At least 200 Southern Baptist Convention-endorsed military chaplains will be pleasantly surprised with a box of Christmas goodies by Dec. 25.
Chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive boxes of candy, coffee and hot chocolate, powdered soft drinks, snacks, CDs, books and magazines, toiletries, batteries, phone cards, socks, boot laces, sunglasses and even small Christmas trees and decorations.
Some 100 North American Mission Board employees and members of several Atlanta-area Baptist churches collected and boxed the items as a “symbol of love” for the chaplains, said Keith Travis, team leader of NAMB’s chaplaincy evangelism team.
Travis initiated the project because he “felt like we needed to do something to let the chaplains know we’re thinking of them at the holidays, because the chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing such a great job over there.
“These chaplains are serving on the front lines as pastors for our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines,” Travis said. “They’re baptizing our men and women over there, and using a lot of ingenuity to share the gospel in various ways. They’re making a difference and changing lives. It’s a miracle to see.”
Slightly more than 1,000 SBC-endorsed military chaplains serve in military branches around the world.