The Iraqi children’s eyes shone and their smiles just radiated unspeakable joy. You would think we had given them something unbelievably grand, something they could never ever imagine owning. You’d think we had just handed them they key to a better life. Maybe we did.
We gave them pencils. And they gave us an emotional payback of satisfaction that is difficult to describe.
The exchange was just one of many through a program our battalion (mainly our chaplain’s office) put together called Operation Flying Start and Operation Flying Start was just one of many similar humanitarian missions we did in Iraq. We contacted churches and organizations back home, and they gathered school supplies, soccer and sports equipment, etc., so we could distribute them here to orphanages and schools.
As our convoy vehicles prepared to take all this stuff to the Iraqi people, we did it along with the Iraqi Army because we wanted to push them out front to make relationships. At that point, the average Iraqi citizen was scared of the Iraqi Army. They thought if they talked to the Iraqi soldiers, that others would kill them. So by having the Iraqi army help us distribute these supplies, we intended to teach the kids not to be afraid of them. We wanted to help them realize there’s a different way of life and that America is not bad; we were there to help.
To see how the children reacted to the gifts of basic, simple necessities gave us a greater appreciation of what our being over there was all about. Someone can have a conversation about whether or not we should be there but there’s no denying that these are still people who have suffered a lot they are an oppressed people. It’s just horrible. There’s no way life should be like this.
Lord, show me where I can help in my own community to lift a burden from the oppressed and poor.
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” (Proverbs 14:31)
July 13
MEETING CHRIST IN THE DESERT
Mighty is our God… Mighty is our King… Camouflage-clad soldiers playing guitar, keyboard, and drums belted out songs of praise and worship from the front of the modest chapel that we built in the desert of Iraq. As the music drifted out of the building and over the sand, U.S. soldiers and contractors continued to file in, along with people of the Muslim faith who were either curious or just enjoyed the music. Either way, they heard the gospel.
Plenty of people had said it couldn’t be done. “You can’t build a church,” they had said. “You don’t have the wood and the supplies. It’s impossible.”
But God made a way; we built that church, and he met us there. We had multiple people come to Christ in Iraq. As one can imagine, there were people coming to church who never would have under any other circumstances. Many of these people were dealing with family issues separate from (but perhaps complicated by) the stress of their deployments. When they decided to seek answers from God, the church was there for them, and so were the chaplain along with many other believing soldiers.
The same thing happened in Afghanistan, too. Some Afghanis that had been checked out and cleared were allowed on the base, and at least one of them, after coming to church, became a born again Christian. It was so incredible to be a part of God’s work on the other side of the world. At these services, people would come to the Lord and want to be baptized. So we would have baptisms right there in Afghanistan and Iraq. We’re not going to let a combat zone stop that.
I would never say God makes a war happen so he can draw people to himself. But I can say that even during war, amidst the casualties and death, he still brings new life to those who call on his name. The enemy may take the body, but the Lord saves the soul. I count it a privilege to have been a witness to that.
Lord, open my eyes to where you are working, and show me how to be a part of it.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
July 14
SADDAM’S REMAINS
“Sergeant Bills, grab the chaplain, let’s go.” It was 6 p.m. on December 30, 2006. My colonel seemed urgent to get on the helicopter but then, we considered all Hero Missions urgent, so I didn’t think much about it. I just moved.
“We have to go now,” he said again. We flew in two different birds to Baghdad in case anything should happen to one of them.
After landing on one of small bases there, I noticed secret service men walking around. Okay, what’s going on? I wondered.
I soon learned that the remains we were about to collect were not those of a hero at all. We were picking up the remains of Saddam Hussein, hanged that morning, and to be delivered back to his hometown of Tikrit. We got the mission because we transfer remains, and we were in charge of the north where Tikrit is.
The officials in Baghdad had wanted to bury him in an unmarked grave there in Baghdad and keep its location a secret. But his family was there, pleading with them to be able to take the body home for a burial. After eight hours, the officials gave in.
Finally, around 11 p.m., we were ready to go. The family wanted to verify the identity of the body, so they unzipped the body bag. We all stood around staring into that face. Here was the dictator that had so oppressed his people. Here was the tyrant America had spent years fighting. At least, here was his body.
The magnitude of the scene was not lost on me I wanted to somehow document the moment, but snapping a picture of his body was out of the question. Instead, once we were back in the helicopter, I took a picture of myself just to capture the date and time. It may look like an ordinary picture to anyone else, but when I see it, I’ll always remember that was the moment after I had seen the face of evil, and had seen that he had met justice once and for all.
Lord, thank you for delivering the Iraqi people out of the hands of Saddam Hussein.
“Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.” (Psalm 68:21)
July 15
DUST STORM
