Contact Magazine Winter 2016 by Armed Forces' Christian Union

www.afcu.org.uk

how to conquer

Mont Blanc by faith

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magazine for members of the armed forces

40 days alone

on Dar tmoor Winter

2016

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He has called you out of darkness

...into His

marvellous light

1 Peter 2:9

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ON 7 DECEMEBR 1914 Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary pause in the war for the celebration of Christmas. The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire but at Christmas the soldiers in the trenches declared their own unofficial truce. Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing. At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a report of soldiers from opposing sides playing a game of soccer. The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914, which was never repeated, came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. Even a world war could not destroy the Christmas spirit. In Hebrews 13 verse 8 it says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We follow the same Jesus Christ today, who is also the God of the impossible. In this issue of Contact we discover some of those who face almost impossible tasks and challenges, including climbing Mont Blanc, living alone on Dartmoor for 40 days and military couples living through months of separation. Their stories of faith are beacons of hope for any of us facing challenges ahead. Wishing you a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Rachel Farmer

contents Test of faith climbing Mont Blanc

40 days on Dartmoor an ex-soldier seeks direction

Life in the desert sharing faith on tour in Iraq

Living apart - a recently married navy wife reflects on separation

regulars Katie Kyle Martin’s memo coffee break book reviews caption competition

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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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Mont Blanc: the only way is up

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Capt Alex Pugh joined the army in 2010 and is currently serving with 19th Regiment Royal Artillery as a Fire Support Team (FST) commander. Looking for a new challenge in the summer, she decided to lead an adventurous training expedition to the summit of Mont Blanc. This is her story of what happened…

I know Jesus was walking with each member of the team. Even though they may not have known that......

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I HAVE come to believe that there are two kinds of mountains; those peaks that God places in our path and says, ‘Trust in me, keep going, the view from the top is spectacular!’, and those that we stumble upon at the most inconvenient times, that turn our world upside down and leave us desperate and broken before we even start the climb, writes Alex Pugh. In my view a mountain isn’t a mountain unless you go through the ‘dark tunnel’ of difficulty to get to the top - there is only one way up. As a stroppy six-year-old my Dad used to say to me, ‘There are two ways of doing this’, at the start of yet another long Sunday hike in the pouring rain. ‘The hard way, or the easy way, but either way, you are doing it’. I often chose the hard way. The idea of climbing Mont Blanc came from my boss, who is rather an enthusiast for adventure and physical challenges. In true military fashion and after months of wondering what other

hurdles would come up, I got a team together. We were relatively undertrained and underprepared. However, this is the nature of adventurous training, I thought, the ‘risk taking’ element. Soldiers have an amazing ability to get on with things and throw their hand at whatever challenges come their way and I was blessed with a team that was physically very fit and motivated and they all wanted to be on the trip, which helped. On arrival at our expedition base in Chamonix we had to get to grips with all the new kit and equipment. Luckily, one of our guides was military and gave us a ‘zero-to-hero’ session that got us to a basic level of understanding. There is something amazing about being in the mountains but I don’t think it had dawned on us how harsh and unforgiving they can be, especially when you are trying to scale them. The weather was less than perfect, in fact, it was overcast and raining and didn’t look to improve.

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Our lead guide declared that ‘summiting Mont Blanc is not a write off’, which was not the most positive start. Nevertheless, we were launched into some gruelling days of alpine mountaineering and acclimatization training. I felt like a cadet again, struggling to feel at ease with any of the strange life-saving kit and straining under the physical demands of a new activity. The crampons were heavy and awkward, my harness was clanking with far too many carabiners and other accessories I didn’t understand. We were roped together trudging across a minefield of crevasses, carrying too much weight and melting beneath the heat of the sun, which was so much stronger at altitude. When one of the team member’s legs disappeared into a crevasse, I saw it as an opportunity to have a water break, much to our guide’s frustration. Apparently, you are meant to carry on walking in that situation. I was not feeling like any sort of leader at this point. I was quite happy to keep quiet and do as I was told. The training was a seismic shock to the system for the whole team and we each experienced moments of desolation during those training days. My mum had given me a verse for the expedition, ‘It is God who arms me with strength, and keeps my ways secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights,’ (Psalm 18:32-34). It is clear why I liked this verse so much. Ironically, after only a few days out on the mountains, I had some painful blisters. ‘Thanks a lot God’, I thought. ‘I don’t think deer get blisters!’. There is however a very clear explanation for this - bad admin. It was mainly due to the fact that I had to buy some boots in resort at the last-minute and, instead of shopping around, I went for the end of season deal. I think the pair I ended up buying were not just ‘end-of-season’, but ‘end-of-shelf-life’. We had one rest day after training before embarking upon a three-day outing to summit Mont Blanc. I hit a low point on that day and even began to doubt my ability to lead the expedition. A quick dose of ‘man-up’, a new pair of hired walking boots, some medical dressings and desperate prayer got me through the day. I prayed for strength and determination to keep going. I really wanted the team to complete the trip and be able to see God’s creation from such a great height. That same day our guide told us the weather window for the next few days was clear skies, sunshine and low winds. What a miracle! Finally, the day of the expedition arrived and spirits were high. We had

all shed a significant amount of weight from our rucksacks, packing only the bare minimum and cautiously leaving unnecessary wet weather kit behind (a criminal offence in the military). The first day was a steady climb to our ‘base camp’ hut at 3200m. I was feeling good, the team seemed in good spirits and my blisters were relatively painless. In fact, they’d healed amazingly quickly. The sunshine and beautiful views helped keep morale high. The next day, we rose early at 0445 hrs and I was apprehensive and feeling slightly weary, yet also excited that the day had arrived. We set off in the darkness, head torches fastened to our helmets and for the first two hours it was an uphill scramble across a snowy rock face. There was a known risk of rockfall along the route and as some of the team had struggled with heights during the training, and I was grateful that the darkness would be a comfort to them. We were in teams of two roped together with an instructor. Ice axe in hand,

nauseous and every step I took felt as if I was dragging lead weights and I couldn’t shake the cold. I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was the effect of altitude. Because the task was arduous, I assumed that I was just being ‘weak’ and all I could think of was ‘keep going’. It’s amazing what you can think of in those seemingly eternal moments. Fortunately, a medley of worship songs was on loop in my head during the hours that elapsed and when we finally reached the summit, I was exhausted and far from the elated mountaineer I’d thought I would be. The guide handed me some gummy bears which I shovelled into my mouth. I was present for the photos and even got some decent images on my phone, but until we were at the hut, I was in a whole other world. I remember the feeling of delight as we were making our descent; my soul was singing out to God the whole time. ‘The team has made it to the summit!’, was the thought that brought me joy. However, in the continued on page 9

we carefully navigated the aggressive terrain, making sure that we didn’t get tangled in the rope or snagged on a rock. Towards the end of this section my breathing started to shorten and I felt the onset of what seemed like a desperate lack of energy. However, we pressed on, with steady and rhythmical steps up the steep glacial slopes and it felt so slow and also extremely strenuous. We were due to reach the summit after six hours of climbing. The descent to the hut would then take around two and half hours. It was an amazing day, the views were spectacular and the pain from my blisters vanished as other aches and pains in my legs soon emerged. I couldn’t overcome the growing weariness in my body as my head was pounding, I felt dizzy and

· Alex and her team reach the summit above contact

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forty days ...alone on Dartmoor When Lt Tristan Coulshaw handed in his MOD 90 it marked a step into the unknown. The next few weeks took him onto the wilds of Dartmoor where he picked up instructions for his next movements directly from God… “MAKING THE decision to leave the Army in an act of faith was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make,” said Tristan. He was coming to the end of a three year short-service commission as a subaltern in the Royal Logistics Corp (RLC) and hadn’t really thought twice about whether to extend or not. However, a few months before the decision had to be made he began to feel God wanted him to do something else. “Deep down, I felt that the Lord was calling me to become a missionary, this was something that I had felt very strongly about several years before, but foolishly had ‘put it on hold’. I remember praying loads about it and discussing it with family, friends and work colleagues, well aware that I had only a couple of weeks to decide.” But the fear and uncertainty of leaving the Army at such short notice was overwhelming and the day before he was due to tell his OC, he

told his parents he’d decided to stay on for another year to save some money and be more prepared for leaving. “I knew they would breathe a sigh of relief, but I was disappointed with myself,” he said.

Tristan had enjoyed his army career. After graduating from Sandhurst he’d joined the RLC, completing the Troop Commanders Course and then the Platoon Commanders’ Battle Course. He was then posted to 7 Regt RLC in Cottesmore as a Troop Commander, and then to 1 Regt RLC in Bicester as a Sqn 2IC where he deployed on exercise to BATUS in Canada. After making the decision to stay on in the Army he felt empty and started asking himself why. “I knew it boiled down to the fact that it was the ‘safe’ option,” he said. “The Army made life pretty easy with accommodation, a stable income, food in the Mess and a great working environment… but this was nothing like living by faith.” As he struggled with what to do he began to pray that God would help him make the right choice and was directed straight to Isaiah 6:8 which said, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”

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It was almost as if God was speaking directly to him. Nine weeks later Tristan handed in his MOD 90 and stepped into the unknown. Uncertain about what he should be doing, he decided to go and spend some time in silence and ask God what he should do next. “I set off to spend 40 days and 40 nights alone in the wilderness of Dartmoor. Packing my bergan with a tent (now a civvy, I’d said goodbye to the days of the poncho) and with lots of general admin, I stepped off on my little journey with no plans, no route and no camping sites, able to truly become a wanderer in the wilderness. My safety net was that I stored all my food in the boot of my car and parked it in a central location on Dartmoor, having planned to do a ‘replen’ every 7 - 10 days.”

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Tristan said spending that amount of time alone with God, with no interruptions, was life-changing. “I took

the Bible with me which I read from front to back in 28 days, and then re-read the New Testament a couple of days later. This act alone was the highlight. Reading it from front to back without a long break was so different from reading various books here and there and I really recommend it.” Once Tristan started reading the Bible, his questions about the future were put aside.“Every day I prayed to know Him more. I found that the most challenging aspect was loneliness and amazingly the revelation that I was never alone, not for one moment, grew stronger every day.” During the last week of his time on Dartmoor he felt God directing him to study at Bible College. Tristan said, “It was a lesson for me about how we shouldn’t concern ourselves and worry for endless hours about what we are to do, but instead focus on getting to know God better and then He’ll make sure

things work out.” He found coming back into ‘reality’ after his weeks alone very strange. “Instead of being glued to the TV, I found myself looking out of the window remembering that closeness I had enjoyed with God including moments of mourning and of joy that no-one else on the planet was aware of. It had been a time spent with just me and the Lord and I now realise how important it is to spend time throughout the day with God.” Tristan said the experience on Dartmoor was worth every moment and he prays that others will follow in the same steps as Moses and Jesus, whose examples he followed. “Soldiers of all people are more equipped to do something like this than most others, so it would almost be a shame if we didn’t utilize the training we have to do it, even for a week or two.”

the revelation that I was never alone, not for one moment, grew stronger every day

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Tristan has now started studying at All Nations Missionary College and is in the first year of a BA degree in biblical and intercultural studies. In the summer he had another life-changing experience of becoming part of a team with Flame International and going on a mission trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We were thrown in at the deep end and I was asked to preach to hundreds of people in various locations like police HQs, a military barracks, prisons and churches. It was a very ‘hands on’ ministry, we prayed for healing and deliverance and saw some amazing miracles. Since this trip I have an urgent desire to go out and share the gospel, particularly to the unreached and to the persecuted Church.” Tristan said he is continuing to live a life of faith, “I feel like I have no control over anything and I am living constantly in hope, and then awe as I see the Lord set things in place for me. It is as if He’s putting pieces of a puzzle together; a puzzle that He’s waited a long time to build and I have found myself in the adventure I’d always searched for.”

‘For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’ Matthew 16:5

· Tristan is pictured left with children in the Congo and far left his tent on Dartmoor during his 40 day retreat contact

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desert faith On a recent deployment to the Middle East with the Royal Engineers, Lt David Meryon discovered new ways to share God’s message of hope, seeing ‘living waters’ flow in a thirsty land... DEPLOYING IN support of Op SHADER, Op TORAL and KIPION was an exciting prospect, writes David Meryon. I was due to migrate from a blustery British winter in Scotland to the desert lands of the Middle East and Afghanistan. During my pre-deployment training we were briefed on a whole spectrum of threats in-theatre, ranging from the latest enemy tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to various disease and non-battle injuries. As the excitement was building, I found it hard to grasp that the biggest threat facing me on tour wouldn’t be a magnetic IED or an aircraft crash, both of which happened in-theatre as I was waiting to deploy. But by far the greatest danger on the horizon was to be cut off from my Christian family, to grow distant from God and fail to keep going to Him as my source of life and living water. Knowing how hard it would be overseas as a lone Christian, I prayed alongside my friends, family and the Emsworth AFCU Prayer Support Team, that there would be some opportunity for me to meet with other Christians to keep me going during the tour. It was massively reassuring to give this issue to God. On arrival in Mynad, it wasn’t much of a surprise to stumble across a little group of Australian Christians on the

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adjacent camp. They met on a Sunday evening to study the Bible, encourage one another, share communion and pray, before having dinner together in the · Infrastructure reconaisance in Kabul and camp dining facility. This above David on a visit to Baghadad. was beyond anything I had thought would be the end of my tour, imagined and turned out to we had an incredible opportunity to host be the means of God’s grace in keeping an evangelistic quiz night. We already me close to Him whilst on tour. had a popular monthly quiz on camp so I offered to host a special quiz for the As we continued to meet each week Easter weekend. Christians in Sport we grew more confident in our faith and provided a superb multimedia sports became more concerned about sharing quiz and a variety of video clips which the Good News with our mates. After all linked the sports theme of the quiz to the these were the people with whom we Christian gospel to providing a natural were spending every waking moment of springboard for a short talk about the true our day. Talking about Jesus is never an meaning of Easter. easy task, so it made all the difference to be able to pray about it with other Fifty people attended, which was an Christians, share the frustrations and answer to our prayers and meant we spur each other to crack on regardless. had a fantastically competitive turnout. After a couple of months meeting There’s nothing like sport to bring people together, the Aussie Padre hosted a together! We screened one of the video ‘Faith under fire’ weekly series to help clips after the interval which compared anyone interested in the Christian the England football scouts search for faith find answers to their questions. It George Best to an even more promising took time for the meetings to build any search for Jesus Christ. Following the momentum but it certainly provided a video, everyone listened intently to a relaxed forum for people to investigate short talk from a US padre. We heard whether the gospel of Jesus is credible. about how Jesus was sacrificed to take away the sins of many on that first Good As Easter approached, and what I

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(continued from page 5) moments that I felt off-colour I just wanted to be at home with my husband and wondered why I had even taken on the challenge.

Friday, that he rose again victorious and will appear a second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Being a part of this event was without a doubt the highlight of the entire tour, and certainly something that I would commend as a really accessible way of introducing mates to Jesus, whether you’re serving in the UK or abroad.

Without a doubt, it wouldn’t have been possible to keep going spiritually on tour without that fledgling fellowship group and now I look back, I can see it was God’s goodness in providing that and keeping us. Although God calls us as Christians to ‘go and make disciples’, He doesn’t leave us to do it alone. His promise in the Bible is very clear, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” David graduated in engineering science from Oxford University and went to work for Roll Royce before taking up his army commission. He is currently based at Kinloss Barracks in Scotland, where he is a troop commander in 39 Engineer Regiment, but will soon be moving to become an ops officer in Ripon.

One verse that resonates with me after my time in the Middle East is from John 7.38, which says, ‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ In such a dry and dusty place the picture of God’s living waters seemed even more real than in the UK. It really was an enormous privilege to be able to meet with Christians from other coalition nations, and then to be a part of sharing Jesus with our companions.

Is there more to life than this Pub again

Once we were all in the hut that afternoon, I heard the great news that one of the soldiers had been promoted. We all sat about chatting, even forgoing some much needed rest. When in that moment I realised what it was all about. It wasn’t about the individual sense of achievement at having summited Western Europe’s largest mountain, or the pride that comes with such a feat. It was about the team. It was about the journey from training and preparation to the summit and back to safety. It was knowing that many of us had to face fears, overcome setbacks and that all of us had all been pushed to our physical limits. Success was the team making it to the summit. For me, it was also the affirmation of God’s love for us and how He comforts us in our trials and rejoices with us in our successes. He delights in our achievements and He deeply and unconditionally loves us. I know Jesus was walking with each member of the team and even though they may not have known that, I trust that they felt it in some way. I know that faith can move mountains, but now I see that mountains can move faith. My prayer is that the soldiers in my team have been moved by this experience and that they are all somewhere on their journey with God. My request for those reading this article is that, if you pray, you will join me in prayer for them. I’m so grateful that God gave me this opportunity as it not only helped me to see the wonderful ways in which He can guide us, but it also reminded me that we can do so much more than we ever thought possible. It’s just a matter of faith.

· David on an airfield recce in Northern Iraq.

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married to the military

living apart

Amy Ellison is a recently married Navy wife. She writes about how she survives the frequent separations and uncertainties.. AMY WAS brought up in Sussex. She went to church but in the little village where she lived there weren’t many other people her own age. “I thought church was all about tweed jackets and old hymns,” explained Amy. But then her Godmother invited her to go on a Crusader summer camp when she was about 13. “I went along and had a great week of camping, silly games and fun with people my own age. The greatest thing about that week was that I learned that I could have a personal relationship with Jesus. The Christian faith was presented in a relevant and real way and Jesus and the Bible came alive. There was an Olympic theme to the Bible talks and for a sports mad teenager it couldn’t have been better. I asked Christ into my life that summer in a tent near Old Harry rocks.” Amy continued on her Christian journey throughout school, but said she tended to live from one summer camp to the next for an annual boost of Bible teaching. “I went away to university to study physiotherapy but became unwell and, after several stops and starts, had to leave the course. This was a time of real testing for my faith as I suddenly found my career plans pulled out from under my feet. It was during the lowest times that my relationship with Jesus grew most and I came to realise that I couldn’t do things in my own strength.” After recovering, Amy gained a degree in biomedical science and then trained as a vascular scientist. She met her husband on Christian Connection, a dating website and they were married two years ago (pictured above). Marrying Peter meant relocating and she has been working in clinical administration since they moved. She said, “Marrying someone in the military has been

a steep learning curve as none of my family has a military background. I have had to learn a whole new language!” She said she had also enjoyed the way she has been able to share her Christian life and be able to serve God as a team together. But being married to someone in the military has its challenges too. She explained, “My husband got one week’s notice to deploy just after we had started dating. Looking back now it was a good test of the separations to come and I’m glad we had that test before we married so that I knew what I was letting myself in for.” Amy and her husband knew they would be separated fairly soon after

their wedding so they made plans. “It was important to us to be settled in a house with a church community around us. Being apart has been tough on occasions but I have had to daily give my husband’s safety, our marriage and my path into the Lord’s hands and trust Him. When we were first separated for periods of time I found the lack of communication difficult. During the last deployment we really worked at this and it made such a difference to me. It is all too easy at the end of the day to write just a short email saying ‘situation

normal here’ but it is so important to chat/email and catch up on the small things that are part of everyday life. I am quite an independent person so I have found the transition periods the most difficult. The period in the run up to deployments is tough as you naturally start to detach yourself to make the separation less painful. Once my husband is home there is another period of adjustment as you learn to live together again. I think being aware that this is completely normal is key!” Amy’s tips for other couples facing separation are: “Don’t isolate yourself. Seek help when you need it. Don’t book so many things into your diary (to keep busy and make the time go more quickly) that you end up collapsing in a heap exhausted! I also found myself living for the end of the period of separation. One day a friend said to me that if we live like that then we spend our lives waiting for our husband to come home and not doing the work that the Lord has for us at that time. “During the last deployment some of the wives from the ship met up on a regular basis to chat and do various activities together. I found this hugely encouraging, to go through this shared experience together and I hope to stay in contact with some of these friends.” Amy said she found support through being part of a local church and also a home group. “It has been these church groups, and also meeting up with other military wives, that have been a huge support. I am also fortunate to have a very supportive family.”

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life through the wire with Katie Kyle

Katie Kyle is married to Jack, a Chinook helicopter pilot. They live at RAF Odiham, where their three children and Labrador regularly run rings round them and Katie works part-time as a solicitor. WHEN JACK told me he was due to do a week of national standby, I thought little of it (National standby requires a Chinook and a crew to be on short notice standby at all times for national contingencies). The rules at the time meant Jack couldn’t leave the station for the week but our quarter is only a few hundred yards away. To the extent I did think about it, I pictured less washing and more time in charge of the remote, whilst having Jack nearby. Naive. I’m not sure I watched any television that week. Instead I fielded telephone requests from my incarcerated husband for clean pants, more snacks and visits from the children. The bank holiday weekend was spent with Jack watching us through the fence playing at the park (sad) or with all of us in the Mess (nightmare), our children terrorising

the other inmates. And yet, for all the stresses, I learnt something valuable that week. After our final visit to the Mess, we left through the gate in the fence and I turned to wave but Jack was already heading back inside. Through the wire mesh, I watched him as he retreated from us. It occurred to me later that the fence I was looking through was also a construct in our relationship that goes up every time Jack is deployed or on exercise.

During our times apart, Jack worries about national security; I worry about keeping a two year old Houdini safe, Jack experiences loneliness; I crave ‘me’ time, unable even to go to the bathroom without an entourage of children/dog, Jack’s freedoms are restricted; I can go anywhere. We’re coping with the same separation on different sides of a fence, in very different worlds. National standby demonstrated this perfectly because we were actually separated by a fence. The relationship fence usually goes up days, sometimes weeks, before a deployment, as Jack focuses on something I can’t even picture and I start planning a children’s birthday party alone. Emotionally, we start to peel away from one another. Then there’s a pre-deployment argument to ensure the fence between us is good and solid.The

same dynamic is at play even if we’re just apart during the week.The fence goes up, the weekend isn’t long enough to deconstruct it and so there is strife! We have now been married eleven years and yet I’ve only just seen the fence. I don’t know if others experience it? I would love to say that having had these lofty thoughts, I handled the current separation better. I didn’t. It was the summer holidays, I was tired and distracted from six weeks of

childcare and we constructed the fence as usual. But I belatedly remembered the fence and (I think) it helped to sort things out. I realise that neither one of us wants the fence there. Our subconscious cleverly works out that it will be easier to say good-bye if we are cross with one another and already disconnected. It’s a coping mechanism. In fact, it demonstrates the depth of our love for one another. In films, we sometimes see star-crossed lovers separated from one another, gazing on the same moon. As Christians, we have something better to gaze on than the moon. We can look to a God who is able to see over both sides of the fence - a father who can help us bridge the divide. The challenge is to know how to let God connect us. Here are some suggestions, Better thinking: in my worst moments, I regard Jack as a deserter when he leaves and as an invader when he returns. Obviously he’s neither - he has a calling to serve, which necessitates time away. Reminding myself of this can help. Forgiveness: if time apart causes friction, it’s good to remember that the separation is no one’s fault. Taking an Interest: shamefully, there’ve been times when I’ve not known where Jack’s gone because I haven’t bothered to ask. The fence might be less divisive if I tried to peek over it. Looking Up: reading the same Bible notes whilst we’re apart links us spiritually. If we look heavenward, the fence might disappear. Being Sensitive: Jack’s always sensitive to the fact that things at home may have changed during his absence. My challenge is not to make him feel like a guest when he returns. Neutral Territory: a friend whose husband recently came home said it was good to spend his R&R away from home. Turf war is less likely on neutral ground- a holiday might help everyone readjust.

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Tweet your big questions to: @ArmedForcesCU #big-questions

tion s e u q BIG

why should I believe the Bible? Surely the Bible is just a bunch of fables? Everyone knows it’s not true... Here are top 10 reasons why the Bible is true from Scripture Union (USA). Manuscript Evidence THERE ARE way more copies of the biblical manuscripts, with remarkable consistency between them, than there are for any of the classics like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Archaeological Evidence Again and again archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. The more they dig, the more it confirms the Bible.

circle of 12 people and get the same message at the end. “There is indeed a wide variety of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind these… there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme.” John R.W. Stott, Understanding the Bible. Prophetic Consistency There are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. “The very dimension of the sheer fulfillment of prophecy of the Old Testament Scriptures should be enough to convince anyone that we are dealing with a supernatural piece of literature….” R.C. Sproul, Now That’s a Good Question.

Eyewitness Accounts The Bible was written by people who witnessed the events it describes; many were persecuted or martyred but never changed their story. Would you die for something you knew was untrue? Corroborating Accounts There are plenty of references in nonbiblical sources to the events described in the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus, born in 37 AD, “provide(s) indispensable background material... In them, we meet many figures well known to us from the New Testament.” J.D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary. Literary Consistency The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different writers but it tells one “big story” of God’s plan of salvation that culminated in Jesus Christ. You can’t even pass a secret around a

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Expert Scrutiny The early church had extremely high standards for what books were judged to be authentic and therefore included in the Bible. A book had to have been written by an Apostle or someone in their immediate circle, had to conform to basic Christian faith and had to be in widespread use among many churches. This was a careful process of “the people of God in many different places, coming to recognize what other believers elsewhere found to be true”; these writings were truly God’s word. G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Carson and R.T. France,

The New Bible Commentary. Leader Acceptance A majority of the greatest leaders and thinkers in history have affirmed the truth and impact of the Bible. “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong.” Abraham Lincoln. Global Influence The Bible has had a greater influence on the laws, art, ethics, music and literature of world civilization than any other book in history. Can you think of one that even comes close? “Christianity”, as set forth in the Bible “is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian advances in the history of civilization - in education, medicine, law, the fine arts, working for human rights and even in the natural sciences….” Craig L. Blomberg, in Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Changed Lives From St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Joni Eareckson Tada to countless everyday men, women and children, the words of the Bible have transformed lives unmistakably and forever. “As unnamed masses of Christians down through the ages have shown us, the Bible is the most reliable place to turn for finding the key to a life of love and good works.” T.M. Moore, The Case for the Bible. Extracts from a blog by Scripture Union’s former president in the USA, Whitney T. Kuniholm. Printed with permission from ScriptureUnion.org. for the full article, see: http://www.essentialBibleblog.com/2013/03/top-10-reasons-Bible-is-true.html#comments

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running on empty? IN THE course of my work with Christian Vision for Men (CVM) I come into contact with a lot of guys who have problems with addictions, normally alcohol or porn, but also drugs and gambling. In the services of course there is often a bit of a drinking culture… these things have an effect on a bloke, but not only on the individual. They also have a massive knock on effect on family and friends and indeed ship or work mates. What you put into your life or your body has an effect. The ship had been deployed to the South Atlantic and had come back via South America, the Panama Canal and America, Boston to be precise … tough ay? As usual we took on fuel before we left to head back across the Atlantic to Plymouth. We were a couple of days out of America enjoying a reasonably calm crossing, just tidying up the final

bits and pieces ready for the return to the UK and leave after a 7 month deployment. Thoughts were turning to home … when there was a loud bang and the ship stopped in the water. I was actually on the upper deck when this happened and it had all the indications of a blown engine. Now, that was not a common occurrence but it did happen and at least we would not have to conduct an engine change in a foreign port. We had three other main engines to get us back to the UK. The normal routine was to start another then look at what had happened. The second engine flashed up .. then very quickly there was a second bang … the engineers started a third and … yup, another bang. By this time the WO2 (Marine Engineering) had reached the Machinery Control Room

and ‘suggested’ (reasonably forcibly) not starting the fourth engine … So, here we were in the middle of the Atlantic with three knackered engines and no desire to risk the fourth! The engineers started their investigations and quickly realised that the common denominator was fuel and when tested it came up as contaminated. Contaminated with water, thus the engines would not run. The fuel system consisted of several tanks that could be cross connected to feed part or all of the system… as we were in cruising state and not at action stations, most of the valves were open, thus all the system was contaminated with the exception of one tank which was able to supply a diesel generator so we could maintain electrical supplies. So began the very laborious and time consuming task of ‘cleaning’ the fuel. The engineers were

stuff creeps up on us… we thought the fuel was OK until the full effect became apparent and we ended up adrift for about six hours before we began to get the situation back under control. Thankfully we just caught it all before we were in real difficulties, it could have been a very different story if the whole system had been contaminated.. or the weather had not been nice and calm.. we could well have needed a tug. If you are concerned that what you are putting in is having an effect on those around you, or your health etc do think about getting it sorted before its too late. Make sure you are only putting ‘clean fuel’ in … there are lots of passages in the Bible about looking after your body, dangers of alcohol, etc etc but I’m gonna give you this one about what we look at … it’s often said that the eye is the window of the soul … what you put in does have an

able to ‘strip’ the water from the fuel and produce enough to get the engine back up and running and get us to the Azores where the contaminated fuel was pumped out and replaced with clean fuel to get us back to the UK. The engines were actually OK and suffered no lasting damage.

effect … don’t leave it too late to make changes!

So what’s that all about I hear you ask? Have a think about what you are putting into your life... into your body… does your drinking affect the family… do you have a hangover and grumble at the kids? Do you watch porn and then have expectations/desires that your wife/ husband or partner does not like? Maybe it’s a quick flutter at the bookies or a few spins on a Fixed Odds Betting Terminal… Sometimes this

“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!” (for those who are interested that is from what is called the Sermon on the Mount … Matthew Chapter 6 v 22/23). Until next time … by Steve Martin, Operations Director, Christian Vision for Men

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coffee break

£ P

beware angels

A BOOK which explores psychological and emotional battles alongside a glimpse into spiritual warfare is the latest offering from ex-RAF officer and author, Dan Gleed. In his book, Guardian, he draws on his experience of life in Kenya to offer a story of human courage, passion and vengeance that will appeal to fans of fantasy and supernatural fiction alike. Biblical models give the background of the organisation and warfare prevailing between heaven and hell, angels and evil spirits, blending them together. The plot is full of twists and turns. It tells the story of a man whose life spirals out of control after his friend is eaten by a lion in the African bush. A heavenly battle rages as he struggles with guilt, anger and suicide whilst facing abduction and murder charges, having fallen foul of a slavery gang.

the retreat centre. He said, “We all have family or friends who would neither darken a church doorstep nor pick up an overtly Christian book. So Guardian is designed to appeal to those without faith, with the guardian angel of the title clearly summarizing the Gospel towards the end. I suggest the book should be read by Christians who could then pass it on to their non-Christian family or friends.” He hopes the book will spur people to ask questions and find faith for themselves.

Dan grew up in Kenya before serving in the Royal Air Force, as an air traffic controller. He retired early to found a Christian Conference and Holiday Centre for the Armed Forces, called Badger House. His first book ‘Ice and Fire’ told the story of his faith journey, time in the armed forces and how he came to set up

Dan is now working on a sequel to the book having received some positive reviews for his first work of fiction. A limited number of signed copies of Guardian are available from the AFCU office priced £10 plus £3 postage email: office@afcu.org.uk

Leaven: The Hidden Power of Culture in the Church by David Brown

this summer.” David says the book may appeal to those with an interest in both theology and the inherited cultures of churches with long histories. Some aspects of culture can be strengths but others can degrade the Body of Christ. David argues that culture inspires great loyalty and can wield great power and that a radically different culture should permeate the church. Available from www. roperpenberthy.co.uk priced £12.99

One AFCU member who read the book described it as “a real ‘page turner’ with an exciting plot that paints vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.”

culture and the church AFCU member David Brown, who retired from the Navy in 1992, explores the hidden power of culture in the institutions of the Church using the biblical metaphor of leaven. He said, “I first joined the the Union around 1959 and greatly valued the benefits that ensued.” He was chair of the the Union’s General Committee in the mid-1980s and, after leaving the Navy, went on to work for Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Keith Sutton. “Since retiring I’ve drawn my naval and church experiences together by reflecting on the power of culture in my book which was published

What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)? The AFCU is a tri-Service British military Christian Fellowship 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 non-serving 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 have 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 a Prayer Support Team 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.

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competition what a pic!

5 £2 e z Pri

What is happening in the photo above? Why not send in your caption to rachel.reay@gmail.com before 1st October 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.

“Shoes? I wanted Jimmy Choos, and look what I got.” MC

the big read Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps by Richard Rohr The twelve steps of spirituality are explored by Richard Rohr in relation to those dealing with addictions. The book shows how those who have undergone suffering and pain become compassionate people, loved by God, able to support others experiencing a similar challenge in life. SPCK £9.99

Home at Last: Freedom from Boarding School Pain by Mark Stibbe Mark Stibbe examines the abandonment many people feel as a result of being sent away to boarding school. The book highlights the wounds, explains the healing process and ends with a sense of hope about how he was healed through owning his own story. Malcolm Down Publishing Ltd £8.99

Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian life by Rowan Williams Described as beautiful piece of writing for those starting to explore the Christian faith, or those who have been a follower of Jesus for years. The book draws both on the Bible and inspiring stories and is designed for use by individuals or groups. SPCK Publishing £8.99

Healing from the Consequences of Accident, Shock and Trauma (The Truth & Freedom Series) by Peter Horrobin This is an essential manual for those who pray for people as well as a life-transforming handbook for those struggling with unresolved issues including the consequences of shock and injuries sustained in the military. Sovereign World £9.99

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: Flt Lt Jonny Palmer RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, the Editors

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Cont act magazi ne is p ub lis he d b y A FCU thre e t i m e s pe 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 Ch ar i t y (N o .2 4 9 6 3 6 )

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