What the media DIDN'T report...

Wow, some amazing pictures!               As usual, the good news goes unreported.    There is tremendous re-enlistment in Baghdad......but it never made mainstream media...maybe it doesn't fit with their reporting of the hollow force, poor morale, etc.  For those who have been in the Al Faw Palace you'll have a better estimation of the number of people crammed in the rotunda.   Here is a re-enlistment ceremony from Baghdad on the 4th of July, 2008. Somehow this did not make it into network news broadcasts (imagine that).  Attached are pictures of what is reputedly the 'largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held in military history'.   The ceremony was held July 4, 2008 at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad, Iraq. General Petraeus officiated.   A pizzeria in Chicago donated 2000 pizzas that were made (frozen), shipped on Sunday, arrived in Baghdad Wednesday and were fed to the troops on the 4th.  Oh, by the way, the media DID report on the 2000 pizzas...just not what they were for.   THANKS TO OUR TROOPS!

 

A note from Steve and one of his teammates

Dear folks – Steve wrote a recent blog that was quite touching.  Also, one of Steve’s teammates on the World Race wrote a recent blog.  I thought both were worth copying portions of to get the feel of what the team is having to deal with this month.

 

Steve needs $2,500 total to finish the race - $700 of it by Sept. 1^st.  If you can help him out, please contact him at www.stevewright.theworldrace.org.  Go to “Support Me” and follow the directions.

 

Thanks.  Here’s the quotes.

 

From Mark Stratman –

 I have to say, however, that I'm feeling like a marathon runner at the moment. Everything...EVERYTHING is getting to me. Delhi is a tough place to be at this point in the race because it's a noise pollution definition. A simple walk to the corner store to get something to drink involves getting honked at from 3 motorcycles, 2 cars, and 3 rickshaw bikes must ring their annoying little bells all right in my ear...in case I didn't know they were there. While my ears continue ringing, I step over cow poo, walk around a cow, and smell some really nasty scents. I am over it. I think it's funny, still. I must admit that after yelling at the drivers to shut up and stop honking at me, I laugh. What if I brought this culture to the States? What if I decided that the lines in the road were optional? What if I took 1 million cows and released them in New York City, declaring that you couldn't so much as touch them? What if I honked at everyone just to let them know I'm around them...every car, bike, pedestrian, cow? What if I busted up the road to make them so pothole covered that you needed a 4x4 to go anywhere? What if I took away all the Wal-Marts and malls and replaced them with mini stores that you could get 3-4 things on your shopping list at any store and had to go to 4 stores to get all the things you wanted for dinner? What if?

 

From Steve –

We basically have three ministries that we have been doing.  Orphanage, leper colony, and Burmese refugees.  At this point I’ve been to all three, and they are going well.  At the orphanage, we've been able to play with the children, and they love the bible lessons and singing.  IN the morning when they are at school, there is a group that has gone in and fixed up the place as best as they can.  We bought some paint and also fixed a few fans of theirs. 

 

About a week ago I went to the leper colony, and I saw something that was difficult to take in.  There was a man that was crippled from leprosy.  All I could do was pray for him.  We prayer walked through the colony and played with kids.  Some of us sat a talked with some of the people there.  As soon as I went off on my own I saw this man, covered in a blanket, and swarmed with flies.  I went to put my hand on his shoulder and I only felt his bone.  I had to walk away after that, I didn't have anything to give him. 

 

Continue to pray for Steve and the ministry – I know he appreciates it!

 

Pastor Bob

 

A Good Story

JUST PUSH

 

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly His room filled with light and God appeared.  The Lord told the Man he had work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.  The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

 

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might.

 

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.  Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression the task God had given was impossible and he was a failure.

 

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.  Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough."

 

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

 

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time I have not even budged that rock by half an inch. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

 

The Lord responded compassionately, "Dear child, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

 

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.

 

Through opposition, you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now, my child, I will move the rock."  Which He did.

 

Moral: At times, when we receive a task from God, we tend to validate whether it is valuable from our own perspective and use our intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is simple obedience and faith in Him. Don’t allow Satan to distract you!  By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves them.

 

Thought:  "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

 

Have a good day!

 

Pastor Bob