Monday, May 5, 2008

Starting Home for R&R!

Dear All,

I’m on my way. I had no issues getting on a flight out of Balad and it looks like everything is a go to be home as planned. I am very excited about flying on the R&R flight with the troops. After meeting that flight for so many years at DFW it will be fun to see the whole process. Here in Kuwait I am staying in transient housing just like the troops and going through this process just as they do.

My last day in Bald before leaving on R&R was bitter sweet. My Col friend who flew into Iraq with Angela and I back in September left out for good. He has become such a dear friend and has been such an encouragement to me these past eight months. I am thrilled for him that he will be home with his family but will greatly miss him. While seeing him off I saw several other of my SF buddies and said goodbye to them also.

That night two of my UTR dad’s who are doctors at the hospital invited me to dinner. They are precious young things who have seen more in the four months they have been here then most in a life time. They will leave out for good while I am home so this would be our farewells also. What a treasured evening! They were my singing dad’s who sang children’s Bible songs on their UTR recordings and often prayed. They were a blessing from beginning to end. They brought me a gift that will be forever cherished. It was a framed picture of the three of us at the Toby Keith concert and also their ER coin.

I am laying here on my bunk in transient housing and enjoying having time to reflect over these past eight months in Iraq. There have been so many adventures and life experiences that have impacted me greatly but none more precious than the relationships of so many troops that will always be remember. My dear Angela who has experienced this adventure with me since day one, is a joy and a bright spot as I watch her serve and take care of our troops. Her boundless energy amazes me and her brilliant mind astounds me. She always goes above and beyond!

I love my United Through Reading days out at the SF compound and at the hospital. I cherish that time interacting with our troops, often hearing their life stories, heartaches and joys. I hold dear my times with them. I will never stop thanking all of you who have supported this mission and supplied the books. I don’t think we will ever really see how far reaching this program is in connecting our troops to home and family.

Being away from my family has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Johnny Robinson has been my hero, always supporting me and lifting me in prayer. He has also become quite the poet. Often he writes me poems that are so precious. They are about the things I am doing or he is doing and they are such an encouragement. There have been ones about the UTR program and the children that impacts and even one about my grand puppy, Stella. Many mornings I have woken up to a hymn that he has written out for me or scripture that was on his mind. Those things always came right when I needed them most and carried me and sustained me through my day. He has been my rock on the hard days and held me up and wiped my tears from half way around the world. I am one blessed women to have a man like that in my life.

I love you all so dearly and without your support I could have never made it this far. You have all been wonderful. Your care packages shout in my ear how loved I am. I am not sure if I told you that the postal people know me and say I get more mail than anyone here on base. I am so proud of my mom and her support. She has been strong and I am so thankful for her encouragement. My mother-in-law or should I say my mother-in-love has been a huge advocate of the UTR program and has her teacher sorority sending books like crazy.

Amy, Alyson and John Micah are my pride and joy and I am so grateful for them keeping Johnny busy and taken care of.

I will see you soon.
In His Mighty Grip,
Linda

Friday, May 2, 2008

Fun Times!

Dear All,

We had two days last week of dust storms. It was nasty! Though it was blowing, you really could not feel the sand as it is so much like talcum powder. At the very most the visibility was a quarter of a mile. My head pounded and I coughed horribly all day from all the dust. The center seemed to be inches deep in dust. Seems useless sometimes to dust but we do it anyway lest we lose control.

One thing that happens during dust storms are mortar attacks. The air support cannot get out do surveillance and the insurgents know that so they make their presence known in a big way. Before the day was over we had had many sirens and alerts. One did injure a soldier but I understand he is doing fine. So much to learn and understand! Mom, I am very careful and do exactly what I am supposed to and I am also in a hard structure so I am really safe.

I am hoping that when I go to post this I will be able to put pictures with it. You just never know here if the internet is going to cooperate or not. This picture is a five pound chocolate bar that Johnny sent. He had contacted the Hershey Company and they also sent a case of chocolate Kissables.

Well it has been a week since I started this and so much has gone on that I want to tell you. Hopefully I can stay awake long enough to finish this. We have had several more days of dust storms since the one mentioned above. It’s that time of year so you just deal with it. You never really feel clean. Once you shower you still have to walk back to your room. It is just kind of nasty. Everyone walks around outside with something around their face where all that is exposed is their eyes. It is really kind of scary looking. I understand that this will remain with us until probably mid June. Now that excites me.

Guess who came to town? TOBY KEITH…. Those of you who know me, know how much I love Toby Keith music. His concert was supposed to be Sunday night but he got stranded at another FOB because of the sand storm. His band made it in but he did not. They brought the band by the center to visit and they were so fun. We decided to pull off a cook out for them so they came back over and spent the evening with us. We had ten of our volunteers and probably fifteen band members and stage hands. We were able to get steaks, hamburgers and the dogs from the PX and then we all went over to the DFAC and got to go boxes with all the side dishes. The evening went well and we all had fun. I found out that one of the band members use to live just a few blocks from me in Coppell and another lives in Valley Ranch right by me. They were fun and down to earth and I enjoyed watching them interact with the troops. The hope was to get Toby in the next day and have the concert then.

They had planned to bring Toby by the center for a tour on Sunday but it did not look like that would happen for us on Monday. Late in the afternoon we got a call saying they were bringing him by in an hour. Forty-five minutes later the USO WHQ representative comes running in saying he was there can you give him a tour. You can imagine I was happy to oblige. He was quiet and not real personable but I am sure it was that he was shy being with me. It was fun going from room to room and watching the troops be surprised when they saw Toby.

The concert was wonderful. You know me I got emotional watching the troops have so much fun. HE sang all my favorites. After the concert I had a few things to do at the center to clean up and close up. One of our regular volunteers who will be leaving next week stayed to help. We decided to take these USO “Mortaritaville” Frisbees over to the band members. Long story short, Toby Keith was sitting out front and me and this soldier sat and visited for almost an hour. Toby was hungry so we ran down to Burger King and got him something to eat. It was pretty awesome. He was very nice and signed some things for us to have to give to troops and even gave this soldier his Toby Keith coin. When we got in the car I told the soldier I was with that I felt rather silly. Here I am a 54 year old women giddy excited that I got to see and talk to Toby Keith. Oh Well! I just have such respect for him because he values and honors our troops so much! That is big in my book!

I start home for R&R soon. I am thrilled. I hope arrive the 7th. It will be so good to see my family and friends and all those who have so graciously and generously supported me and the mission here. You are all the best.

In His Mighty Grip,
Linda