Deployment

I can hardly believe that it's been 6 months since my last blog entry.  It seems like a lifetime ago and at the same time it feels like yesterday.  Our life since last December has been a whirlwind.  We began to get ready for our move and then at lightening speed it all took off.  Where has the time gone.

We knew back then that Jim would be deploying soon after our arrival in Hawaii.  We arrived in April and thought that we had so much time since he wouldn't leave until late June or early July.  Was I ever wrong about that.  Between In processing, the pre-deployment prep and our move into our house, the time moved quickly.  It seems like we were barely into the house when it was time for Jim to leave.

Back during Dessert Storm Jim was an NCO with an MI unit.  He went on several missions of which I had no idea where he was.  Those missions would last only 1-4 weeks.  This deployment is a year long.  It's only been two weeks and I'm feeling pretty bad at this point.  Now I'm not saying these things to make anyone feel sorry for me. While I dislike him being gone and I feel incredibly lonely, I wouldn't change this life for anything.  I'm so proud of my husband for obeying our Lord and Savior and following his call.  The Army Chaplaincy is a perfect fit for him and for our family.  I just can't wait until he gets home. I'm also wondering how long it will take until I don't have to remind myself to breathe :(

I've always been a morning person and that's when I've had the most energy and when I've been the most outgoing.  These past two weeks have been very different.  Now I feel like it's another 12 hours of trying to pull myself through the day.  Some of my new friends here have said that the first two weeks are the most difficult.  I suppose that is because it is a huge adjustment.  My heart is in Iraq and I'm learning to live on my own with our son.  Our 19 year old daughter was here with us from May until just the other day.  She left within one week of Jim leaving.  I felt as though I had to grieve all over again.  Perhaps this is why I'm still feeling sad.  I know I'll pull myself together and get out but I have to do it in my own time.

                                                                   My heart in Iraq

Now for Hawaii.  This is paradise!  When I imagine what Heaven will look like, this is it!!!  We've seen so many things since we arrived and haven't even touched the tip of what there is here.  I'm planning on taking advantage of the time I'll have over the next year to get out and explore with Cody.  One of the things him and I want to do the most is go to the big island to see the volcano.

We miss our friends back home and we miss our newer friends that we made while we were at Ft Jackson.  Army life is a good life and we are all like one big family.  Thank you all who have prayed for us during this journey.

I'll try to do a better job with blogging in the future.  :)  For now, here is a poem that was sent to me by a good friend (a military wife of over 18 years)  This poem sums up our life during deployment.

A Military Wife in the Army of One
You aren’t issued with the uniform, boots and weapon,
But you are one lady no one should step on.
It usually goes “With this ring, I thee wed,”
But add in “Even if it means me in an empty bed.”
“and the weeks in the field with many late nights,”
“which will at some point lead to fights.”
Yes, a military wife is courageous and strong,
Even when the days seem so long.
When you feel like you’re at your wits end,
You “Suck it up” and start to mend.
You learn the Army language,
All those acronyms, “How can I manage.”
PX, AAFES, LES, MOS - the list goes on and on,
All those letters would make an ordinary woman yawn.
But those letters are part of your life,
The life of a proud military wife.
You move too much and decorate too little,
Because you always seem to leave in the middle.
Don’t get too settled and make lots of friends
Because home is wherever the Army sends.
And then one day the orders come down,
Your husband soon will be leaving town.
“Up to 365 days or until mission complete”
You know your heart just skipped a beat.
You stare at the orders in front of you,
This was a possibility you always knew.
Now life takes on new meaning
And the tears start streaming.
You hug each other tight and kiss farewell,
How you feel, words could never tell.
You go back to an empty home,
And try not to sit by the phone.
You wait, wonder and worry,
And hope this year goes by in a hurry.
Things are different now.
You’ll do things you once did not know how.
Yellow ribbons are a new accessory,
You make your outfit match- it is a necessity
You cry when the National Anthem is played,
And you get your child that much needed band-aid.
You have your daily chores, as always,
Except now you’re the only one to sweep the hallways.
You’re “IT”- the only one
But you do it and try to have fun.
You say your prayers and wish on a star in the sky,
When he’s back in your arms, you’ll forget the year that went by.
And you’ll think how strong you had become,
When you were truly the army of “one.”

~Letisha E Wheeler October 16, 2005~

 Jeremiah 29:11

Moving along on that long and winding road.

I have sat myself down so many times to write and have not been able to find the exact words that I want to say.  My last entry was on 3 December and so much has happened during that time.  As I sat down today to begin typing I was listening to the radio.  The Beatles, Long and Winding Road began to play....how ironic since this is what I first named my blog page.  This was also the title of the story that I wrote which was published in Army Wife Magazine.

Our pastor held the ordination and farewell ceremony for Jim on 3 January that I mentioned in my last blog and it was wonderful!!  Leaving our home church, family and friends is a bitter-sweet time. We will miss everyone but know that this is the path that God has chosen for us.

Since last spring when we first knew that the Army Chaplaincy was going to be a reality, it seemed that time moved so slowly.  Suddenly, as December came along, everything went into high speed and life flashed before our eyes.  We started to organize and clean out the house.  We "purged" so much junk it was amazing.  We didn't think we had accumulated so much over the years. Then Christmas came and went.  Now the serious cleaning began.  We went through the house from top to bottom.  Every time we thought we were done, we discovered another closet or cubby to clean.

Jim left on 10 January for school which left me to take care of our move.  It then seemed like I didn't have time to do anything and I wouldn't be ready for the movers to come.  

I got a call from someone at the school on 13 January to tell me that Jim was to receive a leadership initiative award.  They asked if Cody and I could come down the next day for it to surprise Jim.  I panicked at first thinking, "how can I do this?  I have to get things packed up to move."......but of course I can come down.  This was such a great honor and I didn't want to miss it.
Cody and I arrived at Ft Jackson the next morning and met the lady that called me.  She brought us into the back of the classroom after everyone has assembled.  The Commandant of the school was up in front and he began to speak.  He talked about leadership and the roles of Chaplains and soldiers.  He then called Jim up front.  Jim still didn't see Cody and I in the back of the class.  The Commandant presented his personal coin to Jim.  I could tell that Jim was very humbled by this.  Then the Commandant told Jim that he may also be surprised that Cody and I were in the back of the class.  I thought Jim was going to drop.  It was so sweet. :)

Jim received an exception to policy from the school.  He was given an apartment on post that has enough room for Cody and I.  This was a huge blessing for us.  We had moved our moving date up so it wouldn't be at the last minute before leaving for Hawaii. (that would have been very difficult) I was looking for an apartment off post to live in while Jim was in school but now we were able to stay with him. 

So then came the move....arghhh.  I was totally stressed about it all but it went perfectly.  Of course our things still need to get to Hawaii in one piece so we'll see if truly is a "perfect" move.
The movers came in on the 19th and were scheduled to do pack out that day and the next.  The move was to be on the 21st but it all went so well they were ready by the morning of the 20th to move us out....so we did.

Cody and I are now at Ft Jackson.  I can't remember when I have ever been so tired.  It took me a couple of days to unwind and settle in.  So now, here we are.  We are back to our homeschooling routine and my stress level seems to have calmed down.  The only thing that would make this better would be if Nicole had decided to come along.  It is so difficult for us to leave her behind.  I'm praying that she'll change her mind before we leave and come along to Hawaii.  She'll come this summer for a few weeks but I would much prefer it if she would live with us.

Jim fell right back into his military mode as I knew he would.  He's like a pea in a pod with this new career.  He was interviewed for a leadership position by the Cadre at the school when he first arrived and was selected as 1st Platoon leader.  Their platoon is the All American Platoon which represents the 82nd Airborne.  Ironic again....Ft Bragg, home of the 82nd, was where Jim spent the majority of his time in the Army when he was an NCO back in the day.

As I reflect on the last 6 years since Jim was first called to this ministry, I can now see some of the "whys" of the trials we endured to get here.  God has a plan for each of us.  All we have to do is have faith and trust in Him alone.  We Praise God that He has led us down this road.  We are humbled that He would choose us to serve Him in the United States Army Chaplaincy....HOOAH!!

Jeremiah 29:11

Happiness and Sadness

Someone once told me that with every happiness there is also a degree of sadness that will come along.  We have had many good things happen in our lives over these past few months and all these things outweigh any trials, sadness or bad things.  I'll begin with the happy times :)

Since my last blog, Jim has received the hard copy of his orders to Ft Jackson and Hawaii.  He also received the necessary paperwork to take his oath of office.  We had a good friend of ours, a former Captain and Army Doctor administer Jim's oath.  We went to downtown Hickory in front of an old WWI memorial last Saturday.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect.  Our children were present along with close friends.  Because of prior service to the Army, Jim was allowed to wear his ACU's and his beret.  It was very strange to see him in his Army garb again :)  He looked so handsome......reality is sinking in!
After Jim took his oath we all went to one of our favorite restaurants at the square in downtown Hickory to share food, laughter and memories.

Jim has also been in touch with his new boss in Hawaii and he seems to be a great guy.  He has already helped us by answering multiple questions.  He's also assured us that as April gets closer they will help us with the on-post housing.  This is a great relief for me.  The army of course will put us up in temporary housing so we'll have a place to stay while we wait. 


Our original plan was to move from our house at the end of March just prior to Jim finishing CH-BOLC.  We've decided that this will make everything too stressful so close to us leaving for Hawaii, Jim's graduation and the festivities that go along with this.  So now the plan is to move during the last week of February.  This will also allow for our things to arrive in Hawaii around the same time we do. When the move is complete I'll drive down to Ft Jackson and stay for a day or two and then proceed to Florida with the kids to see my mom and my brother for a week or two.  I'll then come back up to join Jim and stay somewhere near or on Ft Jackson.

We found out that we have to deliver our truck to Charleston, SC to have it shipped out. Being a little bit closer to there will help my stress level.  Then the plan is to fly out from Columbia if Jim's orders allow for that.  If not then it will more than likely be Charlotte which is still fine and it's only about an hour from there anyway. 

Our pastor has also agreed to have an Ordination ceremony for Jim in our church on January 2nd.  Jim was ordained and endorsed by WCICC and not at our church so we never had one a ceremony.   We are both so honored that Pastor Steve is doing this for Jim.  Jim's calling began in this church 5 years ago so it makes it that much more special.

Jim started a facebook group for his CH-BOLC class so now we have been in touch with several of his future classmates.  They have what appears to be a wonderful group of men and woman called to this ministry.  I've had the pleasure of getting to know one of the wives and we have have already become great friends.  We also have so much in common we could be sisters.  I'm always in awe of how God places people together at certain times in our lives!!  

There are several 'sad' things that we are facing right now.  Of course the most difficult will be leaving our 23 year old daughter behind.  She has her life here in NC with a steady boyfriend and she's in nursing school.  Our 18 year old will also stay behind for a short while since she will need to finish her first year of college.  She plans to fly out for the summer and then she wants to return to go to school here.....of course I can't imagine not wanting to stay in Hawaii at the age of 18 but that's me!!!

We are also having to leave our beloved pets.  We have 3 dogs, a cat, a guinea pig and a rat.  One of our golden retrievers has been placed and she'll go with one of Jim's former students who is also a friend of our daughters after Christmas.  This is a perfect match since the dog and the guy taking her are both VERY energetic.  My older golden retriever will be the most difficult for me to part with.  She was my partner when I did Search and Rescue.  She never left my side when we worked together.  If she would lose sight of me while she was tracking she would always come back to check on me.  I believe she is part human. :) We may have a home for her but that's not definite yet.  Our little beagle may also have a home with one of Jim's current students. She is trying to work out details for a place to keep the dog until July. She would also be a great match for our little Hattie.

The reason for not being able to take our dogs is simply cost.  We are responsible for their flight which in itself isn't too bad.  But, Hawaii has a mandatory quarantine law since they are a rabies free state.  The quarantine is 120 days at $16.00/day for the first pet and then a discounted rate for the second pet.  This is close to $2000 for the first pet which we cannot afford to do.  The way around this quarantine is to have a microchip placed in each dog, lab work for titers and a few other things done.  The cost of this is also quite high and not in our budget.

We love our dogs and the cat but we have to be realistic.  We are praying for good homes and that it won't be too difficult on our kids to part with our pets. I know it probably sounds silly to some to be so upset over animals but we love our pets like they are our kids.

So, our Long and Winding road continues.  We look forward to whatever God has in store for us as take this journey.

Aloha!!

Jim's orders finally came yesterday.  We we're told "unofficially" on Monday that our first duty station would be Hawaii!!  The week seemed to just drag by since Chaplain Meeker told Jim the news while we waited for the "official word".   She told Jim that she was just waiting for his scroll from the Secretary of Defense to issue his official orders.  They came yesterday afternoon via email!!! And, it was Cody's (our son) 13th Birthday...he was jumping all around the house when Jim called to tell us.  He is (we are) to report on 26 April 2010,  25th Infantry Division, 2nd Striker Brigade Combat Team. This will of course be after Chaplain School is finished.

Our journey to this point in our lives has been long with many bumps in the road.  While we are very excited about this new chapter we are also humbled that God has called us to this ministry.  Hawaii, as most of you know was our first choice but we never thought we would get to go.  When Jim spoke to Chaplain Meeker a month or so ago she asked him what he thought about Ft Hood or Rucker.  Jim's response was that it really didn't matter to him and that he was just happy to be going back into the Army.  He did say that the warm climate of both places would be a plus for us since we've lived in the South for so long :)  He also told her that he was excited to serve wherever God wanted him. 

Yesterday morning I also received an email from our pastor regarding an ordination ceremony for Jim.  I had asked him last month if this would be possible since Jim was not ordained or endorsed by our church.  Pastor Steve told me then that he would like nothing better than to give Jim a proper send off. This is such an honor for our family.  This is where our journey began and Pastor Steve was a huge help to Jim when he began the process of gaining his degrees.  Pastor was his mentor for the first year of school.  His selflessness was very much appreciated by Jim.  Our pastor is a wonderful teacher and we will miss him and his family when we leave.

Pastor Steve suggested 2 dates that would work for the church and it was decided that the ceremony will be on January 2nd.  We are also going to try to plan a reception in the fellowship hall after the service.  We were doubly blessed yesterday.

So now the next step is to go have Jim take his oath of office.  Our plan was to visit our friends up at Ft Mead and do it there with them present.  Several of their kids have been very sick with what they think is the H1N1 flu. :(  We don't want to add any stress on them so our back up plan is to travel down to Ft Jackson to have it done.

Jim will leave on January 10th to report to Ft Jackson for CH-BOLC (Chaplain School).  In some ways it seems like it's really far away but I know it's going to come quickly.  From what we have been told the first 4 weeks of training are going to keep him pretty busy and we will not see him.  We are fortunate that we are only a short distance for Ft Jackson.  Some of the people that will be in school with Jim are coming from great distances so their families will not be close by. 

I have met one really great new friend in this process.  I actually found her through her blog website that I found on the US Army Chaplain website.  In her blog she had posted that her husband was going CH-BOLC in January and was hoping to get in touch with others going as well.  So, I emailed her and we have been chatting ever since.  (Hi Kari :) )......It is amazing how much we have in common!!  They will be stationed at Ft Hood in April.  It's probably a good thing we won't be together....this would be trouble!!  hahaha  Actually we were a little disapointed that we wouldn't be at the same place but as I told her, if I couldn't be at Ft Hood with her then Hawaii is the one place that I was ok with!!  LOL  I have always wanted to go there and have never had the opportunity so needless to say I'm ecstatic about it!!

We've been through so much these past 5 years and it hasn't always been easy.  God has always been there to pick us up, brush and off and push us forward.  I'm so grateful for this.  Our God is an AMAZING GOD!!  As we look back at these years we realize that it was all God's plan for us anyway.  I don't believe we would be where we are today had we not been made to endure these trials.

We pray that God will continue to mold us and refine us into what He wants us to be for His Glory!!

Anxiety

 I was hoping by now to be able to write about where we're going to be stationed in April when Jim finishes with CH-BOLC but that's not the case.

We are still waiting...again!  I'm not quite sure why I'm so anxious lately.  I suppose it's because of the unknown.  We have been told that the papers for Jim's oath may not even come until right before he goes to school which would mean he will swear in when he gets there.  I'm really hoping it doesn't happen that way.  We would like to go have this done with our friends Michele and Dave in MD.
I know; It's God's timing and not mine.

Jim got an email last week that listed the email addresses of all the people that will be attending school with him.  This is a great thing.  It was sent out because of suggestions that Chaplains from some of the last classes had regarding making the journey to school and the Army easier.  Jim started a facebook group for the class and then emailed everyone on the list inviting them to join.  The group grew quickly in just one day but it's still only about half the class.  We've now been able to be in touch with several of Jim's future classmates and their spouses. 

Several of the Chaplains already have their orders and know where they'll be stationed in April.  It seems that they were boarded in August or prior to August.  Jim was boarded in September along with several other Chaplains that will be attending.  They don't have their orders either so I suppose this is how it all goes.  Chaplain Meeker told Jim last week that he "should" have orders within the next two weeks.  HAHA...I think "2" is the magic number these days.  We've been hearing that number quite often lately. 
When I was working my paramedic job the magic number was also 2. Anytime we asked an intoxicated person how much they had to drink they would ALWAYS say "2 beers".  At times I wanted to ask how big the bottom of the glass was or how many ounces were in the bottle!!

We have been trying to get things organized in the house.  We don't want to wait until the last minute to get rid of the things we don't need.  We have heard stories that some of the Chaplains have had to move within a day of finishing school.  I sure hope that's not how it will go since that will leave me to do all the preparations alone.  YIKES...that would be a nightmare. 
We had a yard sale on Saturday...fun, fun, fun.  I don't like doing those at all.  I think we may have to do one more before we go though. 

So our long and winding road continues.  I pray that we will find out soon so I will feel a bit more at ease about moving.  

Still Waiting

Jim is still waiting for the paperwork so we can go to have him sworn in.  Chaplain Meeker confirmed that they are beginning to see  orders coming through since the HRC move.  We're hoping that the time frame won't end up around Thanksgiving.  Our friends at Ft Mead will be gone to visit family at that time so it may not work out to go up there.  You all already know that waiting is not my strongest asset :)  We know for sure Jim is going in January but we'd just like to have the process complete. 

I heard back from our pastor via email.  He said that he would like to have a "send off" for Jim but he will have to talk to the Elder's of our church first.  His sermon yesterday was amazing to say the least.  He has an incredible God given gift to share His word.  It was like being back 5 years ago when Jim first has his calling to Chaplaincy.  Pastor Steve spoke about listening to God and pretty much the same things he talked about back then. There are many others in our church who have had their own calling and have listened to what God has to say. 

I've "met" a couple of other Chaplain's wives through blogs.  One of these blogger's husband is going to be in school with Jim!!  We were really excited to be in touch with them.  Their process to the Chaplaincy has been exactly like ours. They are going to be stationed at Ft Hood for their first duty station which is where we "think" we will be going so this will be very cool!  At least I'll know someone there even if it's only via blogging and email. :)  It's amazing how many of the current Chaplains went through the same things that we all are now. 

Another Chaplain and his wife live in Alaska right now but are getting ready to move to Ft Jackson!!  Hmmmm...very small world!  They have been in Alaska for 6 1/2 years!!  I'm not sure how anyone can live there for so long.  I think I would go out of my mind.  The current temperature is -13 in Fairbanks right now. YUK.  The thought of Alaska causes me a bit of panic to tell you the truth.  I grew up in New England and loved the winter when I was a kid.  As I got older though the appeal of all that snow, slush, ice and mud lost it's flavor. 

Our long and winding road continues.  This is the adventure of a lifetime and we're excited to be on it!  I'll blog again when we hear something new if not sooner. 

"Hurry up and Wait"

Ah yes, what should be the Army motto; "Hurry up and Wait". LOL  The scramble to get everything in order over the past year or so has been interesting to say the least.  Paperwork to be filled out and sent in, interviews to do, more paperwork and then waiting for the word to come saying, "YES" welcome Chaplain Mitchem to the United States Army. Not to mention the trials and tribulations we've endured over the past year in our lives.

Since my last blog Jim got his "official" email stating when to report to Ft Jackson which will be on January 10, 2010.  The Chaplain school will finish on April 9th and we will leave for our first duty station.  We are now waiting on Jim's orders to arrive which we assume will come via Fedex.  The Chaplain recruiter told him several weeks ago to expect this in the next 3 weeks.  Last week, which was week 3, Jim got a call from Chaplain Meeker in DC.  She said that orders have been delayed not only for Jim but for others as well.  It seems that the HRC office is in the process of moving.  She told Jim to expect the orders in a week or two.  So, we "hurry up and wait" again. :)  We are really ok with this since we know everything is done and it's just a matter of Jim getting sworn in but at the same time we're anxious to have orders in hand.  

Which brings me to another amazing story.  We lost touch with our good friends Dave and Michele about 10 years ago.  Dave and Jim served together at Ft Bragg with the 319th MI.  We've moved so many times over these past years that it's no wonder we lost touch.  We searched many times for our friends but never could find them.  Well, about a month and a half ago I got an email message stating that Michele was requesting me as her facebook friend!!  I was so excited!   This all happened when we first got the word that the board of Chaplains in DC approved Jim for Chaplaincy.  So the next step is for Jim to be sworn in.  We were told that Jim would need to find an officer, a Captain or higher to do this.  As it turns out, Dave and Michele had been on a waiting list for 2 1/2 years for a bigger house on post.  That housing came through for them about 3 weeks ago.  Low and behold, their new next door neighbor is a post Chaplain at Ft Mead.  Dave asked him if he'd be willing to swear Jim in and he said sure!  He then suggested that we go to Washington, DC and have the swearing on the Mall. Wow, I'm really excited about that.  We are praying that this trip will work out.  We haven't seen our friends in over 10 years and we are looking forward to seeing them again.
Jim wants to have Dave and I do his pinning.  How perfect it will be to have Dave take part in this.....sooooo, we "hurry up and wait again". LOL

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before so forgive me if I have.  Jim was ordained and endorsed last year by the World  Council of Independent Churches (WCICC). We have yet to have a ceremony for this.  Jim and I both have divorces in our past.  We are members of a Baptist Church and have been for the past 6 + years.  The church we were members of last year refused to allow a ceremony because of the divorces.  We are now back at our "home church" where Jim had his calling and have been back for almost a year.  We love our church and our Pastors.  I think we've been afraid to ask about the ceremony since it is also a Baptist Church.  Well, I asked yesterday via email to our pastor.  I haven't heard anything yet so I'm praying that he'll allow it.  I'm not too sure how I'll feel about it if the request is refused.  I guess we'll just have to find another way to hold a ceremony for Jim.  It would be so great to have the blessing of the church where the calling of this ministry began.

Our journey on the Long and Winding Road continues.  I'll post again later as soon as we hear something.  I also need to share about some of our trials that we've been through.  God always gets you to the point He wants you at.  This is where he can mold and shape us into what He wants for His Glory!

Blessings,
Denise

Jeremiah 29:11