Mixed feelings...

Happy belated Feast of the Holy Family!  Prayers to all of you for your families!    Nothing much happening here... except with the hot to cold, then hot to cold again has taken its toll on many people, and some (like me) have a bit of a cough.  Oh well - not a big deal.  Lots to offer it up for.   We lost a few soldiers this past weekend.  I'm sure you have heard about them in the news.  Please keep their families in mind.  To lose a loved one at around this time of the year will change memories of Christmas for their families forever... especially for the young children.  One Chaplain commented to me that one of the fallen, whenever he would see the Catholic Chaplain in the field, would be very insistent in receiving the Blessed Sacrament.  Though I never knew any of them, I hear that they were good men.  May they rest in peace and may their families find healing and consolation in Our Lord.     A bunch of 'thank you' shout outs here... Thanks Danielle for posting on the blog and letting me know about Chiara... I am praying for her.  Please say hello to her for me.  Thanks J.L. for the socks and the 'snow in a box'!  We're planning to have the 'snowfall' sometime soon.  I'll try and take photos.  To the DLSCC - thank you for the package you sent me!  I was really happy to see the new brochure and especially to get that letter from the D. family!  To the M.-B. family... thank you for your letters!  I apologize for not having been able to write back, but I'm trying to fix that all this week.  To D.McC - I'll try and get down to an email to you as soon as I can.  Merry Christmas to you all!  You are in my thoughts and prayers.   Here's a pic of me in a nice cafe... believe it or not... right here in Theatre.  We have few places to 'escape' to.  Some nations try and build little 'oases' like these on base so we can feel like we're human for a little while, and are having a coffee in a place far from here.  Look at the pic... the only thing that would give away that the coffee bar (That looks alot like a Starbucks or a Second Cup) is the 'decor' in the background.  Can you guess what that wooden structure is and what function it serves?   Anyhow - New Year's is upcoming!  A small reminder to my students - there are only 2 Holy Days of Obligation (that don't fall on a Sunday) in the Canadian calendar.  Can you remember what those days are?  OK - one is Christmas, the other on Jan 1.  What is the proper name of that Feast Day and Holy Day of Obligation?  (I hope you remember!  Hint: It has alot to do with Our Lady... and a private school in Toronto is named after Our Lady using this title of this Feast Day).  Please remember to head out to Holy Mass on that day!  What way to best 'ring in the New Year' than in celebrating and offering it up to Our Lord at Holy Mass?  ;)  God Bless and talk to you soon!  If I don't greet you before New Year... Happy New Year!!!

T'was a Night Before Christmas...

I forgot to mention in my last email today - please remember that there are many troops out there who are out of the wire and really on the front lines tonight.  I am fortunate to be able to head off to Holy Mass in a little while.  As I am missing home quite a bit right now, I can imagine how much they are - especially in the rugged outposts they are at.    This poem below usually surfaces at Christmas time - emerging in various versions with differing amendments made to it.  Anyhow - it helps us to remember that Christmas Eve is not the same for everyone, everywhere.    I have witnessed the tireless Chaplains going through much to try to get out to minister to the troops for Christmas.  Out there they celebrate Holy Mass for them out of a Mass kit stored in a rucksack.  Please keep in mind our chaplains who work so hard, so that they may continue to do their work effectively - especially under the circumstances.   Also - we must not forget to pray for the Insurgents and those who misunderstand our Faith.  May they see the light and feel the peace that only Our Lord may bring - especially as the gentle, defenceless, and lovable Infant Jesus.  May we as Christians be known by our love, and may we all one day experience true peace in our world with all peoples under our one common God we share.   Anyhow - here is a version of the poem.  I take no credit for it, and I thank the person who wrote it and wished to remain anonymous.  I think that person wanted for all of us to remember the troops deployed.  Merry and Holy Christmas everyone!     T'was a Night Before Christmas (Author Unknown)   'Twas the night before Christmas, He lived all alone, In a one soldier hooch made of Sandbag and stone. I had come down the trackplan With presents to give, And to see just who In this hooch did live. I looked all about, A strange sight I did see, No tinsel, no presents, Not even a tree. No stocking by mantle, Just boots filled with sand, On the post hung pictures Of Home in a far distant land. With medals and badges, Awards of all kinds, A sober thought Came through my mind. For this space was different, It was dark and dreary, I found the hooch of a soldier, Once I could see clearly. The soldier lay sleeping, Silent, alone, Curled up on the ground and chilled to the bone. His face was so gentle, The space in such order, Not how I pictured A typical soldier. Was this the hero Of whom I'd just read? Curled up on a poncho, The ground for a bed? I realized the families That I saw this night, Owed their lives to these soldiers Who were willing to fight. Soon round the world, The children would play, And grownups would celebrate A bright Christmas day. They all enjoyed freedom Each month of the year, Because of the soldiers, Like the one lying here. I couldn't help wonder How many lay alone, On a cold Christmas Eve In a land far from home. The very thought Brought a tear to my eye; I dropped to my knees And started to cry. The soldier awakened And I heard a rough voice, "Santa don't cry, This life is my choice. I fight for freedom, and I don't ask for more. My life is my God, My country, my corps." The soldier rolled over And drifted to sleep, I couldn't control it, I continued to weep. I kept watch for hours, So silent and still, And we both shivered From the cold night's chill. I didn't want to leave On that cold, dark, night This guardian of honor So willing to fight. Then the soldier rolled over, With a voice soft and pure, Whispered, "Carry on Santa. It's Christmas Day and All is secure." One look at my watch, And I knew he was right. "Merry Christmas, my friend, And to all a good night."

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  :)   It's Christmas Eve here, and - well, as in a secular society, you can expect all the silliness of commercialized Christmas to affect us here too.  Silly parties and dinners with people running around like elves, wishing people 'Happy Holidays', not mentioning God with the excuse of 'offending people', and all sorts of other silliness that goes on using the Holy Day of Christmas as a big excuse to act like a bafoon.  (Yes - things are the same here just like back at home).  We did have a 'Secret Santa' gift exchange - which was kind of fun (the gifts exchanged were all in good taste).    On the other hand - today and tomorrow, though business is 'as usual', there are Christmas Masses and services all around - which is awesome!    It is kind of weird to say it's Christmas because the temperature shot up to a comfortable 16 to 20 degrees Celsius.  (My pocket thermometer says it's 25 degrees Celsius!)  As you can imagine - we're all walking around without coats.  The puddles of muck are still around - which makes it funny to see troops trying to walk on the dry 'islands' and not fall into what has become the parking lot size of the puddle.  I once stood back after dinner and watched a group of all these troops trying to negotiate the big 'Lake Kandahar' in the dark.  With their arms stretched out to help them keep balance, it made them all look like a group of bears walking through the forest... or the graveyard scene from the Michael Jackson video 'Thriller'!   Last night I went to what must have been the biggest party gathering of Filipinos here on the base ever in the history of this place!  (I'd say over a hundred and fifty!) The number of Filipinos here is already huge - numbering in the hundreds.  Whatever it is, for sure their numbers are far greater than some nations in this theatre of operations officially involved in the conflict.  But because of hardships in trying to find employment in the Philippines, they have come to this warzone to work.  Anyhow - one Evangelical Christian from the US who began teaching Bible study to Filipinos (he speaks Tagalog!) set up the party for the Filipino workers.  He is married to a Filipina, and his wife sent all the groceries needed for an authentic Filipino meal.  It was AWESOME!  We (the Catholics who came) began with Simbang Gabi (Holy Evening Mass in Tagalog - a Filipino custom).  After Mass, the priest and the congregation sang Christmas carols to the other side of the camp where the gathering was to meet the other Filipino party goers.  (I was sent out to the Kandahar Tim Horton's to pick up doughnuts for the party).  When I finally got to the party place, everyone was gathered outside singing Christmas carols in Tagalog!  There was even a Filipino Christmas lantern a couple of the guys spent hours making.  It was so cool!  On entering, you could smell the awesome food being cooked by a large group of Filipino men and women whipping up a storm of everything: Adobo, Bistek, Pancit, Fruit Salad, etc.!  I contributed with the cans of Laing, Camansi, and Bicol Expres I had packed away - which, when people identified it - disappeared like a flash!  There were games such as Musical Chairs, and a version of the game where a guy and gal dance around a piece of paper that gets smaller and smaller with each turn.  In the end - to keep the couple on the paper, the gal has to jump up in the arms of the guy.  While everyone is laughing, the poor guys are struggling to keep balance AND the girl in his arms!  Haha!  It was such a riot!  For sure, there was also Karaoke... and a singing contest!  I almost got cornered to sing, but that never happened.  Good thing - my voice hasn't been exercised in singing in months!  (Not that I can really sing anyways - but I try!)  The antics of the Filipinos were awesome!  You could see that they were so happy to be together and not working.  Everyone let loose and was joking and singing.  I was so proud and happy to be there!   We got our Christmas parcels today!  The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency and Family Resource Centres get all sorts of companies from back home to sponsor gifts for us to receive at Christmas.  I must say - we are the envy of all the forces deployed here.  We got things like a bag, toiletries, a shirt, hats, food... and of course a Tim Horton's coffee tin!  There was so much stuff that some fo the gifts didn't even make it into the box!  One artist named 'Kiesza' had a bunch of CD's sent over for us.  Wow - it made you feel proud to be appreciated by our country.  Sadly - members of other countries looked on as we got our big boxes in real envy.  One other nation got a small box of gifts from their government.  Two nations who are really sacrificing a lot here didn't give anything to their troops.  One guy who was wearing a uniform similar to ours jokingly lined up with us Canucks to get a package.  I asked him what his government gives him.  He said sarcastically: 'We get a big swift kick in the pants... and if we complain, we're welcome to recover and take another swift kick to the head!'.  Well - I guess that said it all.  I felt sorry for them though.    As a side note - you might be interested in 'tracking' Santa - a fun and magical thing for the little children who still believe in Santa.  Track Santa with the North American Air Defence Command!  (The guys keeping the skies over North America safe!) They have a fun tracking syatem that includes 'nose cams' of CF-18's that give 'visuals' on Santa's sleigh while conducting escort duty for Santa through friendly air space.  ;)  The site gets tons of hits on Christmas Eve, so hopefully, if you check (when you get back from midnight Mass!  ;)  Haha!) you will be able to get access to see callsign 'Big Red' flying through the sky on his yearly trip.  Check: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html   Well, nevertheless, we're going to try and have a good Christmas here, and I mean a real Christmas.  There is Evening Mass today and another tomorrow - I will be thinking of you all.  May the Blessings of the Holy Family - Our Infant Lord, Our Lady, and St. Joseph - be with you and your loved ones during this Holy Season!  Please remember to keep Our Lord in the holidays (or: HOLY Days - as the word is really meant to say).  Thank you for keeping us who are deployed in mind!  Thanks to all those who have sent me Christmas greetings - Merry Christmas to you too!  May you all have a very Merry and Holy Christmas!  (And remember - Christmas doesn't end on the evening of the 25th of December, so keep greeting people Merry Christmas!  By the way - an Afghan friend just came up to me and wished me a Merry Christmas!  Awesome!)    Veni veni Emmanuel!  Adeste Fidelis!  Gloria in Excelsis Deo!   The Nativity, by Gerard van Honthorst (1590-1656)

In Kyoto - Japanese 'scrambled egg'

(This email didn't post earlier) On the way back from the Philippines, I stopped off in Japan (It was on the way). Here I am in a restaurant where they basically made us a scrambled egg 'a la Japonaise'. (I dunno - that's what it tasted to me like). They had these dried fish flakes people nicknamed 'dancing fish flakes' because once they were put on your food, they seemed to 'dance' as they uncurled on contact with moisture and heat.

Not quite a portrait...

One friend of ours wanted to get pics with the Canadian Flag in the background since we have a friend who is a photographer. So - I goofed off too and had a pic taken also!

[I wish I could show you a bunch more pics with other people in it, but for security's sake - maybe I'll just show you them when I get back home and not on the blog.]

All Dressed up for the Ball

Well - more on my leave after. Here are pics of me in 'Battle Rattle' for when we go OTW (Out of the wire).

In Kyoto - waiing for the Bullet Train

Japan is so orderly and neat - I wonder how they put up with Westerners. Our level of conversation is their shouting! Our being neat is their filthy! Anyways - it was a good go. One of the ex-Cadets (M.Sp) kept telling me about Japan and how it was so neat... I can see what he meant! Here I am at the station waiting for the Bullet Train.