So here we go

Thursday 11th - Saturday 13th of June

The time finally came. 1pm on Thursday the 11th. I was off again to do what the Army pays me to do, go to combat. That day is never easy, no matter how much you mentally prepare for it. Geri, the kids, and I all sat at the parade field waiting and hanging out with co-workers trying to act like everything was ok and then the 1SG yells for everyone to form up into our company formation for manifest call. With a heavy heart I said goodbye to Geri and the kids, multiple times. We said a prayer, kissed goodbye, and off I went.

My fellow Soldiers and I waited to get on the buses and eventually got off to the Airport with little delay, which is a miracle that the Military could pull off such a smooth operation considering past experiences. We boarded the plane and settled in for what is the beginning of a 1year tour of duty. We made a quick stop in Gulfport, MS to pick up a National Guard unit and continued on. All in all it amounted to about a day and a half of travel, (17+ hours of flying with layovers at each stop of about 2 hours for refuel and cleaning). We have yet to reach our final destination but we are in a transient post in a country just north of where we will be before we take our final jump into country. We will make one more stop for a few days before we make it to our final destination. Keep our family in your prayers as the first few days / weeks are always the toughest to get adjusted until I can get settled in and the family can get settled into their new routine for the next year. Also, pray for me that I will be able to stay strong and be a witness to those who need it. As I am sure some of you know, and the rest of you can imagine, the Army is not the boy scouts and there are plenty of unsaved coworkers that sometimes can drag you down. The situation can weigh heavily on me some days as I have little to no control of my daily duties and who I spend my time with because of the mission. I pray all the time whenever I think of it to stay strong in the LORD.

As Friday came and went I could not help but think about missing Youth Group and the "CORE". Even if you did not meet last night it still doesn't seem like a Friday night is complete without the youth. I will definitely miss Friday nights and being uplifted just by being around all of you.

Tomorrow is service here at 1030 I can't wait to be able to just go and worship and see what GOD has in store for me and this tour. Thanks again for all the help with Geri and the kids and pray for us when ever you can think of it. Thank you in advance for all the prayers, talk to you soon, and GOD Bless.