The Power of Forgiveness

Being in the Middle East for a bit over 30 days I've witnessed the power of the sun, the wind and the sand.

At around 0530 am the Sun's powerful rays penetrate your skin.

At around 0830 am the Wind's powerful blows pushes one forward & backward.

At around 1130 am the Sand's powerful grains blind you.

God's forces of nature are really something to marvel!

But I have witnessed another one of God's Forces that is way more powerful than his natural ones: The Power of Forgiveness.

Not too long ago a young solider came to visit me with concerns of distrust for his Non Commissioned Officer (NCO).  The young Private First Class (PFC) shared that he has a very strong value for the NCO creed and expects that his NCO take care of his soldiers before himself.  He also shared he has extremely hurt and angry. 

I could feel his pain, hurt and anger.

After he shared his story, his experience and current feelings towards his NCO, I simply asked, "have you forgiven him?”

The PFC looked down and replied in a very low voice; "No"!

Then he went on to confess; "I know God wants me to forgive him and my relationship with God can’t be right until I forgive this man.”

We shared a bit more then he asked for prayer and we concluded our time together with a promise to talk the next day.

Our time together brought two realities about God to my mind.

First; it is God’s character to forgive.  When the young man looked down I experienced Psalm 51:17a; “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart” and when he confessed that his relationship with God was hampered because of unforgiveness I thought about Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14 when he remarked; “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

When we connected the next day it was like I was speaking with a man who experienced God’s presence for the first time in a long time.

He shared with me his confession to God of being unforgiving and he explained how God took the pain away from his heart and how he has now forgiven his NCO.

I’ve seen a lot of powerful forces here but they all fail in comparison to the power of forgiveness in this young man’s life.

God's powerful force of forgiveness penetrated more than the sun, the wind and the sand could ever pierce, God infiltrated 

his heart.

Is there anyone that you need to forgive? 

Confess, ask God to heal your hurt and experience Him anew today!

Chaplain Brito

The Life Cycle of the 180 Deployment

Today is day 25 of my 180 day deployment and already I've been made aware of certain things pertaining to the life cycle of this deployment!

Serving as a Chaplain I interface with practically everyone on base; every agency & unit within all levels of the command.

From our youngest Airmen to our senior commanders
From those  fresh out of basic to the  Colonel on his 24th deployment. 
From those on this side of the track to those on that side of the tracks

I can confidently say that this ministry takes me into the lives of all types of people that make up our Air Force.

It is because I have this privileged look into their spaces that I have the opportunity to be invited in to their intimate thoughts, hearts and lives.

Despite being here just short of a month; I've learned that most Airmen deployed here are generally somewhere between 3 phases.

Phase 1 (1-2 Months) The Adjustment Period
These may find it difficult to adjust to life here, to establish good working relationships, to deal with the reality that they are not home anymore and can’t be in control of things back in the states.

Phase 2 (2-4 Months) The Rut Period
These have adjusted and accepted life as they know it here. Routine becomes the norm; complacency is the enemy and boredom is often too familiar.

Phase 3 (5-6 Months) The Excitement about Going Home Period
These know that they will be going home in less than 60 days, so they are in a better mood, start to make plans when they get back, start to connect with their unit, family and friends sometimes to the expense of those who they are still serving with who may be in Phase 1/2 because the mission may take a back seat to the excitement of redeploying.

Each Phase has it challenges and may dictate how one deals with adversity.  For example, what may have been a big deal in P1 may not be that big of a deal in P2!

Much of my counseling interaction is solution focused so that the Airman can return to the mission which is always to Fly, Fight & Win!


Sometimes that may be a point of tension for me because I must always remember that I am dealing with a life and not a robot that I need get back on to the assembly line.

So what do I do with all this?  How do I serve His people in this environment who are in these phases of this deployment with love & care as we continue to be the world’s greatest AF? 
 
That’s my mission and my dilemma!

I find comfort in Paul’s words to the Corinthians in 1Cor10:13; when he tells them that "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength but with your testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it"

In context Paul is reminding Christians of the failure of the people of Moses with regards to their lack of trust in God and he encourages them not to make the same mistakes BUT to have faith in God, because he is reliable and is the one that they can find strength in when they are tempted to throw the towel in on their relationship with Him.

Life here is fast and the temptation is to go through someone’s story as fast as I can so that I can get to the next one.  

Lest I think that I can put everyone in a Phase and compartmentalize their hurt and pain
Lest I think that I can process a person like a package to return them to the line
Lest I think that I can do this on my own…

His words must ring in my heart and mind……

"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength but with your testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it"

Chaplain Brito

Surely God is in this Place!

I left the United States on Sunday 10Jul11 at 1130 PM headed to my deployment location.  After 18 travel hours I landed at my final destination.  I was weary and tired but had enough in me to work a full day. I think it was more adrenalin and curiosity that kept me going.
 
See this is my first deployment, first time being away from my wife and 2 young children for such a long time.  I will miss my daughter's first birthday, my son's first day at his new school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!  So I had to stay up and see as much of this new place that would cause me to miss my family as long as I physically could.

Eight hours later I finally gave into my exhausted frame and found my quarters.  As I walked to the dorm I can remember feeling very sad and far from God!  Almost, kinda, really close to blaming Him for being here and being away from those I love.

Then as I opened the door to my room I saw what I know in my Spirit was a sign from God the Almighty Himself!

The prettiest colors (red, white and blue) and the most familiar emblem/symbol that any football fan especially one from NY would recognize… A NY Giants bed cover... My room is a Giants Fan!
 Oh Yeah!  This aint gonna be that bad I thought!

Well, we were only roommates for that day because I was able to parlay my own room but the connection was made with Jim.

After crashing for 12 hours I awoke to began life here in the desert!

I’ve lived here for 19 days now and there is one thing that is certain: Surely God is in this place!

Everywhere I turn God is using someone to encourage me!

Everywhere I turn God is using me to encourage someone!

Everywhere I turn there is someone wanting to talk about or ask questions about or make statements about God!

As a matter of fact, after my 12 hour slumber on day 2, I awoke to a text message from my cousin that read, “I gave my life to Jesus Christ, He is my Lord and Savior!”

Yes, I am a Chaplain, yes I am the one that is supposed to be “connected or plugged” into God at all times and under any circumstance, or at least that is the perception of most.
 
But God has really surprised me!

Amidst all this sand, rock and nothingness… He is here, He is alive and He is working, moving, stirring in the lives of His people.

The last 2 Mondays I was welcomed to work by emails from Sunday’s congregation sharing with me encouraging words.  Words that gave me life, that breathe life into me and it gave me the push I need to encourage others…

I am reminded of the story of Jacob on his way to Haran when he had a dream and in it God says to him in Gen 28:13-15…“I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Jacob awakes from his sleep and says in vs 16“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”


No, I didn’t have a vision or dream or hear God’s audible voice, but through his people, my personal devotions and prayers and through meeting Jim a godly man (who I am now FaceBook Friends with) and a for-real Giants fan… I can surely say… “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”

Has God revealed Himself to you in a place where you thought He was not/could not be present?

Ch B

Mideast Mental Moment

It has a LONG time since I’ve blog! To be honest I started because I was inspired by others (http://honour252.blogspot.com/) (http://www.richardwestley.com/) but simply could not make the time with all the other commitments that I have!

But now, for the next 6 months, I will have more time than what I will know what to do with…

So, I will attempt again to blog consistently!

I have made a list of goals for the next 6 months and here are some of them…

To hear God’s whispers in my life again

To connect with God in a way that I have not in a long time

To lean on Him more than ever in my life

To learn how to serve Him and others

To be the best husband and dad that I could be from my deployed location

To be creative, innovative and daring with the ministry here

To develop a healthy and balanced lifestyle

Do you have a suggestion on another goal that I may want to work on?

Chaplain Carlos

4 Months After the Earth Shook Haiti

4 Months After the Earth Shook Haiti.

From May 1, 2010 to May 8, 2010 I visited the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere to see what life was like 4 months after the earth shook in Haiti. It has taken me nearly 1 month to process everything that I saw, felt and thought while I was in Haiti. I expected bad but nothing could prepare me for what I experience

Crossing the Border

The magnitude of the earthquake’s effect met us at the border. We drove in from Santo Domingo. Three miles from the border there is an area called “Tierra de Nadie” translated “No Man’s Land.” Usually this stretch of land would be unpopulated and lifeless. However, since the earthquake “No Man’s Land” served as a parking lot for the all of the nations who sent humanitarian supplies. 18 wheeler after 18 wheeler with supplies from ALL OVER THE GLOBE parked bumper to bumper awaited to get into Haiti. At one point I saw a shipment from Iran and directly in front of it a shipment from Israel; interesting to see that these nations do have a similar interest. As we crossed into Haiti the frantic hustle of the country overtook me. Awaiting us was a market! Monday’s was the day that Haitians brought goods to be sold to the border. This added element to the crossing made it that more challenging because everyone wanted to show off their goods therefore crossing was slower than usual. After being “shaken down” by the self appointed border liaison we entered in through a narrow beach front which led us into the city of Fermathe.

The Baptist Haiti Mission

Fermathe is located about 15 miles north of Port Au Prince. This is where we would be for the next 3 days. The drive into Fermathe revealed the devastation that that was still evident. Every mile that we passed was filled with rubble and debris. It is estimated that it will take 40 trucks a day operating for the next 48 months to clear Port Au Prince. In Fermathe we connected with the Baptist Haiti Mission (See Link). While there we journeyed 5 miles into the mountain side terrain to a small village to construct a home. The small 20 x 10 x 12 foot house took approximately a week to build. This home would house a family five. After this we headed into Port Au Prince

Misión Rescate

I met up with my missionary friend, Omyara Alvarez from YWAM Santo Domingo in the Heart of the City. We visited a makeshift clinic that sits on the edge of Port-Au-Princes downtown police headquarters parking lot. Blue tarps and metal lounge chairs form the "emergency room" intake center. Police monitor metal fencing around the area, allowing Haitian volunteers to pull patients out the crowd of people pressing against the fence. Most patients receive basic care in the emergency room, before transferring to the operating room or deeper wound stations, set up inside the police building. Several pediatric stations treat children.

My Takeaways

While I didn’t see physical death I did witness “soul death”. Soul death is when I look into the eyes of someone and can’t see life. That is what I experienced. I looked into the eyes of many Haitians who seemed like life was sucked out of them. I can’t get the images out of my mind. Ironically, for me this absence of life, made me evaluate the life that I was living with regards to what really matters. Life is indeed short, my God help us all weigh and consider how important and fragile it is each day we live it. I am praying on taking a team in 2011 into Haiti to build more homes and visit the clinic.

If you would like more info leave me a comment with you contact info below.

For Pictures of My Trip to Haiti Click Here

The toughest day on the job --- thus far!

It has been too long since my last blog… too long!!! I have thought of many opportunities to write but frankly the energy has not been there… but then something happens in my world that makes me want to share… or better yet… NEED TO SHARE!

That something happened 2 weeks ago at 345 am when my duty cell phone rang. On the other end was our base command post, kind of like the Air Force base’s 911 system, informing me that a marine was killed in Afghanistan 3 hrs ago and that I was needed to make a death notification no later than 530 am.

I immediately got out of bed and prepared my service dress uniform. It wasn’t until I was at the base in a briefing that was explaining the details of how this young (19 yr old) marine died , did I really come to grips with what I was preparing to do. Yes I have done death notifications before, BUT this one was different. All the training that I had been through began to flood my mind; my communication with God open wider than it had been in a long time and all of the death notification scenes from the many Hollywood movies that I have seen began to popcorn in my brain.

I was anxious, very anxious and wanted to get it over with. This was not just another “notification” this was a battle field notification; in my opinion, the worse kind. It brings the war right into the living room! I was about to give the dreaded news that every person’s family who is deployed and in harms ways dreams of never hearing. I was about to be that “face” of the character sitting across from the mother, wife, father or siblings that has been in their nightmares since their loved one was been gone.

How was I going to do this? Only through God’s grace!

I prayed harder and longer that morning than I have in a long time. I sent text messages to my friends and as they replied and I read them I literally began to feel the weight of the burden that I was carrying be lifted from my shoulders.

"For My yoke is easy, and My load is light" Matthew 11:30 and Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you, Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal – carried me through that day.

Yes it was tough, I battled back tears as this marine hero’s mom clutched a childhood picture of her eldest son, and as I overheard his younger siblings sob from their upstairs sanctuary, but I knew that He was with me in a very tangible and practical way.

Indeed I felt the “effectual fervent prayer of the righteous men” James 5:16b, carry me through this day - The toughest day on the job – thus far!

Question: How has God helped you make it through a tough day?

Coincidence or God-incidence

God is truly Amazing!

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this God who created the universe, planets, solar systems, stars, sun and moon is the same God that intricately created the smallest insect. It’s easy to forget that He cares about every weighing thought and burden we have. I admit that I don’t take it “All” to him at times because I believe that he may be “too busy” to tend the certain needs I may have… it’s really my Pride that gets in my way…

Last week God reminded me that he Providentially Places me in the right place at the right time. Last Friday I was on my way home from the base, talking to my wife on the phone when I looked to my left and realized I was passing her job at the Base Club. We have the convenience of working on the same base. So I frequently stop by just to say hello and to visit with her coworkers and boss, who have a very demanding job, and as a Chaplain I am constantly concerned about their Self-Care. My wife was out of town on a conference that week so I didn’t stop by at all. All of a sudden I get this pressing in on my spirit that I need to stop by and check on them. So I do… The set up began…

I walked into an Officer’s Lounge of the Club and it is filled with Pilots; highly unusual…

I walked into a “quasi memorial celebration” for a fellow pilot who was killed in his plane earlier that week.

These are my pilots, my ministry responsibility, I am their Chaplain… Needless to say I spent the next 2 hours there providing ministry to these men who really don’t show any emotions.

We talked, hugged, laughed, some cried, others prayed…

All in all I was the one who left there encouraged; I needed to connect and God placed me at the right place at the right time and used that situation to share with others, who may not have a “public faith” position, that HE cares about them…

Q: Has God ever placed you in a place or position where you know in your inner that he providentially placed you there?