The Journey Continues: Veterans Patrol

My journey takes me to Veterans Patrol, a new faith-based organization in San Marcos.

When we meet, veterans share a camaraderie and the warmth of brotherhood because of our military service. Veterans Patrol is an outreach movement created as a vehicle for veterans to share how they found inner peace of mind after serving in the military.

A representative for the Military Veterans Peer Network spoke at the Noonday Lions Club recently. Afterward, we discussed what hinders veterans from finding faith and peace of mind, and I determined to research a veterans outreach ministry.

Then God gave me a twoyear stay in upstate New York that provided the time and place to formulate and test a pilot ministry called the Veterans Patrol. My vision was to eliminate the traditional barriers for veterans hindering peace and faith.

Finding nothing in the literature that met the vision, I established a core group acting like a "recon patrol" to find our way. We asked God to direct our steps to a model that would be flexible and inclusive.

With His spirit, we distilled a mission statement: veterans standing together in faith to support each other in inner-peace.

The three core values of Veterans Patrol:

• The group is for veterans to include all services, all ranks, all ethnic groups, all races, all genders, all economic groups because Christ is for all people.
• The group is for veterans seeking inner peace after the stresses of military service.
• The group is based on comradeship and willingness to help each other up.

“But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIV

The first Veterans Patrol met in New Paltz, New York in May and is active.

The first meeting of a Texas group will be a held Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Abundant Life Community Church, 20131 Hwy

80. Local leaders are myself, Pastor Paul Buntyn of Abundant Life Community Church, Pastor Eloy Narvaiz of Soul Harvest Church, James Bryant Jr., Jack Carson, Charles Knight and Ruby Oakes.

For information, call 512-216-9519 or visit the Veterans Patrol website.

Come and share your journey, you are important to the Lord.