NEWS FROM PATRICK

I just heard from Patrick. We were able to talk for almost an hour. He sounds good. He is in the city of *******. Some of the others are being pulled out of ****** and will be in the surrounding areas for the remainder of their stay. The way things are structured now, there are 95% of their battalion in the city for defense purposes.

Al Qaeda is putting out fliers stating that they will take over the city of ******* on May 1st but Patrick said that's not likely since Al Qaeda is not an organized fighting group.

Patrick is now a gunner on an MRAP. This huge truck has a machine gun on top and that's Patrick's job. He said they will never fire the gun in the city, but if they are called to the field, this vehicle goes.
The city is so crowded people can reach out and touch the vehicle when it rolls through the city. He said there were some really nice houses and neighborhoods in *******. Gated communities and everything. The concern he has is that if a terrorist gets into the city, all they would have to do is flip a grenade up in the air and let it fall down the shoot where he stands. With the streets so crowded, they would never see it coming.

He is part of a group referred to as EOD = Explosive Ordinance Disposal. They are called to go out into the field when an IED or some other bomb is found. They go, blow it up, and come home (to *******)

The other section he is part of is the QRF = Quick Reaction Force which means if there is an outbreak of fighting, they go in with "guns a'blazin'" to quote him. I would rather he just ride around the city and make friends with little Iraqi children.

He is enjoying the goodies that have been sent his way. He said the fruit roll-ups, gummies, cheez-it grips, and snack crackers are great. He said the food wasn't bad but sometimes they are out in the city so he can snack.

The only thing he said he would like to have that he doesn't is something like a whisk broom and dustpan to keep their vehicle clean, so I will try to take care of that the first of next week. And more snacks. LOL

He was using the computer based phone card but lately it takes an act of Congress to get to use the phone so he's adding minutes to his AT&T card. He said they only get mail once in a while, but every time they have had mail call, he has gotten some, so thank you for remembering him.

I'll pass on information as I get it, which is sometimes longer than I would like.

(for his safety, I have bleeped out the name of the city)

Onward We Go

Sorry it's been so long, but it's been grueling for the last couple of weeks. I've heard from Patrick several times and he's doing fine. He's not real happy about where he is or what they are having to do, but he's alive and well and that's what I prayed for.

We've had a wedding in our family. Everything came off without a hitch, so this is good. The weather was beautiful as it was held on the beach so no rain for the day was a good thing. The bride was beautiful and beamed as she went from Miss to Mrs.

Journals have been turned in, exams have been taken, CPE is over which means no more on-calls, the PEICH paper is turned in as is the 2nd sermon and exegesis report. Now all that stands in the way of the last day of grad school is a Church History exam and a book review. I think I see the light.

My Senior Panel was today and what an affirming meeting that turned out to be. I had been told it would be just that, but there is always a wonder of what questions you will be asked and so on. It was wonderful. I didn't cry but I'm sure I will. Campbell is a very dear place to me and I will treasure my time there as an undergrad and a grad student.

All this to say, life is moving forward. I hope you are having a great day and enjoying the gifts God has given you. I'll be back with more on the upcoming graduation events in a few days.

Life Moves Forward

Now that I have talked to Patrick via the Internet one night and a phone call on Wednesday, I am more at ease about the whole situation, so now I can concentrate a little better on the fast pace of April.

Already it is April 10th. I have a counter on my Facebook page that counts down the days until upcoming events in my life. I know, for example, that it is 41 days until my anniversary, 31 days until Graduation from Divinity School, 29 days until the Hooding Ceremony and 19 more days until the end of classes.

The sad part of is, I can remember when the counter went to 100 days until the Hooding Ceremony. And that was just yesterday........in my mind. Where does the time go? I have been working on my final evaluation for the CPE program I have been enrolled in this semester and it seems just a few weeks ago, we started the program. Now it's time to end.

I'm 47 years old and even though that sounds like a lot of years, it seems like such a short time ago I was preparing to graduate from high school. Would I go back and redo it again? Not on your life. I have learned so much in the experiences I have had. It wasn't all roses, that's for sure, but it wasn't all thorns either.

Some of my roses are the friends I have made at Campbell Divinity School, the professors and staff members who will forever be etched in my mind, my peers and supervisor in the CPE program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and my spiritual development that has come as a result of those roses.

Life moves forward and it's not the forward movement that scares me. It's the fast pace at which it happens. May I never forget to stop and smell the roses.

The Day Has Come

I feel as if I have been to a funeral. I'm not sure in my 47 years I have ever felt so helpless as I did when the buses pulled away from the barracks this afternoon. My son is officially on his way to Iraq for his first, and hopefully his last, tour of duty. I would have gladly taken his place if there had been any way possible.

My oldest son had to leave around 3 so he could get to work on time so he told Patrick he had to go and to be careful. They hugged each other for several minutes, both crying and clinging to each other. I had to walk away. I had tried so hard to keep things together for Patrick's sake but that was more than I could take.

My sons loved each other so much when they were young, but as they grew up and got older, the competitions kicked in and they began to grow apart. Daniel, being the oldest, always did things first. He was the first to be able to play sports, thus putting Patrick in his shadow. Daniel was very good at anything he attempted and this put Patrick at a disadvantage having to fill the shoes of his older brother.

The year Patrick graduated from high school, they began to like each other again and their bond is one that will never be broken. It is such a joy for me to see them together and enjoying their time together.

Anyway, after he left it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. But when the commanding officer yelled, "Formation" I got sick to my stomach. He hugged everyone and we all had our turn at crying on his shoulder and he on ours. There are not words to describe what I felt when I watched my son walk away with an M-16 attached to his body.

We got one more chance for hugs and tears before he had to get on the bus. He was on the first bus of 4, so it took a little while for all the buses to load. Once they were loaded, I watched the doors close and my heart sunk to my feet.

But nothing, NOTHING, will compare to the sick feeling I got and the crack that sprang through my heart when his bus began to move forward. As each bus began to move, you could see mothers and girlfriends and wives crumble in the arms of those who may have been a little stronger than those of us who were not. I will see those buses go around that curve for many weeks to come.

His agenda is uncertain at this point, as far as the military is concerned, but my agenda has just begun. Prayer, prayer, and more prayer.