Flying over southern Iraq

Dear all,

I am comfortably nestled in a CHU, Central Housing Unit, or mini-trailer room, and have started flying missions over Iraq yesterday. We fly at 1000 ft above ground level and it's like flying over a larger version of the Indian Reservation. The land looks like the area between Phoenix and Yuma without any mountains. The Tigris River winds it's way down from Baghdad and provides irrigation for all the crops that have been established over the last 2000 or so years. It's very 3rd world, in spite of the incredible oil wealth. Most remarkable of all, the air is a dusty, hazy mess up to about 1500 ft, with pollution coming from dust and the very smokey brick factories that belch black smoke. Our EPA would be shutting them down left and right. When I get internet set up in my room, I'll send pictures. It's really shocking to me that a country that has been around this long, has made so little progress. What tyrants can do to a society!


Today, I'll just take my laundry to the cleaners, sort out the footlocker full of Safety publications (meaning throw out the paper version. I'll do everything on the computer.), and start going to the gym with 1LT Grandy. I need to be in shape the next time you see me or you'll think I was on vacation!

love, Chris

Christmas Eve - FOB Delta Style

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the FOB...

Yesterday evening, we received our footlockers which were shipped from Fort Sill. Yahoo! I found my binoculars and "Birds of the Middle East" fieldguide. So far my birdlist is up to 4! I'll list them later... as if you really care!

Today, I dropped off a present, a book on the Desert Fathers, to our Non-denominational Christian Chaplain. He jokingly calls me his "token Orthodox." He's a really kind man and on the inside cover of his book, I thanked him for being brave enough to shepherd this "flock in Iraq." I'm going to go to Christmas Eve service at our Chapel tonight at 1900 hours, then go again on Christmas Day at 1000. No snow on the ground yet, and I can't decide which sock to hang, but I'm sure it's Christmas. My Christmas twinkle lights burned out because of the crazy electricity they use over here. Sheesh! I left them up anyway just as a decoration. One of the soldiers wrapped the door to his room in wrapping paper. We're not going to win any awards for Best Decorations. Oh, well. Find the Joy.

I miss you all immensely, but look forward to being together again and doing all those little things. Take heart and remember what Fr. John Bethancourt always says, "Find the Joy."

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Merry Christmas everyone.

With much Love,

Poppy / Christopher-Michael / CW3 Pedersen

Now from Iraq

After a not-so-great plane ride, we've arrived in Al Kut with gale force winds and a temp drop near freezing. What a mess. I have my own room, the size of Gunner's in a trailer kinda thing. The base is a dirty, dusty, concrete reinforced place with an outstanding dining hall with food of all sorts. That's fantastic.

I can access internet through the Morale Welfare Recreation (MWR) site until I get internet in my room. The PX is a pit, about the size of a Circle K.

Should be interesting, but bearable.

Anyway, gotta run. Only a limited time on this computer.

Love,

Chris

Note from Kuwait

Dear Friends,

The flight was 15+ hours with deplaning in Bangor, Maine (where we were met by 20+ veterans, great Americans) and Leipzig, Germany (with a nice break for 1.5 hrs). Kuwait is a giant sandbox with zero plants and only two different species of birds that I've seen. I don't have my Birds of the Middle East book. It's in a footlocker somewhere in Iraq. Should be great fun later.


We have giant, insulated tents with wooden floors, realy good food at the Dining Facility, and a PX. Internet seems to work okay. We leave Thursday for Iraq (Wed night your time). I should be out of touch for quite awhile.

Chris

Best Thanksgiving Ever

The Army let me go home from Fort Sill, OK to Tempe, AZ for 4 days during the Thanksgiving Holidays. Here's what I'm especially thankful for.

1. Good Friends along the Whole Way:  From the moment I signed out at Fort Sill, through the airports, on the phone, at Thanksgiving Dinner, out shopping, and back to Fort Sill, I found the nicest people everywhere I turned. I believe to know who you are, don't look in the mirror, look at your closest friends. Using that definition, hey, I'm in pretty good shape!
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2. Orthodox Christianity:  Divine Liturgy Thanksgiving morning was a real blessing. Archbishop Antony, Bishop Daniel (a former Army chaplain, I learned), the one-and-only Father James Coles, candle lights, incense, the icons (especially Jesus, the Theotokos, St Ignatius, and the St Michael, the Archangel), the saints all around us, a pretty good-sized congregation, and Communion! I really, really missed the Orthodox services. Thanks for having this one especially for me... Well, actually, in celebration of Archbishop Antony's ordination, but still, it was a special service. And Vespers Saturday night followed by supper at Wildflower. Ah, memories.

3. The wide open Sonoran desert:  Thanks to Pat, Cristie, Linda, and Lauren (the only person I know who can read Russian literature while rounds are going downrange) for coming out with us Friday morning so Gunner could shoot one more time! Then, later, Christmas shopping and helpful prodding from Cristie for Lauren to visit Fossil to look at a Christmas watch. Nice selection, I might add. That was easy. And pizza and Fat Tire beer. Thanks, Pat.

4. Real Shopping Malls:  Oklahoma may be OK but Arizona has better weather and much better places to find Linda's Christmas ring and Gunner's "surprise" .22 pistol. On sale, no less. Christmas shopping accomplished. You guys can handle the rest.

5. Gate Passes for Families of Deploying Soldiers:  Thanks to Debbie, we got to spend a few more hours together once American Airlines let the family go to the gate. That was really special. I needed those minutes.

6. Grandma Pedersen:  What a special visit. That part of the trip was my greatest fear. If anything could go wrong, it would be that. Even though she was in the hospital and my extended family didn't tell me, our visit went very well. She was coherent, sharp, and very complimentary. Sure do love her. Hope I'm that crazy when I'm old... but keep me out of the Veteran's Hospital. Right, Gunner? You promised to break me out. Gives me something fun to look forward to!

7. Finally, the "Tiger", the "Tornado", and the "Mother Bear":  Or should I say estrogen (xx), testosterone (xy), and the X-factor. (See, I did learn something from Genetics class.) Such a relaxing and enjoyable visit. You're the best family ever!

Thanks to everyone for a special holiday visit.

I'll cherish those days.


(L to R: Chris, Lauren, Gunner, and Linda)

Winter Concert

Last night was the Winter Concert and Art Show at Veritas. It's actually two concerts: the jr. high recorder concert and then the high school choral concert. Veritas has two amazing music teachers in Ms. Manjola Koci, who teaches the junior high classes and directs one of the extracurricular choral groups, and Dr. Laura Inman, still fondly called Ms. Inman by her students, who directs the high school and other choral groups. The music is amazing especially considering that all of the kids participate, not just the ones who want to take music. And the great part is, I think there are very few that don't learn to love it.

Gunner is playing tenor recorder this year and music is now one of his favorite classes. Ms. Koci is both stern and playful. I don't know anyone who can combine stand-up comedy and fear like she does, but those students listen and learn and have a lot of fun, too. She and Gunner get along great. Chris is going to try to find an instrument for her in Iraq, maybe a recorder or flute of some kind. Or maybe just a postcard. :-) She goes to all the jr. high events, football games, etc. in support of her students.

Lauren's in the Honors Choir, made up of juniors and seniors who now no longer take music (they are in drama and art) but still want to sing. They auditioned for it and it's meant to be an outreach group to the community, singing for events and being Veritas ambassadors. They recently sang at a fund raising gala for the Rotary and will sing God Bless America during the Fiesta Bowl pre-game. The big event this year is a trip to Carnegie Hall to sing part of the Easter Mass by Mozart. That will be such an amazing experience for Lauren. New York! Dr. Inman finished her doctorate from ASU in conducting last year, is in the Grammy-winning Phoenix Bach Choir and also conducts the largest choir at ASU as a faculty associate.

A few pictures from the concerts...

Ms. Koci

Our little camera did the best it could.

Gunner and his friends Ben King and Matthew Zabilski. Trouble is brewing, no doubt, but Ms. Koci has them under control.

What you can't see in these pictures is Ms. Koci dancing as she directs.

Gunner and his friend Hannah Tesoriero. I sat with her mom Brenda during their concert.

It's hard to get a natural picture of him. He's such a goofball.

Here's our Lauren in the alto section. She feels short in the back row.

Friends and classmates Brian Oliver, Lauren and Andrea Taylor.

And the obligatory photo of BFFs Lauren and Tara Godzich:

Tara's mom Natalie and I sat together for their concert. It wasn't easy to hold back the tears - I always do that when there are young people performing. I don't even have to know them. Then it's your kids, and they're seniors and you throw in a good patriotic song like America the Beautiful and I had to really concentrate. Wow, they received such applause. Dr. Inman may be tiny but she is a powerful leader and those kids love to sing for her. I'll get a picture of her next time, maybe. She moves around pretty quickly.

Great night and more proof positive that this school is so worth all the driving and the studying.

Aiming to please

Gunner, that is. The boy loves to be out in the desert and shooting at targets with Poppy. He doesn't mind if the rest of us tag along, and he's amazingly patient with the novices taking so long to aim for each shot. Lauren is a very good shot, likes to take her time, but doesn't take f-o-r-e-v-e-r between shots like I do. Chris encourages me to shoot a little faster, you're going to hit it eventually. And I usually do. :-) I don't mind watching everybody else shoot and load whatchamacallits (oh, right, magazines). The boys are sooo in their element.

When Chris was home for Thanksgiving weekend, we knew there would be a trip out to the desert. Why not bring along friends and make it an adventure? Chris wanted to see his longtime friend Pat O'Toole and his bride, Cristie. Cristie is from Pennsylvania, met Pat when she lived in Chicago and they were married last August. She hasn't been out in the desert much, at all, and she was all for a little trip out there. We thought this would be a good way to do a whole bunch of things at the same time.

The weather was perfect. There is no way it could've been better. What a great time we had. See?

Thanks for the photos, Pat and Cristie!

Setting up the targets:

Can you see Pat in the background? He's setting up the targets for the expert shooters.

Happy guys.


Target shooting fun for all:

Pat shooting and Gunner at the ready.

Cristie got quite good with the rifle.

Lauren reading Anna Karenina. A little Tolstoy in the morning.

This is how it's done, Grasshopper.

You show 'em, Lauren.

Gunner and the shotgun.

And then you push that, and check this and hold it like this, and...

Fasting struggles

It's been hard to know how to handle the longer fasts with the kids. First, they are so different in lots of ways, so that makes it hard to fast the same way with both of them. In appetites and nutritional needs, they are opposites. I do not insist that they refrain from meat and dairy throughout the fasts. They fast Sunday mornings, and they both make attempts during the fasts and it comes up in conversation. We were driving home after a lovely dinner with Father James and Kh. Karen and Emma, John and Samuel (thank you!) when this exchange took place:


Gunner: I think I’ll fast from cleaning my room.

Lauren: You’ve already done that for a long time.

Gunner: I could be a monk.

You heard it here first. So much for his career as a lip model.