The Rock Chapel

I arrived at the ISAF HQ compound at 0700 on a Sunday morning. By 0800, I was in the chapel. At some point, I took this photo of Flat Beth and Flat Jenna there in the chapel, with Chaplain Garcia setting up in the background. 

How did I get there so early & so quickly? Well, my predecessor sang in the choir and invited me to come along with him for the morning service. Despite my fatigue and jetlag, I wasn't going to turn that down. I'm sure my emotional state contributed to this perception, but it was one of the best church services I've ever been to in my life. Definitely a good way to start this deployment.

 

Since that time, I've continued to attend every Sunday. The Chaplain is a pentacostal and the congregation has people from all sorts of backgrounds, so it's an interesting blend. A pretty great blend, actually. The fact that this is the only show in town means we all get exposed to different ideas, practices and beliefs... and we find that we've actually got a lot in common. There is also an "inspirational" (i.e. Pentacostal) service on Sunday evenings, for those who are so inclined, and I imagine that one is a bit more homogenous. But for sheer diversity, I much prefer the morning service. I am a little surprised the congregation isn't not more international. Most of the people there seem to be Americans. Of course, America alone provides a fair amount of diversity all on its own.

 

How should I describe the singing? It's loud. It's enthusiastic. It's 95% male voices. I find myself singing louder than I usually would, just because I can, thanks to the volume around me. There's a guitar and a piano, and they're looking for someone who can play the drums. I happened to sit in front of a female officer with a great voice the other day and must say it was nice to hear a non-bass contribution to the songs.