Happy Thanksgiving! - Week 12

The highlight of this week was Thanksgiving. It wasn’t the same without hearing my brothers’ flatulence and burps, or my kids doing the same thing, or family stories of inside jokes, or my mom trying to hold back a cry when starting to describe what she is grateful for… but it was still an interesting event that was unique to a deployed environment.

I started the day at 4:30 a.m. getting registered for the Turkey Trot and ran a 5k. I don’t normally do that, but apparently that’s how they celebrate any holiday in the military: GO RUN SOME MORE! But at least I got the t-shirt and felt a little more justified stuffing my face later in the day.

And for anyone feeling pity for service members who are away from their families during the holidays, they certainly treat us well and had some great food. They went all out on the decorations and made it fun.

I was able to talk to my family that night (morning their time) to wish them Happy Thanksgiving, and even stayed on the phone when Dana and the kids got to her parent’s house to say hello before the “Big Meal.”

I am grateful for so much this year. I am thankful for the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for my membership in His church. I am grateful for my relationship to God and the knowledge of His role in the Divine Plan. I am eternally grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, for His Church on the earth, and the Book of Mormon which clarifies the Doctrine of Christ. 

I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and his role and sacrifices in bringing forth the restoration of the gospel so that I could have these truths in my life today. I am grateful for the priesthood and the keys which have been restored in the latter-days. I am so grateful for the temple covenants which bind me to the Lord, my wife, and my children for time and all eternity. It gives me comfort to know that no matter what happens, as long as I remain faithful to those covenants I made to God and my wife, everything will be okay in the end. 

I am grateful for this great nation which I serve today, and the inspired Constitution of the United States which I have sworn to defend and protect. I am so grateful for all the friends and family members who have helped to support my family during this time of separation. May God bless you all for your prayers, service, and love you have shown us during this time.

In His Service,
CH John Critchfield

Let's Get This Show On The Road! - Week 11

This week I have had the opportunity to travel to a few other countries to fulfill my mission. I have been providing training in Religious Operations and Moral Leadership/Conflict Management to Chaplains and Religious Affairs Specialists. I also get to check in with other LDS Service Member Groups and make sure they have what they need to continue operating.

Today I am at a military installation in the middle of nowhere, and the last LDS Group Leader just left to go back home this week, but there are still a couple of new service members who just got here and are attending the group. They have not designated a new Group Leader yet, so I was in the right place at the right time to make sure I could offer the sacrament to them, as I am authorized to do so.

I also had a good chat with some of them after the service. One of them is an Air Force Dentist and the other is a pilot. I enjoyed getting to know them, their challenges, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has helped them in their trials. One of them, who just got here and will be here for several months, is already in the process of becoming the next Group Leader. So, I provided some training on roles and responsibilities and how Distinctive Religious Group Leaders operate (DRGLs as we call them in the Army; everything has to have an acronym!).

A few days ago, I had the privilege of presenting some of my material on Conflict Management along with one of the local officers who was giving a Cultural Orientation briefing. This man was amazing and became a friend within the short time we spent together. I had some time to talk to him before our presentations. He was born in this country but was raised in the Midwest of the United States, so he is a dual citizen. He shared with me his experiences of growing up around very kind people where he never felt discriminated against (except briefly after 9/11). He was educated in a U.S. University where he received a graduate degree in music. His musical specialty is the piano and lute.

What I also found fascinating was what he shared about religion. He stated, “Muslims and Jews, even some denominations of Christianity, often think they are The Chosen people. But from my experience, I believe that Americans are The Chosen people. They have been blessed by God to be delivered from oppression and enjoy the freedoms they do, as well as protect the freedoms of other countries. Only God himself can take a country that represents only 5% of the world’s population and make such a positive influence through them to the rest of the world.”

He also shared how he has attended Christian churches before, even though he is a devout Muslim. People are often confused by this, but he reminds them, “According to my book (the Koran), Jesus will return to save the world. So yes, I believe in Jesus too.” I felt a kindred spirit with this man, and I am better already for having met him.

I am really enjoying traveling and getting to know new people, experiencing other cultures, providing meaningful training to help people with their relationships, and gathering with the Saints in the remote areas of the world. I believe that I am right where God needs me to be right now to be an influence for good, and in the case of my new friend, to be influenced by people from other parts of the world as fellow children of God.

In His Service,
CH John Critchfield

Veteran's Day and a Baptism - Week 10

I have been in the Army Reserve for over 12 years now. Every Veteran’s Day I often accept free meals or car washes, or whatever businesses are willing to give Veterans for free. I do this mostly because I am a frugal person and I like free stuff. But to be honest, I still felt a little guilty because I had never deployed before or gone through the hardships that other Veterans have, who are really the ones who have earned those charitable donations of gratitude. 

Although, if I added up all the time I have spent away from my family in the past 12 years before this deployment, it would total just over a year already. I have missed birthdays, anniversaries, the birth of one of my children, and a few years ago Dana moved from our rental house into our new home while I was away for a two-week military training. But I still didn’t feel like a full Veteran yet. 

This year that changed. I didn’t get any freebies, but I was able to celebrate the day starting with a Prayer Breakfast, which included all the ceremonial things the military does like The National Anthem, a spiritual message, a moment of silence, and prayer.

I went to another special ceremony at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month where we heard more patriotic messages, and we were treated to a barbeque. This was the first Veteran’s Day I felt like I had earned the title of Veteran.

Being away from my family has been challenging for me. This is the longest time I have ever spent away from them. I am grateful I get to talk to them nearly every day, but it also means I am more involved in the challenges they face each day without being able to do much about it except listen, encourage, and pray for them. So, I do my best to pour myself into the work here, like President Hinkley used to teach, and that has been a huge blessing.

One of the fruits of that labor has been the baptism of one of our young Soldiers here. (I have mentioned him in previous weekly updates). I have been sitting in on the lessons with him as he Zoom calls with missionaries back in the states. We often spend another 30 minutes or so talking about the missionary lesson after the call and expounding more on the principles, because he asks me many questions he doesn’t ask the missionaries. It has been a wonderful experience for both of us as I feel The Spirit teaching us both during those conversations. 

Well, the day finally came when he was able to be baptized! Members from the local area, and 10 Soldiers from our Service Member Group came together, and we were able to do the ordinance in a swimming pool. He was so ecstatic, and I loved seeing his enthusiasm for the Gospel. Everyone who knows him can tell that Jesus Christ has changed his life, and he genuinely wants to follow Him the rest of his life.

I feel honored I was able to play a small part in his conversion story, and I can’t wait to witness the rest of his story as it unfolds. I can see this young man growing to be a great husband, father, and righteous priesthood leader one day.

These are the moments that make being a Chaplain worth it all!

In His service,
CH John Critchfield

Happy Birthday - Week 9

Last Sunday after church I received a text from one of the LDS members here who I noticed had not been at church that day when his attendance is usually regular. He mentioned having some struggles, and I asked if I could meet with him immediately because I felt impressed that he needed immediate support. So, I met with him at the chapel tent and let him pour out his heart. He described the history and status of his current struggles. I listened and shared some scriptures with him. We agreed to meet weekly to continue working through this challenge. We discussed the difference between spiritual healing, which can happen very quickly, and physical healing, which can take time. I felt strongly that this is one of the people I was sent to minister to during my time here.

I received an email from an unfamiliar Soldier the next day asking if we could meet. When we met the following day I asked how she knew me, and it turns out she works with the LDS member I just mentioned who shared that I am a Chaplain and mental health counselor. So, I guess the word is spreading. We had a fruitful session on how to deal with workplace conflict and feeling overwhelmed. In fact, I was asked by my supervisors to put together a leadership development training on conflict management which I will present next week, so it was already fresh on my mind. I love teaching people about the Arbinger Institute principles, which is some of the best curriculum I have seen on positive leadership and change. (If you are not familiar, I strongly recommend their books at Arbinger.com)

I have continued to sit in with our young Soldier’s missionary lessons whom I mentioned last week. He has set a date for baptism and is progressing well. After each missionary lesson he has some additional questions for me, as he seems to process out loud. I felt impressed to share with him Moses Chapter 1, when Moses had great spiritual experiences, was taught about his divine identity, and then was tempted by Satan immediately afterward. I showed him how Moses was able to overcome through prayer, remembering his divine identity, and his relationship to Christ. He shared how meaningful this was to him at this point in his progression.

Yesterday was the first time I have been away from home for my birthday since my mission 18 years ago. I started the morning on WhatsApp video chat with my family as they sang to me, and they watched me open their package full of cards and gifts.

I have some great decorations on my closet now!

My Chaplain supervisor and Chaplain Assistant took me out to dinner at a local food truck, and I just about fell into a sugar coma since I have been avoiding sugar for the last 4 weeks. But it was a good way to spend a birthday, even though I am far from home. 

Thanks everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes on Facebook. (I read through them, but I don’t post anything). Here’s to another year of life in which to serve The Lord and do His work on this earth!

In His Service,
CH John Critchfield