Jason & Leah Harvell I was born in Georgetown, Texas, in 1977 to a family with a long line of military service. My father had served in the Navy, his older brother in the Air Force and his younger brother in the Army. My father's stepfather served in the U.S. Army, as his father did before him. Growing up, I had a lot of military influence in my home; unfortunately though, I grew up in a broken home never having a church upbringing or family altar. Romans 8:28 still says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. In 1991 I was saved and God began a miraculous work in my life. When I found Jesus, I found the answer to all my questions. The Holy Spirit showed me that the military did not make my father an abusive drunk; sin did. That very sin that robbed me of my childhood and destroyed our home is the very sin that is still destroying the lives of our military men and women today. My childhood was not a punishment but a time of preparation. Many souls in the military have never heard the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; they live in the bondage of sin every day. While they are standing on the front lines fighting for freedom, they have never tasted true freedom that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My family and I have answered the call of God to go and plant Bible-preaching, Bible-believing churches around our overseas U.S. military bases where we can reach our troops with the Gospel. Through soul winning, personal discipleship and the preaching of the Word of God, our military personnel can come to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please pray for the Harvell Family as we take the message of Jesus' scars and stripes to those defending our stars and stripes (1 Peter 2:24). Brandyn & Alicia Knight Have you experienced that terrifying moment when, as a child, you took that shortcut, got distracted, and when you looked up, you were lost? That is when reality hits you. All of those times your parents told you not to take the “shortcut” because you WILL inevitbly get lost now becomes a reality. There is nothing more terrifying for a child than to realize that you are alone and have no idea where you are. The funny part (now, of course) is that those of us who have been lost find out that we were really not too far from the right path all along. The Bible says in Isaiah 53:6a: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. Maybe you have never experianced this feeling of being lost physically, but all born again believers can relate to the unsettledness of realizing for the very first time that we are lost and without direction spiritually. This was the case for one military dependent we met while serving at Maranatha Baptist Church in Okinawa, Japan. It was almost Christmas and we were having a Christmas Bible study fellowship for the teens. Although we always hoped for visitors we were unsure if there would be any for this event. To our delight, however, two friends of one of our regularly attending teens showed up. After all of the games were finished and the pizza was devoured, we settled in for that evening's Bible study. Having visitors impressed me to incorporate the Gospel more heavily than I had planned. During the invitation I asked if anyone would like to know more about what Christ had done on the cross. One of the visitors raised her hand. Alicia led her to one of our church offices to talk and go through the Gospel in more depth. She asked this young lady if she would like to pray and trust Christ as her Savior, and what she said next would impact us more than most will ever understand. With confusion on her face, she said, “I don't know, can I think about it, I mean, I have NEVER heard this before.” How could this be?! Here is an American teenager who has never heard the Gospel in a country that is supposedly so saturated with the Bible that Jesus is thought to be a household name. Sadly, this is true, especially among our military dependents and young GIs. Many are traveling through life so distracted by the next iPhone, X-Box, PS3, or viral video to look up, and they realize that they are truly LOST! Praise the Lord that as He began to work in this young lady's heart, she came forward during a service almost a year later to trust Christ as her personal Savior! Could it be that there are many more out there like her? Hear the words of Jesus as he spoke in Matthew 7:13–14: Enter ye at the strait gate: for WIDE is the gate, and BROAD is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it (emphasis added). Yes, there are many out there in our world that are lost! Please pray for us as we seek to present the Gospel to everyone God brings along our path, but especially as we seek to win those who are wearing our nation's uniforms and the families that stand beside them.