Yesterday at lunch I received a very encouraging phone call from Iraq. Pastor Jackie and I were talking about FAITH teams, evangelism and follow up when Dawn buzzed in an asked me to take a phone call from Iraq from a name I did not recognize. (I don't get calls from Iraq often—the men deployed call their wives most often and seldom me, as it should be).
But not this call; it was from a paratrooper in Iraq who asked if I got his email and then he proceeded to introduce himself. He was saved as a child and grew up in a Baptist home and got away from the Lord when he went into the Army. (Oh to God we ask, "How many more are like this paratrooper out there in the 82nd and Fort Bragg that we must reach?")
He said that he was at another base for a day or so and was complaining to another Soldier about the lack of chapel services when the Soldier gave him a DVD from BBC. This was five days ago and he said he immediately watched it and God brought him under great conviction concerning the way God had been watching over him during combat in spite of the fact that he haven't been living for God. Isn't the mercy and grace of our God often just overwhelming?
When I asked him, "what service it was that he watched?" He replied that it was from Sunday September 17, 2006. Yesterday was September 17th, 2007—a year after I preached a sermon it was still preaching in Iraq because of the dedicated effort of a team of volunteers who make our DVD ministry work.
This young man committed to rededicating his life to the Lord in Iraq and described being in contact with 7 IEDs and 21 engagements with a battlefield injury. This future Sergeant in the 2d BDE combat team of the 82d Airborne Division asked about being put on our DVD mailing list and if it would be ok for him to give to the church until he came back and became a member. I sent him a copy of Tender Warrior and Dawn added him to our mailing list and I ask that you pray for Brown.
Finally, pray that more men and women will pass on the DVDs to reach as many of the 200,000 men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan for His Glory and for His Name's Sake!
