Rapid Deployment Kits
The thought of war is sobering. Yet at this challenging time, we are encouraged by a tremendous opportunity to come alongside our soldiers and provide them with vital spiritual resources in the form of Rapid Deployment Kits (RDKs). As pictured here, each RDK includes a small camouflage New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, an Our Daily Bread devotional guide, a "Would You Like to Know God Personally?" booklet, and more, all in a waterproof bag designed to slip into a soldier's uniform pocket.
These materials are having a tremendous impact on many soldiers. Consider the following report from General Jim McCarthy, USAF (Ret):
"In Kandahar, Afghanistan, I saw two Marines in different circumstances with the combat bible. One Marine had just returned from a combat patrol and his first action was to pull the bible from his fatigue pocket and kneel down to pray. His exhaustion was apparent but his purposeful commitment to prayer was more compelling. The other Marine... was guarding prisoners in the compound at Kandahar and was assigned to accompany me through the compound. I noticed the pocket where he may have kept his bible. I asked him what was in his pocket and he pulled out the combat bible. I asked him where he got it and he said it was given to him on board ship before he deployed into Afghanistan. He said a lot of his comrades were using them and he found great comfort in his combat bible."
The cost is two kits for $5. By March 2003, the Military Ministry had distributed nearly 400,000 kits. Requests from chaplains for more kits come to us at a steady pace of about 20,000 per month. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
