his friendship and I know when Jesus comes again in his glorious appearing, I will see my friend again.

I also want to tell you that we talked a lot about each others families.  He talk much about the passion of his life, his wife.  He talk much about the joy of every breath he took, his kids.  He once told me a story about how he was driving back through the Seney stretch on a very stormy snowy day.  He could barely see were his was driving and all of a sudden, just for a second he came out of the white out and saw this tree, to him was beautiful, a sign that God was with him.  He told me when he got home the next day or so he
got his wife and kids into the car and they went to look for that tree and when they found it, it was not beautiful at all but he knew that Jesus was with him.  He loved you guys so very much and I know he is also smiling down on his family.

I hope what I've told you has been proper to tell you, my prayers are with you, my prayers are with his wife, my prayers are with his children.  I am coming home soon on Mid Tour Leave and I have something I would like to
present to his wife, and I would also just like to meet her and you as well. I don't know if this is proper as well but I will leave it up to you if you would like to meet me, for I very much would like to meet you.

My prayers are with you and the family and I hope to talk with you again soon.

In Christ, always and forever

Love Paul Beiring

[JudgeNot]

 

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Sincereheart & JudgeNot,

Thanks very much for adding my son to your prayers. I've gotten to meet and talk with many of his mates. I quickly got the impression that many of them are Christians, sharp young men and women who believe in what they are doing. I was not surprised at all to learn that many of them really appreciate our prayers. You can count on me to pray for all of our men and women in the Armed Services and their families every day.

I also learned that they really enjoy getting some of the simple treasures from home (i.e. school children writing notes and drawing pictures for them). There's also a large number of common, ordinary items that they have a real hard time finding or buying, especially for the troops on the ground (i.e. baby wipes to get all of that blowing sand out of their eyes, ears, etc., all kinds of skin creme, sun block, batteries for personal radios, etc.). Here's a little grin for you: women's pantyhose are a premium item they make all kinds of usefull things out of. Folded and rolled in various ways makes pantyhose great for covering the nose, mouth, head, and ears in sand storms. We have collection centers at Lawton/Ft. Sill, and the entire community tries to make sure they get what they want and need. Count on 4 to 6 weeks for them to get packages of non-critical items that are not military supplies. They love homemade cookies and things like that, but you really must pack them correctly for any hope of being fresh (i.e. vacuum sealed plastic bags, wrapped in tin-foil, and double-boxed). You can also count on a certain percentage of perishables being ruined by inspections. I forgot to tell you the troops on the ground also like: (1) super thin, flexible, and tight woven gloves with velcro closures on the wrist, something like (nylon?) Aris driving gloves with very thin strips of leather on the fingers and palms. (2) Here's a big one: all kinds of underwear and socks that protect the body and wick moisture away from the body (Gortex I think?). These are expensive and usually found only in stores or catalogs for hunters and police officers. You want the keep cool and dry variety, not the keep warm and dry. These are like gold for the troops serving in the heat and sand.

Wherever you are, your community, civic organization, church, etc. can adopt a unit of just about any size, a ship, an air group, etc. Your local Post Office can give you lots of good information about packaging and avoiding a lot of the problems. They can also tell you about collection points to ship it with like packages that might get faster delivery.

Brother JudgeNot, I think it is time for you to give up your pantyhose and send them to the men and women in the desert. Brother, I'm sorry to tell you this, you look horrible in them anyway.      

Love in Christ,
Tom  

[sincereheart]

BEP and JudgeNot, Many thanks!  

Reba, That was beautiful, thanks for sharing!  



JudgeNot, About those pantyhose??   ?? And why am I having Joe Namath flashbacks.....

 

[nChrist]

Sister Reba,

I almost missed that beautiful letter from Paul Beiring. It was a real blessing, and I appreciate you sharing it with us. He is with Jesus, but it is always so hard for the families and friends. We recently had a memorial service for 8 Ft. Sill soldiers all killed on the same day. It is heart breaking.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[JudgeNot]

Brother JudgeNot, I think it is time for you to give up your pantyhose and send them to the men and women in the desert. Brother, I'm sorry to tell you this, you look horrible in them anyway.      

OK - all except my 'control tops' - I ain't giving up my control tops...  

[Reba]

Why  do the two of you know so much about pantyhose?

[sincereheart]

This is the only thread I know of that I can laugh AND cry in!