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
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