According to an old saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes." It’s funny what God will do to get our attention, even to the point of linking us up with praying people in the middle of dangerous situations. Those are true "Come to Jesus" moments, when you can see His hand of protection and mercy at work. To think about a soldier praying for something other than to come out alive may seem strange to people who don’t believe, but those very prayers have ushered new believers before the throne of God. Prayers for wisdom, guidance, and discernment in the midst of danger often show the depth of God’s love flowing through those physically standing in the gap, risking everything for our freedom. But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. Psalm 3:3
Here, a soldier serving in Iraq wrote home to a friend in January of ’05 to share how the presence of God is real even in a war zone, and how prayers from family and friends really do make a difference.
January 15, 2005
Dear Emily,
I hope you are doing well. I counted down the New Year waiting for my flight out of Baghdad and up to northern Iraq. That’s right. In less than two days, our entire camp packed up, and we flew back up to Mosul.
Mosul has become the key battleground area in Iraq right now. The media liked to use that phrase "battleground" to describe states like Ohio and Pennsylvania during the U.S. election. Well, up here, the "campaign" is of a slightly higher caliber.
This is our second trip to Mosul. When we arrived in Mosul the last time, most of the schools were in shambles. The Iraqi government had neglected them for more than fifteen years. Criminals looted them during the war and stole anything of even slight value.
We worked hard to rebuild the only boys high school in the area. We restored the running water, rebuilt the bathrooms, replastered and painted the walls, and planted a garden. We created soccer fields and basketball courts. We replaced broken windows and fitted the new ones with mosquito netting. We provided new blackboards, set up a computer lab, and gave the teachers furniture and supplies. One teacher told us we created a paradise out of a hell.
This day, I thought, is going to mark a new beginning for Mosul children and teachers.
Since the school was in our battalion sector, the commander wanted to come for the dedication. He planned to arrive at 9:30 AM, and we would form a convoy out to the school for the 10 AM ceremony. We had our vehicles lined up at 9:15, just waiting, when we heard an explosion powerful enough to rattle our windows. A few seconds later, the sound of small arms fire filled the air. Then the radios in our vehicles started to go hot. The commander was under attack. That was all we needed to hear.
Within seconds our vehicles were rolling toward the gunfire. We had our weapons on red, locked, and loaded. We rolled into his location as the last burst of rounds filled the air. We secured the position and found our way to the commander to find out what had happened. What we saw broke our hearts.
The commander was leading a three-vehicle convoy. His vehicle passed a construction ditch in the road that was covered up with dirt. As the second Humvee passed over the ditch, it tripped an IED (improvised explosive device). The force of the explosion destroyed the vehicle and blew the leg off the young specialist who was driving.
A sergeant from the first vehicle managed to get to the wounded soldier, moving toward him under fire and applying first aid. As he placed a lifesaving tourniquet around the specialist’s severed leg, we arrived to secure the area. Medics quickly evacuated the young soldier to the hospital. I removed his foot with the boot still on it from the vehicle. It could only have been God’s protection no one died and only one was severely injured.
