Testimony of Lt. Col. Jeff Chessani

In early April of 2006 I was relieved of battalion command. Professionally, it was the most devastating day of my life. My relief was very public and over time God has used the public aspect of this trial to deal with my pride. The summer and fall were long and filled with anxiety; no one was talking to me and when I asked questions, there were never answers. How did I get to this place?

I have been a Christian since fall 1983. I came to know Christ through a radio program. I remember listening to the program and I remember that the speaker said that without Christ I was bound for hell. I did not want to go to hell. I confessed that I was a sinner and asked God to forgive me and save me. But even though I asked Christ to be my Saviour, I did not start living for Him for a long time.

After I married my wife, Alisa, we began going to church on a consistent basis in 1993 at the base chapel. Much changed in our lives in 1999 when we moved to New York and went on independent duty. That tour was probably the most challenging tour I had up to that point in my career. Attending a military church was not an option on this tour. God was stretching us from our comfort zone on a military base. It was the first time we were exposed to sound preaching from the Word of God. I grew spiritually in this church and on this tour as I had to trust God to see me through. I wish I had always relied on Him in this way. During the times I have not trusted and relied on Him, I have found myself in trouble.

During the fall of 2004, I was slated to serve as a Regimental Operations Officer in Fallujah, Iraq. Once I arrived in theater, I was overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation. I knew I was out of my league and could not accomplish the mission in my own power and was driven to spend time in the Word of God on a daily basis. God was faithful. He got me through that deployment and I returned to Camp Pendleton to prepare to take command of an infantry battalion.

As I took this command, God kept me in a place of humility and I continued to trust and rely upon Him to get me through each day. However, over time I got more confident in myself as the battalion began to receive praise during our pre-deployment work-ups. I started thinking, "Hey, I know how to do this. I have been to Iraq twice, and I know the deal." I thought I had the world by the tail. I was wrong. After we took over Haditha in October, the battalion was getting great results, but I stopped relying on God and started relying on myself and even started believing that it was me that was making great things happen. I did not acknowledge that it was God's hand that was blessing me.

Before I went to Iraq the last time, my wife, Alisa, and I were talking about retiring in 2007, when I was eligible. I was run down, ready to move on and have time with my family. But now in the fall of 2005, I was thinking about making colonel. Not once did I ask God what I should do next. I thought I knew what I should do. I was no longer relying on God.

I know God loves me and tried to get my attention. I had a Christian friend asking me if I was praying about my future. I did not listen to this prompting from God. Not long after I spoke with my Christian friend, my world started unraveling and God closed the door on the Marine Corps for me.

On the way home from Iraq in March 2006, I was under the investigatory microscope. I started praying and reading in Numbers and noticed that many times the Israelites stopped acknowleding and stopped relying on God. Time and again, God was faithful to send a trial to get their attention. That was me and the book hit home. This trial has not been joyous, but I also know that all things work together for good. God has been so good to me. Even in the midst of the trial, He has blessed me.

A couple days before Christmas that year, I was formally charged with violating Article 92 (failure to obey an order). In a sense that brought some relief from the tension of waiting and wondering. Shortly after the new year I met with my military appointed defense counsel and learned he was a Christian. Also, the Thomas More Law Center offered to represent me pro bono. When we could have faced monumental legal fees, God mercifully provided.

The next two years were stressful as we were in court with motions hearings, but God was good to us throughout this time. Over the span of those two years I have seen God move in miraculous ways, in ways I never would have seen outside of my circumstances. God used many people, friends and strangers alike, to pray for and encourage us. We saw much answered prayer, but also we saw God do things that we had not even thought to ask of Him. We even saw God use our situation to move in other people's lives. Our faith in the Lord grew and we learned to praise Him for all things.

In early June 2007, Pastor Ernie Merritt, our pastor, had a devotional with us on Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." We got a glimpse of how big and powerful God is through Dr. David Earnhart's ministry as he took up our cause and forwarded our prayer requests. God used that to have His people contact us and encourage us and just let us know they were praying for us. Through Dr. Earnhart, Dr. Chuck Cofty, an evangelist, came alongside of us and encouraged us with scripture and devotionals via email. About the same time that Pastor Merritt shared Jeremiah 33:3 with us, Dr. Cofty shared Isaiah 65:24 with us, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

On 17 June 2009 God answered prayer in an inconceivable way and the trial judge dismissed all charges against me without prejudice for unlawful command influence. Although the government appealed this decision twice, the appellate court adopted the judge's decision and it was upheld.

My case was then turned over to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and we were again in the waiting process. Eventually my case was referred to a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to determine if there was misconduct on my part. God was good to me with this decision. My family and I would not lose retirement.

The board convened in December 2009 and lasted a little over a week. God was merciful to me throughout the board and He even used several of the government's witnesses to say good things about me and encourage me. Friends and strangers attended the sessions and prayed for us. Despite the pressure, we felt blanketed in God's lovingkindness.

A couple days before the conclusion of the board my defense counsel shared the BOI worksheet with me. The worksheet was a document used to assist the board members with making a decision about my performance. The worksheet was drafted by the government and had two full pages of accusations. I believed that it would be hard for the board not to find something wrong considering the two page list. I felt overwhelmed, but God gave me the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

Finally the board concluded. After a short deliberation, they returned a finding of no misconduct. I praise God for His goodness but I also praise Him for the trial I went through. I am thankful that God is loving and that He is faithful to chasten and scourge me as a son as He says in Hebrews 12:5-7, "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

Editor's Note: Lt. Col. Chessani was the highest ranking officer charged in the so-called "Haditha Massacre," when insurgents attacked U.S. Marines in Iraq while using civilians as shields. A series of investigations, trials, etc. found nothing wrong and his case was eventually thrown out of military and appellate court. Jeff is a great Christian and has a wonderful testimony.

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Jesse and Lynn are the children of military missionaries. Lyn grew up in the home of a marine and is the daughter of Ed & Elvie Navato, BIMI military missionaries serving in Sasebo, Japan. Jesse is the son of Rusty & Karen Pilalas, BIMI military missionaries in Heidelberg, Germany. They met at West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, CA, and have been on deputation now since June 2009. They will be going to Japan to work with our military.

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Rodney & Barbara Parrott

We have had the "privilege and joy" to work with some of the best people in this world - the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces to defend and preserve our freedom.

I was born February 24, 1942, in Columbus, Georgia. My father served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. At the age of 17, my mother signed the paperwork allowing me to enlist in the U.S. Marines Corps. I served my country from April 1959 to April 1963.

One month after I was discharged from the Marines, I was saved. I soon met Barbara Long who later became Barbara Parrott on February 6, 1964. We joined the Peoples Baptist Church in Forest Park, Georgia, in 1967. It was here we found the will of God for our lives. I answered the call to preach in 1968. Through the counsel of our pastor, Talmadge Walker, we were directed to Tennessee Temple Bible School in 1969 and graduated in 1973. We were accepted as missionary candidates in February 1973 with Baptist International Missions, Inc., based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our primary calling was to work with the Spanish-speaking people in Spain. To prepare for this, we went to San Jose, Costa Rica, and enrolled in the El Instituto De Lengua Espanola. We spent a year in language study there and then went on to Madrid, Spain, to continue our studies in the Spanish language.

We had visited several times the military work in Rota, Spain. It was through these visits and ministering to the U.S. Armed Forces stationed there that the Lord led us to take the military church in 1976. I pastored the Bethel Baptist Church until 1984 when we took our first furlough.

We have since served the Lord faithfully in the planting and maintaining of military churches worldwide. We have had the joy of serving in the countries of Spain, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Guam and Japan. We are dedicated to reaching our U.S. Armed Forces stationed around this world. We have been involved in helping to establish over 17 churches in these countries over the past 35 years of our missionary service. In the 39 years we have served with BIMI, we have counted between 250 and 300 men and women who are now in full-time ministry for our Lord. In every military church we minister, I tell these young men and women that our "goal" in their lives is to put them in Bible School to prepare them to serve the Lord.

Right now we are in Japan, our 18th work, at the Yokota Baptist Church located on the outer edge of Tokyo. We have been here since March of 2008. Yokota Baptist will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. It has served our military men and women well.

Yokota Baptist Church has a Bible Institute, training young men and women for the ministry. It also has a Christian Academy, Awanas, Patch the Pirate and Pewee Clubs. We also have a Japanese church within our church with several interpreters.

One of the greatest assets we have is our internet radio station that is streaming 24/7. We televise live all our services. People have contacted us from all over the world thanking us for such a "Godly radio station." We have had as many as 35 countries linked to our station at one time. From Lahore, Pakistan have come reports informing us that many people have been saved through our radio station. I have had over a dozen calls inviting me to come and preach to them.

I'm a builder and finish carpenter by trade and God has allowed me to use my talents all these years in His work. We just finished rebuilding Yokota Baptist Church, inside and out. Our building had been condemned by two Japanese contractors. We had nowhere to go so we had to rebuild and God blessed.

If God had sat us down and showed us all we would do and where we would go, we would have laughed like Sara or tried to convince God we were not capable enough like Moses. God told me in His Word that if I would preach His Word and be true to Him and His Word, He would build His church. He has! God also showed me that He calls us to do the "impossible." We can't but He can! This is not about us, but it is all about Him. We just thank God that He allowed us to have a part in it.

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Capt. James M. Burt was in command of Company B, 66th Armored Regiment on the western outskirts of Wurselen, Germany, on 13 October 1944, when his organization participated in a coordinated infantry-tank attack destined to isolate the large German garrison which was tenaciously defending the city of Aachen. In the first day's action, when infantrymen ran into murderous small-arms and mortar fire, Capt. Burt dismounted from his tank about 200 yards to the rear and moved forward on foot beyond the infantry positions, where, as the enemy concentrated a tremendous volume of fire upon him, he calmly motioned his tanks into good firing positions. As our attack gained momentum, he climbed aboard his tank and directed the action from the rear deck, exposed to hostile volleys which finally wounded him painfully in the face and neck. He maintained his dangerous post despite pointblank self-propelled gunfire until friendly artillery knocked out these enemy weapons, and then proceeded to the advanced infantry scouts' positions to deploy his tanks for the defense of the gains which had been made. The next day when the enemy counterattacked, he left cover and went 75 yards through heavy fire to assist the infantry battalion commander who was seriously wounded. For the next 8 days, through rainy, miserable weather and under constant, heavy shelling, Capt. Burt held the combined forces together, dominating and controlling the critical situation through the sheer force of his heroic example. To direct artillery fire on 15 October, he took his tank 300 yards into the enemy lines, where he dismounted and remained for 1 hour giving accurate data to friendly gunners. Twice more that day he went into enemy territory under deadly fire on reconnaissance. In succeeding days he never faltered in his determination to defeat the strong German forces opposing him. Twice the tank in which he was riding was knocked out by enemy action, and each time he climbed aboard another vehicle and continued the fight. He took great risks to rescue wounded comrades and inflicted prodigious destruction on enemy personnel and materiel even though suffering from the wounds he received in the battle's opening phase. Capt. Burt's intrepidity and disregard of personal safety were so complete that his own men and the infantry who attached themselves to him were inspired to overcome the wretched and extremely hazardous conditions which accompanied one of the most bitter local actions of the war. The victory achieved closed the Aachen gap.

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THE ED FREEMAN STORY

We often hear the word hero misapplied and lightly used today. Fortunately, a real and genuine hero often comes on the scene. He is not looking for a "hero opportunity" and certainly hasn't planned for the occasion to emerge as one. Such was the case of Ed Freeman in the early years of the Viet Nam War. His story follows.

You're a 19-year-old kid.

You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, Viet Nam.

The date is November 11, 1965. Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then-over the machine gun noise—you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter. You look up to see an unarmed Huey. But...it doesn't seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it. Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come, he's coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gunfire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses.

And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!! He took about 30 of you and your buddies out who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman, a real hero, died August 20, 2008, at the age of 80 in Boise, Idaho.

May God Rest His Soul.

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The Warren Allhause Family, Okinawa. These folks are true servants of God, faithfully working in the ministry of Maranatha Baptist Church in Okinawa.

Dr. Jeff Alverson, Assistant Director. He just finished the fall schedule of mission conferences and more than $550,000 was raised for missions since latter part of August.

The Rick Bonds Family, USA-Texas. He is asking prayer for a bus or van to start a new bus route in Del Rio, a town of 40,000 people. There is no bus ministry at all in any of the present churches in the town.

The Kevin Byers Family - Germany. Kevin and Stacy Byers have just had a new addition to the family, number 6. Elijah Joseph Byers was born on November 27, 2009. They are serving in Illisheim, Germany.

The Doug Cook Family, Germany. He is planning a church mini-missions trip to Slovakia. There will be about 5 or 6 families from Ansbach Baptist Church going. Pray for good results.

The Danny Corprew Family, Japan are rejoicing over the birth of a beautiful granddaughter, Shayna Samatha Tate, 6 lb, 8 oz. Also, they are praising the Lord for 13 public professions and 4 baptisms in the last few months at the church.

The Gary Craft Family, Germany. They are praising the Lord for people being saved and experiencing church growth at Heritage Baptist in Sembach.

The Heneise Family, California. He is praising the Lord for one of the greatest VBS that the city of Ridgecrest had ever seen with 13 public professions of faith. Several of these have been faithful to all church services since VBS.

The Ingram Family, Georgia. He is praising the Lord for the privilege of preaching to 67 soldiers on a Saturday evening with a response of 11 coming to know Christ.

Dr. Jim Kennard, Director, Military Missions. He is asking prayer for the troops from our military churches who are deployed to the war zones.

The Kissling Family, Germany, request prayer for many teens and children in the church whose moms or dads are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Some of these parents who left in November of 2008 will be returning soon. Pray for their safe return.

The Tom Lancaster Family, Germany. Rhine River Baptist Church had its annual Missionary Christmas Retreat for the Independent Baptist missionaries in Europe the first weekend in December. Missionaries from 12 different countries in Europe and 2 from the Ukraine attended. Some 280 were present for this annual event. A special thanks for those who have prayed and given toward this wonderful event.

The Lane Family, USA-Florida, rejoice over the expectation of two new grandchildren and the salvation of Allen and Elijah (two other grandchildren). They have started a ministry to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville.

The Bill McClure Family, USA, have served in Arizona for many years. God has opened a door for them to begin a Servicemen's Center in Chesapeake, VA, where over 100,000 military men and women are serving. Pray for them as they make the move.

The Ed Navato Family, Japan, rejoice in the salvation and baptism of several military and their families at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in recent months. Also, a Marine captain in the church surrendered to full time ministry. This same captain who is one of our deacons had the opportunity to baptize his own son whom he had led to Christ.

The Olsen Family, Italy, rejoice to be back in Italy from a short furlough intended to focus on medical and dental needs, as well as to try to raise some much needed support. Also, pray for the healing of Matt's shoulder.

The Parrott Family, Japan, are praising the Lord for 13 saved and 8 baptized in the summer months and 6 saved in VBS with Missionary David Harris and his family. The Internet Radio Station from the church in Yakota has now reached into some 34 countries.

The Passaro Family, Germany, have arrived in Germany and are requesting prayer for a building for Harvest Baptist Church. Also, pray for their monthly support to increase and for a car.

The Sage Family, Japan, praise the Lord for the salvation of a Japanese lady, Saori Kimura, who has been attending church for some time. Pray for her growth. Continue to pray for their building project that the Lord will bring in 100 new supporters. A new Japanese children's Sunday School Class was recently started and we hope to be ready to start a second one in a few months.

The Simensen Family, Germany, are rejoicing over the great success of the annual Christmas Retreat Decemeber 4-5. Some 280 missionaries attended from 14 countries.

The Sligh Family, Germany, looking forward to the return of the 72nd Infantry Brigade soldiers (the largest group of soldiers at the main Grafenwoehr Army Post). This has been a long deployment. Pray for these soldiers and their families as they return. This will be a sweet time in our church as families are back together again in the House of God.

The Smith Family, Germany. Praise the Lord for a young serviceman and his wife from the state of Georgia who recently joined our church. He will be baptized soon. The Smiths have been faithful missionaries in Schweinfurt for many years and will be returning to USA in January for their first furlough in six years.

The Truitt Family, Germany, request prayer as they went on a 3-month furlough beginning in November. Pray for them as they seek the Lord's guidance as they begin their new ministry in Naples, Italy, upon their return to Europe. Please pray for their visas to live in Italy.

The War Family, Florida. Pray for a sailor named Thomas who has recently started coming to our church. He has been looking for a Bible-believing church and is so happy to be a part of ours.

The Ben Wharton Family, USA, are serving the military community at Dover AFB, Delaware. Please pray for them as they are in the process of starting a church to minister to the military at Dover.

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Author Unknown

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.

"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget what God can work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. And remember with God, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of protection.

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

JUSTIN & GRACE HAYES -  REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
C DUANE & BONNIE HEARRON II -  RUSSIA
ROBERT & JEAN HEATH -  MILITARY - EDUCATION COORDINATOR & RELIEF