Praying for Our Boys in Afghanistan

Main Posts Background Image

Main Posts Background Image

11.5.11

Praying for Our Boys in Afghanistan



Have you got a son stationed in Afghanistan? I know--me too!  Matthew, my 25 yr.old son,  just called this week to say that he is leaving for a very dangerous and remote spot. I won’t be able to email him or facebook him.  I don’t think he will be able to call over the satellite phone as he has been doing either.


Matthew's poem Matthew drew this silhouette and wrote the poem.
He will be living with a group of guys in three tents until July. I can’t say more but that they will be surrounded and are doing something very important and dangerous. He’s a  translator in the Marines and can speak Pashto to any natives or prisoners. 

Matthew in Afghanistan
He wrote this email yesterday…

Something to remember me by...

I love you all more than you'll ever know. I'll make it home one way or the other.

If I don't make it, know I died doin what I love, the way I love it, with people I love, for the people and home that I love, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

I plan to make it, kick tails and do my job the way only I can do it. I'm a mean, lean, Marine Corps Green fightin machine, and these past seven years have all been preparation for this day.

I don't mind bullets, I laugh at bombs, and I sleep with my boots on. Everything I own I carry on my back, and I eat, drink, sleep and live motivated.

I am proud to bear the title of United States Marine.  You know all this. 

I love you, I love you, and I love you. Stay safe. 

Your son, 
Corporal of Marines, Matthew Bailey Rodgers
 Matthew on phone 


Somehow, it all seems so hard to fathom. We talked quite a bit these last few days. I know he’s pretty nervous but he feels mentally prepared for sure. I couldn’t sleep tonight…but I have been praying. I know they were flying him at 11:00pm our time. They can’t drive in because it’s too dangerous.
 
Ladies, I don’t know how much our young men in Afghanistan are on your mind, but we do need to remember that they are there protecting the Afghanis from the local Taliban who don’t want to allow them to live normal lives. And our sons are far from home with very few amenities. They live in tents. There’s dirt everywhere..all the time.
 
matthew with the boys  
The locals try to build schools or stores, only to have them burned down and destroyed. Our men stay there and work to protect them. It’s that simple. I don’t know what the ‘bigger picture’ is, but this is what Matthew is doing.
 
Matthew's boys

As Matthew reminds me regularly, freedom isn’t cheap but it means the world to those who have it. It cost Matthew his best friend. It costs his children there Daddy. And many other families pay the same price. 
 
We have much to be thankful for here in the US. Other countries aren’t faring so well.

Matthew

Yesterday, I went to pick up my fourth son’s graduation present, a gun, from a local store and there met the owner, whose son, had just been deployed. We are so proud of our young men who feel compelled to stand up and defend the defenseless.
Matthew in the tent

Let’s keep them in our prayers…and not forget them out in that big desert! Pray they come home soon!

14 comments

Room for More said...

Donna, Our family we will be in prayer for Matthew in the days, weeks, and months to come. Thank you for letting us know. His e-mail brought tears to my eyes. We will share your post with the children too. Many hugs!!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

AMEN! Yes, Matthew's name is on the prayer list; Dustin, my nephew, is in Kyrgyzstan and will be for some time. Please see my post this morning for some great military bumper stickers. I support our USA military in word, thought and deed; it's because of them I can freely sleep at night.

claudia b said...

Donna, I can't imagine what it must be like to have your child in such a situation - please know your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Needled Mom said...

We respect all of our brave men and women every day and thank them daily for our freedom through our prayers for their safety. We will be keeping Matthew in our prayers in a special way, Donna.

Ama x four said...

Thanks for that post, Donna. I think of Matthew so often and he is in my prayers always. His letter brought tears to my eyes as I read it. You and Tim have reared some amazing children and are to be commended for their integrity, strength, courage, and committment to those things which are important to them. I can't imagine as a mother the feelings that must go thru your heart and mind and soul for a son in such harm's way. I just know that if I were in your shoes that I would have the faith to 'let go and let God'. I love you and yours very much.
Aunt Joan

Donna said...

Thanks so much everyone. He wasn't supposed to go to this really bad spot but to something less remote. This was a bumped transfer. He just told us about it yesterday.

I'm going to print your comments and send them in a letter to Matthew right away. He will be so blessed!

Angie said...

Many prayers said and will be said. Thank you, Matthew, for your service to our country. I shared your link on FB, Donna.

Jill said...

Donna,

I will certainly be keeping Matthew in our prayers. Please thank him again for all he is doing for our country and let him know how much we appreciate him. Sending hugs to you as I know this must be such a difficult time...the not knowing...the missing him... His is doing a great service and I know you are very proud. Thinking of you!

blessings,
Jill

Caroline said...

Gideon would love that graduation present too. :) I am terrified of the day he wants to join the army, but I know it is honorable and I have to encourage him with my blessing if that is what God calls him to! Praying for safety for your boy and the others serving. And the moms and wives waiting at home.

Wanda Lee said...

Dearest Donna,

Matthew is in our prayers to be sure! What a heartwarming letter that brought tears to my eyes!

~ Incidentally, my brother in law is a leutenent colonel in the Canadian army and spent 10 months in Afganistan on tour of duty.

We know what it's like to wait, love, watch and pray.., His wife; ( my dear sister, also named Donna) and their three kids also found it to be a bittersweet, difficult time! Yet God was gracious!

..,Also, my dear 24 year old nephew Josh has just been accepted to join the airforce as a medic and will depart soon after he is wed to his lovely nurse, fiance Lindsay. ~ (They are planning to be married in August, Lord willing).., May God bless and keep all of our loved ones!


~ Please pray for him as well Donna!

My dad was a 'civi' as a pastor in an army base town where I grew up there as PK, during the 60's..,

There wa s a special place designated as US, PMQ's as family quarters as I recall for the Nato allies and those involved in the Vietnanm war.

This is where they engaged in specialized training at the time. I was friends with a litte girl who's daddy was in the US army, she was a real sweetheart!

May God Bless you and yours, especially your son as our two nations, ( including all Nato allies); as we together endeavor to work together for a common cause!

Hugs and love from Wanda Lee

A Bee In My Bonnet - Leslie Anne said...

Donna, thank you for sharing your son with us, and making this terrible war more human for us. I applaud what your son is doing - loving his country so much that he wants to share it with others whose human rights are being trampled. I will pray for your boy, as well as his brothers-in-arms. And I will pray for peace in your heart as well as those other mothers and fathers whose children are over there. God bless you!

Kelly said...

Hi Donna;
Wow, I cannot imagine what it must be like for you and other Mother's out there whose son's are deployed in Afghanistan right now. I feel very deeply for you and know that God is watching over your sons and daughters. My prayers are with you and your families. They are such a tremendous blessing to your Country!
Hugs
Kelly

GlorV1 said...

Hugs to you Donna and thank you Andrew for your service to our country and watching over us. Donna, my hugs and prayers are with you and sending prayers and speedy return to your son Andrew.

Lorraine said...

I am sending you positive thoughts for this hard time for all of you but matters such as these are not in our hands

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” ~ Margaret Sangster

Friends of Comin' Home

Thanks for visiting!

Search This Blog

Followers

Copyright Comin'Home 2020. Powered by Blogger.

Error 404

The page you were looking for, could not be found. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.

Go to Homepage