Welcome Home, Lance!

In case you missed it yesterday . . .

What's happening with Lance?

He's coming home! (See below . . . and stay tuned.)

It's been awhile since I've posted a Lance update. Just busy. So here's several, starting with the very latest and going back in time.


November 10, 2007 . . . from Kathy Smith:

Dear Friends of Lance Iunker,

On Thursday, November 15th, we are planning A HERO'S WELCOME! for our beloved Lance. We don't have the times of his flight yet, and we may not know until as late as Tuesday or Wednesday, but we will keep you posted as we learn more. However, there are many details that we can pass onto you now.

First of all, we are almost sure that he will be arriving later in the evening, such as 8:00pm, 9:00pm, or 10:00pm. Immediate family will meet him at the airport, as well as police and fire depts., who will give him an escort from the airport to his home (so cool!). The rest of us will be waiting to welcome him on the Iunker's street/cul-de-sac. Their address is 872 Columbine Ct. Our vision for this is to have the street lined with family and friends (lots of them!) waving American flags, and homemade posters/banners. The tricky part of this is... now that Lance will most likely be arriving after dark, we will also need lots of lights! So please bring lots of American flags of all sizes and bright flash lights in order to light them up. Also were thinking of stringing small white lights from tree to tree and bush to bush to help outline the street and add more light. Portable flood lights and extension cords will also be needed. If you can help with supplying and/or setting up any of these items, please let me know. Yellow ribbons are being supplied by neighbors, they will be tied to the trees.

Some important things to note: Please do not park on Columbine. Park on another street, the farther away, the better! In fact, if we end up getting the numbers of people we are expecting, it might be even better for many of us to park at the Marigold center. There are two important reasons for this: one, is we want Lance to be surprised as he turns onto Columbine, so cars need to be hid. Secondly, we will need to leave plenty of space for the police and fire vehicles escorting Lance, and other media vehicles that are likely to show up as well. Fewer vehicles will also make a safer environment for the numbers of people milling around in the dark.

Also please be considerate of the neighbors, showing concern for their property (don't trample their flower beds, etc.), their ability to park and use their driveways, and especially noise level. Although we will be making a bit of noise, especially once Lance arrives, let's stay as quiet as possible for as long as possible.

We can be respectful of Lance and the Iunker family in two important ways: First, let's stay away from the airport to allow just the immediate family time for their reunion with Lance. Secondly, we will need to be sensitive to our timing at the end, so we can allow Lance to get settled into his home quickly after a very tiring day's journey. Which leads me to the plan for when Lance arrives. Obviously, we will wave and cheer once Lance turns onto the street and continue cheering as he drives by. Once the vehicles have parked, we will gather into the cul-de-sac and cheer once more as he gets out of the car, and then Pastor Ken Peet and Pastor Tim from Grace Church will lead us in a time of prayer. After that, I'm sure there will be a few words of love and appreciation exchanged, but here is where we need to be sensitive to how Lance is feeling and to remember that he will be here for two weeks, so time for talking will have to come later. Our purpose here is to just to show him our love and gratitude by our presence which we will do in a big way, I hope, as we line the street. Short and Sweet... very, very sweet!

Please spread the word to others who may not get this email. We are hoping to post Lance's final schedule, once we know it, in a couple of places, one of those possibly being Grace church's website, graceslo.org. We will let you know once we been given permission.

Also, remember to keep this a secret from Lance, especially you facebook users, and others who may be in touch with him.
I'm very excited for all of us to be able to express our great love and admiration to/for Lance and his family in this way.

Call or email me if you have any questions,
In His Amazing Love,
Kathy Smith
543-4771
smithfamily20@charter.net

November 6, 2007 . . .

Hello everyone!

I know it has been quite some time since the last update and I am sorry about that. I have been waiting to here if Lance would be able to come home for Thanksgiving and it is looking like a yes! The back doctor has given him a stamp of approval and filed the paperwork for a two week convalescent leave beginning November 15th! As soon as the Army approves it I will let you know when his plane flight will come in. Kathy Smith from Grace Church will be setting up a welcome home parade on our street with American flags and the works! Lance is so excited to see everyone. He is still in a lot of pain (back and chest) so pray that the flight would be as comfortable as possible for him.

Here is some amazing God at work news to share with you. A two star General from the Pentagon came to Georgia and came by the rehab hospital to meet some of the soldiers. He was very nice and was listening to each one of their stories. When he got to Lance he was blown away by his story and had him go on and on. Lance shared with him how he was called "Preach" or "Preacher" and how God saved them through so many battles. The General presented Lance with a beautiful 2-Star Coin in the shape of the Pentagon. Apparently, these are very hard to get. The front says "Courageous in Spirit. Compassionate in Service." Then it has the Chaplain's seal and says "Pro Deo Et Patria - For God and Country" and "Religious Leadership for the Army". On the back it says "Presented by the Chief of Chaplains for Excellence" and has a flag with two stars. Then in quotes it says, "The soldiers heart, the soldiers spirit, the soldiers soul are everything." Lance says it is beautiful and it was a once in a lifetime experience!

The next couple of days people from the hospital kept coming by his room and telling him what an impression he had made on that General. Lance didn't think much about it until he got a call from the General at Fort Gordon. That General asked to meet with him at 7:00 am Monday morning. Lance was asked to share his story and then the Command Sgt. Major of the Post gave him another coin and the General asked him to ride in the Veteran's Day Parade with him and when the parade was over he asked Lance to share his story in a speech on Veteran's Day! So please pray for Lance as he shares what God has done for him in front of many people at a Veteran's Day service next Monday, November 12th!

Lance is recovering very well overall. He is now walking without a walker! He said it was slowing him down too much so he got rid of it one day and his student nurse has to keep asking him to walk slower so she can keep up with him. I asked him why he was always in such a hurry and he said, "I just like to walk with a purpose!"

Emotionally things go up and down all the time and he is working through his losses. He told me that second and third platoon returned home from Baghdad on Saturday along with Munoz and Sgt. Steigman (who was on R&R when the accident happened)(both from 1st platoon). All of Lance's 1st platoon buddies that were injured (with the exception of Swift and Lance) were there on the Green Ramp to meet them as they deboarded the plane. All the soldiers from 2nd and 3rd platoon started crying. This was the first time they had seen the men from 1st platoon since they had rescued them and put them on the Medi-Vac helicopters! Once they had all hugged each other they all started asking "Where's Preach, Where's the Preacher?" They were so bummed to find out he was in a hospital in Georgia. Lance was really sad to have missed that day. He so badly wants to see all of them! He has been able to talk to many of the wounded men from his platoon and they are all healing up really well and are back at Fort Bragg. Second and third platoon were never again made to go on dangerous missions after the night of the accident.

Lance was told that all of his things were sent home to California from Baghdad at the beginning of October. All of the other guys have already received their things. Unfortunately, Lance received one item and it appears all of his remaining items have been lost in shipping. He was so bummed and started to get angry and I reminded him of what he told me in the middle of September when he first landed in the United States. I had asked him, "Lance, how do we get all your things back?" He said, "It doesn't really matter mom. Nothing matters, except that I made it out of there alive. I never thought that I would make it out alive and with all of my parts working. I am so glad to be back. That is all that matters. Everything else can be replaced." I told him to go back to that place mentally every time he is bummed about his missing things. He agreed.

Lance is really excited to come home and see everyone. He says it will be the best thing for his morale! He is getting really sick of being in the hospital! He also cannot wait to see Cal Poly play football again! Until he left for the Army he had never missed a Cal Poly football game since the day he was born! He also can't wait to come home to Grace Church again. He says that is one of the things he has missed the most since being gone!

There is so much to be thankful for and you all are a huge part! I thank God for not only sparing my son's life but also for all of your prayers and support. God bless!

In His great and amazing love,
Dori

October 28, 2007 . . .

Hello family & friends,

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Lance and our family has truly been blessed by all you have done. Lance is making slow and steady gains in his recovery. From the neck up he has healed remarkably well. His back and chest continue to cause him a great deal of pain but the medication he is on is helping. When he is off of it for any length of time it is painful to even take a breath so he gets a bit discouraged from that! However, he continues to do his physical therapy (working out both cardio and lower body) and voluntarily increased it to twice a day so he could see more improvement! He went back to the orthopedic doctor and asked about two things: 1) When would he be able to wakeboard & snowboard again; and 2) Could he come home to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving?

The doctor said "Yes! He could come back for the Thanksgiving Holiday! We are really excited! He needs final approval from the Army which he will hopefully receive on Monday, November 5th. Then he hopes to get a flight home on Wednesday, November 14th!!!! I will be sure to keep you all posted. He will need someone to escort him home so we are thinking that my sister might be able to fly back to bring him home. He wanted to make it to the last Cal Poly football game!

Regarding the wakeboarding, etc... the doctor told him that while he will be able to return to a normal life it will take some time! He said that Lance should not do anything that jars his back for a couple of years and then he should not do anything that could cause a spinal cord injury for at least four years or so until the bone fragments have dissolved and are no longer a threat to his spinal cord. So Lance said he will have to complete his college education and then become a police officer! I will have to keep him from attempting the wakeboarding and snowboarding (wish me luck)! Here is where I think pain must be a blessing because it forces us not to do what we shouldn't do.

Lance is taking recreational field trips each week. They have been really fun for him and yet have exposed things that he has had to work on. Today he is at the NASCAR races with Mrs. Hawkins' brother! Last weekend he went to the Army vs. Georgia Tech football game in Atlanta. They were treated like royalty and got to sit up in the sky box seats! That was so much fun! He said that on the way there the bus or van that they were on broke down. There was a loud bang and then the motor died and they pulled off to the side of the road. All the wounded soldiers just sat there really quiet and still for a few moments until one of them said, "Anybody else having a flashback right now!" Everyone started laughing and felt so much better that they were not the only one thinking in their head that they had just been hit by an IED! Lance said that large groups of people that are talking really loud can bring back memories of the risk that the humanitarian aid missions used to be for the guys. He said he is trying to get used to having people talk in booths behind him since he can't turn around to see if there is a risk or threat behind him. The psychologist assured him that everything he is going through is absolutely normal but it sure makes Lance feel he is still all jacked up.

Lance did tell me yesterday that he is proud of what he has done and that he has no regrets. He feels like he served his country well and that he is glad he signed up, fought for his country and served the way he wanted to serve. He feels like he can move on with his life feeling proud and living with no regrets. He did say that he is glad that it is over!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. I will keep you posted on when Lance will be home!

In His amazing love,
Dori

October 18, 2007 . . .

Hello family & friends,

Lance was told this week that he will be receiving the Purple Heart Award in a ceremony at Fort Gordon this Tuesday, October 23rd! He is so excited! It is a huge award and an important one for his future as well. From what our family is learning, vets with a Purple Heart have a much easier time accessing future health care. Our family would love to go out there to see it but it was such late notice that it just won't be possible. I am trying to contact various people we have met back there to see if they can take a picture or videotape the ceremony for me. Lance had wanted to be in his Class A uniform for the ceremony but none of his uniforms have been recovered and he cannot get into regular clothes for a few more months so he has decided to go for it as is!

Lance also got a new roommate this week. He is an older career Army guy that was hit by an IED and suffered a brain injury from the concussion. He is in the rehab hospital to help him with his memory loss and his headaches. This past week Lance also went to the races for a few hours and this weekend will get to attend the Army vs. Georgia Tech football game. That will be his longest day up and about but one that will be well worth it! He is really excited! Mrs. Hawkins's brother, Keith, has also offered to take him to see the NASCAR races the following weekend! I'm not sure he is ever going to want to get out of this hospital! Lance finally made contact with Brendle and another guy from his platoon! He was really excited. He found them on the Internet (Facebook). Brendle is getting married this Saturday while he is still on convalescent leave. He got sick of having a cast on his arm and hand so he cut it off himself and then went to the local drag racing track and took his Mustang drag racing 123 mph with his 5 broken ribs!! I told Lance, "Your friend sounds a little crazy!" Lance said, "Oh, yea! Brendle's really crazy. Most of the guys in my squad were!" The most exciting conversation was with a Sgt. that Lance had had many great conversations about God and the Bible with. After the accident the Sgt. had asked for a Bible. Lance spoke to him this past week and he told Lance that when he first got out of the hospital he started drinking too much and misusing his pain meds. Then he started reading the Bible and now his wife keeps asking him what in the world he is doing because he is always holding the baby and reading the Bible!!

He also is continuing to have great conversations with the guys that are in the hospital. They seem to really open up to him and share their stories, even the hardened ones. Hopefully he will be able to share his testimony with them as well. Please continue to pray for his pain to diminish. He still has a lot of pain in the back and chest. It may just be God's way of slowing him down because he keeps trying to overdo it so if it is for a purpose so be it.

Also pray for his emotional and mental state. As you can well imagine, he still has his up days and his down days. I pray he continues to turn those over to the Lord and they become less and less overtime. He just wants them to go away but I know he needs to process all this yucky stuff first. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support!

In His grace and for His glory,
Dori

October 13, 2007 . . .

Dear family & friends,

Lance is making slow and steady progress in his recovery. He had a bit of a setback this week which was a bummer but he is doing much better now. On Monday he decided to have his roommate order a hamburger from a restaurant on "the outside" since he was sick of hospital food. Unfortunately it was undercooked and he got a very bad case of food poisoning! He was unable to get his back brace on in time and started throwing up without the brace (he isn't even allowed to cough or sneeze without the brace on)! Once the nurses got his brace on he continued to be violently ill well into the night until the doctor could put an order in for a shot to stop his body from being ill. The pain this all caused in his back and chest kept him from being able to get out of bed for three days and the doctor had to order muscle relaxants in order for him to be able to breath normally again. It was a really rough week for the poor guy!! In addition, his roommate Luke was released to outpatient status. That was a sad day because Luke was such a huge help for Lance. He helped him with his food tray and he helped him get his back brace on each morning. He was good company as well! Here is the good news - Lance is back up and doing physical therapy. He gets to go out on his first recreational therapy "field trip" tonight! They are going to the races! Lance is so excited and a little nervous because it is a lot of sitting and his pain medication will run out during the event but it will be really fun. He also has a brace he can use to take a shower now so that is awesome for him! I think the occupational therapist helps him with that a couple of times a week.

Some of the most exciting things have been the relationships he is forming at the rehab hospital. There are always guys coming into his room wanting to talk to him. There were two guys that were very angry when they were at Eisenhower Hospital. The nurses couldn't stand them because they were so mean. Actually, one of them is married and his wife was ready to leave because he was being so mean. They have both opened up and started sharing their stories with Lance and become so friendly and nice. After hearing what has happened to Lance, they felt like they weren't the only one who had been through a lot and they felt like someone else had a horrible thing happen to them too and yet wasn't all mad at the world but was thankful! Lance said they are like night and day now and it has only been a week! They also asked if Lance was famous or something because he has done so many interviews (he has done two radio interviews from KSBY and KVEC in our hometown and then he was interviewed by the local Army base newspaper and put on the front page this week!) If you want to read the latest news article of him at the rehab center you can find it at

http://www.gordon.army.mil/pao/story1_101207.htm

He is on the front page to the right and then it is continued on page 4.
Lance's 4th grade teacher's brother (Keith Betts) who lives in Augusta, Georgia, loaned Lance his laptop computer and John MacArthur's church sent Lance a free replacement for all his Bible Study Guide Library that he had on his laptop in Baghdad! He just received it yesterday and is so excited! It is what he misses the most. He hopes that he receives all of his things eventually but just having a laptop and this Bible Study material is a huge blessing for him.

It sounds like he may get to come home for a couple of weeks at Christmas although he wants to push for a week at Thanksgiving too! We will see how things are going when it gets closer. I have attached a picture of him at the rehab hospital with his roommate Luke. He is looking good don't you think? Thanks so much for your continued prayers!

In His grace and for His glory,
Dori

October 7, 2007 . . .

Hello family & friends,

It's been awhile since I have updated all of you on Lance so I will try to remember everything that has gone on in the last ten days or so. I just returned with my dad from visiting Lance and he is making such wonderful progress in his recovery each and every day. When you look at him it is hard to imagine the extent of his injuries; he just looks remarkable! His face, ear and head look completely healed visually. He is also getting up and walking with the help of a walker and his back brace each day.

Friday, September 29th, Lance was moved to the Uptown VA Hospital in Augusta, Georgia where an entire wing is for Active Duty Soldiers that have been injured in the Iraq war. I cannot say enough good things about this facility. They have a complete wrap around program with wonderful physical therapy, occupational therapy, a psychologist, a social worker, a medical doctor, nurses, a dietitian and all the Army personnel that coordinate his specialist appointments. Their are about 30 soldiers that roam the halls, the day room and wheel in and out of each other's room to visit and swap battle stories. It is awesome because it is a giant support group without any of them knowing they are getting any kind of "group therapy". From the moment the soldier arrives the occupational therapist and the nurses begin working on making the soldier as "independent" as they can medically be. It is amazing to see how far they get them in just the week I was there! The motivation is pretty high for most of the guys but there are a few that just want to lay there. That is not allowed! The physical therapist pushes them to their limits as well. Most of them complain that he is trying to kill them all over again! Lance told me this morning that he could hardly walk because he was so sore from physical therapy. I asked if it was his back that was sore and he said, "no it's my legs!". So that is a good thing!

Well here is how his injuries are shaping up and what the doctors have told us: His ear is healing remarkably well. He went in again this week and had it cleaned out. They found some stitches deep inside the ear canal (apparently his ear wasn't just severed off but actually 'ice cream scooped out' deep down to the bone) so they removed the inside stitches and cleaned it out really well and his hearing is already coming back he said. An audiologist tested him at the VA hospital and found no hearing loss at all! Praise God!

His face looks totally healed visually but it still hurts him when he eats. We thought that he had just fractured his orbital (the bones around his eyes) but he actually had a tripod fracture of the right side of his face. The doctor said that if anyone pops him in his face that it would just cave in (lovely visually don't you think). He was actually very fortunate the doctors said that he didn't need any surgeries to hold his face in place. It is just healing the way it was and he still looks like Lance! Praise God for that too! But it does hurt to move his jaw so he wasn't eating for a long time. There was a little concern for some time over his not eating because he had lost over 20 pounds in just three weeks! Add the atrophy of his muscles from just lying in bed and he looks really thin. He said he feels like he is repeating high school all over again! He liked having a few more muscles when he was in Baghdad!

His chest is hurting less and less but is still a contributor to his pain especially when he first lays down after being up for awhile. His back is obviously his most critical injury. The doctors told us that where he broke his back is a very dangerous place to have spinal cord trauma and to break your back. It is the spot that helps your body control your breathing (which is why he kept having such low oxygen levels), it controls his blood pressure & pulse (which is probably why he gets so dizzy), and it controls his body temperature (which is why he keeps having hot flashes and chills). Because of the location of his break, they want his back completely stable for three months minimum with no added trauma so they would not have to do the surgery where they place hardware in his back which could give him problems later in life. For these reasons, the medical team decided (and we all agreed) that having him come home to California was not in his best interest. He would also be laying in a hospital bed and not getting all of the physical & occupational therapy that is so needed for him to stay healthy. In addition, the social camaraderie from his fellow soldiers and the debriefing he gains from the psychologist is so important for someone who has come back from war. The psychologist told us that Lance has seen more gore, violence and trauma than most of the soldiers that he has ever dealt with and yet he is extremely emotionally healthy! Praise God for that too!!! He actually scored a 0 on the depression test. He still wants to meet with him just to help him unwind from the constant adrenaline he has been under. For example, Lance is still really jumpy if anyone makes a loud noise or comes up behind him and he hates not having a gun! We are all really glad, however, that he does not have one, so that we can come up behind him!

Anyway, this rehab. hospital is wonderful and Lance will probably stay there for about 6-8 months (although timelines with the Army are constantly changing). There is talk of him coming home for two weeks at Christmas time if his back has healed and is stable. We will all look forward to that! Our neighbor has a ton of yellow ribbons ready to replace the ribbons that line our street now to welcome him home! Our church friends have talked about lining the street and making some sort of parade type route to welcome him home and their are several sheriff and police that have talked about using their lights on their cars to greet him at the airport when he lands! What a day that will be for him! I am counting the days but more than that I am praising God that he is safe in the states, that he is recovering from his injuries and that his story will go on to glorify God as he tells it to others! The support from our friends, our church, our workplaces, and our community has been overwhelming and humbling to say the least. What a gift from a loving and faithful God.

Lance told me that he could so relate to the book of Job in the Bible now. He said that he had such a blessed life in SLO before joining the Army. Then in basic they took away everything he loved and he could not even see or talk to his family or friends. Then came war and things were so bad when he didn't think things could get even worse and he was constantly persecuted for being a Christian and for praising God even when things were so awful. Then the only family he had in Baghdad was killed and they were all separated and his body just ached in pain. But he said, he knows how Job's life ends and he knows that Job gets blessed better than he had been before and he ends up with a wife and children and wonderful blessings!! So Lance said "bring it on Lord, I will praise God's name no matter what he brings me. And I will look forward to the blessings he will give me too!" Pretty cool don't you think? I thought that was a great way to look at things! Here is Lance's new address if you would like to send him a letter or card (he did mention that he doesn't have much room for huge packages of snacks anymore):

VAMC Augusta Uptown Division PFC Lance Iunker Unit 3E 1 Freedom Way VA Medical Center Augusta, GA 30904

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support for Lance and our family. We will never be able to thank you enough!

In His great and amazing love,
Dori

What's Up with Lance?

I've gotten behind on my Lance updates. . . Sorry about that.

Here's a stack of three so you can see his progress, beginning with the least recent and moving downnward to the most recent. . . .

9.20.07 update

Hello Family & Friends,
Yesterday and today were good days for Lance’s recovery! He is making slow and steady progress in his physical therapy. He walked about 30 feet yesterday with his back brace and walker and he three times that far today! His reward today was that if he could walk a certain distance, the physical therapist would allow him to walk down the hall to his office and use his computer to look at his Facebook page! That was just the motivation Lance needed. He worked up quite a sweat and was able to read a couple of messages from friends. It was a huge encouragement for him! He was wiped out after that and slept for a couple of hours!
Another huge step forward is that he started eating last night! He has also been off of the morphine for two days and taking only oral narcotics. Each little thing is a break through!

I wanted to thank everyone who prayed the last couple of days for his back. The MRI came back that he does not need surgery! The doctors were really relieved because this would have been a risky procedure right next to the heart they said. They also said there are bone fragments but they are far enough away from the spine to not worry too much about them. He does have one bulging disc that may cause him some pain but it is not worth doing surgery for.
Here is the next step. We are waiting now for a back brace that goes all the way up to his neck (very uncomfortable poor guy). Until he gets this, his back is not stable enough to sit in a wheelchair. Once he can sit, they need to send him to the ENT (ear doctor) to have his ear cleaned out (dried blood and debris) and then have his hearing checked for any hearing loss. He also needs to have X-Rays taken while in his brace both standing and sitting so they can tell if his back will heal in just the right way. He also has a couple of weird infections that they are treating him with medications for (nothing they are really worried about, just from being injured in a third world country).

Lance has been put into a really neat program called the “Wounded Warrior” program that actually takes the soldier and puts them into a new Battalion called the “Warrior in Transition Battalion”. We were escorted from the airport by a major who was instrumental in starting this program here in Georgia (which is now all over the country if I understand correctly). The Army started this program in 2004 because they didn’t know what to do with all of the wounded soldiers that were coming back from Iraq. One of the nurses (our case manager) explained that during Vietnam many soldiers died but in this war the body armor is so good that most soldiers are surviving and coming back injured. It is really hard to follow up medically with them during all the various stages of treatment if they are with their normal Battalion (say if Lance is made to go back to Fort Bragg when he gets out of the hospital). Instead they transfer them to this Warrior in Transition Battalion until they are ready to return to active duty or medically retired. He has a Major and a Colonel that checks on him and us everyday in the hospital. They are very supportive.

At this point in time he will need to be in the brace for at least three months. He needs lots of help and care because he is not allowed to twist or sit up to get the brace on without assistance. We have been hearing that once he is ready to leave the hospital, he will be able to do those three months at home but may have to come back to Georgia for check-ups. Nothing is for sure (especially with the Army). I will be flying home on Saturday to get caught up on a few things and make it to a couple of appointments and then coming back to trade places with Larry by the end of next week, unless he miraculously gets out before the next Friday! Please continue to pray for continued progress in his recovery, wisdom for those making his discharge plans, and travel mercies for Larry and I.

I have continued to see God’s hand in everything we are experiencing. Each new day we can see how He has orchestrated this entire event including the placement of Lance at this hospital. Ken Peet’s aunt (Lance’s youth pastor in high school) came by to visit us and brought a cake, fruit and some books. She was wonderful! Then we received a personal call from Colonel Betts who is the Assistant Chief Nurse of the entire Eisenhower Hospital. She called Lance and told him she would come by to visit him and that she heard he was a wonderful young man and that his fourth grade teacher (Barbara Hawkins) said hello. She happens to be her sister!!! It has been such a small world!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We feel them and they are keeping us going!!! Praise God for His goodness and His faithfulness! He has been our Rock and our Shield! We give thanks in all things!

In His grace and for His glory,
Dori

9.24.07 update

Hello family & friends,

Lance is improving so much each and everyday! He received his new back brace on Friday and he said it helps with the pain so much. He has been able to sit up for short periods of time and walk around the entire 9th floor of the hospital wing!! His balance is so good today that they may even start him on a cane instead of a walker! God is so amazing! They still need to get him into the ear clinic to clean out his ear and check his hearing (please pray for no hearing loss) but once that is complete he will be ready to be released from Eisenhower Hospital. They had told us this morning they were sending him home (I have to admit that made me very nervous for both Lance and us) but they changed their mind and said he was not quite ready for an across the country plane flight and to be cared for at home so they will be moving him to a VA rehab hospital in downtown Augusta, Georgia.

We will be able to continue to stay at the Fisher House. So if you wanted to send Lance a card this week you could send it to:
c/o DDEAMC Fisher House, building 280
Fisher House Road, Attn: Iunker Family
Fort Gordon, Georgia 30905-5650

For those of you that have sent cards to our house, I am flying back on Friday and will bring them to Lance. He has been so encouraged by all of your support and prayers and so has our entire family. The support you have all given us is so inconceivable. It only reminds me more of Christ's love for us! I came home this weekend to our entire street lined with big yellow ribbons on every neighbor's tree! It is beautiful and I hope it lasts until Lance makes it home!
We continue to see God's hand in every little thing that has happened and every decision that keeps happening. I was sharing with a few people at church on Sunday how weird it is to have the Army "own" your child and to not have a say in anything they do. I try to advocate for him or I try to ask for things but in the end they make all the decisions. At one point I was starting to have a little emotional breakdown in the hospital when I felt like they were not going to make very good decisions for Lance. Lance turned to me and said, "Don't worry Mom, that's just the Army. They say a lot of things but in the end, the Lord has me and it will all work out. It always works out." So I started thinking and praying and thought, he's right. When he was in Baghdad I had completely released all control and worry to the Lord and was in peace (usually). Now that he was back safe in the USA, why was I suddenly trying to control everything in the hospital? So I submitted his care and his release over to God and peace came rushing over me once again. Why does my son at age 19 learn that so much younger than I do in my mid forties????

Please continue to pray for his physical recovery as well as his mental recovery. Returning from war is hard on the psyche. He said he is so grateful to be here and to not have people trying to kill him everyday. He said that it is so weird to not feel like he needs to be ready to fight everyday and night, but yet he still thinks that things are going to blow up or that certain sounds are RPGs or gunshots so he can be startled. The good thing is that he just tells himself "I am not in Iraq anymore and no one is trying to kill me". That brings him so much peace. He also says he cannot wait to talk about how God has been so faithful and good throughout this entire experience with other people!

Thanks for all of your prayers!

In His grace and for His glory,

Dori

9.28.07 update

Hello family & friends,

I thought I would give you a quick update on Lance's recovery. He had his ear checked on Tuesday. The doctor was so impressed by how well the surgeon put the inside of his ear back together as well as the outside. He said it was truly a miracle he has hearing at all! There is both high and low frequency hearing loss in the right ear but it is considered conductive hearing loss which means that they will continue to check it because it could easily come back with time! Praise God! Lance was really excited to hear that. His plans to be a police officer would definitely have changed if there was permanent hearing loss. The other ear was fine even though it was the one that was injured when they were hit with the first roadside bomb back in February. Lance was making very quick progress in walking, but on Wednesday he had a set back and the doctors told him that he needed to slow down. They put him back on the walker and allowed him only one physical therapy session a day (one time up and walking). He was so disappointed and discouraged. He is desperate to be independent! Today, he was finally moved to the Uptown VA Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. They have converted the entire first floor into an active Army rehabilitation hospital for wounded Iraq war soldiers that are rehabilitating and working toward independence. It is a one of a kind facility and a model for the rest of the country. Lance loves it! He has a whole slew of doctors that work with him and he will be there until he can sit up long enough to make the flight home. One of there first goals is to have him be able to walk 100 feet and be able to sit up without having hot flashes (he is now so sensitive to all of us going through menopause)! Lance has met some amazing soldiers that have various injuries. They all talk together about what has happened to them. Lance said even though some are missing limbs or have lost their sight they have the best attitudes! Lance was deeply touched by their stories. Most of these guys had been there for months and could take "field trips". Lance said, "My goal is to take one of those field trips this week". He said he wants to be as independent as possible before he comes home. He doesn't want anyone taking care of him anymore. I told him that was fine, he could come home and take care of me! My dad and I are flying out in the morning to be with him and Larry is returning tonight to come home for the week. We will take each week as they come but the plan is for Lance to be in this rehab. hospital for at least two weeks then see the back doctor again. If he can make the trip to California, then he will come home for six weeks before going back for a recheck and home again for another six weeks! Please pray for Lance's continued recovery, that he would not push himself to hard (doctor's orders), for traveling safety, for wisdom when dealing with all the options/benefits/rights/advocacy/etc... that goes with the military. God has been so good and faithful and we are so grateful for everyone in our church, our jobs, our community, and all our family and friends. You have been so supportive and helpful in every possible way. Thank you so very much! In His grace and for His glory, Dori P.S. I wanted to include a couple of things. One is an email from a father in Atascadero who has two sons in Iraq. One of them is in the 82nd Airborne and Sgt. Hardegree who was killed was his son's best friend. His son attended the memorial service for all seven soldiers at Camp Taji and he wrote me this email: I'm glad to hear you are able to be with Lance now. I spoke with Jeremy yesterday after his return from Taji. He said the chaplain gave a great memorial for all. He also spoke of Lance in the memorial service. The chaplain said he had visited with Lance at his hospital bed in Baghdad. When he told Lance he was going to be ok, the Chaplain said Lance wispered his thanks to God. He used this in the memorial to speak of Lance' undying faith in face of tragedy. He continues to be a strength to his fellows though he is half a world away! I look forward to meeting up with you guys when Lance makes it back to the Central Coast. I shared this with Lance and he was so encouraged! I also thought I would share with you the web site that holds the names and pictures of all seven of the men who were killed in Lance's platoon. These were great men that Lance misses very much and talks about all the time. I chased down the following link, to photos of the men with whom Lance served, those for whom he grieves... (Cut and past in your browser address line) http://www.newsobserver.com/news/photos/story/702570.html A compassionate review of these men is also readable from http://www.newsobserver.com/505/story/702522.html .

Honored at Being in the Presence of the Wounded

Phil and Carol Gray gave me heads-up about Matt Kokkonen's Viewpoint article in the Trib yesterday where he reflects on his visit with Lance in Germany. Here it is . . .

Matt Kokkonen talks to Josiah Johnstone and Joseph Staub, of the 649th Military Police from Camp San Luis Obispo, at the American Thunder Rally on Sept. 9.

I want to thank the many people who attended our fourth 9/11 American Thunder Rally and barbecue supporting our troops at Mitchell Park on Sept. 9.

We collected a truckload of goods for the Military Parents of the Central Coast. The San Luis Obispo County Band played patriotic music. Vandenberg Honor Guard posted the colors. Col. William Hatch’s uplifting message was drawn from more than 30 years of military experience after his graduation from West Point.

Special thanks go to the following businesses for their generous donations: Bob’s BBQ of Santa Maria, Burke Construction, Milo Ferini Farms, Glacier Ice, Animal Care Clinic, San Luis Sourdough, Grizzly Academy, Lehmkuhl’s Cookies, Goni’s Brownies and the numerous individuals and donors without whom this memorable and profitable event would not have happened. San Luis Print and Copy, KVEC, KPRL, KGDP and KUHL promoted the event extensively.

Last week, on 9/11, I traveled to Germany to visit my daughter. She just had a baby daughter. While waiting for a connecting flight, I was contacted about the San Luis Obispo soldier who had been in a serious accident in Iraq. His parents were wondering where I was going in Germany.

My daughter, an emergency room doctor serving in the Air Force, had just been transferred to the large Army hospital at Landstuhl, Germany. Our local soldier, Lance Iunker, was being transferred to that hospital the same day that I arrived.

Lance was in a transport accident after a night mission in Iraq. Seven soldiers died and eight survived with major injuries. I met with him and other members of his unit who were not in intensive care. We talked and prayed together.

While Lance said my visits were very encouraging to him, believe me, his and his buddies’ faith, demeanor, character, mission, dedication and love of America gave me much more. It was but two days after our fourth barbecue and rally to honor our troops in San Luis Obispo that I had this opportunity to meet with wounded heroes fresh from the battlefield.

Lance stated that he was in the Army because he wanted to give something back to his country because of the freedoms our country had given him and others.

Another soldier had a young child whom he had not even seen yet. Still, he commented that this was the price of freedom.

Lance’s position in life is rooted in his firm faith in God, he said, and in knowing that even in this challenge his life was part of God’s plan.

It was a humbling honor to be in a military hospital with true patriots. I marvel at their strength of character.

Our volunteer troops are to be honored and supported, just like those who heeded the call at the birth of our nation.

Liberty is not won in a weekend. I salute our troops.

Matt Kokkonen is a financial planner in San Luis Obispo and the organizer of the 9/11 barbecue supporting the troops.

Lance Update, 9/17

From Dori, sent this evening. . . .

Hello Family & Friends,

After a very long day with many delayed and missed flights we finally arrived in Augusta, Georgia. A Major from the Army met us and escorted us onto the base. He told us that Lance had a serious infection with a 101-degree fever. Apparently, soldiers who return from Iraq have some funky bacteria on their skin that wouldn‚t be much of a problem unless it enters the bloodstream, which happens when they have injuries. Fortunately, the Army hospitals deal with this so much that they have a potent IV antibiotic cocktail that Lance‚s body responded to immediately. The Major helped us to get on base and gave us lots of paperwork that we would need later. He also explained that Lance was in an isolated room because of „his cooties‰, and that if we touched him we would have to wash our hands really well. We finally saw Lance late last night. I can‚t tell you what that feels like to look into my son‚s eyes finally! He is still my baby boy and yet such a man! I must have stared at him and kissed his hand, forehead and knee over and over! Anywhere I could touch him without hurting him! Then of course when we left we had to wash our hands.

This morning they got Lance up and he was able to sit and then walk a few steps toward the door! That was huge! He was not successful at it yesterday or later today when they tried it again, but he did it once so we know he will do it again!! We met the General Surgeon team that oversees Lance‚s case. They have called in a team of four other specialty groups including an orthopedic back specialist, an ear/nose/throat specialist, a neurosurgeon and a social worker.

The social worker talked to him about what to expect and how to get help. The Major and the social workers said that the greatest thing about Lance is that he is willing to talk about everything that he has been through including the loss of his seven buddies, the trauma of the accident and memories of war. Anyway, they said that the guys they worry about don‚t talk about any of it and Lance is not one of those. Praise God he is so open in his communication!

We missed the neurosurgeon but he told Lance that his head was healing very well. The ear doctor has not been in yet to see him but we did meet the Orthopedic back specialist. Here is where Lance could really use some prayer. Lance experienced two substantial compression fractures in the middle of his back (T5 and T6). These vertebrae help hold him up straight. The CAT scan showed that there were some bone fragments that had been squished out toward the spinal cord but they were not that worried about that. What concerned them was that when he sat and stood this morning he slumped forward, kind of like an old person with Osteoporosis in their back. They decided to take him down for an MRI but they sent him right back up because of all the metal staples in his head. They decided to take the staples out tomorrow (a couple of days early) so that he could get the MRI immediately. This will show them if they need to do back surgery to hold those vertebrae in place and help him stay straight up or if a back brace that goes up to his neck will do the trick. Our prayer is that he only will need a better brace. The doctor said if he could avoid this surgery he would really like to. He said it is a dangerous surgery because it is so close to all the vital organs (heart, lungs, etc∑) and that what they do during the surgery is complicated and very close to the spinal cord. So join us in praying that he will not need this surgery but as we have learned during our prayers that God‚s will is better than our best laid plans so I mostly pray for wisdom for the doctors.

We have been blessed already this trip! It is so good to see Lance and hold his hand! I gently rubbed and scratched his back for him and then I fed him some dinner and he said he thought he might have died and gone to heaven. The Army nurse laughed and said to me, „You don‚t get nurtured or pampered in the Army!‰ This was a treat for Lance and great quality time for me.
We are staying in a beautiful and comfortable hotel that was paid for through „reward credits‰ from a wonderful couple at our church and now the Army says a spot will be opening up at the Fisher House next door to the hospital. This is a free house that holds seven families of severely injured soldiers! What a blessing! They said we could stay for free as long as our son is an inpatient. They have treated us very well and we feel grateful for everything we have been given here. Lance has a beautiful red, white and blue quilt that was handmade for all the „American Heroes‰ that return injured from war. He received a flower on his door from a local church that said they were praying for him and that they appreciated his service! We received a call today from a lady who lives in Augusta and guess who she was? Ken Peet‚s (Lance‚s youth pastor) aunt!! She has lived here forever and offered us whatever help she could. It is a very small world, isn‚t it? First our friend Matt in Germany to visit and pray with Lance in Germany and now Ken‚s Aunt living here!

I could go on and on but it is so late and we want to get back early tomorrow. Just know that all of your support is so appreciated! God is so good! Pray also for Lindsey and Luke who are flying home by themselves tomorrow. They are sad to go but they both have school and fortunately my mom will be there to care for them. Once again I thank you for your many prayers for Lance and his buddies.

In His amazing love,
Dori

praying 4 you

The Mattina girls dedicated their I Madonnari square to Lance. Talented girls. Good stuff!

Iunker Opportunities

Two things this morning

1. I just talked to Larry. Several people have asked about donating frequent flyer miles. Its a fairly involved and complicated process and the Iunkers are looking for someone who knows what they are doing to be the coordinator/clearinghouse for all this. If you're interested in serving in this way, email me directly at tim@graceslo.org
   
   
2. Josh Ernstrom has volunteered to set up a "video greeting booth" at this Sunday's Fall Kick-Off at Mitchell Park, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (see post below for more details). You will be able to encourage Lance via video and then Josh will either load them on YouTube or get them to Lance on a DVD. Josh, you might want to bring two video cameras.
   

Lance Update, 9.13.07

Hello family and friends,

I heard from Lance again today. What a blessing to hear his voice! He is doing better each day. He can move his neck and lift his head a little. The swelling in his face and neck is going down. The CAT scan results showed a fractured sternum so that is causing his chest pain. He was fitted for a custom back brace today but when they tried to sit him up to put it on he went very pale and almost passed out so they had to lay him back down. They told him not to be discouraged and to just take baby steps in the recovery process. He had so hoped to be able to sit up and be wheeled down the hall to visit his buddy PFC Brendall.

He told me an amazing story of how Brendall had not only been the soldier to pull him out of the wreckage but that he learned that day that Brendall had also helped to save his life by holding him into the back of the truck as it plunged off the overpass. He said as they were about to go over the edge Brendall tried to jump out the back but Lance and SGT. Rivera were in the way of him getting out the back. As they went over, Brendall (who Lance had just taken to Chapel for the first time that very night) made the decision to save "Preach". He grabbed Lance as tight as he could and pushed him down, holding on to him with one arm and hanging onto the truck with the other. Lance said he would have flown out the back if Brendall would not have been hanging on to him. When they hit, the two of them were separated. Lance was buried under wreckage and three dead bodies including one almost 300 pound insurgent. He lay unconcious and then when he woke up he said it was very dark and he could only hear weeping, screaming and what he thought was gnashing of teeth. He was terrified and believed he had gone to hell! He cried out to the Lord and said, "I know Lord that I deserve nothing more but I have tried to be a faithful man." Just then he heard a voice calling out, "Preach, Preach where are you. I know you are in there!" Lance kept trying to move or say something. He finally moved his left toes enough for Brendall to see them. Brendall then began throwing the bodies and the torn wreckage off of Lance and dragged him out. As Lance saw light he also saw Brendall collapse from his injuries. He had 5 broken ribs in the back near his spine, a broken arm, hand and nose and a collapsed lung.

Lance thought Brendall had died. Then his other comrades began to be laid next to him and the rescuers said, "This one's dead (that was Weeks), this one is also dead (that one was Mora)." One by one Lance could see them and he thought they all had died but him and Lt. Roberts who was holding Lance's ear and scalp on. He kept praying for the Lt. and telling him they would be okay. The Lt. just kept crying until the Medi-Vac unit arrived. Lance then can't remember much until waking up from surgery.

Some of you wanted to know about the men who had passed away and some of Lance's buddies that I have written about before. The deceased are Staff Sgt. Gray (one of the authors of the NY times article), Staff Sgt. Rivera (married with 2 kids), Sgt. Hardegree, Sgt. Mora (another author of the NY piece, Lance met regularly with him for Bible Studies. He was a strong Christian), Sgt. Patterson (married with a 4 yr. old), Spc. Weeks (Lance's very good bud that is in that picture with him and is a newlywed), and Spc. Elrod.

The survivors' injuries that I can remember: PFC Keyes is in ICU with broken limbs and his spleen removed, Brendall who I mentioned earlier (can't walk yet from the injuries but will heal), Lt. Roberts broken shoulder, Sgt. Simpson scalp injuries like Lance (and will also go to Georgia with Lance), most of them have broken bones and are getting around really well. Two are in ICU. No major head injuries or spinal cord injuries and no amputations! Most of the guys have come into Lance's room and have told him they believe that God is the one who spared their life. Sgt. Simpson who has been rooming with Lance at the hospital asked for a Bible today!

Lance is leaving Germany on Friday at 9:00 am on a bus (midnight our time) and 1:00 pm on a plane. He will arrive in Washington, D.C. at 4:30 pm Eastern Time. He said they will stay overnight to stabilize again and then transfer to Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday. There is a chance he will not make it there until Sunday so we will fly out Sunday to see him. With the exception of Sgt. Simpson, all the other men are going to Fort Bragg, NC. This will be a sad separation for them all.

Lance mentioned in his phone call this morning that he had the best night sleep that he has had since arriving in Iraq. He said for the first night there was no rockets, mortars or sounds from artillery. He said no one turned on the lights and shouted "TST, let's go!!!" No one was shooting an AK-47 at him. He said he just slept in peace and it was so sweet!

On a lighter note...
Lance has been joking with the nurses that he is excited that he has finally had plastic surgery so he is an official Californian! He told me on the phone that he only wishes they would have gone ahead and added some pec/chest implants and maybe a six-pack of abs or calf implants while they were at it but oh well!!!
Lance is looking so much better each day. Our friend Matt who is in Germany took a video of Lance and emailed it to us. He is looking good, you can tell he is on a lot of morphine but it is so sweet to see him. What a gift! I thought I would share it with all of you so here it is on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc4qoE0lEow . (a few posts down)

Let me also share with you that your love and support has been overwhelming. I have never felt so uplifted in prayer. We have had offers for plane tickets, hotels and cash for our travel expenses. It is so humbling! We see this as God's hand in everything and we give him all the glory and praise. Grace Church in San Luis Obispo is setting up a fund as well as Nancy Villa, my dear friend (805-545-5950), who is coordinating with Sesloc Credit Union to set up a fund to help with our travel plans. My father's church has offered Lance a hospital bed when he is finally ready to come home to rehabilitate here (I'm thinking the bunk bed with his brother might not work for awhile!). It has been such a blessing to not have to worry about how this crisis will impact us financially. So thank you to everyone! Our plans, after the first week together, are to alternate flying out to Georgia with one of us always staying here with the family and one being with Lance. I am sure that is not the cheapest way to do things but it will be the best on the other children.

Thank you for your prayers, your support and your offers to help! I believe that God shows his love for us in these times through others and He has brought us such peace during this difficult time, a peace that surpasses all understanding. God bless you all!

In His grace and for His glory,
Dori

Donating to the Iunkers

This update was posted on the Tribune site this afternoon . . . .

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/141751.html

The part about donating to the Iunker's need was a bit vague and could cause confusion. We want to make sure all are clear, especially if you are hoping to obtain a tax deduction. So this was lifted from the earlier post today. Please read it carefully and call our accountant, Paula Richardson, at 543.2358, if you have any questions . . .

Many have inquired how we might help the Iunker family during this difficult time. The most helpful thing you can do is pray. If you wish to help financially toward their travel and other needs during this time, you may:

1. Give to our Benevolence Fund. This fund is designated to help those in need in our church family and in the broader community. We are now in the process of putting together a disbursement from this fund for the Iunker family. In this case, your gift will be tax-deductible, provided you do not reference the Iunker's name on your check.
   
   
2. Give a gift directly to the Iunkers. In this case, your gift will not be tax- deductible. Unfortunately, IRS laws do not allow tax deductions for designated giving directly to the Iunkers or any other individual. If you would like to have us pass on your gift, we would happy to do that.
   
   Let me say it one more time . . . if you expect your gift to be tax deductible, do not reference the Iunkers any place on your check. Make your check out to the Grace Church and put "Benevolence Fund" in the memo. Our commitment is to more than meet the finanical needs of the Iunker family during this difficult time. Thanks for your participation.
   
   If you have any questions about these matters, please call our accountant, Paula Richardson at 543.2358. Thanks for your care for the Iunkers during this challenging time.

Lance Video from Germany

My goodness, the world is a small place and God is so good. Turns out Matt & Jean Kokkonen were in Germany visiting their daughter, Jana, and husband, Patrick. Jana happens to be an ER doc in the very hospital where Lance is. So Matt is there and their hanging out with Lance and they fire up the video camera, post a little video on a .Mac sight. We get the link, download it and then upload it to YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

So good to see that boy's smile and hear his voice. Makes me miss him more.

So here's the introduction and below is the video. . . .Why don't you upload your own video response to the video for Lance over at the YouTube sight? He would be so encouraged!

Dear Dori and family,

You don't know me, though you know my in laws - the Kokkonens. As
you are aware, my wife and family and I are stationed over here at
Landstuhl - where my wife Jana is an ER doctor. Anyway, we have had
the great privilege to meet your son and to try to be an
encouragement to him and his troops in the aftermath of their tragic
week. Lance, as I have heard time and again during the past 24
hours, actually encouraged us more than I think we did him. He is a
special guy, and we know that the Lord directed our paths to
intersect out here.

I took the liberty of asking Lance if I could video a message home to
you for him - and he was excited about the idea. We also took some
more photos - so that you can see that your son is doing okay. . . . We just hope
that you are blessed by our efforts to see your son face to face
before you are able to be there in person.

May God bless you all, and Jana and I look forward to seeing Lance
again one of these days in SLO.

Sincerely,

Patrick Reed (for Jana, our daughters Lucy and Anja, and Matt and
Jean Kokkonen)

Lance in the News

Here's the story on Lance from KSBY. Video of the news story is also available there.

http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7061007&nav=menu544_3

Here's the God-honoring video from KCOY. . .

http://www.kcoy.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=8387@video.kcoy.com

Sorry, I don't think there's a way to embed.

Lance Update, 9/12

Another update from Dori . . .

9.12.07 4:09 PM

Hello family & friends, I wanted to fill you in a couple of updates. One is that KCOY channel 12 came today to interview our family and I told them that I would do the interview but that but it was important to me that God get the credit for saving Lance's life and that it was our faith that was getting us through this experience. I told them that I had explained all of this to KSBY last night and yet they had edited it all out which made me even sadder, plus they got the number of deceased wrong and Lance's injuries wrong. The reporter told me that she was a Christian and did these stories to glorify God so she would not edit our Christian faith out of the story. It should be on the 5:00 and a longer version of the 6 or 6:30 news tonight and possibly channel 11 10:00 news as well. Also, Lance’s story was in the Tribune today. You can check it out at www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/140172

A friend of ours from church, Matt Kokkonnen was in Germany visiting his daughter who is an emergency room Army doctor at Landstuhl Medical Center where Lance is. He called and told me that he went and saw Lance today! Lance was thrilled to see someone from Grace Church and SLO. Matt said that he looks great and sounds good although he is in a lot of pain, mostly in his back and chest. He began moving his legs today under the covers! Praise the Lord!! We knew he could feel but he had not moved yet. Lance was excited to move his limbs for the first time. The CAT scans showed more fractures in his chest that they were not aware of. Lance said that they are planning on putting him in a back brace for the next few months for the breaks in his back to remain immobilized. As you can see by the pictures, his ear and head look great! He has 60 staples holding his scalp together and 30 stitches on his ear! He is swollen but not that black and blue.

One amazing story I have to share that Matt told me about: Lance was pulled from the bottom of the wreckage by his buddy PFC Brendall (who suffered 5 broken ribs, a broken hand and a broken arm). Lt. Roberts, who suffered a broken shoulder, talked to Matt about Lance and said, "Lance is the strongest Christian man I have ever met. It is not easy being a Christian on the battlefield let alone in the Army. I am a very weak Christian. Lance was always really strong no matter what and we didn't make it easy on him. After he was pulled from the wreckage, I was holding his ear onto his skull and the whole time he kept saying, 'I'm praying for you LT, I'm praying for you'. I just started crying right there while I was holding his ear and he's praying for me. He made me a stronger Christian at that moment." Matt then told me that he prayed with Lance and the other wounded men in Lance's room for the gifts that they had received (not only their lives but on had just had a baby two weeks ago). Thank you all so much for your prayers and your support. I honestly feel so lifted up by the Lord it is very humbling!

In His great and amazing love, Dori