24th Marine Expeditionary Unit/ BLT 1 St Battalion, 2nd Marines
My first Chaplain mission for the Red Cross started slowly @6am on Saturday 7/3/4...
When I entered Hangar 385 Deployment no one was there except volunteers who were preparing food for the
arriving Marines, there last stop as they headed for Iraq.
There were supposed to be 3 Chaplains on duty @all times and I wondered why I was the only one there..I
prayed and God said wait he was in control and I was to wait.
I started to help the ladies and prepare food when God stopped me and led me to pray with them after all
that's why I was here; as led the 3 Ladies in prayer we could feel the unmistakable presence of our living God and a peace
came over the building..and then the Marines arrived in small groups..I approached a group of 3 introduced myself and Chuck
Terrel announced he was a Christian I prayed for him his Grandfather, His Grandmother and for him ..I saw the peace of Christ
was in his heart as he prepared to return to Iraq for the 2nd time.
For the next 5 1/2 hours Ministered and Prayed for clusters of Marines not one refused prayer all were appreciative
and all felt a bond to us since we said that each would be prayed for on our prayer chains. They shared with us matter of
factly not complaining that many are returning to Iraq...having slept in holes in the ground for Months at a time going a
month without baths, being ambushed but always sensing the presence of God with them. the sacrifices these young men went
through to preserve our freedom were incredible the oldest I believe was 28 the youngest 19.
Howard and I were blessed time and again with the integrity Courage strength and character of these young
men going to protect us, bring freedom to Iraqis and more importantly represent Christ. Our ministry day culminated in a 2
Hour fellow ship with there C/O Sgt Major Mike Wooten who is a born again Christian...no wonder I thought that these young
men were so impressive..here was there leader who took his orders from Christ. He said he could not explain it but in his
3 Missions to Iraq instinctively like slow motion God would tell him exactly what to do and who to send where...it was God
he knew guiding his every move. This message he lives out for his men as they have faith that greater is the power that is
in them than the deceit of the enemy they are fighting.
Chilling was his remark of how proud he was of these young man "but Phil you need to
know that we are front line artillery and some of these men you have prayed with are not coming back alive"...
His prayer is that each one in his command come to know Christ before they head back on Monday a 20 hour
flight to Baghdad in a transport plane.
Sgt Wooten gave me his home address and asked me to send a card to his wife and 4 children ..that I saw
him off and Prayed him off and his faith is strong. In addition he has promised to write us from Iraq.
All I saw was young men with his peace that passes all understanding, believing that God was with
them wherever they went and HIS promises are true,that he is who he says he is.
Kathy one of the volunteers came up to me after seeing me pray arm in arm with 3 Marines and said God is
SO Good ..he hears all our prayers and blesses us so..this was a lady Howard had been trying to get hold of but unsuccessfully
yet God picked her out for me and she was our point lady all day long.
With that in mind and Here is the list of men Howard and I ministered to and Prayed with that have
asked our Prayer Partners to pray specifically for peace for their families and God' hedge of protection around each of them.
1. Marine Chuck Terrel, Suffolk, Virginia
For His Grandad Charles Terrel , Marine Ret Who is sick
For His Grandmother Glenda, who is worried about Granddad and Chuck
2.Marine Granados from Maryland
3. Marine John Mehall from Jersey
4 Marine Mike Jones from Dayton Ohio
5. Marine Zwitney from Chicago, Ill
6. Marine Litton Philadelhia P.A.
7.Marine Lucas, Yuma,Arizona
8.Marine Rabeau from New Orleans, LA
9. Air Force Pilot Brandon McCabe
10. Marine Randolph from New Orleans , his wife Chaintiricia
11. Sgt Major Mike Wooten BLT 1/2 Section H&S Company
For His wife Sharon
Children Grant, Sherrie, Lacey and Lauren that all be at peace and
God' protection be around them for the nest YEAR his unit is deployed.
I know Howard would agree that we came there to bless and prayerfully we represented our KING well but both
of us left there be blessed beyond measure...our Kingdom and Our Country is in good hands sending these men on their mission.
"Not Unto Us Oh Lord Not Unto Us but to thy name be the glory."
PS 115:1
