The night air can get chilly in Iraq, and one particularly cold night, my father, Kwon, who served as an active duty Army chaplain, was up late. He was nervous! A two-star general was coming in for a memorial ceremony. Another brave young American hero had died.
The 28th Combat Support Hospital commander at Ibn Sina, in Baghdad’s “Green Zone,” was nervous, too. He wanted everything to go smoothly—”Let’s make a good impression on the professionalism and excellence of our team!” But the commander had one hiccup: His chief of pastoral ministry was my dad.
Dad spoke with a Korean accent and sometimes messed up words. And for a memorial ceremony, the chaplain is front and center, hosting the event, praying and giving the message.
The commander pulled my dad aside: “Do a good job.” My dad could see the nervousness in his commander’s eyes and could imagine the impending embarrassment the commander so desperately wanted to avoid.
And so, it was a late night of tossing and turning. Most nights were only three to four hours of sleep anyway. Every night there was a MASCAL (massive casualty event), and the bloody bodies barely hanging on to life were brought in. Dad responded personally to every MASCAL. He hugged and cried with the nurses and doctors when they lost another one.
Many of the staff said that in the midst of hell on earth, they looked forward to the authentic and loving Spirit of God they felt as they worshiped in the chapel.
He held the hands and prayed with both our soldiers and enemy combatants when they were brought into the ER. He visited little burned girls and boys. Muslim mothers sitting by their suffering child’s bedside would sob, “Pray for my child, chaplain!” In that moment, they didn’t care that it was a Christian chaplain. They just wanted their child to be OK.
Dad conducted daily worship services for the day and night shifts, seven days a week, along with a third service on Sundays. Many of the staff said that in the midst of hell on earth, they looked forward to the authentic and loving Spirit of God they felt as they worshiped in the chapel.
The deployment had stretched on for months, had already been extended once, and had now been extended again. Everyone was at the breaking point.
This memorial ceremony mattered.
Dad looked out the window, praying to the Lord Almighty for strength to be the man of God his unit needed him to be: “God, I feel inadequate. I’m not polished. I can’t speak English as well as all these native speakers. I don’t want to embarrass myself or my commander in front of a two-star major general!”
As he continued to pray and look out the window at the night sky, God began to do what only He can do. His presence filled the room. A surge of truth, like a lightning bolt straight from the throne room, pierced Dad’s soul.
“Kwon, look up at the night sky. I am the God who made every one of those trillions of stars. I called you, and I am with you. Why are you afraid of two stars?”
Gratitude and relief filled his heart. That next day, he conducted the memorial ceremony with passion, conviction and confidence. He honored that young man, and honored the sacrifices of everyone on the team. He honored the Lord.
Isaiah 41:10 says: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (NIV).
As we observe this Veterans Day, remembering that “all gave some, some gave all,” let’s support our veterans, those on active duty and our Foursquare chaplains in prayer.
Prayer Points
- Ask God to guide our chaplains and give them wisdom in handling the difficult situations they face.
- Pray that the Lord would strengthen, encourage and protect our chaplains and others on active duty around the world.
- Bless the veterans who have faithfully served our nation, asking God to provide for their needs on every level—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Praying for our chaplains all year
You and your church can intentionally pray for Foursquare chaplains around the world with the Foursquare Chaplains Monthly Prayer Guide.
