Scripture Cards for the Troops/The Journey

April 2007

More that anything else the troops love mail call. In the middle of a hectic exhausting day with no breaks mail call is an oasis for them. If they get something at mail call they are allowed to stop and read what they get. Our Marine will be coming home in May and they have already stopped his mail. But, we have organized a mission for the troops that are currently serving active duty.

Our mission is part of the calling of the Great Commission. We are creating scripture cards the size of business cards with individual scripture and a contact on the back. The cards are laminated and we send them in a package of 7 cards. They are the perfect size to fit in the pocket of a flack jacket. Great for sharing, keeping or just a quick reference of encouragement and grace from home.

We are in need of individual addresses for soldiers currently serving in the war on terror. If you have anyone that you would like for us to send the cards to please email me the address at angela@angelaposeyarnold.com. We do not have any financial help and we are praying for donations of money or supplies.

We would appreciate it and the troops would too.

May 2007
I posted the above message on my blog in April of 2007 advertising our new mission to the troops. I got no response from my blog and I was a bit surprised.

After I posted, the next morning, I experienced a miracle blessing. It was so great. I realized I was getting a blessing at the time it was happening. I love it when that happens. I was talking with my Mother, the Director of the Mission Project. We experienced this together, over yahoo. Our mail boxes were full of addresses for current service members asking for cards. We got so excited we had to talk on the phone. That day we were excited for a while!!! It has been 3 days I am still excited. I think the excitement is spreading.

Like the prayer of Jabez. It is amazing.

Blessings flowing are like one of those times in your life when you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are right in the middle of being blessed by God.

The response was incredible and the mails are still coming in. I was overwhelmed with joy and praised Jesus when I saw how many emails I had gotten with addresses for an individual service member.

The first and most helpful email response I got came from a group of Marine Moms and included birthdays. All of the addresses they gave me were overseas except for 2. I got 11 addresses in that one email. I had completed work on 9 packages of Scripture Cards. They were packed and ready to go. I received 9 addresses to Iraq, one to Afghanistan and one to Japan. All of them have birthdays in May. So hopefully the cards will be a birthday gift and most of all I hope they feel encouraged.

I am ashamed of the way some people in our country are treating the military and we are trying to make up for all the bad the soldiers hear on the news. the media does not speak for me. I am proud of the troops and I am so thankful to them to be fighting for our freedom--the freedom that so many take for granted.

For each soldier from PFCs to Sgt. and Lt. Col, I wrote a personal note at the top of the letter I enclosed with the cards. I told each of them that "someone at home loved them and requested that we send this". Then I put the name of our Churches, an email contact and wrote "God loves You--We Thank You" on the back of each laminated card.

I also included the recent article I wrote, "Thanksgiving For Your Service".

My Mom and I were so elated with the response that she received after she asked for Scriptures. My Mother has an extensive email address book. She sent out a mass email calling for personal favorite scripture to be considered for use in the ministry. The response has been a blessing to her and for her and to me.

The military no longer accepts mail addressed "To Any Soldier". For security reasons they do not like to give out personal information like that. So, I asked that any addresses be sent to my private email box, angela@angelaposeyarnold.com. I will not share addresses with anyone except the Director of Missions, who happens to be my Mother. 

I am just very excited about the "Scripture Cards For The Troops" I told my Mom that we needed a name for our organization. She quickly replied--"I like Labor of Love". I thought that was good, too. I told her that we could abbreviate it, LOL. Some might misunderstand that tho and think it means laugh out loud. I have to say though when I checked my email and saw the response I had gotten from the "mass email and blog" I did laugh out loud. I laughed out loud for joy. Praising Jesus that He has heard our prayer and is answering it right before our very eyes!!! Amazing!! We decided on Amazing Grace Scripture Card Ministry--because without His amazing grace we would not be able to do this.

He is so good--all the time!
 

Ok. God Bless You for hanging in there and reading along with me.

Pray for Our Country
The Media does not speak for me!!

June 2007
I have found a great website that is going to help us with addresses. We have gotten many addresses even to some soldiers stateside wounded. www.soldiersangels.org is a site set up just for the troops. They have a Chaplain Support Team. I jumped on that one with both feet. It wasn't very long until I got an email from the owner of the website saying that one Chaplain was requesting 500 Cards. That means 500 sets of cards. Which is 500 x 7=3500 Cards. I have to tell you I was a little overwhelmed. But not Mother. She got right on it. I think she sent 300 sets of cards.

She got busy making cards, and put Daddy to work on a type of assembly line to laminate, stack and put a rubber band around each card. I sent 100 sets to the same Chaplain so he got 400 sets. So far, we are just getting started.

We are not getting much help locally. One precious saint has donated money for ink. One other has mailed a set or two. But other than that it really is a Labor of Love mostly done by my parents and me and my husband.

Sometimes, Mother would say, I sure wish we would hear something from some of the soldiers or the Chaplains. I sure wish we knew if they were getting these. But month after month passed by and no word. Faithfully we continued to send cards, hoping and praying that they were reaching the soldiers.

July 19th, 2007
An email arrived. An affirmation that the cards are actually getting into the hands of not only soldiers but civilians in Iraq as well. The following is the email sent to my Mother from a man named Kulaba Evans. In his own words and spelling.

Hello Merle and Bonnie Posey,
Am I delited to send you Christian greetings from Iraq.
How is there? My name is mugerwa Kulaba Evans, am currently working with the American forces in Iraq Alasad military Air Base.
I come from Africa in a country called Uganda and have been here now for seven months.
I got your address from some of the hand pocket brochures you made in the chapple right here.
Am married to Evelyne Mukisa back in Uganda and have one child called Muganzi Grace.
Were Christians following the lord Christ Jesus and indeed God has been so good to us through Christ Jesus.
Keep in touch for now and may the lord's grace be upon you always
kulaba Evans

January 15th, 2008 My parents 52nd Wedding Anniversary

As usual on Tuesdays Mother went to the church to attend the Helping Hand Ministry there. The secretary of the church came into the room and handed her a large yellow envelope addressed to the church from Camp Stryker Iraq.

Enclosed was an official certificate of apprecaition from the Commander at Camp Stryker.

Attached and in the same envelope was a personal note of thanks from the Commander!!!
 

January 29th, 2008

Remember the Chaplain that asked for 500 Cards? He got them.

My Brother is a Methodist minister and pastors a church in Florida. He is also the father of a Marine that has completed 2 tours in Iraq, Fallujah and Ramadi.

Mother puts his email address and the address of the church where he pastors on the Scripture Cards. You never know when a soldier might need someone to talk to about the Lord. And my brother could help them if they did.

My brother got an email yesterday that is more affirmation that the soldiers are receiving the cards and that they make a difference to them. More fire to flame!! More Jesus working through the program to draw soldiers to Himself.

I will provide here a summary of the email: Names have been changed.

My name is Annita Roy, we live in California. My husband is in the US NAVY, he was in Iraq on the ground with the Marines from April 07 to Nov 07.

Thank God for his safe return home.

He must have collected your cards from items you sent over to the troops, and knowing my husband, he hardly throws anything away. He said he would have a different verse in his pocket everyday. Even though he was behind the wire (a safer area) he liked being able to pull a card from his pocket and meditate on the verse during the course of his day.

My husband is a Chief Petty Officer, a medic/Corpsman. Anyway, he was used in the capacity of an Asst. Chaplain. The chaplain and two other assistant Chaplains baptized 30 people while there, Buddhist, Hindu, our own military men, Iraqis, you name it. They went from having 6 people in church the very 1st Sunday to 26-30 by the time they were ready to return home.
People over there are so hungry for the Lord. I could tell you stories of how his being over there has spun out to me being sent email addresses of peoples family that were baptized, insisting that I tell then about "this Jesus" that they have found.
Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound.

I just wanted you to know that you all were a part of this.
We can all be proud of this, We can all praise God for His showing us how to love one another. My husband came back home in that same mode, as a result we are out door knocking every Saturday morning from 10am-1pm.

We worship in a small town named Hemet. My husband said the Lord has told him, "We can take Hemet". If we would just go out and plant the seeds.

That's what we're doing.

We've also begun a home Bible Study in our home on Thursday night for persons that want to know what must be done to be saved.

Keep up the great work Brothers and Sisters
In Christ,
Annita

January 31st, 2008
Today as I write this I am so overwhelmed with what the Lord is doing. I am thankful He can use us to be Kingdom Warriors for Him.
 
We are willing vessels and we ask you to please pray for us and with us as we continue to work in this ministry for Him.

More to come???..Expecting great things???????????????????

August 2008 update--I have recieved several notes from individual soldiers thanking us and asking for more cards to share. We have gotten another Certificate of Apprecation from the Marine Corp. But, it isn't about all of that. those things are affirmations to continue, but the reason for this ministry is to share the love of Christ with the soldiers who are fighting for us.

We would take donations of money or supplies. Just contact me at angela@angelaposeyarnold.com. But, first and foremost--please keep us in your prayers as we are obedient to God in this call on our lives.

If you have read all of this--bless you. Thank you for sticking with me to read this.

Please pray for our ministry.

In Jesus love
Angela
www.angelaposeyarnold.com

Thanksgiving to the Troops

With every package I send to a Chaplain or an individual solider I include the following letter:

Dear Soldier,
The enclosed article and prayer is for you. The Scripture Cards enclosed are for you too. We think they will fit nicely into a pocket on your uniform. Our hope is that in reading, sharing, keeping the cards you will be encouraged and honored. We are encouraged and honored by you.
USA
Amazing Grace Scripture Card Ministry
www.angelaposeyarnold.com
angela@angelaposeyarnold.com
bonnie125@centurytel.net

Thanksgiving for your Service

For though I am far away from you my heart is with you, happy because you are getting along so well, happy because of your strong faith in Christ. And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day's problems; live in vital union with Him. Let your roots grown down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all He has done. Colossians 2:5-7 (Living Bible)

As my brother's son and his fellow Marines prepared to deploy to Iraq he phoned me. His last words on the phone to me were, "I love you". Through the tears, I replied, "I love you too. May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another". With that prayer I placed him into the hands of Almighty God.

Through my prayers everyday I place you into the hands of God. God gives you strength, protection, love and grace. Your service for us, your country, is a gift to us from God. You are a gift from God. I thank God everyday for you.

We thank God for you and all you do for your country. It is difficult to express how much your fellow countrymen appreciate you and support you. I know you hear the media but they do not speak for many of us. Most people know that freedom is not free. We have had to fight for and defend our right to be free in many wars. No one wants a war, but freedom is worth fighting to defend. The United States of America is blessed to be represented by you. We are eternally grateful.

This year on holidays our families and friends will gather. Freely we will worship our Savior, freely we will travel, freely we will join together in celebration and thanksgiving to God for you. For without your bravery, courage and skill our freedom would be lost. How incredibly thankful we are for you.

There have been times in my life when many people were praying for me. I could feel it and the comfort and peace of God would wash over me as I knew my name was being lifted up in prayer to our God. I want you to feel this today. As you read this, know that God Almighty is with you.

This very day know that you are lifted up in prayer by millions. Christians all over America are praying for you everyday, every hour, every minute. Thousands of churches have round the clock prayer vigils for you. We trust you will feel the strength and love of God with you today as you fight to defend our freedom. You are doing what is right in the fight against terror we know you fight for your country from your heart.

So from our hearts to yours--thank you. Thank you seems too small, but the prayers we pray for you are large because we know that God's grace is sufficient for you. His grace is sufficient and may it be so for you.

Almighty God, Thank You for this soldier. We have such brave and courageous men and women defending our country and our freedoms. Be with this soldier who is reading this, send Your mighty angels before and surround him or her with Your protection. Wash over this brave soul the peace that passeth all understanding. Let this protector of freedom feel the love we send in our prayers across the miles. Bring them home safely when the victory is done. In Jesus Name, Amen

Don't pay any attention to politics or politicians or the media. Put your hope in God. I have read the back of the book--We Win!!

God bless this soldier and the family and friends who love him and God bless the United States of America.
Angela Posey Arnold
angela@angelaposeyarnold.com

Amazing Grace Scripture Card Ministry
Doing our part in the Great Commission
Serving Those Who Serve Us

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE