Photo By Spc. Matthew H. Oda | Chaplain (Lt. Col.) David Hall, 115th Fires Brigade, Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
Confinement 1
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - He was sitting in his office as the duty chaplain when the phone rang. Two weeks ago, Chaplain (Capt.) David Hall, 115th Fires Brigade, Headquarters, Headquarters Battalion received a call requesting him to visit the confinement center on Camp Arifjan. Little did he realize his visit would result in the first baptism to take place at the confinement center.
He spoke to two service members that day. During their conversation, it became clear to him he was there for a purpose.
"The first person I spoke with was very interested about spiritual matters, and, as we spoke about what a Christian is, her face lit up," said Hall. "After talking about this for awhile I asked if she wanted to pray and trust Him for her salvation. She said yes without hesitation. So we prayed right then and there and it was joyful. As I then spoke further of the completeness of forgiveness, and how there is a party in heaven when one person comes to the Lord, tears started to roll down her face and that was evidence of the new found freedom she discovered. I told her how appropriate it seemed that she was finding freedom in a place of confinement," he said.
"I explained that baptism is an outward display of how our sins were buried with Christ and how coming up out of the water is a picture of our new forgiveness and relationship with Him," said Hall, who called himself a dunker. "She was still smiling and said this made sense as well. I asked if she would like to get baptized and the answer was an immediate yes."
The other person requesting a visit from the chaplain had committed his life to Christ about three months earlier.
Confinement 2
"He had the same look on his face about his faith just like the first person I spoke with, the look of excitement, freedom and joy," said Hall. "He also had not been baptized, but was very interested in doing so. The Lord had obviously prepared two hearts for this moment," he added.
"I told them both I did not know if it was possible to pull it off in their present situation, but I would try," he said.
The personnel at the confinement facility were very helpful and more than willing to make it happen. They picked up the baptistery from the chapel (a wooden box with a liner to put the water in) and moved it to the confinement's main yard. They filled it will water (and about six bags of ice to cool it down) and brought a couple of their staff to witness the event.
The chaplain said he can't say enough about how nice the confinement facility personnel were to work with.
"Because they are Navy, it was a joint event so I should have known they would be good with water, said hall. Their commander said this was, to the best of his recollection, a first at that site."
"Both of these military members told me during a later visit what a meaningful experience this was for them. From their faces and words I already knew this was true. Their lives had been changed," said Hall.
"While I am most excited for them, I know this will be one of the highlights of my deployment, Hall exclaimed. I wish you could see their faces!"
Editors Note: Names were deleted to protect identities of confined service members.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2009 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 39444 |
| Location: | CAMP ARJIFAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 332 |
| Downloads: | 279 |
This work, Finding Freedom in Confinement, by SPC Matthew H. Oda, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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