This is a guest post by Al Lobaina, the lead volunteer for the Mars Hill Military Mission. Since December 2008, Mars Hill has officially been sending thousands of free resources to US service members around the globe (even to a few British and Aussie soldiers!) so that they could not only learn about Jesus, but that they would fall in love with our King. I wanted to share a number of stories that we have had the great joy of being a part of over the past year, and let these stories speak for themselves.

• Naval pilots on board an aircraft carrier in the mid-Pacific spent hours discussing the person and work of Jesus going through the Vintage Jesus DVD curriculum.
• Sailors were able to read Porn Again Christian and let the Spirit convict and move in their own hearts before heading out on their numerous port calls in Asia.
• Soldiers in Mosul, Iraq went through the books of 1st and 2nd Peter guided by the teaching of Pastor Mark in the Trial Series on a weekly basis.
• A Special Forces soldier in central Iraq deleted an external hard drive with more than 150 gigs of porn on it after reading Porn Again Christian, and has talked with other guys from his team struggling with that junk.
• Soldiers in Iraq met on a weekly basis as they went through the different aspects of the atonement of our precious Lord going through Death by Love.
• A soldier who had been a Pagan since the age of 12 decided to give his life to Christ and be baptized in Iraq by an Army chaplain who was leading him through Mars Hill’s resources and Pastor Mark’s teachings.
• Army chaplains from Arkansas came out to Mars Hill in September and were trained in biblical counseling by elders from Mars Hill’s West Seattle campus – who hosted and opened up the event for all folks from the region wanting to be trained in biblical counseling. These same chaplains are also praying with and baptizing hundreds of soldiers as they lead them through resources given to them by Mars Hill.
• An army chaplain moved his family out to Washington in order to be a part of what God is doing through Mars Hill in the military here.
• Marines are reading through Pastor Dad and talking about what it really means to be a man as they trek through the poppy fields in southern Afghanistan.
• A fellow member of Mars Hill, while deployed to Iraq with the National Guard, was a faithful witness, and would meet with at least one other soldier as his schedule allowed to talk about Jesus.
• Mars Hill campuses and community groups – and partnering with other A29 churches in the region – are actively thinking about the upcoming year of 2010 when upwards of 15,000 soldiers (three army brigades) will be returning to Fort Lewis after year long combat deployments. The stresses and strains of combat and deployment have only one true solution – the gospel – and these campuses and A29 churches are practically thinking about what it looks like to be God’s hands and feet in the region.
• After hearing Pastor Mark’s "Marriage and Men" sermon from the Trial series, an Army company commander (similar to the centurion from Matthew 8 ) in Iraq deleted all his porn, and is working through restoration with his wife.
• Service members stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are wrestling with the true Jesus while reading Vintage Jesus.

These are just a number of the things that God is doing in the lives of thousands of service members all across the globe through the ministry of Mars Hill. Our goal with the Mars Hill Military Mission is not to thank service members for "protecting" our freedom and "serving" their country; rather, it is to have them share in the blessings we have so graciously – and undeservedly – been afforded by the blood of Jesus on his cross. Please pray and partner with us as the good news about the Kingdom of God continues to prevail against the gates of hell.