Week Three

Our third week is shaping up to be a great one. Much of the training we have been doing so far will be put to the test this week. We will be in the field for three days.

Our plan for the week includes some really "fun" stuff like marching with our full packs, sleeping in the middle of nowhere, navigating through a swamp, doing PT and not getting to take a shower after, all the regular things that make for a wonderful vacation. LOL

Well, actually there really will be some cool stuff about this week: We will have an opportunity to set up a worship area in the field and have a worship service. I hope we learn how to create an outdoor pool for baptisms and some other related things. -Maybe we'll have to recruit some volunteers to get baptized. But I hope it won't be in the swamp.


John M

Every Day Is A Good Day

Waiting in Line to go in.

Today I had an extraordinary experience. I was gassed with CS Gas. Well, most people wouldn't consider being gassed as 'extraordinary', but God is good and everyday is a extraordinary day when you give it to Him.

The answer is YES! It burns, it hurts, and it makes you want to run and hide. But after it was all said and done I actually was glad I did it.

CS gas is the common name for 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile) (chemical formula: C10H5ClN2), and used primarily in riot control and military training.

The point of our training believe it or not, is not to gas us, as much as it is to build our confidence in the equipment we are issued. When we walk into the gas chamber we all have our gas masks donned. As you stand there, you begin to realize that they work quite well at keeping the gas out. But once you are given the order to remove the mask all bets are off. You know at that moment that you want the mask back on or to get out.

Here are a couple of quick shots of the day:
In the Smoke House

This little vacation of mine makes me want to say..."Wish You Were Here"!

-John

Gas! Gas! Gas!

Here are a few pictures from our course yesterday We worked on "TEAM" development by working
together to make our way over and through obstacles.

I sit here at the computer but I am not able to take my mind off the fact that tomorrow morning I will be making my way through the Gas Chamber.

It is CS Gas. It will burn and make me want to run out but in only a matter of a minute or two I will be aout of the chamber and it will be all over.

Still, I can't help but think about it. I'll let you know moe about this later. ;)

-John

Here We Are Marching

Watch the Video of us marching down the Road.

-John

Week Two

One Arm Push-Up.. ugggh!


Well, the training goes on. This morning we marched out to a range called "The Confidence Course".


Mostly designed to build our self confidence through achievement. We tackled walls, towers, ladders. And everything was done in groups of five. There would be no way to pull some of them off without help from your buddies.

Here are some more of the various pictures I have not posted yet:





Me and My Chaplain
"Battle Buddy"

The Pictures I Promised You!

Here are a few shots some of the other Chaplains have been taking.

These guys are great to be with and are very motivated.

I am blessed to be counted among them.

Chaplain Luis Figueroa and me.

Trying it on for the first time

Here I am on Belay as Chaplain Wakeland

Rappels down the tower.

Making our way up and down the ropes!

Our first week came to a close with with a great day on the ropes course. What a time of motivation, and quite honestly a lot of fun. Can you believe they are paying me to do this stuff?

After a long day it sure is nice to get back to my very comfortable room. I feel ashamed that our rooms are so nice when the privates that are going through basic training sleep in barracks with 40 to a room. But that only last for a second or two after my head hits the pillow.

Yes, that is a TV in my room,

And there is another one with a

DVD/VCR player in the living area

Of my apartment as well.

One Week - HOOAH!

This is the Chaplain Logo and Crest
Pro Deo Et Patria means:
"For God And Country"
(in that order)


Today is one week! I arrived here at Fort Jackson last Saturday night and stumbled around in the dark finding my building; most of the stumbling-around has subsided, but everyday is a new day.





In about one hour our class is marching out to "Victory Tower" for a day of rappelling down a 60 foot wall. WOO HOO! sounds like a lot of fun. I think I am going to like this. I hope to also have pictures from this in a later post. (we'll see)





Tomorrow may actually be our first day off (Sunday), but we are still required to visit worship services of different faiths from our own. Everything from Muslim to LDS to Catholic Mass. This I am sure will be very educating.

Keep Praying For Me - I really do appreciate even the brief prayers whispered as you go about your day.



Thanks for Faithfully Reading,

-John M

APFT - Army Physical Fitness Test

(Theses are file photos of what it looks like - not actually our class)

This morning I got up at 3:30am to be ready to head out on time for my PT (Physical Training)Test. By the time we made it to the field and track area, it was still dark for the rest of time we spent there.

I knew I would not pass the weight requirement but I gave it my all on everything else. I completed the required 30 push-ups for my age and fell short on sit-ups but I came in over 2 minutes early on my required time for my run. I did it in 16:11 and it had to be done within 18:30 for my age - 8 minute miles. By the way, I am 42.

This was the initial test and does not count for the final grade, however those who did not pass will be assigned extra PT. WOO HOO and HOOAH!!!

Keep praying for me...I can feel it.

-John M

HOOAH!

The first three days of Chaplain School have been mostly easy and full of paperwork, getting equipment issued (Kevlar), buying uniforms, hearing about military protocol and just settling in.

I have to admit, I am happy about how light the workload has been, however, I am told that after Friday, that all changes.

Friday morning we take our initial physical assessment: 2 mile run, push-ups, and sit-ups etc. I hear that after that day, the Drill Instructors have very little mercy from then on.

HOOAH! This is a phrase that we yell out when our drill instructors give us any kind of information that is "HOOAH" worthy. It generally means everything except "NO".

I hope to have some pictures posted in the next few days.

HOOAH!

-John

SWAT

The Twin Falls High School Bible Club is called SWAT. "Students With A Testimony"

I really enjoyed my time with the students today, and even more so by encouraging them to stand up as believers on campus.

We talked a little about Overcoming the temptation to live like the world on campus and to live with the Mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-7)

We talked a little about a strategy to beat temptation when it strikes by using the "5 Second Rule".

When you are tempted - at that very instant, you take the first 2 seconds to say "No, Get out of My Head" then take the last 3 seconds to say "God, in the name of Jesus, help me. Save me now, I am yours."

When that doesn't work, and if you can't physically escape the situation or environment, then you set your mind on things above or replace the image in your mind with a more appropriate image.

For example: If I have the temptation to lust, and you use the 5 Second Rule" and the temptation is still present, then you can replace the present visual in your mind with Christ on the cross suffering for the very sin you are tempted to make.

You immediately transport youself to Calvary instead of the place your mind is fighting to keep.

It is very tough to sin when your mind is filled with the image of Jesus' sacrifice and his love for you.

We closed our time by singing some worship songs. All in all it was a great day at SWAT. I hope I will be invited back soon.

Youth/Student Ministry

I had a great time in Youth Group on Wednesday of this week. The students responded well to our lesson time and I am so excited for them to be back on their campuses again.

Our students are at a place in time in their lives that we have all been at one time as well. They are, in a manner of speaking, on a mission trip to a country that is closed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When several of our church members were in regions of the world this past February where sharing the Gospel is punishable by death, we knew that if we made an attempt to intentionally convert people to Jesus Christ we would get kicked out of the country or go to jail and possibly be killed for our "crimes".

But at our public schools you and I are still barred from coming on campus and talking about Jesus.....Except for the students... They are still free (for the most part) to be who they are, and talk about what they want to talk about. They can have Bible studies, sing praise songs, and share the love of Christ with each other. Not even their teachers have this freedom.

But..... They also have one more freedom that is really cool. They can invite and adult to come on campus to talk about Jesus. Yup you heard it right. I was invited by the President of the Student Bible Club at Twin Falls High School, Chance Requa, to come and speak to the SWAT Club (Bible Club) this Thursday September 13th.

I asked Chance what he wanted me to talk about and he said that he wanted me to talk about worship. I asked him if I could bring my guitar and if we could sing some praise songs, and he got really excited and said yes.

So, here I go on a "One-Day-Mission-Trip" to a "Closed-To-The-Gospel-Country" by invitation of the locals. Pray for me... Pray for them...


-John M

Chaplain School

The Chaplain School at Fort Jackson, SC.

(For God And Country)

This week I depart for "Chaplain School" at Fort Jackson in Colombia, South Carolina.

This will not be the first time I have been on this base. June 6, 1983 I entered the US Army and the New Mexico National Guard through the processing station at Fort Jackson and I went through the wonder 8 Weeks of "Basic Training". I was also stationed there following 'Basic' to complete "AIT" (Advanced Individual Training) where I played with the 285th Army Band.

24 years later it's Deja Vu All Over Again. Well, except that this time I'm an officer and this time I am focusing on becoming qualified as a Chaplain and not a bandsman or fighting soldier. I will take as many opportunities to keep you updated through this BLOG as possible. I am not sure that I will have any great frequency at Internet access, but I will do my best.

I would greatly appreciate knowing that you are praying for me. You don't have to tell me that you are, just pray when you think about it. And I would really love it if you would check in on Shari and the girls while I am way. Coda would appreciate that too. It is an awful big job to serve as "Guard-Dog" when all you really want to do sniff and make friends with everyone who walks by.

-John Martinez

Feels Like Canada

When I woke up early this morning and made my way to Gold's Gym (routine), it reminded me of my trip to Canada this summer. The clouds, the coolness, the light breeze...

Thank you Lord for weather like this after long stretches of heat and dryness and forest fires.

Our friends in Washington (state) may disagree to a certain extent, but I love the rain and the clouds. It confirms to me that God is in control. He's got a plan working in the world today. Jeremiah 29:11. I know the plans I have for you... - They're His plans and He knows them.

God confirms the plan He has for us as individuals in His Kingdom. He does that by the way He works in our lives. By the way He affects others through us. By the way He allows circumstances to re-direct our attention to Himself.

I am thankful for the way He has confirmed His plan in my own life by the way He is working in me in Twin Falls and at Eastside, and through the people of our church family and the way they affirm that to me.

I praise God for for my Church Family.

-John