Contact Magazine Winter 2015 by Armed Forces' Christian Union

www.afcu.org.uk

magazine for members of the armed forces

out of c on tr o l - a sol dier’s road to recov er y

ex -colon el’s

‘b u r n i n g’ amb it ion s

Con Conttact act magazine is p ub lis he d b y A FCU thre e t i m e s pe p e r y e a r - C o n t a c t I SSN 1 3 5 9 - 1 7 2 6 - Re g i s t e re d C h ar i t y (N o .2 4 9 6 3 6 )

Winter

2015

£2

competition what a pic!

£25 ze i r P

What is happening in the photo above? Why not send in your caption to rachel.reay@gmail.com before 1st February 2016? It could be a winner... Thank you to all those who entered last time’s competition. We do receive some great captions. Congratulations to the winner.

The grass withers and the

“Right Lads, the first one to identify where the air is escaping from, put your hand up.” RM

the big read

flowers fall...

but the word of our God endures forever Isaiah 40: 8

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand An inspiring story of a US airman who spent time as a prisoner of war and planned to revenge his Japanese torturer until he found faith in God through evangelist Billy Graham. His transformation and dramatic adventure story has now been made into a film directed by Angelina Jolie. It is an exciting account of a true story of faith and forgiveness. £8.99 Fourth Estate

My Father’s Tears by Mark Stibbe Dr Stibbe looks at salvation and relates it to the orphan condition of separation and shame he has known personally in his own life. He suggests that in the excruciating picture of the grieving Father and the abandoned Son, we paradoxically discover the Good News - that our true identity is as God’s adopted, much loved children. £9.99 SPCK

Journey to the Manger: Exploring the Birth of Jesus (Biblical Explorations) by Paula Gooder Theologian in Residence for the Bible Society, the author offers a detailed exploration of the accounts of Jesus birth. A goldmine for preaching and teaching, this will breath new life into the familiar Christmas stories heard year after year in churches, carol services and nativity plays. £12.99 Canterbury Press Norwich

Faith in the Fog by Jeff Lucas This book examines the pain and fear that many of us feel when walking through a spiritual fog, when doubts and fears undermine faith. The author says that God doesn’t want us to ‘go it alone’. Exploring what the disciples went through after the resurrection he uses Peter’s experience to point the way through dark times that may include depression and anxiety. £9.99 Zondervan

Please send letters, captions and ideas for articles to: rachel.reay@gmail.com Photographs © Crown Copyright from www.photos.mod.uk are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. All photographs are copyright. Every effort is made to trace copyright holders of the images reproduced. We apologise for any unintentional omission and would be pleased to insert appropriate acknowledgement in the next issue. 1. Pictures of service men and women and those not members of the AFCU reflect our prayers and support to all members of the Armed Forces. 2. Articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the AFCU Board of Trustees. Contact Editorial Team: Sqn Ldr S Priestnall RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, the Editors

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inspired story

evon based vicar, the Revd Simon Holloway (pictured right) shares some inspiration from the story of an injured Royal Marine. He writes, “What an amazing story we were privileged to hear from Mark Ormrod, from Plymouth, a Royal Marine commando who explained how he became a marine. He went to serve in Afghanistan in 2007 after seeing service in Iraq, when he had considered retraining as a bodyguard. On Christmas Eve that year he was out with a foot patrol when he knelt on an improvised explosive device, which detonated, severely injuring him. Eventually, in order to save his life he had to lose three limbs and was then flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. He had lost 28 pints of blood and plasma and died for three minutes, but was revived and given blood to keep him alive. He was 24 years old. Mark described his road to recovery through the support and encouragement of many people, despite being told at one time that he would never walk again and to resign himself to living in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Against the odds he worked towards achieving specific targets and, rather like the Second World War pilot Douglas Bader, he learned to live again and to walk again. In February 2008, he walked on the parade ground to receive his campaign medal along with his fellow marines. His story was one of blood, sweat, tears, swearing, temper and much

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• Mark Ormrod speaking in Devon

support and help from many people. Mark went on to get married and when he and his new wife Becky did their first dance together in celebration, that was another goal achieved. Shortly after this he was on a plane to California to meet up with a global network of amputees who were getting their lives back together. With their support and encouragement, he learnt again to have fun and achieved amazing goals to ‘pay back’ the many who had raised funds to help with his recovery and prosthetic limbs. He had £93k legs and £22k hip joints. Mark has run across America east to west Coast, cycled round the coast of Britain and climbed Ben Nevis – all sponsored to raise funds. As I reflected on Mark’s story, I was humbled and inspired to keep going with the challenges and opportunities in my own life. Listening to Mark I saw so many connections with how the local church should be a supportive team and network. I could see the value of training, self-discipline and setting achievable goals. We need to take risks to make progress and mentoring and encouraging each other is important. Most of all we need to look forward with hope instead of complaining - and help others.” Mark’s book telling the story of his injuries and recovery is called, ‘Man Down’ £8.99 (Corgi)

£25 ze i r P

itting on the train this evening, I’ve been watching a young mother balancing the needs of her two children – one who is barely walking and trying to eat an apple, the other diligently colouring in and asking questions about whether a ball might drop out of space or float. She seems to have infinite patience, softly explaining about gravity and then playing peekaboo with her daughter as she speaks a mix of what I think is Japanese and English. I’m amazed by her kindness and gentle patience. For me it was a picture of how patient God is with us. No matter how many times we mess up and disappoint or lose faith, he is always there to support and love us. He is a gentle and caring parent.

What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)? The AFCU is a British military Christian fellowship, tri-service, for all ranks and open to all Christian denominations. It is a fellowship of Christians who wish to grow their faith and share it with others. The basis of membership is prayer and a willingness to pray. Who can join? All who serve in regular or reserve sections of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army or Royal Air Force join as Serving Members. All others, including those who have retired, join as Associate Members. Those serving in foreign armed forces are welcome as ‘honorary’ members. What are the benefits? All members receive the AFCU Contact magazine, News & Views and other literature and access to information and resources on the web and the App. The AFCU has a network of Christian contacts across the Armed Forces and members have access to this address list. The AFCU holds teaching events, days and weekends, and holidays. Serving members can link to an Associate prayer group for regular prayer. What does it cost? No subscription, but members are asked to give as they can. Cost of administering each member is about £30 per year. How do I join? You can apply for membership on the AFCU website www.afcu.org.uk by clicking on the ‘Join’ button. Or you can email (office@afcu.org.uk) or phone (01252 311221) the office for a membership form.

The stories in this issue are evidence of that unchanging love that never lets us go, no matter what we do. Our centre-spread is all about ‘walking in the miraculous’ as former army colonel, Jan Ransom explains how the charity Flame International began and its lifechanging work in war torn countries around the world. There is also a story from an ex-RAF soldier whose life was falling apart after he suffered depression, turned to drink and tried to take his own life. The way God has transformed him makes encouraging reading. An officer cadet at Sandhurst also shares his own journey of faith, telling how he has seen miraculous healing in his own life, giving him the confidence to carry on. I hope you are encouraged and inspired by the tales of faith, miracles and adventure. We never know what’s around the corner, but we do know that God is faithful and will always be there no matter what happens.

Rachel Farmer

contents miracles & mud officer cadet on training at Sandhurst

a rescue mission - an RAF soldier’s story

Flame thrower? how a retired colonel started a life-changing chairty

God’s signposts - discussing difficult questions on faith

regulars Owen’s blog Martin’s memo coffee break book reviews caption competition

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Now available

Armed Forces Christian Union get.theapp.co/7423

Editor

• If you wish to know more about what it means to be a Christian and/or how to become a Christian, find and ask your local chaplain or a Christian you may know or pick up the phone and ask the AFCU office 01252 311221

Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU), Havelock House, Barrack Road, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 311221 Email: office@afcu.org.uk www.afcu.org.uk

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mud and miracles

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Officer cadet Ben Udy shares his story of training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and how God intervened in miraculous ways to help him keep his place on the course...

It struck

me, however poor my performance was, God had made it very clear that he had called me to

’

Sandhurst

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ttending the army officer training course at Sandhurst wasn’t in Ben Udy’s plan. He’d visited a regiment when he was 17 and decided the army wasn’t for him because it wasn’t a good place to be a Christian. It seems God had other plans, writes Rachel Farmer. Last year Ben enrolled as an officer cadet at Sandhurst, but the journey to get there had been a strange one. Having gained a masters’ degree studying the East African Revival, it seemed more likely he should be looking for a job on the mission field abroad than joining the army. Ben explained: “I felt God was saying go into the army but I wasn’t sure and, like Gideon, I asked for a sign.” A few days later he had a chance meeting in the middle of London with someone recruiting for the regiment he had been thinking of joining. It was an encouragement, but it wasn’t enough for Ben because he had a serious health problem which meant he couldn’t run for longer than 15 minutes. Also he couldn’t sleep unless he lay in a particular position. How could the army take on someone like this? Ben thought it would take a miracle. So he prayed. Ben was no stranger to miracles. “When I was four years old I made a profession of faith. For me the most important time had been when I had a bad head injury in the last year of school. I was concussed for 18 months and had constant headaches – I had no problem with belief but I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t healed.” Weeks went by and the pain continued. Ben began to feel so ill

that he thought he was going to have to withdraw from university. He said he felt desperate. He was unable to do all the things that he enjoyed like sport and even reading because concentrating for any period was impossible. He recalled, “I felt that I had lost my life. It got so desperate that I felt my life was going to be nothing or it was going to be ended.” He went to see a pastor at his church and asked him to pray. He was told, “The love of God conquers everything”, and to believe Jesus was healing him. “I cried and after 15 minutes I had no more memory of pain. God had made my life something,” he said. Two weeks after praying for God’s healing to be able to run again - he ran without pain and then within two days he was able to run for 50 minutes. He said he hasn’t had a problem from the old accident since then. “That moment was like a ‘burning bush’. I knew for a fact that I’m meant to be here at Sandhurst,” he said. When he said he was joining the army his father was supportive but his mother was worried. He told them, “If I’m doing the will of my Father in heaven then I’m in the safest place.” But injury troubles continued to haunt Ben. Just before he joined Sandhurst in January 2014 he tore a ligament while training. He couldn’t march due to his injuries and was put on light duties – which he said was a miracle in itself, because an injured cadet would normally be ‘backloaded’ to a later intake. He had three months of rehab, during which time he said God seemed to line him up with people who wanted to talk about faith. He began to realize that God

tio s e u q G BI

God’s ‘signposts’

hat about people who have never heard? It’s hard to answer. We don’t want to upset anyone and yet Christians have been commissioned to proclaim “truth that will set people free.” This question can be asked in many ways and for different reasons. It could be that you’re asked something like this: “Why would God condemn someone just because they have never heard about him? Can’t we get there by simply trying our best?” It’s a good question! Christians believe God has shown Himself to all people, in a number of ways: Nature From the vastness of the universe to the complexity of a single atom creation has the fingerprints of God all over it, which is what it says in Romans 1:20. You don’t have to be a scientist to see it, just look

Is there more to life than this Pub again

at your hands and wonder how you have those incredibly useful thumbs! Everything in nature, from atoms to opposable thumbs to the vastness of the universe can lead to a sense of awe. This can be the beginning of worship for some. Conscience Humans are the only creatures we know that have a sense of “ought to” which often conflicts with our sense of “want to”. For example, in Romans chapter 2:14-15, we may choose to do something our conscience tells us not to but we all have a sense of right and wrong. Why is that? The pricking of our conscience can lead to a change of heart and to faith. It can turn someone around and result in repentance, forgiveness and faith rather than defiance. Jesus God also reveals Himself through Jesus. In John 1:18 it says ‘No one has ever seen God, but the only Son, who is at

How about a night in

the Father’s side, has made Him known.’ Jesus coming to earth is another way that God has shown His love to everyone in the world. Would they have trusted Jesus if they had heard? This is something that humans cannot honestly know but one of the amazing things about God is that He is omniscient. Not only does He know everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen but He also knows everything that would have happened in a different set of circumstances; as Jesus said ‘…if the miracles that were performed in front of you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago…’ (Matthew 11:21-22) Finally, someone asking this question has heard and so they do have a choice to make. by Martin Riddall

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Will my mates be there

Got questions about life #TryAlpha

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Owen’s blog

L i v i n g

t h e

head of going to Sandhurst for officer training I sought out advice from friends who had already gone through the process as to how I might make it more bearable. The advice ranged from the practical, “buy the best steam generator iron you can afford”, to the philosophical , “remember, it’s all a game, so just play along with it”. A particularly memorable, and ultimately useless, piece of advice came from the friend who told me “There are two types of people at Sandhurst. First, there are the ‘blade runners’, those who want to win the Sword of Honour [for best cadet] and will try to thrust themselves forward as much as they can. Second, there are the ‘grey men’, the people who realise that they will never win the Sword and so just keep their head down and try and blend in so as to avoid getting singled out by the Directing Staff”.

fa i t h

further type of Officer Cadet other than a ‘blade runner’ or a ‘grey man’ and that there are a lot of colourful Scottish phrases that could be used to describe them. Secondly, that in all that we do we need to be true to ourselves and honest about who we are. The life of a Christian, especially in the Armed Forces, should not be the life of a ‘grey man’. The faith that we have should not be something hidden or kept under the radar, but should rather be openly expressed and practically lived out. Paul writes in his second letter to the church at Corinth, ‘We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:20). For Paul, it is through our words and actions that Christ is made known to others. This does not mean forcing our beliefs down people’s throats – I have seen first-hand the hurt and alienation

constantly required in every area of our lives, we take a step to becoming stronger. Later on in 2 Corinthians, Paul says that God told him, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12.9) The second challenge to being an ambassador is that it is not always popular and may well bring criticism. In the Armed Forces this can be particularly evident in the block or the mess, where there can be pressure to drink heavily or criticise others behind their back. It is sometimes far easier to be the ‘grey man’ and go along with everyone else, than to be the one who chooses to act differently. The Revd Stephen Potter, at this year’s AFCU Easter Camp, asked us, when with our friends or at work, whether we are like thermometers, who measure the

Blade runners, grey men and ambassadors

Being the pragmatic sort, I decided that I was going to go through Sandhurst as the ‘grey man’, taking the path of least resistance through the Commissioning Course. The problem was, as I realised at the end of week one of 44, being the ‘grey man’ did not come remotely naturally to me. Being 6’ 3”, I was usually one of the ‘markers’ in my platoon, standing at the corner of the squad with no cover from the eagle eye of our Jock Division Colour Sergeant. My singular lack of co-ordination, therefore, was all too easy to see and resulted in a number of rather vocal debriefings on the drill square. These debriefings, combined with a few other run-ins in the days and weeks that followed, meant that I was firmly established on the Directing Staff’s radar and my naïve hopes of being the ‘grey man’ had evaporated. The experience taught me two lessons. Firstly, that there must be at least one

by Lt Owen Churton

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that can be caused by well-intentioned but poorly thought-through evangelism. Rather, as ambassadors for Christ, the way we live our lives must itself witness to the good news that through Christ’s death and resurrection we can have life in all its fullness. There has to be something about the way that we conduct ourselves that attracts others to God

This is immensely challenging for two reasons. The first is that, speaking for myself, I often feel like a rather bad Christian most of the time, so how others should see that there is something genuinely different about me is anyone’s guess. Yet being a Christian is not about pretending that we are happier or holier than who we actually are – a ‘blade runner’ - but rather recognising that it is God who drives the process of perfection, not us. In acknowledging that we are weak and that God’s help is

temperature around them, or thermostats, who set the temperature. In the same way, as Christians we are not called to conform to the standards of others, but to put our head above the parapet, to set the standard and so try and point the way to Christ through our actions. This will never be easy or straightforward but it is what Christ demands of each one of us and we have the sure promise of His help.

was using his injuries and rehabilitation to keep him at Sandhurst and put him alongside people, with whom he had many extraordinary conversations about the Christian faith. Ben explained: “I was given a deadline, before the end of term by when I had to pass the fitness test, or told to think of another career. They wanted to give me a trial run three weeks early to see how bad I actually was. I passed the test with flying colours.” His miraculous recovery was a mystery to his instructors and Ben said, “I remember thinking, if I get through, then God really wants me here.” He was able to continue his training, against the odds, and said he learnt a lot about dealing with the competitive pressure at the academy. “I spent most of the last year being an example of how • Ben Udy training on his bike

• ‘Sandhurst Selfie’ - Ben and Lizzie Udy

not to do leadership. It struck me that, however poor my performance was, God was making it very clear that he wanted me at Sandhurst – partly because I got stuck there!” It was a big moment for Ben when he was the course leader. He explained, “I was trying to do it in my own strength. I had to get rid of the idea that I could aggressively fight my way through the course. I knew I had to make a decision to completely let go.” So on one run when he wanted to run his fastest on a route, every time someone came up beside him he deliberately slowed down and let them pass. He said: “I felt God saying completely let go of self and stop being scared.”

heard about grace and not about law.” He was also able to lead a number of bible studies for fellow cadets on the course. Ben was married in August to Lizzie, who is a physiotherapist and he is due to be commissioned this month (December).

Reflecting on an unusually long time spent at Sandhurst, Ben said he frequently felt like a square peg in a round hole, but he could see how God had been at work through what happened. He was able to talk about faith to someone in his platoon who asked him about why he was different. He said, “He ended up at church and

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operation:

rescue

“Sex, drink, relationships and even my job left me feeling emptier and emptier... my life went into self-destruct and I was spiralling out of control. I went on drinking binges, I was drink driving and going from relationship to relationship. Then finally something snapped…”

‘

ormer RAF Regiment soldier, Bruce McEwen describes how he played a dangerous game during his life in the military until he couldn’t keep up the pretence anymore and finally reached rock bottom. Rachel Farmer writes his ‘rescue story’ about what happened next…

Sadly for

many a veteran and serving soldier the battle is never over... the scars

’

go deep, both

mentally and emotionally

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Bruce grew up with the army in his blood. His father was in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and he was born out in Germany. When he joined the army at 17, he also signed up with the REME. It was the realisation of a life-long dream, but sadly, he was too young to make it work and shortly afterwards he left to go to college. A couple of years later, when going to an RAF careers office with a friend, he suddenly realised his desire for a ‘forces life’ hadn’t gone away. He signed up to join the RAF Regiment as a Regiment Gunner in 1996. He’d always wanted to join the infantry anyway but his mother thought he was too young for it at 17. Subsequent postings took him all over the UK and on some gruelling tours abroad. Like many of his mates he married young but says he put his career and friends before his wife. He said: “My life as a soldier came first and foremost - above my wife. Like a lot of soldiers I also liked to party hard as well as train hard. It was very early on in my career that the drinking became an issue and a problem for me, but I was in denial for so long.” Bruce says he tried to be the big ‘rough tough soldier’ who didn’t need or do emotions. He said: “I bottled everything up and turned to alcohol as a crutch. My job was my identity. I ate, lived and breathed being a soldier. How I dressed, how I talked, how I acted. I suppose beneath it all I can now see I was running from God.”

what can we do?

In 2001 he was based with 51 Sqn RAF Regiment based at Lossiemouth Scotland. “During my time there I served two tours in Kuwait protecting Ali Al Salem Airbase working alongside the USAF. I also served in the Iraq war in 2003 where my squadron was one of the first land units into Iraq to secure Safwan Airstrip. Then we moved up to Basrah International Airport and took over operations protecting there.” services, and the Flight Deck was full as our Bish (the chaplain) led the service and prayed for us all. In his talk he said something like this, “I know many of you are wondering what we can do. There is so much that needs doing. Where do we start? I know that all of us will get stuck in and we will do what we can, where we are, with what we have.” • Bruce with fellow soldiers on operations

In the midst of being a soldier he says he was bottling things up and hiding from what he was doing by drinking. He had been battling with depression for a number of years and remembers one incident that brought him very low. “My ex girlfriend, who I had been seeing during a period of separation from my wife, fell pregnant. I messed up the relationship and didn’t find out until I was on operations in Kuwait a year after that she had been pregnant and lost the baby. I thought I loved this girl and when I found out it cut me to the bone to think that she was carrying a little girl. My daughter. I never properly grieved the loss and felt helpless because I was so far away. When I found out, part of me inside died that day. I made a vow to myself I would never let myself be hurt again or let anyone get close again. I became angry with God - it felt as if He had taken away my child.”

And that’s exactly what we did, in a small Sri Lankan coastal community called Batticaloa. We cleaned the mud out of the hospital, and had our doctor holding a clinic for mums and kids as that was happening. We put a fence up around an orphanage, we pumped salt water out of wells and provided manpower to shift debris. We also patched up a couple of fishing boats and shifted them back into the water. We worked on electrical power supplies and we played football with the kids! We stayed there for two weeks until other agencies arrived and took over. 280 sailors made a difference.

An incredibly worthwhile and rewarding time, that came out of disappointment and frustration. But it was those words of the chaplain that stuck with me... when you feel so overwhelmed looking around at the needs in the world or in your local community, ship or regiment and whatever it’s called in the RAF… all we are called to do is ‘what we can, where we are, with what we have’. That may end up in effecting massive global change or it may be simply making yourself available to your oppo who is homesick, or being pulled into doing stuff on a run ashore that he/she is not happy with. But surely we should be doing something? In the Bible we read that when Jesus was murdered, his oppos (otherwise known as the disciples) were confused, disappointed and scared. They had lost sight of the bigger picture that Jesus had spoken about (just as we did to start with on board – more worried about the run

ashore!). But once they became aware that the story wasn’t finished and, as Christians believed, Jesus had risen from the dead, that disappointment and fear vanished and they got on with telling others about Jesus. And that continues today. The Church exists to tell this story. If you want to know more about that story, have a chat with your chaplain or the sandal wearing God Squad who sings kum-ba-yah to a badly tuned guitar (I was that man …).

by Steve Martin, Operations Director Christian Vision for Men

When he returned home he said, “This

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in the face of disaster... Contact columnist and retired RN warrant officer, Steve Martin, reflects on responding to the fate of Tsunami victims while serving on HMS Chatham in 2005...

The scale was massive, we were one relatively small warship with limited stores and supplies

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K … so it was three days before the Chesterfield marathon. I was ‘tapering’ (ie reducing mileage and upping carb intake) .. two gentle miles … a mile from home and I pinged a muscle in my leg. No marathon. ahhhgghhh… all that training, all that prep, all those miles .. literally 3 days before. Disappointed doesn’t cover it! No more comments on this… (except by the time you read this all being well I will have completed the Leicester half marathon). We all look forward to stuff and sometimes we get disappointed when it doesn’t quite pan out as we planned, but I reckon we also have to look beyond our personal disappointments and see the bigger picture. I was serving on HMS Chatham as the Executive Warrant Officer. We were deployed to the Gulf on a routine six month deployment. We left Plymouth in October 2004, due back in March 2005. Our long-term programme had us at sea for Christmas, but alongside in Dubai for New Year. Not too bad (someone had to do it!). We headed through the Straits of Hormuz, looking forward to New Year… when news started to come in about the tsunami that had hit the region on Boxing Day. We were the nearest UK RN unit to the affected area, down at the other end of the Indian Ocean. So we waited to be retasked. But no orders were forthcoming from the MoD (no way …

they were on leave). So we continued with our programme, heading to Dubai. The ship’s company were ready for a bit of a stand-down, let off a bit of steam, so were all looking forward to the run ashore, and would have been threaders had it been binned. But as we began to see pictures coming in of the devastation we began to look beyond our run ashore and think that we should be getting down there. We went into Dubai, but rather than have a run ashore we stored ship. Big style! Also taking on some extra stores that would be helpful in a disaster relief scenario. We sailed on New Year’s Eve (if memory serves me right!), and headed out to sea and back into the Indian Ocean, and when the order to sail to Sri Lanka finally came from the MoD we were already very nearly there! On our high speed passage down the Indian Ocean we saw more and more images of the scale of the disaster. When within range our helo did a recce and the reports and films brought home to us the reality and scale of what we were facing. Having overcome the disappointment of losing the run ashore, there was a growing sense of disappointment and frustration. Actually what could we do? The scale was massive, we were one relatively small warship with limited stores and supplies. So in the best traditions of the RN, and without an RM Band embarked, and no guests for a CTP (cocktail party) we held a Church service the night before we arrived on task off Sri Lanka. In times like these most serving guys will attend Church

was the start of my infidelity. I started to sleep around cheating on everyone I was getting involved with. Searching to be loved but never letting anyone get close.” Following a second tour in Iraq at Basrah during 2004/2005 he reached breaking point and after a huge drinking binge tried to take his own life. He was admitted to the Priory Hospital in Glasgow and was to be medically discharged from the RAF. He said: “I was gutted and knew deep down it was coming. My whole life and foundation had just been ripped out from under me.”

stopped me from doing so. My friend and his wife invited us over for lunch that Sunday and we e spent the day talking about life and my friend Roy shared with me how Jesus came into his life and changed him. The one thing I remember that day was looking at Roy and saying, ‘I don’t know what he has but I want what he has got.’ This was the turning point for Bruce and a few weeks later he turned his life over to God. He said: “Life did not get any easier. I still went through a messy

evangelism conference at Wester Hailes Baptist church. He said: “God brought two very broken people and turned it into a Godly marriage with His story of grace, love and reconciliation. We are part of Perth Christian Fellowship and both have a heart to serve and for evangelism. God has especially given me a heart for broken men, particularly soldiers and ex-soldiers who suffer from depression, mental health and PTSD. God has changed my life. He has taken my old hard stony and bitter heart and given me a new gentle compassionate heart. He

After leaving the RAF he did some driving work and moved from job to job. He explained, “I got into bodybuilding as my new source of identity. Alcohol and depression still had a huge grip on me and I was living a rollercoaster life of ups and downs. My life was a complete mess. I missed the regiment and I struggled to fit in to normal life. In 2009 he had another breakdown and tried to take his own life again with an exhaust hose into the car. At that point, his second wife tried to get him help through Combat Stress. He said: “I was sitting and sleeping on the couch for days on end in the same clothes, not eating properly, not talking, even to my wife. I was planning to disappear and end my life for good.” Amazingly, some friends suggested his wife should take him to church one Sunday. Bruce thought he was going to a Combat Stress meeting. He said: “When I stepped into the church I felt the love of God descend on me. I heard him saying, ‘I’ve got you now and I won’t let you go’. I heard a powerful message about relationship, adoption and forgiveness. There was an altar call at the end and I actually wanted to go up but something

divorce. My wife rejected Jesus and rejected me also. But God healed me from alcohol and being an alcoholic. I have now been sober for over six years and have had the privilege of evangelising on streets of Edinburgh with a ministry team. I have gone into prisons and schools around Scotland sharing my testimony and even been on a mission trip to Moldova. Bruce met his wife Julie (pictured above with his stepson Lawson) at an

has transformed me from the inside out.” Bruce said: “I do miss aspects of forces life. I was proud to have served but I’m not that man anymore. Although the military prepares you and trains you to go to war, in my experience I wasn’t prepared for returning home, for being able to cope, to fit back into life when the battle was over. Sadly for many a veteran and serving soldier the battle is never over because the scars go deep – both mentally and emotionally. It’s only Jesus Christ who can heal that.”

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God’s flame thrower? What are your plans when you leave the forces? How about starting an international charity and helping transform the lives of thousands of people across the world? It’s not a bad next step and that is exactly what Lt Col (Ret’d) Jan Ransom did almost 13 years ago.

an Ransom joined the army because she thought it would be exciting. “I loved taking risks and the army offered me that opportunity... I think having an adrenaline rush was what challenged me about it,” she said. And this sense of adventure has been the hallmark of her life. It was a letter from her former commanding officer in 1983, just before her 29th birthday, that prompted her to put her life into God’s hands, not knowing where it would lead. She was so enthused by her new-found faith that within a year she was offering herself to numerous missionary societies, but when no offers to serve came back, she began to realise that the army was to be her mission field, at first. While continuing her military career, she began to work with women in

• Lt Col (Ret’d) Jan Ransom also pictured above on a Flame ministry trip

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the military; praying, supporting them and seeing many of them miraculously healed. It was out of this work over 14 years that the vision for what is now Flame International began to emerge.* Jan left the army in 2002 – was that a scary experience? “Definitely not!” Jan said, “It was exciting. I was following a vision that I’d had for years and that took 18 years to become a reality.” Her burning desire to serve God began to take shape while she was working with the Officers’ Christian Union (now AFCU) running their ladies’ ministry. The concept of healing being taken out to the nation like a flame lighting up the world emerged and this vision was supported by others a year or two later in the form of an image of the Olympic torch. As founder and director of Flame International, Jan has seen the charity grow year on year as more people are drawn into the work. The UKbased charity takes teams of trained volunteers around the world to bring hope through reconciliation and healing to communities suffering the effects of post-conflict trauma. They have been working mainly within Africa at the request of, and in partnership with, the national and local church and are now being invited to extend the work and expand into Europe and the Middle East. By 2008/9 six projects in three countries were run and attended by more than 51,000 people. Explaining why they go, Jan said: “Our passion is to see people healed and set free from the pain and trauma that have held them in bondage, often for many years. It’s very challenging to offer aid to someone who believes themselves to be under the spell of a witch doctor, and land will not be cultivated for farming by a community that believes it to be cursed. We teach them about the love

• Soldiers taking part in the Flame International programmes including prayer and healing

as word spread and more invitations flooded in from bishops and church leaders asking for Jan to take teams out to their countries.

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of God and pray with them, so that they may be healed and restored.” Jan says everyone involved in Flame is “in the business of walking in miracles”. Most recently they have been working with the hundreds of rape victims in the Congo, where the women have been healed from horrific abuse and been able to step out in faith. She said: “We haven’t just been working with the victims, but with the perpetrators too. It’s remarkable what happens when we preach the gospel. At the end of the first day we pray - people are healed and set free from the past.” She recalled their first trip to South Sudan when the commander had stood up in front of the newly arrived Flame team and said,

“The men in front of you have killed and raped other people’s women, but you are safe here.” The places they go are not risk free. That same trip the second in command stood up and explained how he had been healed and that he could now run, after not being able to run for two years. Many others also stood up and said they had been healed. One of the first Flame teams went to Sierra Leone in 2003 where they had been invited to work with some 300 war widows. The local military chaplains saw what was happening and how the women’s lives were being transformed and asked them to bring their teams to the men of the country as well. The work continued to go from strength to strength

The teams deliver conferences and workshops on freedom from trauma, forgiveness, reconciliation and church leadership, all aimed to equip local church leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to minister more effectively to their own widespread and often hard to reach communities. Jan said: “We also recognise the spiritual culture in which we operate and provide extensive demonstration of, and coaching in, prayer and healing ministry to those in need.” She said she sees the work in Africa over the past 10 years as ‘boot camp’ training for the next step in Flame’s ministry. Links are now being built with Chinese Christians who are supporting Flame’s work in Africa and there are also invitations to work with churches in Armenia and Pakistan. Jan believes there are new and exciting opportunities ahead in other parts of the world. “We’re excited about our Young Adult Programme (YAP) - taking 19-30 yearolds on short term mission trips in the Congo and South Sudan. They get a taste of the miraculous,” she explained. “They’re involved in teaching and praying for people in the morning and in the afternoons they do sport or creative

activities with the local people.” What has been your biggest challenge over the past 10 years? Jan doesn’t hesitate, “Getting people to come on teams. Once they’ve been, people usually come more than once. They get a taste of ‘walking in miracles’ and they want to see more.” Flame runs UK-based training days in healing and prayer ministry in support of the local church and it is often from these days that people decide to join trips abroad. Jan is a big fan of military or ex-military team members and says, “They are a huge benefit to Flame. They understand authority and if you ask them to do anything they just do it. They are flexible. If things are not perfect, they don’t worry about it. They use their initiative and they are courageous.” Many former members of the armed forces and serving personnel continue to be part of Flame. What’s your advice for someone wondering about life after the forces? Jan said: “What is your passion? Follow it – that’s what I’ve done!” For further information on Flame International and how to be involved see: http://www.flameinternational.org/about/ Images by www.garethbarton.com * Source: ‘Lighting Fires in the Dark’ by Jonathan Liggins £7.99 available from Flame International Office.

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• Lt Col (Ret’d) Jan Ransom also pictured above on a Flame ministry trip

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• Soldiers taking part in the Flame International programmes including prayer and healing

as word spread and more invitations flooded in from bishops and church leaders asking for Jan to take teams out to their countries.

it da

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‘

in the face of disaster... Contact columnist and retired RN warrant officer, Steve Martin, reflects on responding to the fate of Tsunami victims while serving on HMS Chatham in 2005...

The scale was massive, we were one relatively small warship with limited stores and supplies

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’

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operation:

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Sadly for

many a veteran and serving soldier the battle is never over... the scars

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go deep, both

mentally and emotionally

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what can we do?

by Steve Martin, Operations Director Christian Vision for Men

When he returned home he said, “This

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by Lt Owen Churton

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Officer cadet Ben Udy shares his story of training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and how God intervened in miraculous ways to help him keep his place on the course...

It struck

me, however poor my performance was, God had made it very clear that he had called me to

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Sandhurst

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God’s ‘signposts’

Is there more to life than this Pub again

How about a night in

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contents miracles & mud officer cadet on training at Sandhurst

a rescue mission - an RAF soldier’s story

Flame thrower? how a retired colonel started a life-changing chairty

God’s signposts - discussing difficult questions on faith

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The grass withers and the

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