WEBVTT 00:06.240 --> 00:08.580 alright , It's a project organized by 00:08.580 --> 00:10.302 the Virginia Peninsula baptist 00:10.302 --> 00:12.430 Association and the focus is outreach 00:12.430 --> 00:14.730 to the community , The group of youth 00:14.730 --> 00:16.730 from around the local communities . 00:16.730 --> 00:19.250 They devote their time and energies and 00:19.260 --> 00:21.427 they seek out those who are in need of 00:21.427 --> 00:23.649 a helping hand , whether it's to repair 00:23.649 --> 00:25.538 a roof or replace the roof fixing 00:25.538 --> 00:27.920 addition or build in addition . I think 00:27.920 --> 00:30.500 at one point to even build a home for a 00:30.500 --> 00:32.667 person in need . Uh , the youth who do 00:32.667 --> 00:34.920 this program or volunteers and they're 00:34.920 --> 00:37.140 very , very impressive . While there 00:37.140 --> 00:39.362 appears are running to the beach in the 00:39.362 --> 00:41.529 summer , these guys are running out to 00:41.529 --> 00:43.696 go ahead and give service to those who 00:43.696 --> 00:45.751 are less fortunate to make to make a 00:45.751 --> 00:47.584 difference . I had a pleasure of 00:47.584 --> 00:49.696 working with This particular group in 00:49.696 --> 00:53.080 Gulf Port in 2006 and I saw Firsthand 00:53.080 --> 00:55.191 the Christian attitudes and desire to 00:55.191 --> 00:57.080 do a good job for folks that were 00:57.080 --> 00:59.191 literally strangers . Very impressive 00:59.191 --> 01:00.150 youth . Right ? 01:05.040 --> 01:08.640 Uh , absolutely . I think uh , 01:08.650 --> 01:10.817 soldiers were contending for liberties 01:10.817 --> 01:12.983 and freedoms , much like the christian 01:12.983 --> 01:15.840 faith requires continuous effort . Um , 01:15.850 --> 01:17.906 and the two is not one easily . Um , 01:17.906 --> 01:20.017 neither is the fight for independence 01:20.017 --> 01:21.961 uh , here in theater . Our mission 01:21.961 --> 01:23.961 isn't easy and it's not one , it is 01:23.961 --> 01:26.140 simple or quickly obtained . Uh , two 01:26.140 --> 01:28.500 requires a continuous steadfast fight . 01:28.510 --> 01:31.030 Also , I think their similarities in 01:31.030 --> 01:33.141 the sense that both efforts , the one 01:33.141 --> 01:35.419 for Christianity , the one for country , 01:35.419 --> 01:37.086 both require perseverance and 01:37.086 --> 01:39.308 understanding that will be good times . 01:39.308 --> 01:41.474 It will be not so good times . It's an 01:41.474 --> 01:43.641 ongoing process . It's not one for the 01:43.641 --> 01:45.697 faint of heart . Um , both are tough 01:45.697 --> 01:47.474 businesses , but sometimes it's 01:47.474 --> 01:49.697 valuable and say salvation can be uh it 01:49.697 --> 01:51.990 can't be solved with these uh , nor can 01:51.990 --> 01:54.157 independence , freedom civility . They 01:54.157 --> 01:56.490 to take time and a great deal of effort . 01:56.490 --> 01:58.700 Um , there's a passage it says contend 01:58.710 --> 02:00.654 earnestly for all delivered to the 02:00.654 --> 02:02.766 Saints . Um , if you pay attention to 02:02.766 --> 02:04.488 that , all part of the of that 02:04.488 --> 02:06.654 statement , um this faith that they're 02:06.654 --> 02:08.710 talking about is for all who seek it 02:08.710 --> 02:10.377 regardless . Well , we have a 02:10.377 --> 02:12.740 philosophy here in a military D . O . D . 02:12.740 --> 02:14.980 That all personnel have the opportunity 02:14.980 --> 02:17.147 or should have the opportunity to live 02:17.147 --> 02:19.790 in peace and be given independence um , 02:19.790 --> 02:21.901 and should be given an opportunity to 02:21.901 --> 02:24.012 pursue happiness . That's our mission 02:24.012 --> 02:25.012 in uniform . 02:29.740 --> 02:31.518 You know , I've been asked that 02:31.518 --> 02:33.740 question a lot and I have to say when I 02:33.740 --> 02:36.020 read the newspapers and listen to the 02:36.020 --> 02:38.076 news and see what's going on outside 02:38.076 --> 02:40.131 defenses inside society is large . I 02:40.131 --> 02:42.470 have to say no . Um these young adults 02:42.470 --> 02:44.581 listening to this message , know this 02:44.581 --> 02:46.637 fact from the very beginning . Uh as 02:46.637 --> 02:48.137 kindergartens , we develop 02:48.137 --> 02:50.359 misunderstanding that we have choices , 02:50.359 --> 02:52.137 we make on how we live , who we 02:52.137 --> 02:54.303 associate with , who we try to emulate 02:54.303 --> 02:56.414 etcetera . Uh it's the same for us in 02:56.414 --> 02:58.692 the military . Uh , you choose who you , 02:58.692 --> 03:00.692 how you're going to be remembered . 03:00.692 --> 03:02.970 What kind of company you keep etcetera . 03:02.970 --> 03:05.081 I will say that some of the strongest 03:05.081 --> 03:07.303 christians that I know and have met are 03:07.303 --> 03:09.303 the ones in uniforms personally . I 03:09.303 --> 03:09.220 have very good mentors that wear the 03:09.220 --> 03:11.720 uniform . They provide me much guidance 03:11.720 --> 03:13.942 professionally and spiritually and I've 03:13.942 --> 03:16.053 come to respect them through my years 03:16.053 --> 03:17.887 of service . I also find it very 03:17.887 --> 03:19.887 interesting that I've seen a lot of 03:19.887 --> 03:21.887 praying individuals in the last few 03:21.887 --> 03:24.109 months here in theater . And that could 03:24.109 --> 03:23.930 be because just because of the 03:23.930 --> 03:26.041 atmosphere or the environment that we 03:26.041 --> 03:28.152 live in . Um , I've seen more praying 03:28.152 --> 03:30.263 by this group of folks that I have in 03:30.263 --> 03:32.263 any community I've ever lived . And 03:32.263 --> 03:34.486 that's not to judge those unities , but 03:34.486 --> 03:36.430 simply to say that in this kind of 03:36.430 --> 03:38.597 environment . I think there's really a 03:38.597 --> 03:40.819 lot of people come to grips with really 03:40.819 --> 03:43.097 what's important , what's the priority . 03:43.097 --> 03:45.319 Um , Church for example . Uh , you walk 03:45.319 --> 03:47.430 into chapel on sunday morning and you 03:47.430 --> 03:49.597 see generals sitting side by side with 03:49.597 --> 03:51.652 privates and admiral sitting side by 03:51.652 --> 03:53.763 side with petty officers . Um , and I 03:53.763 --> 03:55.763 suppose these types of environments 03:55.763 --> 03:57.930 make one realize just how fragile life 03:57.930 --> 04:00.440 can be and well it provides a wake up 04:00.440 --> 04:02.580 call and for many a time to put your 04:02.590 --> 04:04.701 priorities straight . And for many of 04:04.701 --> 04:06.701 those priorities begin with faith . 04:11.640 --> 04:13.862 You know , I think there are many , but 04:13.862 --> 04:16.084 the one that sticks out for me the most 04:16.084 --> 04:18.307 is when paul talks in the seasons about 04:18.307 --> 04:20.670 putting on the body , uh , putting on 04:20.670 --> 04:23.720 the armor of God and when he does that 04:23.730 --> 04:27.530 he mentions and consists of helmet of a 04:27.530 --> 04:29.730 breastplate of the shield of faith , 04:29.740 --> 04:32.780 shoes , a piece and a sort of spirit . 04:32.790 --> 04:34.901 And I think it's kind of neat to hear 04:34.901 --> 04:36.901 around theater , you'll find if you 04:36.901 --> 04:39.123 walk into many spaces where people have 04:39.123 --> 04:41.640 their body armor up on the stand and uh , 04:41.650 --> 04:43.983 to symbolize you have your helmet there , 04:43.983 --> 04:46.039 you have your breastplate . Um , and 04:46.039 --> 04:47.928 this is literally what it is that 04:47.928 --> 04:49.817 protects you from many dangers or 04:49.817 --> 04:51.872 incoming . But I think what's really 04:51.872 --> 04:53.983 neat is what all holds it up and what 04:53.983 --> 04:56.094 keeps it together . And uh , going on 04:56.094 --> 04:58.261 me the other day when I saw that stand 04:58.261 --> 05:00.428 sitting in the corner of the room just 05:00.428 --> 05:02.483 there , I thought that was kind of a 05:02.483 --> 05:04.539 proposed kind of symbolic and uh , I 05:04.539 --> 05:04.340 thought that message should be 05:04.340 --> 05:06.610 communicated . So , so yes , I do think 05:06.610 --> 05:08.777 there's a lot of similarities and that 05:08.777 --> 05:10.999 one is really stuck out with me here in 05:10.999 --> 05:10.950 theater .