US Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Timothy Dahl was recently deployed to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, with Joint Task Force Bravo. Though not a traditional “combat” deployment (which makes the reference to “outside the wire” awkward), the trip provided many opportunities for both Dahl and those he served to expand their perspectives on the world:

We had nine orphanages that we were responsible for getting volunteers for. Almost every Saturday and some Sundays we had a group going out.

“One time we went into the mountains to check out a potential hike location beforehand and we saw a family bathing in a very deep ditch with lots of nasty water,” said Dahl. “They have no [plumbing] system in the mountains. I felt very blessed about where I got to sleep and bathe that night.

“It’s really easy for me to complain about my life,” added Dahl. “It’s really

easy for me to feel sorry for myself when something happens that I don’t like or that I’m uncomfortable with, but when I see how other people are living, the clothes they have to wear, the places they have to live and the food they have to eat and those kids are there smiling, it made me see how blessed I really am.”

Judging by the photos, it certainly looks like Chaplain Dahl had plenty of like-minded US troops to help — and gain their own perspective on the world.

You can read more about Chaplain Dahl’s experiences on the trip, or read his detailed thoughts on his first chapel hike on the deployment, which he wrote late last year.

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