Update from Ben 1/27/10

Ben was able to call home tonight, thanks to the generosity of AT&T providing free service to AT&T customers in Haiti to the states for a period of time. Despite the harsh conditions described below, he seemed to be in good spirit.

Several prayer requests:

1. He's sleeping outside on the ground and the bugs are eating him up alive! He's got bug bites everywhere. I don't know if he's joking or not when he said he's taking sulfur (from match heads)so that the bugs won't like his blood (but it's probably not working). Please pray for health & improved living conditions.

2. There's not enough food & water for their company. They get 2 meals (MRE's -meals ready to eat) & 6 bottled water a day. It's very hot & humid there. If they don't drink, they will pass out during the day. They are waiting for a generator to arrive next week so that they will have electricity. Other companies already have their generators. They do not have enough water to shower. Please pray for basic sustenance to be available soon.

3. Since he's in the intelligence part of his company, they were sent to go out and talk to people and ask questions & help them out. They have no paper to write so they were using trash to write info down. They were well liked by the Haitians. But they were sent to areas where they are not needed. And the rest of his company is complaining that they are not doing their job right. So they were told to stop what they are doing. The company commander is not aware of this situation & so he's not sure what they'll be doing tomorrow. Please pray for good leadership & organization so that they will be used in a helpful way, and be accepted by the other guys in the company.

I appreciate all your thoughts & prayers for all the relief workers & the Haitians! May God work through all those who sacrifice themselves to be an instrument of peace & love.

Is Ben finally gone?

After 3 days waiting in the hanger, I believe Ben and fellow soldiers finally caught a bird to take them to Haiti this afternoon. He's cell phone is off and we can't reach him anymore. If you ever hear anything from the news, he is in the Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment with the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, N.C.

Some stories from the news:
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, January 20, 2010
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=67357

http://www.statesman.com/news/world/u-s-troops-filling-void-left-by-haitian-186736.html

http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/01/82nd-airborne-soldiers-arrive-in-haiti/

Haiti, take 5?

After days of hurry ups and wait, loading on and off the plane & decision changing, the army finally sent the rest of the bravo company off to Haiti today. Ben texted home about 3:30 AM and said he's finally out. He is excited to go. They're having them learn some French on the way. He got his personal armor and his bag is already there waiting for him. What an opportunity of a lifetime!

Intelligence

As Ben is getting vaccinated for anthrax & small pox amongst other things, the new station in North Carolina where he's at turned out to be one of the toughest units. They've been smoking the new guys pretty bad, even worse than Basic. But he is holding out pretty good. He enjoys the hardwork. He earned alot of respect after he was made to fight another guy in the unit and won. They even put money on them!

However, there's good new and bad news. The good news (for his family & friends) is that they are not putting him in the front line to fight; which is the bad news for him. He wants so bad to be an infantryman. But now they have assigned him to do intelligence. Although he's always been able to hold his own pretty well, they don't think he'll be able to ruck with 100 lbs. sack on his back. He is crushed. Due to low supply in weapons, he will not be issued a gun. He'll be in the safe zone so there's no need. He wanted so bad to be fight for his country, now they won't allow him. But we have to remember that God is in control & He has a perfect plan for him and us. We always have our own agenda & God will lead & guide us to wherever He knows it's best for us. When He closes a door, He always opens another one!

Back to the grind

Ben got a nice 18 days of break from the Army. He spent much time visiting with friends, and have lots of R & R, enjoying the freedom of having a car to go wherever he likes, not depending on a cab.

He left early this morning to go back to Fort Benning, Georgia. Tomorrow, he gets shipped to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he will be stationed, and awaits to be deployed, likely to Afghanistan.

Coming from a 60-70'F sunny CA, he's body is getting a temperature shock into the snow zone with wind chill factors. Brrrr....