God's presence in Iraq

There are new photos at the bottom of the blog. One is of me praying with the battalion before we flew out to our mission. The other is my recent promotion ceremony. Our first service in our outdoor chapel was on Palm Sunday. We dedicated the chapel also. Since then, we've torn it down and built another one. This one is a tent with some sturdy walls. That is the video. Barring the Commander's approval, we proposed that the chapel be named "Cornerstone". Like the cornerstone of a building, and Jesus for us; without the Cornerstone Chapel where we can hear God's Word and receive His Sacraments, we will crumble.

Check out an article from the WSJ "U.S. Begins Freeing Thousands Of Captives In Iraq" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120848406669625219.html?mod=googlenews_wsj). It talks about detainee operations, the primary specialty of our MP battalion. The article mentions Ramadi...where we are! I'm surprised, but at the same time glad, that the public has this much detailed information. The more we can educate the public and the Iraqis about returning rehabilitated terrorists to their communities, the quicker we can get out of here.

In His Grip,
Ray