Soldiers of Today and Yesterday

To read about our FOX HOLE CHAPLAIN scroll down from the home page and you will see from his Eyes and Ears and Heart the trials and tribulations our Brave young Men an Women go thru while Deployed in Iraq.
The real live Diary is unedited and Unabashed.

The real life saga starts Today September 2nd 2009
Thanks in advance and God Bless
Johnie Lee Qualls
President /CEO /Founder
Soldiers of Today and Yesterday

Ps: If you would like to post comments to him or have questions please post on our Guestbook
Every Post or Comment will be answered Weekly.
TKS.

I would like to introduce to you
Chaplain Major Kevin Winemiller our FOX HOLE CHAPLAIN
He is quite an inspiration !!!!!!!! He and his Men and Women are in BASRAH as I speak and Type.
Hope every one enjoys their journey and please PRAY FOR THEM !!!!!!!

My dear BIG brother and friend,,finally made it to Iraq. The natives are
restless. Sgt K and I are planning our Alaska tour the last 2 weeks in May
2010. We want you to please come along. I will send you more info and an
itinerary.

So..I have been here 3 days and we had a rocket attack. 7 600 pound 107 mm
rockets pointed at our base with timers. The first 5 landed on the base our
Apaches went up and destroyed the rest of them. WE OWN THE AIR. Because of
poor visibility they were able to set these up..most likely Hezbollah "freedom
fighters". We had one wounded concussion with head trauma and 6 stationary
Hummers destroyed. I was hunkered in a bunker with 10 other soldiers. Well do
not worry I will be in touch.

Your fellow warrior,

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

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More from our Fox Hole Chaplain:
update..

12-Aug-09 Camp Basrah

Near tragedy. One of our Apache teams (2 pilots per bird) caught fire after returning from a combat mission. The crew was able to land safely with no injuries. Apparently a fuel plug in the rear of the aircraft loosened spilling fuel. The bird is near a total loss. I spoke with one of the pilots afterwards knowing he is a Christian man asked him if he was “praying” during the incident. He said yes before after and every day. He did not wait until the “fire” came to develop his prayer life. There is certainly a lesson here. Jesus said pray always. I have the highest respect for these pilots. These birds are keeping us all alive while we hold this piece of ground. There are 1.5 million people in the town next to us that for the most part want us out of here. It is nice to know we are protected. Also we have a surveillance blimp in the sky that watches every move of the perimeter 24/7. Modern technology is great but sometimes it comes down to one soldier and his M16. I am no hero but I have met a few and humbled to know these young Americans are willing to risk their lives for someone else’s chance at Freedom. As I listen to the news at home I see many of our own freedoms withering away with yet more government control. When I hear of Americans making plans to flee to other countries is disturbs me a bit. I think we need some modern day Patrick Henry’s to sound the alarm.

19-AUG -09

News from near Babylon:

Tonight’s Bible Study was on The Babylonian captivity. We begin our Study at 1930 (7:30pm) in honor of Gospel Light Baptist Church. The God ordained time for evening service. Psalm 137:1 “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Not far from where I now live are the Euphrates and Tigris rivers where the Israelites spent time in captivity because of their rebellion and disobedience. They longed to return to Zion. What a wasteland is Babylon. This week we will begin our chapel in our living area named “Panther Chapel. We have the army Band coming to kick off the service. I am looking forward to a good attendance and praying for souls saved and Christian’s encouraged. I found an old German bicycle that someone abandoned, cleaned and oiled it up so now I have transportation around the base.

20-AUG-09 125 degrees hottest day yet. I plan to get a thermometer to track the heat. I heard a humorous story yesterday. A soldier tried to claim himself as his own beneficiary on his SGLI (Serviceman’s group life insurane.) the LTC tired to explain to this soldier that there was no way he could be a beneficiary in his own death. He said”who else would I want to be the beneficiary since it is my money.” After much frustration on both sides of the table the soldier says ..”fine just put me down for 50%.

22-Aug -09

Today we renovated the old British Bar and named it “The Panthers Den.” We removed the old debris. For pews we set up cots seating 3 soldiers per cot. There is a stage and that is where the Army band will play. I am very excited and am prying for a good attendance and service. Preaching on Mark 4: parable of the sowers. 4 types of ground only one good where the seed could grow and produce fruit. Cross reference that with John 1 Jesus is the Word (heavens seed) coming down planted in our hearts to those who believe.

27-Aug-09

Number four attack happen tonight since the one month I have been here in Basrah

This happened less than 100 yards from where I now sleep 3 weeks before I arrived.

. They call the mission “Haystack” to Basrah” they say because looking for insurgents in Basrah is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Spent 3 hours in the bunker until the all clear announcement was made. 6-8 rackets happened in succession. I was face down catching up on my prayer life. They when there was a lull in the bombing I ran across the ally and got into the bunker.

30-Aug-09 Today is my birthday. I am 49 today. I turned 45 in Afghanistan. Panther Chapel was well attended with 47 people. One of our soldiers found a cross around 12 feet high so we put it up outside of the Panther’s Den where we have service. One soldier prepared a cake for me chocolate and peanut butter. Very good. We all had a slice at the end of the service. I preached on Col 3:23-25. Serve God with all your heart. It was great to have the gospel Choir visiting and singing. It is a wonderful birthday. Thank you Jesus for giving me 49 years and all I ask for is another 49 years.


Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Hello Mr. Qualls,

How are you doing today? I hope that September in Texas is treating you well. This SPC  T., Captain Winemiller's assistant. I work with him and SGT K. here in Basrah.

I want to thank you for all that you have done for us Panthers. That keyboard has not only been a boon to our music ministry, is has also given us a wonderful was to bring new folks into chapel, not only to passively take in the sermon, but rather to actively participate in worship. It's great. People feel like they have a real stake in the chapel.

There are quite a few folks in the unit who are skilled in playing the guitar. Chaplain Winemiller and I have been trying to get an electric guitar for the chapel so that we can invite these folks to play there. We've tried getting money through the unit, but have been shot down. Somehow "electric guitar" wasn't worthy of being a mission essential item.

We're trying to raise roughly $350 for the instrument. Do you think that your group might be able to help us with some funding? This guitar would permanently stay with our unit, and will provide an oppurtunity for ministry for years to come.

Thank you for your help,

SPC T.

Johnie Lee:

Great to hear from you. Thanks for calling Kim. She is a baby doll and one beautiful Red Headed Cajan Fox. Thank God for a good woman to stand by a man. Spc T. is also my assistant. I have two. Sgt K. and Spc T Thank you for your interest in helping with this guitar purchase. Music is a powerful medium especially out here in this desert barren lonely place. We are drawing many to all of the chapels and thank God for his grace and blessing. I will have Sam contact you with details concerning this idea for a guitar. I will continue to send updates. Thank you for your love and concern for the soldiers.

Kevin

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Here is the newest installment of "Fox hole Chaplain"

 

28-SEP-09

Right now I am quarantined in my room for the next 4 days with the pink eye. Doc says it is contagious. Last night after my forth chapel service of the day my right eye felt like I had sand under the eyelid so I went to the medic to wash it out and got the news. I probably shake hands with at least 300 people on Sunday. I have not taken a “day off” since I have been here so it does feel good to chill in the room. I must apply an antibiotic cream that must have cement in it because it does hurt when applied to the eye. This week an area of our living quarters was closed off because of a suspious bottle looking device encased in a green army issue sock (half buried) sticking out from underneath a certain soldiers barracks. Well, turns out that the “suspious” object was two Gatorade bottles filled with bourbon (illegal in a combat zone where every man is armed with a supply of ammunition) EOD came and retrieved the object and everyone had a good laugh. Panther Chapel was well attended this Sunday. We have great command support for all of our services and activities. Saturday mornings I run a soccer program. Saturday evening we have a volleyball tournament complete with a “traveling” trophy to the winning team each week. Last evening I saw 5 white doves fly overhead. Birds are returning to this area. Next week I begin Sunday school one hour before our 0930 service. I will teach from the book “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge. This book is specific to men finding their purpose in life and walking with God alone and not going with the crowd, discovering what God wants them to become.

 

3-OCT-09

 

The pink flimigos have returned to the marshes around the river Euphrates.  Now that the temperature is down to 100 degrees during the day and 75 at night it is actually very pleasant.  I have grown a new appreciation for God's creation.  I appreciate the small birds that now sing outside my barracks each day.  Our chapel services are going well. We are so blessed to have "Panther Chapel" a place to meet with the sodiers and teach the Word of God.  I try to instill in the troops that man is 3 parts, mind, body, and spirit.  Tthe Army trains the first two but it is up to the individual to feed his Spirit.  It is our faith that sustains us through trying times.  The body will fail and the mind but fiath lasts forever.  To date 22 our our soldiers heros have committed sudicide in Iraq this country this year.  hrevs me very much to think of the families that must deal with thier soldiers memory. Life is such a precious gift. I train my soldiers that we are our "brother's keeper" and we must be aware and watch out for each other. I believe that if a person has one friend next to him that it can make the difference between life and death. 

The enemy is now always a force on the outside but within a struggle to keep going in upleasant circumstances.   As a chaplain I hear so many sad tales and my only solution is to point soldiers toward the cross.  I am reminided of a story of a young boy lost in Old England.  The policeman asked the boy if he remembered anything near his house.  Te boy thought for a moment and said..."Mister if you can get me to see the Cross I can find my way home."  How true if people could just see the love of Christ on that Cross it would change them forever. ..and find their way home.

 

 

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-Evangelist

Hello Johnie Lee good to speak with you.  Below is an update.  God bless.

Greetings and praise the Lord. For the past 5 months I have been in Basrah Iraq serving as a Chaplain with the 1-130^th Attack Recon Battalion. My unit is responsible to patrol the Iranian border and intercept hostiles and material that is used against the innocent. I am currently home for 2 weeks R n R. North Carolina never looked so good when I exited the airport and saw Kim and my children. My duties as chaplain include holding services for the troops, Bible studies, counseling, and being with soldiers in crisis. I have seen many soldiers come to faith in Christ and have had the privilege to baptize 2 in the desert. To think we are serving in the place of the beginning of civilization is unreal. The Garden of Eden at the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is 12 miles north of my location. Two weeks ago I walked through the remains of Abraham’s house in Ur. The desert is a lonely place separated from family and familiar surroundings. Many of God’s men were led through a desert experience and came out stronger on the other side. I plan to finish strong. I have 4 months to go on this tour when I return. Pray for many open doors to share the gospel in this barren land.  Each morning in my office I have a Bible study I call the Proverbs circle. I read the proverb for the day and make comments and then open the rest of the hour for discussion. The Lord had blessed this meeting time. 

 

 

Kevin D. Winemiller
Chaplain-

sfchap320@yahoo.com
"De Oppresso Liber"