Contact winter 2014 by Armed Forces' Christian Union

w w w. a f c u . o rg . u k

magazine for members of the armed forces

ethics on our dogs of war life and death rescue tale

a ge n e ralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wi fe t e l l s her cou r age o us story Winter

2014

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be strong and very courageous

Joshua 1:7

s Contact goes to print hundreds of military personnel across the world are gearing up for Global Interaction in South Africa - a 10 yearly gathering of Christians in the military from around the globe running from 30th November for a week. Verses from the book of Joshua have inspired the conference theme – ‘Be strong and very courageous’, so it seems appropriate that this issue of the magazine has plenty of stories of courage and faith, which I hope will encourage all our readers. Two young soldiers tell their personal stories of faith – one from Kenya and another from the UK, who was able to share his faith with fellow soldiers out on exercise on the Canadian Prairie. Dilhani Weerasooriya, who is married to the World President of the Association of Military Christian Fellowships, General Srilal Weerasooriya, shares her story of incredible faith despite family tragedies. She gives an honest account of how she found God doing miraculous things as she began to lose the will to live. It’s good to know that the Alpha course continues to help people find faith in God and former soldier, Ralph Prime, shares his story of how he discovered God when he had hit rock bottom. Our regular columnists continue to offer food for thought from a wide range of subjects from the ethics of animals and war to working out what it means to ‘walk humbly’ as a Christian and how to be prepared for the ‘race of life’. This is particularly appropriate for most of us in the military, as we never know what’s around the corner. It could be an unexpected deployment and separation or a family crisis that throws us off balance. Reading the experiences of Contact’s contributors it’s heartening to realise that God is bigger than all of this and He can ‘work together for good in all things’, as Dilhani Weerasooriya can testify.

contents A Kenyan soldier trained at Sandhurst and his miraculous recovery

How losing everything helped an ex soldier find what was missing

Sri Lankan General’s wife - a story of faith in the face of death

In the saddle for historical Warhorse ride across France

regulars ethics file Mike’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

Please do let us know if you have a story to share that might encourage or inspire others facing similar situations. Rachel Farmer 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.adfcu.org.uk contact

from Sandhurst to Somalia Fearing he might never walk again after breaking his back in a car accident, Capt Stephen Waswa believes his miraculous recovery and subsequent posting to Somalia were evidence of God’s hand on his life…

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Stephen and Everlyne pictured above with their three boys, Diolin (8), Griffins (4) and Glen (18 months).

This was my first combat assignment, I had not experienced live bullets coming at me from enemy fire

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s the fourth child in a family of seven children, Stephen saw himself as lucky to have been bought up in Christian home, where the only book his parents could read was the Bible. Despite high performances at school which earned him a university place, Stephen had to give up that dream and instead he joined the military in order to earn enough money to feed his family. He said: “The family relied on me to take care of all the bills and financial needs; it was a difficult task. I tried to provide what I could, but not everyone was satisfied. Fortunately, God had not forgotten me. Within six months of graduating as a soldier, I was selected from among hundreds of other soldiers to train as a cadet, but not in Kenya, in UK, at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. It was a miracle.” His selection to train at Sandhurst meant he had to postpone his wedding to his girlfriend, Everlyne. Stephen explained that he received immense support from the Christian community whilst at Sandhurst from many AFCU members and associates. After successfully completing his cadet training, he was posted to an infantry battalion in Kenya and married his long time sweetheart, Everlyne. It was during this time that he was involved in a road traffic accident in which a fellow officer was killed and which left Stephen with a fractured spine. The damage narrowly missed his spinal cord. He said: “This was another miracle. The doctors could not believe that I was not paralyzed even after the implants were fixed. I was in hospital for three months and then bed rest at home for eight months, I still have the implants, but from the physical outside no-one would notice.

It’s all the work of God.”

After the accident he was posted from the Infantry to the Logistics Corps, and some time into that posting he had an unexpected call from the Army headquarters telling him to prepare and to deploy among the Kenyan Contingent; not as a logistician but an intelligence operative. The order was short and clear, “Prepare to deploy in Somalia as a Liaison officer, and arrange to come for a briefing”. He said: “I had offered logistic support to our troops serving in Somalia so I understood the challenges that lay ahead but I also had a feeling that I was not prepared enough for the task, not after listening to the stories of soldiers who had been there before. Later I composed myself and prayed. I knew God had a purpose. He probably wanted me to be His agent of peace and stability to the people of Somalia.” He explained that deep down he knew he faced a more challenging battle over the

courage of breaking the news to his beloved wife, Everlyne. “I knew she was going to object, not because she was afraid that I might lose my life, she knew I had trained in the best military academy in the world, but because she feared how I would cope with a fractured spine in the theatre of war. We later had lengthy discussions and she was convinced that the task was being given to me by God.” When Stephen and his commrades touched down in the Somali port city of Kismayu on 11 September 2013, he was immediately faced with the harsh realities of the effects of war. He said: “Although it was called the ‘New International Airport’ this seemed ridiculous. The temperatures were quite the reverse to the ones I witnessed in the Black Mountains in Wales. Soon we deployed and took control. We were prepared to face an enemy, but here it was an enemy that did not observe the laws of conflict, and one that was ready to be killed in order to be rewarded in the afterlife. I knew we needed the mercies and guidance of the Lord to help us in our mission. “This was my first combat assignment. I had not experienced live bullets coming at me from enemy fire. I realised it was no longer LFTT (Live Firing Tactical Training) as I had experienced in the fields in Isiolo or the UK Brecons. This was effective enemy (al-Shabab) fire directed at us in the middle of the apron with no cover. It definitely opened my eyes!” “The war on terrorism is borderless. It requires a lot of considerations and liaison. Positive identification of the enemy is crucial, although difficult as virtually everyone has guns. The fluidity of the situation calls for alertness and situation awareness of troops who are now proud of the gains they have made in liberating most of the previously held Alshabab strongholds. Winning hearts and minds of the locals has come in handy as it provides crucial information about the enemy, although infiltration by the enemy sympathizers is always a great concern. “I thank God for the six months I have been in Somalia. A lot has changed. The airport at Kismayu is now fully operational with an average of five flights a day. God has bestowed His mercy upon us to restore the operations at the sea port of Kismayu and now the residents are witnessing freedom that those born after 1990 had only heard about in stories. With de-radicalization of the youth, empowerment of the institutions of governance and revival of the education system, I can see light at the end of the tunnel for the people of Somalia.”

hot chocolate chats Private Dale Hill, a member of 4CSLR Royal Logistic Corps, writes about his recent training exercise in Canada and how his new faith grew in unexpected ways…

ince becoming a Christian in February 2012 my journey with God has had its ups and downs. I would say that since joining the army in November 2012, there have been more downs than ups…that is until recently. I had mixed emotions before my deployment to BATUS I was excited because it was the biggest exercise I’ve done so far and it was a step further in my career. But I was concerned for my wife Amy, as we had only been married for 7 months and the longest time we had been apart was a month. I was also concerned for my faith. I am a fairly new Christian and I knew that I would struggle without the support of Amy and my church. When we first arrived at BATUS we were so busy that I didn’t have time to be worried. We worked weekends, which meant that attending church wasn’t even an option, but God is amazing, and he put people in my path to talk about Him. Amy, along with my church and house group, had put together a “spiritual ration pack” for me. It included tracts, scripture and prayers. The day before we deployed, I was told that I had been selected to stay on for deactivation, which would extend my time away considerably. This was a blow but I didn’t know what God had in store. With visits from the padre and

encouragement from reading the book ‘Wild At Heart’ by John Eldredge (only the second book I’d ever attempted), I found although I was physically and mentally drained, for the first time in my life, I was spiritually strong. On one of the Sundays I had to miss a church service and so my Troop Commander suggested holding a mini service with my troop. This really encouraged me, especially when I discovered that she is an atheist. We called it ‘Hot Chocolate and Chats’.

• Dale & Amy Hill

So that evening we sat around, under camouflage nets, and listened as I shared my testimony. There were 10 of us at first, then the word got out and by the end of the service there were around 30 people there. My troop turned up to support this, as well as people from my squadron and even some from different squadrons. I was very nervous at first, but as people asked questions I forgot where I was. Once it finished, I realised that it had gone on for over an hour - the time had flown by. I was thrilled when I realised the Holy Spirit had been speaking through me. This summer I have seen God’s love, faithfulness and the power of prayer and this has also brought me closer to those I love. contact

s n a i g o l o e h t ar w &

Dr Karl Barth

War - a divine command?

arl Barth, an evangelical theologian, who was just 3 years older than Adolf Hitler, and lived in Germany during his rise to power, and helped change the direction of theology during the two world wars. Hitler had capitalized on the shameful loss of World War I and once again tried to make Germany a great country using Christianity for his own political purposes. He worked to unify the entire church of Germany under the ‘German Christian’ movement all the while believing, “we do not want any other god than Germany itself”.

explicitly and radically to Holy Scripture as God’s gracious Word.

It is likely that Hitler would have wanted to destroy Christianity in Germany if he had won the war. In 1933, of the 65 million people in Germany, 45 million were considered Protestant Christians with 18,000 Protestant pastors. It is thought that as many as 15,000 pastors were likely to have supported Hitler believing that the Fuehrer was sent by God to rescue the nation. Karl Barth found himself up against a strong tide of false theological thinking.

When it came to war itself, Barth struggled. There are clearly no easy answers. Barth firstly cautioned that Christian attitudes to war could not be based on ‘Western civilization’ and ‘the liberty of the individual’, or ‘social justice’. He said the Church must have an attitude to war which must only be derived from Christ alone!

Karl Barth played a crucial role as one of the leaders of the newly formed Confessing Church rejecting Hitler’s nationalist, human-based ideology. Barth’s rejection of liberalism (see part 1: Summer Contact 2014) for a Christcentered faith made it possible for him to clearly see the evil of Hitler. Barth is believed to have written the Barman Declaration of 1934 which stated that the church cannot be run by Hitler and also that the church must not submit to Hitler, for the church only submits itself contact

PART 2

Barth provided much of the theological foundation upon which 3,000 German pastors stood against Hitler, many of them at the cost of their own lives, including men like Dietrich Bonheoffer. Barth warned against the danger of having ‘other gods’ than God and said, ‘The holy Christian Church, whose sole head is Christ, is born of the Word of God, keeps to it and does not hearken to the voice of a stranger’. And so Barth said that ‘our resistance to Hitler will be built on a really sure foundation only when we resist him unequivocally in the name of Jesus Christ’.

Karl Barth

Barth’s opening preface was that all of life is valuable. He placed great value on human life and would say that all human life is a loan which God has given to men and women and as such all human kind must treat life with respect. On the other hand he said life is not absolute and it is limited by God who is himself the Lord of life. He would say that through Jesus Christ, God has affirmed human life and commands us all to protect it. However, Barth concluded that there are extreme cases when God may command us to surrender and sacrifice life for the protection and preservation of life. He makes it absolutely clear that

if ever it becomes necessary to consider ‘any question of just war’ as a divine command it can only be undertaken and participated in ‘with even stricter reserve and caution’, than have been found to be necessary in relation to such killings as suicide, abortion, capital punishment etc.’ In today’s world, war involves the entire human population and therefore every individual participates in it, directly or indirectly and everyone shares in the suffering and action which war brings to human-kind. So, it is not just the responsibility of the military leaders and the experts alone to ask seriously whether war can be justified. ‘This is the first thing which today’, says Barth, ‘makes the problem of war so serious from the ethical standpoint. It is an illusion to think that there can be an uncommitted spectator.’ Clearly theology and war is hugely complex and Barth grappled with many issues, not least the ‘enemy’ across the border who is acting under the same persuasion as the one on the opposite side of the border. Both are engaged in the destruction of human life under the conviction that they are serving their respective nations. Each man, like the soldier on the other side of the border, is fighting to kill or murder with the approval of his nation-state. Barth also recognised that war does not make men better, rather it involves them in all sorts of temptations and sins and so leaves everyone open to the worldly forces of evil. Along with these and other deep theological concerns Barth would say that only in an infinitely extreme case can the Christian ever conceive of war as a divine command and then only at the very last hour in the darkest of days. Karl Barth died in Basel in 1968 at the age of 82. by Padre Simon Farmer

search and rescue

s a Warrant Officer in the Royal Engineers, Ralph Prime was a soldier who was going places – with excellent reports and great social skills he saw himself as a successful guy with his life mapped out. But 10 years ago as alcohol began to rule his life, his perfect life crumbled around him, his career took a nosedive and he left the army in disgrace. Ralph (pictured right) tells his story and explains how he discovered hope in the midst of despair. “I joined the army in 1980 and, although I was a quiet guy, I had a can do attitude, and would do anything to help those around me, to the point where I couldn’t and wouldn’t say ‘no’. From what my superiors and subordinates saw, I was a successful military guy, but I was unhappy, and I never knew why. The whole of my military service was spent searching for something. I never felt complete, and there was a hole inside me which I had never been able to explain or understand. I didn’t know who the real Ralph was.

“The Army enabled me to hide all of this. I had good friends, was reasonably successful, married, with three kids, the dog - I wanted for nothing. I socialized well and spent many nights with the ‘lads’ in the Sergeants’ Mess, knocking back the drink, putting the world to rights, and reveling in that ‘sense of belonging’ that ‘camaraderie’ that I experienced. I loved the social scene and, when I drank, that fear of who I was or wasn’t disappeared. The drinking continued. I was fit so was able to cover it up, but eventually my wife of 10 years grew tired of my drinking and left me taking the children with her.

“By 2001 I was due to take up the position of the RQMS in 39 Engineer Regiment. By this point I was an alcoholic, but I didn’t want to recognise that I had a problem. My career took a massive nosedive when I went AWOL from the Army, and tried to run away from all my problems. The Army was the one thing that had been like a father to me and, when I ran away, I let everybody down, including myself. It was difficult to bear the guilt and shame that I felt for what I had done, so I decided to PVR, and left after 21 years and 221 days service. “All I wanted was to disappear. In the years that followed alcoholism took me to new levels of despair, as I tried to commit suicide twice, stole money from a charity shop and ended up in prison. I was not a nice person to know. I lied and cheated people for my own gain, not meaning to upset or hurt anyone but, because my alcoholism was the overriding factor. I needed to drink and would do anything to get that ‘fix’. “On July 31 2012 I entered into recovery for the third time. I was broken and defeated, living on the streets of London,

Is there more to life than this Pub again

How about a night in

homeless and rejected. I admitted genuinely for the first time that I needed help, I couldn’t do this on my own. I needed something outside of myself to help me. The treatment centre I entered was a Christian based centre. I had no concept of God, I certainly didn’t trust him, it or her, and I didn’t have a clue. One of the lads in the same treatment centre was somebody I looked up to, and he had something that I knew I wanted. I didn’t have a clue what it was, but he was peaceful, and I wanted that. I wanted that more than anything. He took me on my first Alpha course.

“It was the 1st May 2013. I remember walking into the room, and the instant I walked in I knew I had found what I was looking for, my lifelong searching was over and the real work began. I had been searching for something for 48 years and that day by opening that one door I found what I was looking for. My relationship with God began for me that day. What I now know is that God has always been with me, throughout my life, but He would never force Himself onto me. He is a

loving God, and the minute I asked for help, He was there beside me, carrying me when I couldn’t walk. He is the one constant in my life, and because of that my faith in Him continues to grow.”

alpha.org

Will my mates be there

Got questions about life #TryAlpha contact

Delegates are gathering this month for the Association of Military Christian Fellowships’ (AMCF) Global Interaction which is being held in South Africa. Dilhani Weerasooriya an international speaker, who is married to the President of the AMCF, General Srilal Weerasooriya, shares her personal story of courage and faith...

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What happened was not humanly or medically possible, but someone up there was taking good care of you

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faith in the face of death

hen you hear someone say they have been introduced as a 21st century female version of Job, you immediately wonder what tragic tale is about to unfold. Dilhani Weerasooriya, the wife of the former military commander of Sri Lanka and later the country’s ambassador to Pakistan, shared her moving life story with people at St Peter’s Church, Farnborough. The softly spoken Dilhani, peppered her story with humour despite tragedy and described her talk as mainly about ‘faith and feelings’… Anyone who hears Dilhani’s story can’t fail to be moved by her humility and unshakable faith in the face of heartbreaking loss, writes Rachel Farmer. Despite what she had to endure, she still talks about all the blessings God has given her. Dilhani met her husband when she was quite young and said, “It didn’t take me long to know he was Mr Right and it didn’t take me long to persuade this young military officer to lay down his arms and surrender to mine.” And although many of her friends said it wouldn’t last, she said their marriage was solid because of one thing, “We invited a third person into our marriage, and that’s a dangerous thing to do unless that person is the Lord Jesus

• General Srilal and Dilhani

Weerasooriya at the 2004 AMCF World Conference

Christ. Christ has been the foundation of our family and the glue that has kept us together.”

In the first few years their marriage was tested to the limits as her husband, Srilal, was often away with the army, leaving Dilhani to care for the children and make decisions about the family by herself. She described herself as having to be both mother and father to her son and two daughters. Despite this she took on the role of prayer coordinator for their 500 strong church. Their son was an athlete, a high jumper and a keen rower. At 16, he towered above them at 6 ft tall and Dilhani recalled how, as the older brother to his two sisters he had supported her while her husband was away. One day he came home from a football match and said he wasn’t feeling well. It just happened that a doctor was visiting them that day, so he checked him over and said there was nothing to worry about. But a short time later one of her daughters called her saying they were worried about him. She said: “The doctor rushed in and our son took a deep breath and stopped breathing. The doctor gave him CPR and brought him round and then rushed off to get an ambulance.” As her son regained consciousness he asked her to pray with him. “We had taught our children when we’re apart that we can still be together in spirit and when we pray we are one in the spirit. I realized our son was trying to comfort me, that we would be one in spirit whatever happened. I put his head on my shoulder and he took my hand and placed it over his heart and he looked into my eyes and then looked up into heaven and his face glowed. In that moment I felt his heart stop beating and I realized our son, our only son, had gone to be with his heavenly father.” “With my son still warm in my arms I cried out to God, how can I bear this? And I heard him say, look at him right now’ – he looked so peaceful. In that moment I realized that our son had taught me that death for a Christian was just a door into eternity.” As Dilhani, Srilal and their daughters

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grieved for their son, friends arrived not knowing how to comfort them, but she said, “They went away comforted because our faith was so real.” She explained how they could see that God worked to bring all things together for His good. “Even the army commander who was a Buddhist became a believer. After the funeral and after the death of our son we were given permission to hold our Christian meetings in the army camp. I miss my boy and every time I see a six footer my heart misses a beat and it will be like that until I see him in heaven.” Two years after the death of their son Dilhani was due to have another baby. They found that it was a boy and hoped he would fill the void. She went into labour a month before her due date and was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy. “He was all that we dreamed about, but I never held my baby in my arms, I saw doctors working on him and I knew something was wrong. Due to a medical error our little son had passed away. They say lightning never strikes twice, but it did.” Shortly after the birth Dilhani became very ill and they told Srilal to prepare for the worst. But he continued to pray for her for 10 hours. At one point she woke up and said to him, “Please stop praying.” She said she didn’t want to live, but wanted to go and be with her boys. Eventually her husband was sent out of the room and medical staff pronounced her clinically dead. A prayer chain had been set up and people around the world were praying for her. As they called Srilal over to say she was dead, a doctor came rushing out of the room to say it was a miracle and she was alive again. He later told her, “What happened was not humanly or medically possible, but someone up there was taking good care of you.” Dilhani calls herself a 21st century miracle. But her trials didn’t end with her physical recovery. She began to ask God why He had let her live, after she was told she couldn’t have children any more. It was only a letter from her two daughters telling her they needed her, that helped her want to live again. Discovering God’s purpose for her life after the loss of her children is part of Dilhani’s continuing story. In the years that followed she has been a mother to many other young people who have been inspired by her courageous faith. Some years later the family also found themselves in the midst of a terrorist bomb attack in Pakistan, but they continued to see God at work in miraculous ways. To listen to Dilhani’s story in full see the AFCU website. http://www.afcu.org.uk/mp3.htm

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They say lightning never strikes twice, but it did

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e l fi cs

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our ani of

by Brian McAvoy

hey had no choice... These words appear on a memorial next to Hyde Park in London, as a powerful and moving tribute to all the animals that served, suffered and died alongside the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces in the wars and conflicts of the 20th century. The memorial (pictured right) was officially opened on 24 November 2004 by the Princess Royal, Colonel in Chief of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC). It stands not far from the spot where a bomb killed four soldiers and seven horses of the Household Cavalry on ceremonial duty on 20 July 1982. It was one of the worst atrocities on the British mainland and remains as such in our collective national memory. In my work as OCM (Officiating Chaplain to the Military) to the Defence Animal Centre, I frequently pass by the grave of Sefton, a survivor of that bombing who, although peppered with shrapnel and badly injured, recovered and lived on for many years afterwards. This was due to the magnificent care he received from the RAVC vets. He was taken to the hearts of the RAVC, the Household Cavalry and the public in general and became a symbol of defiance against the inhumanity of the terrorist. As a major part of our work to keep soldiers and people safe in the current “asymmetric” form of warfare against terrorism (and drug smuggling), highly contact

trained dogs and their handlers are deployed to use their amazing talents to sniff out IEDs and other unwanted substances. Their success rate is amazing, and many lives have been saved and transformed by their work on our behalf. The dangers are obvious but we have to put them in harm’s way to achieve these results and some dogs and their handlers have paid the ultimate price.

To them all, both horses and especially the dogs, it’s just a huge game and the reward of their favourite toy to play with or the public attention they receive is all they ask for in return. But is a memorial enough? Do we discharge our responsibility of having “dominion over …every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28) by using animals like this? Does the end justify the means in this case? How well do we value their unconditional loyalty to us? As we ponder again the events in Europe 100 years ago which became known as the Great War, the horse in particular

changed its role dramatically in that conflict. When war broke out the cavalry charge was still regarded as the ultimate expression of battlefield glory, unless, of course, you were a horse! When it ended four years later, that age lay dead and buried following a number of suicidal charges into the deadly hail of machine gun fire and the emergence of the tank as a much more effective way of breaking the enemy lines. The last charge on the Western Front took place in March 1918 by the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. Of 150 horses that started, only four survived. However, horses and mules continued to do the heavy lifting since the internal combustion engine was still a work in progress, mechanised transport was prone to breaking down, and the sea of mud sucked many heavy vehicles under. It was the same on both sides and it’s estimated that more than eight million horses died on either side of no man’s land during the conflict. Interestingly, even at the end of the Second World War 25% of the German army’s transport capability was horse-drawn; there are many places today where even the ubiquitous Land Rover cannot go and Special Forces still value the mule! Even Hannibal used elephants to get his army across the Alps. Pigeons, in particular, were so valued for their homing abilities that posters and newspaper adverts appeared during the war warning that “Killing, wounding or molesting homing pigeons is punishable under the Defence of the Realm Act by six months imprisonment or a £100

nimals of war fine”. A £5 reward was offered for any information leading to a conviction. This, at a time of food shortages, had a very serious meaning indeed! In World War 2, no Bomber Command crew flew operationally without a homing pigeon on board, and many of them were successful in bringing back news of the downing of the aircraft over enemy territory. Old-fashioned maybe, but it was still a very effective use of animals in war. And what of the end of their useful working lives? How do we dignify what they have given without choice? How do we choose their “end of life care plan” (to purloin a piece of NHS jargon)? Most are carefully re-homed and live good and contented lives for many years, although some are not suitable for a variety of reasons, so the dilemma arises as to what is best for them. Some civilian animal sanctuaries take an uncompromising view on never euthanizing a healthy animal, but this is a situation that the RAVC takes very seriously and faces the final decision squarely and responsibly, however hard that might be.

“They had no choice”. These words remind us of our responsibilities to all the animals in our care and use and we do well to discharge them thoughtfully and carefully under God. It’s a great privilege and one not to be abused. “The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10.) However, “The more I see of people, the better I like my dog”. (Mark Twain) These words sum it all up very well.

Warhorse Ride 2014

ollowing in the footsteps of decorated First World War chaplains, TA Army chaplain and Camberley vicar, the Revd Mark Chester (pictured above) took to horseback for a special commemoration ride this summer. The 2014 War Horse Ride in France took Mark and 34 other riders on a circuitous 100-mile route over five days, taking in some of the most famous cavalry actions of the war. Mark writes, In the grey half-light of dawn the bugle sounded Reveille. Bleary-eyed with fodder in hand, the khaki figures made their way to their horses through the dispersing mist. On this day, at about this time, exactly a hundred years ago, the 11th Hussars of the British Expeditionary Force Cavalry Division were encamped in this field when the first German shells unexpectedly burst in the village of Néry. This was to be the scene of the first action in 1914 when British Forces, outnumbered four to one, drove back the attacking Germans in disorder. This action, in which the Brigade won three Victoria crosses in an hour, is honoured in the regimental history of L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery.

of battle of the Division together with their supporting corps was represented on the ride by a member of the British Army. In 1914 the Royal Army Chaplains Department deployed six chaplains with the Cavalry division they were all allocated as chaplains to Field Ambulance units. The calibre of these men was such that four of these six chaplains were to be recognised in military awards and remarkably all survived the War. I was there to represent those chaplains. I often feel that we walk in the footsteps of Godly heroes and those to whom they ministered. This was physically so in the back roads of northern France but was brought home to me particularly strongly when, in the gathering gloom of dusk at the end of a long day in the saddle, I was asked to pray over the remains of two unknown WW1 soldiers which had been discovered that day in a farmer’s field. At that moment the historical reality of the hope of the Christian faith seemed inseparable from the historical reality of the suffering and death of the Great War.

This was the final day of Warhorse Ride 2014 to which I had the privilege of being Chaplain. The ride was the vision and brainchild of ex-Cavalry officer Geoffrey Pitts to commemorate the 8,500 men and 10,000 horses of the Cavalry Division of the British Expeditionary Force which went to war in France in August 1914 and to raise funds for ‘The Not Forgotten Association’. Each of the 15 Cavalry Regiments which made up the order contact

Mike’s blog L i v i n g

ollowing the Royal visit by HM the Queen to RAF Cosford during the Jubilee celebrations, I was fairly pleased with myself. I had received some good feedback from the project organiser for whom I had been providing logistical support, which can sometimes feel like ‘everything else’ that doesn’t neatly fall into any category. I liked to think that I had neatly tied up all the loose ends and ensured that on the day my part ran smoothly. I went back to the mess that evening reasonably smug in a job well done. As I was on leave the next day, I decided not to bother with an alarm clock and to turn off my phone so my long lie-in would go undisturbed. At around 0900, I was rudely awoken by the Mess Manager knocking at my door. It turned out that in the hour of my success, I had completely forgotten to return the building keys to the main guard room, and not just my colleagues, but everyone else from the building, had been standing in the car park waiting for someone to turn up and let them in. That someone turned out to be me! I found this quite a humbling experience. Following my achievements of the previous day, I had hoped for the praise of my boss… instead I had a slightly different one way conversation. More recently I was on parade for the handover of Commanding Officers on 904 Expeditionary Air Wing at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. It was about a month into the tour and seemingly everything was going quite well, I thought had created a reasonably good impression so far. It was 0800, the sun was shining and we were all standing to the position of ‘shun’ as the two bosses began their handover. At that moment a ringing of someones phone could be heard gradually getting louder. For those who have not been on a parade before, turning off your mobile phone is a must. Unfortunately for me that ringing, which was getting gradually contact

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louder, was coming from my trouser pocket. I then faced the dilemma of letting it continue to ring, ignoring it was actually mine, or breaking from ‘Shun’ to turn it off. This and a few other humbling experiences during my RAF career to date have led to an ever cautious approach to what I may consider my own achievement. Namely that I am only as good as my most recent mistake! The greater we hold ourselves in our own esteem, the greater the fall and potentially, the more humiliating the event. I think rightfully in both these situations, I had wanted to impress my seniors by doing a good job, it just served as a reminder to me how futile it would be for me to place my entire hope in my own abilities. Surely any good reputation I have is attributed to Christ’s working out in my life! In the previous two issues of Contact, JP and I have considered the instructions given in Micah 6:8. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. All three come as a consequence of our relationship with God. They are the correct response and will help us to build that relationship. All three acts were perfectly demonstrated by Christ, showing ultimate compassion, forgiveness and obedience to God.

rather than their own abilities. Instead of taking pride in what we bring to God, we humbly recognise that no amount of personal sacrifice can replace a heart committed to justice and love. Israel’s rhetorical questions had a three-part progression, and this verse contains a similar progression. The response of a godly heart is outward (do justice), inward (love mercy), and upward (walk humbly). To walk humbly with God means to set His priorities first in our lives. Knowing that God is in full control and accepting that His will is best for us gives an incredible feeling of freedom. When following God’s plan, we cannot fail, because our purpose is to serve Him. If we accept that God is too good to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake, the conclusion is that what is happening is for His purpose, the furtherance of His Kingdom. Often we may think that things have not worked out the way we had intended. I had never intended for my phone to go off during a parade, or to lock my colleagues out of the office. Or maybe it’s something more serious... it was not in the plan to gain a life changing injury from a road traffic accident caused by someone else’s driving. In these circumstances it can be difficult to understand how, in which case we can trust that God is too good to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake. So, what does it look like to walk humbly with our God? I think it is to align our purposes with His priorities and look to Christ as our example. Consider how what we are doing fits in with God’s big picture and thank Him for the part we play in the furtherance of His Kingdom.

act justly love mercy

“Walk humbly” is a description of the heart’s attitude toward God. God’s people depend on Him

walk humbly Walk humbly with yur God (part 3 of 3) by Flt Lt Mike Forsyth

(Micah 6:8)

preparation... preparation

eah, I know, after saying I would not run another marathon … I found myself on the start line, a few weeks back, of the inaugural Chesterfield marathon. To say I was not prepared would be an understatement. No excuses of course, but several things had come together to make it not ideal. a: Buying new running shoes a couple of months before, which would normally have been fine. However while out on a training run – first time I had run in them - they gave me a massive blister 8 miles away from home, so I ran back … and had an even ‘massiver’ blister .. which meant that I couldn’t run for a couple of weeks. b: I was busy, so just didn’t get the miles in and c: I had a quick look at the course and thought it looked flat. It wasn’t. So all in all I was not prepared. I got to mile 12 and wished that I had only entered the half. I got to mile 17 and realised I would have to slow down or not make it. Finally I entered the park and could see the finish about 200 metres away. Then I had to turn right and run another ¾ of a mile around the park and cycle track. All in all it was not a good run. 4 hr 16 min. Rubbish. So I made the pledge (again) … no more marathons. That’s it. Endex. Then the confirmation of the ‘Charity Bond’ place came for CVM (who I work for). After some discussion about others running it, I pulled rank and am now in next year’s London Marathon. So what? I hear you ask. Good question. My preps for the Chesterfield marathon

are a great analogy of my relationship with God. If you are vaguely involved with Church or the Christian scene you will be aware of phrases like ‘Quiet Time’ or ‘Personal study’, ‘meditation’ or ‘fellowship’ … for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s all about putting yourself in a better place to live this life as a Christian. Reading the bible, praying (talking to God) and spending time learning from other Christians who have been around the buoy a bit. But it all takes time, commitment and a bit of personal discipline. Just like any relationship or challenge does. Recently I have taken to using a different version of the Bible when I read it. I now use a modern version called ‘the Message’, which puts stuff in much easier to understand language … I am sure there are loads of you who like the old King James Version (full of ‘thees and thous’) or the New International Version (the Now Indispensable Version as some of us called it a few years back) but for me using an old version was not helping me understand what was written – like I did not help myself by carrying on running with a blister … put me back a couple of weeks. Then there was the route planning … a cursory glance, I knew how long it was going to be (even for an ageing ex-matelot like myself that was always going to be 26 miles and 385 yards) … sometimes as Christians we don’t take seriously enough the challenges that lie ahead, particularly the challenge of temptation. If you struggle with drinking too many alcoholic beverages why keep going on runs ashore? What is known as ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ has a line in it which

says ‘lead me not into temptation’ … but if we pray that we have to do our bit too … so if you are on a foreign deployment and you have a few beers and end up in a brothel doing stuff you regret the following morning … who’s fault is that? I would suggest it’s not God’s … just like it was my own stupid fault when I got to yet another hill at Mile 17 which I didn’t know was there …. All the info was on the pre-supplied route map but I chose not to look at it! What a clown. So as I start ramping up the training for what I am hoping will result in a PB (that’s a personal best ..) I am trying to ensure that I take onboard the mistakes made in the run up to Chesterfield. I know the route, I have a decent plan in place and will be putting the miles in. I can’t do anything about injuries that may come, but I can put myself in with a better shout! And that’s what God wants from us … if you don’t know Him as yet, don’t know what this Jesus stuff is all about, get in touch with someone from the AFCU (contact details on the back page of this mag!) or speak to the Chaplain. If you would say you are a Christian have a think about how well you are prepared for what is ahead … we can all make changes to our lives / lifestyles etc that can give us a better shot at living as God wants us to… Interesting though as I look back, I haven’t really learnt that much over the years, me and my oppo were once removed by the police from a motorway in Spain that we were running along … didn’t check the route. PPPPPP etc. by Steve Martin Operations Director Christian Vision for Men contact

coffee break

he very first Go Fish children’s camp ran this summer in Akrotiri in Cyprus with some 107 children enjoying a week of music, craft and games, thanks to the RAF chaplaincy team and church member, Alison Davies, supported by Go Fish founders Adam and Ruth Pyrke. Alison explained: “Over a year ago I went on an AFCU ladies weekend and met Ruth Pyrke who told me about Go Fish running in Germany. I thought it would be great if we could run it here in Cyprus.” So nine months later and with support from Padre Adrian Dyer and his chaplaincy team, children from across the station rolled up each day for a morning packed with music, face painting, arts and crafts, competitions, drama and games.

“Seeing the children so happy and having so much fun, as well as having an opportunity to hear about God, was the best thing for me.” The theme of the week was to let the children know that God loves them and Alison said the messages they had from Bible stories and songs led to lots of interesting questions. “My neighbours said their children were asking questions they couldn’t answer and they were having to think about their own beliefs,” she said. “When I heard that, I knew the week was having the right effect.” Adrian Dyer said: “A very clear aim we adopted was to be able to give a

• ‘The Adventures of Piggy and Woof’ is an exciting new series of Children’s Books, for ages 4-7, inspired by family life in the army, by Army Padre’s wife, Anne Middleton. The first book, ‘Piggy and Woof Move House’, will be available for free download on Amazon in December. Watch out for news of this and follow Piggy and Woof’s posts on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/piggyandwoof contact

go fish in Cyprus

gift to the serving community. The gift included a fun time for the children, free time for the parents, minimal cost for inclusivity and, of course, the gift of knowing God’s love by the end of the week. Through some pretty hard fundraising we managed to keep the cost per child at 20 Euros for the week.” During the week they were visited by Commander British Forces Cyprus (pictured left) and by the Station Commanders of Episkopi and Akrotiri. Adrian said they were delighted with what had been achieved and the support for serving families. He said: “Of course the week took many hours of organisation by a small team from the church and the week itself needed an army of volunteers. But all the hard work before and during the week was made worthwhile by the smiles and fun the children clearly had.” The aim is to repeat the programme in 2015 and hopefully expand it to include Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos Stations on the other side of the island.”

What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)? 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. AFCU has a network of Christian contacts across the Armed Forces to which a member has access to the address list. AFCU hold 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 producing the mailings is £30 per person 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.

competition what a pic! What is happening in the Photo to the left? Why not send in your caption? It could be a winner... Thenk you to all of those entering. We do receive some great captions. Congratulations to the winner. Send your captions to: rachel.reay@gmail.com before 30th January 2015

Happiness is a warm bonnet... and lots of food! C.K.

the big read Walking Backwards to Christmas: An Advent journey from light to darkness by Stephen Cottrell This is a page-turning and revealing read about the personalities and purposes of the Nativity, capturing the motivations and characters of the Christmas Story in a fresh and convincing way. If you are looking for a new take on Christmas do pick up this book and enjoy a backwards journey. £5.59 SPCK Publishing

Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi by Richard Rohr O.F.M Rohr, himself a Franciscan friar, looks closely at ‘the alternative way’ of St Francis of Assisi, one of the Christian church’s most popular saints. He looks at all frames and doorways to the divine, with new ways of approaching spirituality that will challenge us all. £11.99 Hodder & Stoughton

Acts and Omissions by Catherine Fox You don’t have to be a member of the Church of England to enjoy this humorous look at life around a fictional English cathedral. The author’s insight is evident, as the wife of a real-life cathedral Dean, she takes us on a tour of characters and situations with both hilarious and at times shocking revelations. £7.99 SPCK Publishing

The Bad Christian’s Manifesto: Reinventing God (and Other Modest Proposals) by Dave Tomlinson This book has been described as ‘theology for anyone and everyone’ It is highly readable, with great storytelling combined with coherent and persuasive argument. The author has really tuned into what makes people tick and this shines through every word. £12.78 Hodder & Stoughton

Please send letters and 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.Not all articles are the view of the AFCU General Committee. Contact Editorial Team: Sqn Ldr S Priestnall RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, the Editors

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Cont act magazin e is p ub lis he d b y A FCU thre e t i m e s 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 )