We have ten days left until our 100 Day Prayer Challenge is completed. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been participating. We have received some neat stories of how military wives have seen God work during this time. I hope we will have some more stories to share after our conference next weekend.

If you have a cool story or tidbit on why you liked participating that you’d like to share in relation to the This is the Day to Pray Campaign, please send it to me at sara@wivesoffaith.org. We will share some of those in an upcoming newsletter.

Please continue to pray for our conference which is next Friday and Saturday. We are looking forward to seeing everyone who is coming!

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For the past couple of months, our leadership team has been praying for military marriages, and specifically, for two different military couples whose wives both contacted us the exact same week. One was a Reserve/Guard wife, the other an active military wife and both had husbands who had told them they were done with the marriages. One is in a deployment situation, one isn’t. Both had small children and both were left wondering the question – what do I do now?

Our team has been praying for each of these couples and for the wives, that God would intercede and do something to heal these marriages.

About a month ago we heard from the Reserve/Guard wife that things were getting better and she did not feel like divorce was quite so imminent. And then today we heard from the active military wife…

I just wanted to share with you all my joy! My husband just called and was a Total different person. He didn’t really discuss what has happend to him in the last few months, but he just talked normal…and the best of all he told me he loved me. I just want to drop to the floor and praise God! Thank you all so much for your prayers. Our battle is not over, but he hasn’t sounded so good in months….

I share this with you because I think it’s an awesome reminder that God does answer prayer! And that He does heal marriages! We don’t have to look at divorce as the only option. I know there are so many marriages out there that struggle and go through rough times, but God wants to heal and help. We only have to ask and turn to Him.

So the next time you hear of a marriage that is on the rocks – don’t shake your head and think, how sad, how hopeless. Instead, bow your head and ask God to heal that marriage and bring that couple closer to Him. Trust that He will do what He says He will – stand in the gap for hurting marriages – ask God to put His arms around military couples and never let them go!

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So my husband just arrived in Iraq and I already find myself stronger than I ever expected I’d be.

I have always struggled with being a confident woman. I always underestimate myself and I never give myself enough credit. There’s self doubt that has constantly loomed within me for years. I’m consistently afraid of giving a wrong answer and have struggled with forming my own opinions. I’m just not sure of myself. And I haven’t a clue as to where any of this came from! Ok, so bear with me…it sounds bad, I know, but here’s where the rain ends and the rainbow begins:)

When my husband deployed but was still state side, our daughter and I flew nearly cross country to see him before he shipped out. It was wonderful to see him. I loved every second of every minute that we were together as a family, but the dread of goodbye never left my side. The morning came for us to leave and head back home. So we had breakfast at the hotel and just as we were leaving for the airport our daughter threw up all over the dining room floor. My heart sank deep into the pit of my stomach when it dawned on me that I was going to have to fly all the way back home with a puking two year old BY MYSELF. Let’s just say my stress level went through the roof at that point. Thankfully we made it home, but ladies…we were ragged. Big time.

Our daughter continued to have it come out both ends for the next six days (or shall I say six middle-of-the-nights). But it didn’t stop there. Since my husband deployed overseas, our daughter and I have been sick for three weeks with a total of four viruses. Between the two of us we lost almost seven pounds.

And I didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t think I could deal with my husband leaving, care for a sick toddler while being sick myself and continue to run the household alone, but I did.

I was on my knees a lot. I prayed as I cleaned up puke off the floor. I prayed as I put our baby girl to bed at night. I prayed before my feet even hit the floor in the morning. I prayed over a hot stove as I prepared meals. I prayed as I put the bills in the mailbox. I prayed as I loaded groceries in the car.

I learned to be more confident through illness. I had to banish the doubt. All the while I couldn’t talk with my husband on the phone I learned to talk with God through prayer. I realized that I can do a lot more than what I thought because of God. I understand that I am growing because this hurts. I know that God is preparing me for a purpose and I am able to smile through my tears:)

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Got this email from Laura, a chaplain’s wife I know in Texas – we will be adding this request to our 100 Days of Prayer for tomorrow’s email… please pray for these families.

Hi Sara,

I am writing to let you know about a tragedy that happened last week. Last Thursday, a Chinook helicopter carrying 7 National Guard soldiers went down in Iraq. These soldiers were at the very beginning of their deployment, actually moving from Kuwait to Iraq at the time of the crash. There was no enemy fire, and it is believed to be mechanical problems that caused the crash.

The unit was from North Texas and Oklahoma. Four of the soldiers were from Texas and three were from Oklahoma. My husband Chuck was the chaplain in this unit for 4 ½ years when we first moved to Texas. Although he has been out of this unit for a while and has been deployed with 2 different unit since he was there, we still consider this aviation unit somewhat of our home. I was very involved with the family support group there and we still have a lot of friends in that unit.

We spent some time at the unit last weekend with the families of the soldiers that were not killed. This unit is probably more of a family than I have ever seen in the Guard. Soldiers tend to stay in this unit for a long time and so families get to know each other. Chuck had to help with a death notification and that was really hard. We found out later that we personally knew one of the soldiers that was killed and were pretty close to the family. We have visited with them and of course, there is a long road ahead of them.

The other soldiers in the unit have been affected in so many ways. Losing a crew at the beginning. The mechanics in the unit are hurting, not knowing what they did or missed to cause this horrible accident. All the families are hurting, worrying more about the safety of their soldiers than ever before. I have never seen such pain as this, although I know that there have been other incidents in the past that impacted far more people.

Please pray for this unit. If it is possible, I would love to see this added to the 100 days of prayer. We definitely need your prayers right now.

Sincerely,
Laura

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