Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Smell of Bread Baking

Dear All,

The days go by so fast and most of the time I don’t even know what day of the week it is. I just realized it has been well over three weeks since I last wrote you. The center gets busier and busier as more and more troops find us and come.

Just before I went on R&R I was at the laundry mat and a soldier was making those macramé bracelets that are made out of 550 cord or parachute cord. He showed me how to make them so I picked up some 550 cord on R&R. Once we were open and running I one day got it out and started to make one and immediately I had several troops around wanting to make some. It was so fun and since we have done and taught them how to do hundreds of them. We have now ordered our third round of 550 cord. We haven’t decided what to call it but it is a toss up between Connecting Through Crafts or Relating Through Rip Cord. They love doing it and have made them for their wife, children and self. They do bracelets and key chains. I hope you enjoy the picture of them. They are all so cute and I enjoy teaching them how to do it.

We had a distinguished visitor last week. Vice President Dick Chaney. He spoke to the troops at the stadium. Talk about the security measures. He was quite protected. I did not get to go see him as this is my United Through Reading day on the other side of base and it is a one of my weekly highlights.

The smell of fresh bread brings home to the troops. My friend Laurie sent a bread maker to us via a soldier who was home on R&R. We opened it that day and baked three loaves. The troops loved it. Can you imagine what they felt when they walked in the lounge to the smell of bread cooking. Laurie sent twelve boxes of bread mix and four days later we had devoured it. We had troops set their alarms so they would be back when the bread was ready. Thank you Laurie for the bread machine! It has been quite the hit.

I was talking to Johnny and the other night and he ask me how many UTR’s we had done since we arrived. I went back into my records and if my recorded are right we have done close to 1100 recordings for the United Through Reading program. Isn’t that cool! That represents over 2200 children whose mother, father, aunt, uncle or grandparent has read a story to their special little one. That’s a lot of books that have been mailed home and brought so much joy to our deployed troops families. For many it is their life line to their child. Not all our troops have supportive families at home cheering them on so for some here being able to send these readings home is God tool to breath love into their children. I have talked too many who these little DVD’s is the only connection they have with their children.

Easter was a bit quiet. I went to my little church and was blessed by the fellowship with God’s people. We had stuff Easter Eggs for the troops and Chocolate bunnies. Some of the eggs had prizes so that was fun.

I again face another rotation of troops finishing their three months here and headed for home. It is so hard to say goodbye to the many that have been such an important part of our USO heritage here. I have been so blessed by so many and I realize that for the most part I will likely never see them again this side of glory. A sobering reality.

I am going to close. I keep falling asleep trying to write. The alarm goes off early and my normal weeks are averaging around 90 plus hours.

I love you all dearly. Your books have been such a blessing and the chocolate that Dyna Corp and my biker buddies from meet and greet in Dallas collected has been a huge hit. I love to tell them about you and how much you appreciate them and the sacrifices they are making. They are so taken back when they realize they are so loved.

Resting In His Mighty Grip,
Linda

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Taking It Easy In The Lounge!




I thought you all would enjoy this picture of some of our troops taking it easy in the lounge.





Here are the troops watching and listening to the children read to them via web cam.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

United Through Reading

Dear All,

It is Tuesday and United Through Reading at the SF compound. Today I had many new airmen on the Air Force side. The Air Force does four month rotations so I am now on my third rotation. The enthusiasm for this program is huge. Being their first week in country many are homesick and sitting down to record a book to their children proves to be quite an emotional event. Several needed to just sit and talk a minute to regain their composure before beginning. I remember well my first week here and how hard it was and my children are grown so I can’t imagine the emotions of leaving school age children and infants. What an amazing group men and women serve our country.

One of my dads who has participated regularly during his time here came in today and could not say thank you enough for this program. His son was only six or seven months old when he deployed and next month he will have his first birthday. He said…… my son knows me, he really does know me. He had talked to his wife the day before and she told him that when she put the DVD of him reading to the son he crawled to the TV and said over and over, dada, dada! That was one very happy daddy! This program truly connects families and gives them a way to remain involved in their children’s lives. I sat here this evening as another dad was reading and he was having so much fun and was so expressive and it just brought tears thinking of this little boy and little girl getting to see this. I am so blessed to be a part of this.

The center remains busy and growing. We have had many of our troops volunteer their time to help us. We are doing an orientation soon and will get them all slotted to help. Last night we had fun at the center. It was Dr Seuss’s birthday and in the states it was read across America in many elementary schools. A first grade class in Pennsylvania had arranged to web cam with us and their first grade class was going to read a Dr. Seuss book to the troops. They were darling. We had about fifteen soldiers and even a marine around the web cam to watch and wave and clap and cheer them on. There was not a dry eye in the room when the children sang Lee Greenwood's “Proud to be an American” and then at the end they sang God Bless a America and all our troops in the room joined in. This was one event that I had many crying with me. I used one of our cameras and made a DVD of the troops watching the children and then had them say hello and greet the children. We will send that to them. Fun, fun stuff! For me just watching the troops smile and laugh and enjoy themselves makes any effort made so worthwhile.

I just had to share my UTR stories. Thank you so much for your support. Thank you for the books you are sending. Believe me they are so appreciated and are making a difference.

In His Mighty Grip,
Linda

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Blessing Upon Blessing

Dear All,

The days are busy and full. Each new day brings more and more troops into the center. They love the games rooms and spend hours in there. The UTR at the center continues to increase also.

I enjoy my one day a week at the Special Forces Compound doing the United Through Reading program. They are all so appreciative and enjoy so much reading to their children. One dad told me that he looked forward to the time so much and it had helped get him through this deployment. I had one young soldier read a book to his two nieces this week there and he was so cute. I could hear him in there just a cutting up and having fun reading to them and talking. Don’t you know those little girls will be tickled to get a DVD from their uncle? I wish I could remember what he said they call him, it was so cute. I record in two different areas of the SF camp. One in the morning and the other in the afternoon! Both in the Chaplains office area and Chapel. They are very gracious and it has been so fun to get to know them. The Chaplains Assistant on the second side was leaving this week and so that meant another goodbye. She has been so sweet and I have enjoyed my time with her. She calls me Mama. That evening I was filing along and the Chaplains, from the front side and some others come over to where I was. I figured the were there to say goodbye to the assistant that was leaving. We were just visiting and enjoying the time when all the sudden they ask me to come up. They presented me with a certificate and a flag that had been flown on a combat mission over Iraq. I was so honored and touched but the sweetest thing of all was the inscription on the certificate. It was to Linda Robinson “Our USO Angel”. It will be a treasured memento from my time here along with the memories of spending time with so many dear airmen and soldiers.

We also had another first and treasured event at the center. A young airmen came by a week or so ago and ask if we had any place that was private that he could web cam with his wife because she was due to deliver their second baby. The hospital had agreed to allow them to have a web cam there for the delivery. The airmen had been all over base trying to find a place where he could go when the day arrived. We let him know we would do whatever we could to help him out. He runs in the other night and says she is in labor. We go to work and get him set up back in our office. We were having trouble getting my laptop to download and by the grace of God our Internet guy was there and he hooked him up to another computer the was in our office. In order to do that we had to close down our computer lab which we hated but this was one of those special events in life that took priority and was not to be missed. It was fun watching him talk to her and coach her through. In Iraq fashion right towards the end our Internet went out and we were doing everything we knew to do to get it up and running. Finally we talked to the special unit that share the other wing of our building and they hit the ground running and had our new dad hooked up within minutes. 2:45 a.m. a beautiful baby boy was born. Daddy was proud and mom was grateful he had been by her side though the miles were many.

Today is John Micah’s birthday. Being so far away on special day’s brings a certain sadness and an awareness of how far away I am from those I love. I talked to him on the phone and it was great to know he was with his sister and girlfriend and having a wonderful time together. I am very proud of him. For those of you who have not heard he has been redeployed and will return to Iraq around the end of the summer. He is an amazing young man, proud to serve his country.

I must get myself to bed. I love you all dearly and thank you over and over for your support and encouragement.

In His Mighty Grip,
Linda