Alpha For Forces Rep Is "Deeply Moved"

Rev. Paul Cowley, Director of Alpha for Forces nationally in the UK as well as international forces, is based at HTB, London (Alpha’s Founding Church ). After experiencing the Welcome Home Initiative Retreat for Veterans of our Armed Forces on March 23-24, 2009, he commented, “Charlie and I came on a fact finding mission, to write a staff report for Sir Richard Dannat, the British Army Chief of Staff, but God has a way of sneaking up on you . I wish I had had the opportunity to take part in something like this when I got out of the British Army, but then my friend told me about the Alpha course. I did it and it changed my life forever . . . This is needed, not only in the UK, really, but all over the world.”

Charlie Lacey, the Relationship Manager for Alpha for Forces at HTB, commented, “We thoroughly enjoyed the retreat. It was a real eye opener and I know we both learned a lot. It's a great thing you are doing there! We will do all we can to ensure that the WHI comes to the UK.”

During the fourth Welcome Home Initiative Retreat for combat veterans,Sister Mary Elizabeth, CSM* commented, “We saw anger released . . . and bitterness . . . and grief . . . and guilt. We saw warriors who have been through a couple of Welcome Home Initiative Retreats tapped for the Team in the future. We even saw a couple of calls to the ministry discerned. It was profoundly moving . . . Much healing occurred over the three day retreat -- most of it cannot be spoken of save among the cadre of brothers in arms formed at this retreat.”

However, here are some small incidentals that she also shared, “Our youngest warrior -- age 29, still in active duty, . . . an ordinary foot soldier carrying his world and his safety on his back in a 80 pound pack through desert tracks and dusty streets, quickly bonded with our eldest warrior. Our eldest warrior was in service when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, who in his own words described himself as an ordinary "rifleman". Through battle after battle throughout the Pacific, he did what he needed to do to see the war through to its end. Both warriors, it turned out, were with the 27th Infantry Division of the Army. Both warriors found healing on this retreat.”

“There was also a Marine whom I can only describe as the bravest man I have ever met. Multiple decorations were won on the field of battle, but now the battle was within. He came on this retreat certain that prayer would heal him. “When will I get prayer?" he kept asking - then, "I'm not sure I can make it through." Someone suggested what he only needed to do was to get through the next moment, and, thereafter, he was heard saying, over and over, "Minute . . . by minute . . . " The battle inside was terrible, but he stayed on the healing path we offered - just as he had been faithful on the field of battle so many years ago. He did receive prayer several times . . . Before I took my leave from the Closing Ceremony, he saluted me at the door, and as I made the sign of the cross in return, he beamed like light breaking across the mountains. He remains the bravest man I ever met—both on the field of war and in the victory through Christ on the path of healing."

Do you know of any combat veteran of any war who might benefit from this retreat? Take a moment to pray and then invite him/her to join us. The retreat is free to our veterans—they only pay travel expenses. The next retreats are August 3-5 and November 26-28, 2009