During my deployment last year to Iraq we were instructed that we could not try to share our faith on purpose with anyone due to the strictness of the Muslim religion. A part of service tonight reminded me of this because our pastor (using the latest advances in technology) had people text barriers we face in telling others about Jesus and displayed them on the overhead monitors during service. One that popped up a few times were from high schoolers saying they are told they're not allowed to discuss their faith at school. A member of the congregation got up at the end of service and assured them this was not true. He said under our first amendment rights students have every right to share their faith, the only thing the school can do is stop teachers from sharing theirs and teachers who are believers love it when their kids in their classes force them to answer questions about faith because once the door is opened they pretty much have to respond.
Our first amendment wouldn't help me in Iraq because we were in their country, so I'm not trying to say I felt my rights were violated at all. But a very cool thing came about because of that. I realized that our chaplain in Iraq would leave religious materials out all the time at the recreation center we had on our FOB. That's not proselityzing because you're not forcing anything on anybody, it's their choice to pick it up or not. The FOB I was on didn't have much in the way of music or movies people could buy so any that came in the mail addressed to any soldier or the MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) were immediately swooped up by American soldiers, Ugandan soldiers, Iraqi Army, and local national truck drivers. God gave me inspiration at that moment and I immediately started emailing every Christian band I could think of asking if they could send any music or dvd's to give out. I got moved around from FOB to FOB for a while after that, but eventually I made it back to that one and found I had a package waiting for me that was being used as a doorstop. Upon opening it it turned out to be stuffed with cd's, dvd's, and buttons proclaiming Jesus is Lord, I Heart God, and keychains from Casting Crowns. Inside was a signed card from the whole band wishing me well, along with autographed cd's and dvd's. I was in shock, our God is so great! I had pretty much given up when I got moved around and thought that my emails never probably even made it to anyone who could do anything. I think the point of this story is that even when somebody tries to tell you that you can't share your faith, don't believe them, God will show you the way!
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