Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

I went on to attend Georgia Tech. Instead of becoming an engineer, I attended seminary. After that, I served as a missionary for fifteen years in Africa and the Middle East. Then I became a chaplain.

“Bless me, yet the Lord loves me so much he sent me to Iraq and not Hawaii. He sent me to Fallujah and Ramadi,” This is what I tell people about my six-month deployment.

“My goal and vision is clear Jesus Christ didn’t die for things, he died for people. Chaplains are there to help those Marines and sailors realize there’s something deeper than what they’re experiencing,” I explain.

My commanding officer respected my perspective that day. “Chaplain Kim is doing a great job” he told the other chaplain. The matter over methods was settled.

Prayer:

Thank you God for being my commanding officer, one who knows me intimately and understands my gifts and abilities.

“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17)

August 17 MEANT TO BE A CHAPLAIN From the blog of Jessica Alley, wife of Chaplain (Capt.) Will Alley, Iraq (2008–2009)

When Will was first deployed, I remember feeling as though my world was falling apart. However, we both had a feeling that God would reveal his future plans for Will during this “wilderness” time.

Will had been deployed for only a month when a friend asked about Will’s future plans.

“I think he’d make a really good chaplain,” I heard myself say. My words startled me so much I jumped in my seat. That thought had never run through my mind before. Suddenly, I thought, That’s it! He’s meant to be an Army Chaplain!

When I got home I emailed him with my revelation. You can imagine my excitement the next day when I got this email from him in response:

Wow! I prayed last Friday that if this was really what God wanted me to do that he would put it on your mind as well. That’s amazing. I haven’t wanted to share any of this until I was more sure about what God wanted me to do, so I have been praying about his purpose for me and that he would speak to your heart as well. I wanted him to speak to you so that I could get a confirmation that it is his will.

As for being a chaplain, I knew the army was short of them, but it didn’t hit me until I was in a unit that was deployed and hadn’t had a chaplain for a couple of months… that’s just not right. So, I decided that when our chaplain does arrive that I would ask him questions about being a chaplain without telling him or letting him know that I have been thinking about being one. The more he would tell me about what his job is and what kind of things he does, the stronger I felt about the call.

Isn’t that crazy? This was in the fall of 2003. When he came home in March of 2004, we started planning. He departed the army in the summer of 2005 and began his three-year seminary tour.

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes to see the next steps you want me to take in my own life.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 29:11a)

August 18 SEVEN DAYS TO DEPLOYMENT From the blog of Jessica Alley, wife of Chaplain (Capt.) Will Alley, Iraq (2008–2009)

December 6, 2008.

Will leaves one week from today for his second deployment. I choose to look at this as just a speed bump in the road for us. Will may be able to email me every day and hopefully, won’t be gone more than sixteen months. The bottom line is that the deployment is Will’s job and God’s will. How can I argue with that?

Will has an amazing opportunity to minister to soldiers who desperately need him. Since he was called to the ministry in the fall of 2003, he has been waiting for this moment. As a wife, few things are better than to watch your husband fulfilling God’s purpose for his life. He can’t wait to get his boots in the sand and start his mission.

With that said, looking forward to deploying does not mean Will is looking forward to leaving us. He has said many times how much he is dreading our final goodbyes. As most of you know, he and Carlee Scott are the best of buds. It stings his heart when he realizes that she’ll be almost four and a half-years old when he returns home. To think that Owen will be over two years old and walking and talking just baffles him.

I could not be prouder of him as a father, as a soldier, and as a servant of God. But while I may be happy for him, no wife ever wants her husband to leave for over a year. Knowing that I will be raising two small children alone while carrying (and delivering) a third is overwhelming. Even today, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it. But I’m going to try. This is the road that has been chosen for me, and I will travel it proudly.

Although I will have many fearful moments, I can’t reside in fear. I won’t be ignorant and think something can’t happen, but instead I will recognize it, pray for safety and peace, and move on. I will not allow the enemy to hold me captive in fear.

Prayer:

Lord, help me travel well the road you have set before me.

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

August 19 SHOCK From the blog of Jessica Alley, wife of Chaplain (Capt.) Will Alley, Iraq (2008–2009)

December 19, 2008.

On Wednesday afternoon, I dropped the kids off at Heather’s and went alone to the hospital for my ultrasound. While I was waiting for the OB doc to review the results of the ultrasound and come back in, I saw the still shot on the screen. It was the most perfect little baby, in early pregnancy bean-like form. I was in love and SO excited. When the doc came in, however, he was concerned.

“How much have you been bleeding?” he asked.

“Uh… none,” I replied.

“What I am seeing is a lot of bleeding around the baby. What I am not seeing is a heartbeat.”