Rollover Training - Week 2

Friday was September 17, Constitution Day. It’s the day we commemorate when the original Constitution was signed in 1787; the same precious document that The Lord describes in scripture: “I have established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I have raised up unto this very purpose...” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:80).

It was also the day that I left the United States to fly overseas, to prove my willingness to fulfill my oath to “defend and protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.” As I said goodbye to my native land I love for the next 9-10 months, with an honor guard bearing the flag as I walked onto the tarmac, I felt a strong sense of patriotism for my country, excitement for the adventure ahead, and humility and honor for being chosen to fulfill a part of my purpose that the Lord has raised me up to do.

This week has been full of nearly daily experiences where the Lord has provided people in my path, who opened up the vulnerable parts of their heart to share with me their struggles, personal defeats, and victories. I used those opportunities to help them process how they have seen divine intervention, assistance, and direction in their lives. As I helped each of them evoke and process their own testimony of God in their respective lives, it strengthened mine as well. 

One such Soldier told me of how he came to know Jesus, was baptized into a Christian church, fell away for some time, had a “wake up call,” and returned. As I told him of my plan to attend my church on Sunday afternoon, he asked to join me. He even helped arrange transportation with one of the training sergeants so we could go. (It was a 10 minute drive away, and our only authorized method of transportation was to walk or get a ride in one of the government vehicles with the cadre.)

The fact that we got a ride in the first place was an answer to prayer, because they kept telling me it may not be possible, until they changed their mind Sunday morning. At church one of the speakers shared her story of how she has seen God’s hand in her life through each of her trials and tragedies in the last year alone. The Soldier accompanying me was obviously touched, and we discussed his experience afterward.

Another experience was the rollover training we did on Thursday. This is a training exercise we go through in a military vehicle simulator where we buckle in, and just like it sounds, it rolls over and over and over. (You kind of feel like rotisserie chicken after a few turns). We end up upside-down and have to practice getting out of the vehicle safely. 

What seemed like a random introduction to a Soldier sitting next to me on the bus ride there, turned into a fascinating conversation about what led her to join the Army, how she has tried to prepare everything she could for this deployment to the Middle East, and how nervous she was for this training. She described susceptibility to claustrophobia and some anxiety. I said to her, “It seems to me that you have often tried to comfort yourself through preparing things and feeling like you have all the material things you need. At the same time, there are some experiences that all the preparation in the world could never fully prepare you for. So where do you find your sense of peace? In things, or in something bigger than that?” 

She proceeded to tell me that she wanted to find that peace in God again that she grew up knowing and fell away from since joining the Army. I helped her identify times in her life where she went through challenges and knew that God helped her through them. I reminded her, “This is one of those times.” I reassured her that she would be fine, I would go through the training right next to her so she wouldn’t feel alone, and afterward she would be able to witness that she did feel God helping her through this challenge too. That is exactly what happened.

I thank all of you for your continued prayers on my behalf. They are working! I can feel the Lord guiding Soldiers into my path and giving me strength and inspiration to minister to them. It is one of the greatest feelings to know that I am being used as an instrument in the Lord’s hands to help others feel His love and presence. Please, keep the prayers coming!

In His Service,
Chaplain John Critchfield