What was new was the world I spent thirty years walking through.

In 1993 I joined the United States Army as a counterintelligence agent. Counterintelligence is the work of protecting national security by investigating and countering all aspects of espionage and terrorism directed against the United States. It means identifying threats from within and without, and working to neutralize them before they do harm. I spent twenty years in that role. I then moved to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency as a supervisory cyber counterintelligence operations chief, and later became a Special Security Officer for the United States Air Force, where my responsibility was protecting the classified facilities for the long range bomber program.

In that career I worked in 47 states and lived, worked, or traveled through more than twenty countries: Korea, Belgium, Afghanistan, and others across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. I deployed to Afghanistan twice. I spent five tours in Korea, ten years in total, and four years in Belgium. I have sat in barracks rooms, foreign chapels, open fields, and my own living room with a VHS tape, trying to find church wherever I could, because for most of that career there was no WELS congregation within reach.

I went as often as I could, by whatever means were available. The faith held. But it would be tested in ways I had not anticipated.

People sometimes ask me why I would walk away from a career like that to pursue ministry. They ask it as if it is a complicated question. It is not.

Jesus said go. Go and make disciples of all nations.

I have been to those nations. I have walked through countries where most people have never heard the name of Jesus, or where they have only heard it as something to be mocked or feared. I have seen what the world looks like without the Gospel. And I spent thirty years of my life focused on my career, my family, my finances, my earthly concerns, and, if I am being honest, my ego. When all of that came crashing down in Afghanistan, I emerged with a clarity I had not expected: I cannot spend whatever time God gives me on anything other than telling people about Jesus.

I had initially thought I would pursue the WELS Chaplaincy Certification, then perhaps the Staff Ministry track. That felt like a reasonable, manageable path for a man my age starting over. Then I was asked a question I could not easily answer: why stop there? I was asked to pursue the pastoral ministry. At first I said no, and I had my reasons, or what I thought were reasons. One by one, those excuses were answered, until I had nothing left to stand behind. So I picked up my cross.

God is patient. He is also persistent. Every hard thing I went through, I can see now how He was using each piece of it, molding me into someone He shaped to serve Him.

Where I Am Now

Today I am a retired Army soldier, a retired government counterintelligence professional, a husband, and a father of four sons, starting the second half of my life's work with a clarity about purpose that I did not have in the first half. I have served on the boards of education for two Lutheran schools: Great Plains Lutheran High School in Watertown, South Dakota, and St. Paul's Lutheran School in Rapid City, South Dakota. I also previously served as chairman of my congregation.

I am also not making this journey alone. My third son is at college with me, pursuing pastoral ministry as well, and I have the pleasure of sitting beside him in Greek class.

I also run a daily devotional ministry called Morning Encouragement, which goes out each morning in both English and Korean to subscribers around the world. My wife is a Korean national, and cross-cultural ministry has become a natural part of how I serve. To subscribe in the United States, text ADD to 833-779-8793. Readers outside the United States can receive the devotions by email by reaching out through the contact form at morningencouragement.site.

To help me spread the Word of God, please consider following Morning Encouragement on Facebook (linked at morningencouragement.site), liking and commenting on the posts, or making a donation at morningencouragement.site/donate.

I am not here because I have everything figured out. I am here because I finally stopped arguing with God about where He was pointing me. And I am grateful, more grateful than I know how to say, that He was patient enough to keep pointing.

To God be the glory.

Questions or conversation: reach me through the contact form at morningencouragement.site.