countdown

On the 4th of July I had an extremely pleasant visit from Bonnie. She was able to pawn Isaac off on my family for 6 days, so we were able to really relax and spend time with eachother. I don't have to say how important that time was to reconnect and even get to know eachother better. I found out later that a gang shooting occured on the riverfront during the fireworks show. Two of the soldiers in my Company were standing within feet of the shooting and turned at the sound of a .22 pistol to see a man falling to the street dead. The thing that made me think was that Bonnie were standing about a block away from the incident only moments before it happened. I couldn't help but think that man had gone down to the river to celebrate independence day not realizing that his life would end before he left again. How frail life is.
So the countdown has begun. We have all packed now and cleaned our barracks multiple times. Now we wait for the end of the week when our plane raises it's wheels for the Middle East. I always thought I'd end up there as a missionary, I never thought I'd be going over there to fight a war. I suppose it wouldn't be inconceivable to imagine going back with social help and the Gospel some day down the road. For now, however, I have been given a mission and I will do my best with what I have before me. Thankfully, as a medic, my mission is one of salvation and not of death. The hardest part is leaving my new family. Even that is not without it's benefits however. I have only been gone a few months now but I already see more every day how empty my life is without the very small circle that I can call my own. It's sad for me to think of Isaac growing for a year without me, but at least I am thankful he is only 1.5 and most likely will not remember it when he is older. Also it helps that he has the most amazing mother who will always nurture and shape him in my absense. He is in the best hands I can imagine.
Only two people have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ, and the American G.I. The one for your soul and the other for your freedom.