Veteran's
Ministry
Suggestions for returning soldiers
We are
so glad you are home! Congratulations on reaching this
stage of your hero’s journey to health and spiritual
wholeness. We celebrate with you on your personal
success in staying alive in a war zone. Your church
wants to walk with you and your family as you deal with
the issues of coming home, growing beyond “battlemind.”
Give yourself some time and emotional space to figure
out your “new normal.” (We know you’ve heard this from
others!) And when you are ready, we have some projects
that could use your skills.
We care
about your body! So we encourage you to:
-
Enroll immediately for VA health care (Many of you
will have done this during the National Guard
debriefing.)
-
Use
safe-driving tips to avoid Iraq-style driving in
Minnesota; develop a plan to save your life and
those of others from auto accidents
-
Document your exposures to traumas and toxins while
you have memory and witnesses.
-
For
instance, note where you were in the aftermath of
the 10/10/06 explosion of Camp Falcon south of
Baghdad. Note any time your ears rang after an
explosion or impact.
-
Avoid the trap of using alcohol to cope with bad
feelings. Reach out, instead.
We care
about your emotional and spiritual health! So we
encourage you to:
-
Pay
attention to your particular transition process.
-
Seek help for particular problems during this
special transition time; relationships respond to
special care.
-
Let
the people who care about you (including your church
community) know about your struggles.
-
Consider participating in opportunities to share the
story of your particular war experience.
-
Consider keeping in touch with your
buddies through
www.Military.com
Church-based veterans groups are available. The
purpose of the groups is to provide an opportunity for
veterans to meet with each other in a safe, friendly,
accepting atmosphere and in a relationship of trust,
confidentiality and mutual support, for the purpose of
finding mental, emotional, and spiritual healing after
experiencing the trauma of war. Contact Rev. Jim
Almquist at
jim@almquist.net or 763-522-8815. A women-only
veterans group is also available.
Converse with a pastor – either somebody you know or use
our internet forum (starting in the fall), where
veterans can anonymously discuss non-emergency issues of
concern with pastors who have knowledge of military
realities but are now not apart of the military.
When
you are ready, we are eager to channel your good skills
into the good work of the church!
You’ll find lots of good ideas on the
Minnesota National Guard Web site or
the VA Web site.
If you have questions or
comments about our synod's Veteran's Ministry, please
contact:
Coming Home Collaborative
2315 Chicago Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55404
612-871-2967
ListenToVets@comcast.net
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