Another Great Photo!

The photo above just arrived this morning. The man in the center is Dave's chaplain, Mike Tomlinson. On the left is another corpsman. The chaplain sent the picture to his wife, who sent it to Kelly, who sent it to us. Such a great picture, we just wanted to share!

Notice the bandana that the chaplain and the other corpsman are wearing. Kevin and I volunteer with Adopt-a-Chaplain, sending care packages to deployed chaplains. The group has received a large number of study books on Psalm 91, the "Soldiers Psalm." Along with the books came a supply of camo bandanas. These bandanas have the text of Psalm 91 printed on them, and that's what the chaplain is wearing.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." - Psalm 91: 1-4

BTW . . . As we enjoy the transition into autumn here, so do our guys "over there." Highs for the next week are predicted to be just under 100 degrees, nighttime lows just over 70.

Pictures from Iraq

We don't hear from Dave too often, but he touches bases when he can. Recently he was able to send us a few pictures to share with family and friends. In addition to working at the Battalion Aid Station, Dave is now driving ambulances to transport patients between locations. As you'll see in the photos, these are pretty big vehicles. Dave says the road feel is a lot like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.

Communications were down for a while, but Kelly was able to talk to Dave recently. He said he spent a week out on patrol with a rifle company, and the group included one of the doctors and a physician's assistant. They shared medical knowledge with Dave, and he was able to teach them some patrolling techniques and Iraqi customs.

Recently, Dave and some of the Marines in the line company were able to have dinner with a local Sheik, which he said it was "very different, but a really cool experience."

Work at the Battalion Aid Station has been really busy this past week with sick calls. He doesn't have time to respond to all the mail he gets, but sends his appreciation to all of you.

The letters and emails and packages are all wonderful expressions of love, which is a great boost to morale. (And not just Dave's -- he shares his bounty with the other guys.) Please continue your prayers for our Doc!