Not going to Iraq...yet

Well, while I have not been told a pinpoint assignment (which battalion I will be with), I have been told that it will either be with the 4th Brigade Combat Team or with the 159th Aviation Brigade. Neither of whom are scheduled to go overseas until sometime next year at the soonest. This is great news! It is not that I am unwilling or seeking to avoid deployment. My family and I know that deployment is part of the ministry of the Chaplaincy. (and often the most fruitful part)! But because we are newly moving in, it will really help us as a family to make the transition to active duty life if I am not packing up and leaving them 2 weeks after we move in. In the meantime, please be praying for the 1, 2 and 3 Brigades and their families as they deploy next month.

We are scheduled to leave Florida on 04 SEP and close on the house in Clarksville on the 6th. We will then go up to St. Louis to get our belongings out of storage up there and visit some friends. We will be back in Clarksville on Sunday the 9th and (hopefully) the movers will deliver our stuff to the house on that afternoon. Anybody living in the Clarksville area that wants to come help us out (or just visit, really) is welcome to stop by. Just email for directions.

- CH Jonathan

Orders received!

Well, the Army was actually early with its paperwork for a change. (Could this be a sign of the end times)? We did receive official orders to report to Ft. Campbell (thank goodness, since we just bought a house there) on 17 September. Tomorrow I will contact the division Chaplain to discusss with him the my pinpoint assignment (i.e. which exact battalion I will be assigned to). Again, that assignment will determine whether I instantly deploy in September or not. Of course, I do not want to be deployed away from my family, especially when we just move into the area. But we understand that this is part of the unique ministry that is the chaplaincy. If the troops go, we go. May God be preparing me, our family and my battalion if I am ordered to deploy.

Continue to pray for our transition from Florida to Clarksville, TN. We are still working through all the paperwork, emails and faxes to get the closing date as soon as possible. Hopefully we can get moved in soon as the schools there have already begun.

- Jonathan

Orders next week?

Well, we have been told that sometime next week, we should receive the official appointment orders and assignment orders for Ft. Campbell. We are excited because this will let us know precisely which brigade and which battalion I will be assigned to. However, there are 3 brigades scheduled to deploy in September. It is possible that I will be assigned to one of those brigades. That is certainly not how we wanted to put down roots in Clarksville; unpacking our things only to have me pack up and meet up with my batallion in the desert. Please pray that God will put me in just the right battalion where His will will be accomplished.

We are now doing all the paperwork for buying our house. All the forms are intimidating but we are slowly figuring it all out. We are excited about the move, which should happen within the next 2 weeks. After we close on the house, we will have to make a trip up to St. Louis to get all our belongings out of storage. Hopefully, we can visit with some of our friends while we are there.

I'll post more when we know more.

The offer was accepted!!!

We found out on Monday morning that our offer for the house has been accepted. We hope to close on or before September 7th. Wow, that is only 2 and a half weeks! Things are moving really fast. It's scary but its fun. We are so thankful that our loving God is in control of this roller coaster ride. We will be sure to post more information as it comes available (mailing address, phone numbers, etc). Please keep praying for us as our family makes this transition.

- Jonathan

Househunting in TN

We have been up in Clarksville this weekend looking at houses for our move. After 2 days, we finally found one that we think will be perfect for us. It is located about 17 miles from the Ft. Campbell post. It is a new house in a good neighborhood with lots of other military families. Thankfully, it is in a good school district. We hope to close by the end of the month. We should hear back tomorrow morning if our offer was accepted or not.

We are very grateful to my sister and her family for keeping our boys and to Eric and Susan Zellner for keeping our girls while we have been househunting.

On Monday, we will be driving back to Florida while we wait to hear which particular battalion at Ft. Campbell I am being assigned to. There is the possibility that I will be deploying this Fall with one of the 3 brigades from Ft. Campbell that are being deployed. Please pray for me and my family and the great soldiers here at Ft. Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division.

- Jonathan

Introduction

Jonathan and Suzi Entrekin met when they were 3 years old. They both attended the same pre-school, as well as elementary, middle and high schools in Gulf Breeze, Florida. We began dating our senior year. Of course, we both ended up attending the same college. Suzi and I graduated from Covenant College in 1995. We were married that summer. In the fall of 1996, I was hired as the Resident Director for Carter Hall at Covenant College. I served in that capacity for 6 years. While working for the college, I attended classes through the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta and earned my Masters degree in Counseling. While I completed my counseling internship, Suzi worked as a Resident Director for Covenant College's Student Apartment community.

After 9-11, I began to wonder about the possibility of doing counseling in the military. I went to ask our pastor, himself an Army Chaplain, if he thought the military would be a good fit for me. After hearing what type of counseling I was interested in doing, he suggested that I consider being a Chaplain. After several months of prayer, Suzi and I agreed that God was indeed calling us to serve in that Army Chaplaincy. We moved our family to St. Louis to attend Covenant Theological Seminary. While in St. Louis, I joined the Army's Chaplain Candidate program, was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and joined the Missouri National Guard.

After graduating from Covenant Seminary in 2007 with a Masters in Divinity, I pursued ordination through the Tennessee Valley Presbytery. In July 2007, I met all of the requirements for ordination. I was also picked up by the Army Chaplain accesssions board to serve active duty. My ordination service took place on August 5th with our pastor, Randy Nabors preaching and Rev. Joe Novenson giving the charge to me and praying. Good friend Sila Tuju and Rob Woodard served as the Ruling Elders on the ordination service commission.

On August 9th, we were informed that we would be heading to Ft. Campbell, KY. I have been tasked to be a Chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division. Please pray for Suzi and our 4 children: Asher (9), Kinsman (6), Nouwen (4) and Ransom (1) as we make this transition to active duty.

Pro Deo et Patria - For God and Country