An otherwise common article on Christmas in Afghanistan — which covers a variety of services performed for packed chapels for US troops — has a unique start.  The first person mentioned in the article isn’t a chaplain; its the “brigade psychologist:”

“We usually expect to see an increase in family and relationship problems following the holidays,” said Capt. Justine Majeres, the brigade psychologist. “The stress of being away from family is only compounded by our environment.”

The rest of the article details the efforts of chaplains and their teams to provide faithful support for the many US troops who wanted to celebrate Christmas, even in a warzone.  The article includes photos of the candlelight Christmas eve service.

One of the Chaplains offered a short reflection: “The good news of Christmas is ‘Emmanuel,’ God is with us, we don’t have to be alone.”

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