Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you to my fellow classmates at Bethel for the card and well wishes you gave me before I left home and school for Germany. Since my activation I have been shipped to five places, and I know I will be sent to one more after I leave here. So I keep the card and your thoughts with me always to strengthen me and remind me where my focus needs to be. Blessings to you all, and know that I miss you and think of you and pray for you often.

Just finished some intense training and will rest before starting over again tomorrow morning. It’s midnight here (Hohenfels, Germany) and I’ve been up 34 hours straight. Many troops are rotating through, and some have found themselves heading for Afghanistan. Career soldiers and Reservists alike, from differing backgrounds, races, religions, countries, and social situations, talk about how serious the situation is and the potential impact their various missions may have on the world.

Particularly rewarding for me are the opportunities I’ve had to be a witness for Jesus Christ. In my short time here, I’ve seen at least 10 soldiers reaffirm their faith or accept Christ and begin attending services regularly. Dozens more are asking questions about what being a Christian is all about, and I believe this is only the beginning.

While I’ve enjoyed every one of my classes at Bethel, and am still hungry to deepen my faith and learn more biblical truth, I now realize that God wants me to take everything I learn, at whatever level I’ve reached, and use it to help others. I was gaining much from my studies, but it took this deployment to help me understand that life is the practical exercise for what we learn, and we needn’t wait until we receive a degree to put it to good use.

I keep thinking of the verse in Esther where it says “…who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Not that I’m royal by any means, but I believe God intends this time for me to clarify my sense of purpose, to guide me and strengthen me in my calling, and to enable me to do something now instead of thinking about what I might do later. What a transformational experience for me—and what an opportunity to glorify God!

My wife Lorien and the kids are doing well. The Army pays considerably less than my civilian job did, but I think we’ve adjusted things enough to get by until I return home. We also have received help from many friends in our church and in the neighborhood.

As hard as it was to leave my friends and family to fulfill this duty, it has been even harder to meet new friends, be a part of their journey of faith, and see them go on to Afghanistan to stand in harm’s way for the protection of others. I have known most of them only a short time, but I share a bond with them as surely as if I’d known them my whole life—the bond of Christ. I pray for my newfound brothers every day, and I look forward to seeing them again. I am thankful God chose this time to help me grow, that I may be a better servant and gladly follow Him wherever He leads me.

I’m not sure when I’ll get authorization to email you again, but I’ll try to keep you updated. Not knowing when I might be coming home can be difficult sometimes, but I’m making the best of this amazing situation and keeping my family and all of you close to my heart and in my thoughts and prayers. Save my seat—I’ve got a lot of catching up to do when I get back.

For His Glory!
Brian