In these uncertain times, please remember ‘Mike’ as he strives to live counter-culturally for Christ in a military environment.
By Sandrina de Klerk, Communications Assistant
This article was first published in our Autumn 2023 Ready magazine. Since then, Mike has completed his Phase Two training and has been posted to another base.
‘You are a monster.’
Imagine being told those four words repeatedly from the age of seven. That was the reality for ‘Mike’ (not his real name), who shared his story from the pulpit of a church before being baptised. He told it in its brutal honesty, ‘I hated God, I truly did. If He was real, I was sure He had it out for me.’
Those words he was told affected Mike. He began to believe that they were true, to such an extent that he told himself he was insane. He locked himself away in his room, reasoning that ‘monsters should not be around people’. He had his brother leave food outside his door and left the room only when absolutely necessary.
Lost, angry, embittered and with the weight of worthlessness on his shoulders, he found himself standing beside a road, preparing to jump in front of a car at sixteen years old.
In attempting to deal with their grief, Mike’s mother turned to drugs and his father to alcohol and abuse.
That was in 2020.
Ten years prior, Mike’s younger sister died. In many ways, it seemed to mark the beginning of a downfall. His family had never been perfect, but it had been normal. In attempting to deal with their grief, Mike’s mother turned to drugs and his father to alcohol and abuse.
No sooner had things improved than another cruel blow fell to him.
Over the years, there were false reassurances of better times to come, promises of new starts that quickly collapsed. There were several instances where Mike considered taking his own life, but every time, something stopped him.
Mostly, it was the thought of his disabled younger brother who was unable to defend himself. Mike’s sense of duty towards his brother was often what gave him the will to live. Almost inevitably, Mike and his siblings were placed in foster homes.
The first home was no better than what they had before, but after six months there, they were put in a home where Mike began to see what love in a family was like. Tentative hope began to build in his mind that things really could get better, that the future might be alright.
It seemed that no sooner had things improved than another cruel blow fell to him. Any of the hope Mike had found for life improving was lost when his brother died in 2018, followed by his grandfather’s death two years later. It did not take long for Mike to fall back into old ways; he mixed with the wrong people in school, he embraced the monster he had once believed he was. All this did was bring him, broken, to the side of a road.
He had every intention to jump. There were no doubts in his mind. As a car approached in the distance, he prepared himself, body tensed, ready to launch in front of the vehicle.
But the car went past, the driver unaware, leaving Mike frozen in place. Again, something had stopped him, but this time, it was not the thought of his brother. Mike believes with all his heart that it was God. In that moment, he felt the Lord saying to all the things he had ever struggled with and tried to fix himself, ‘I will fix it.’
Mike believes with all his heart that it was God.
Mike shares, ‘I realised it was Him. He was the answer. The one I hated most in the world, was the one that two years later, I would love most in this world.’
A born-again new creation, Mike’s desires changed – he changed. But the world around him did not. He attended an extremely progressive college that celebrated and included everything but Christianity. After attempting to start a Christian Union Bible study, all Mike’s posters were torn down from the hallways. The environment, the people, the thought of finishing college and then spending another four years in university did not appeal. Instead of waiting until after his studies to join the military, he quit college and joined the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) in August 2022, aged seventeen. Before joining, an Army veteran at Mike’s church told him, ‘You have to find SASRA.’
Following his basic training, Mike was posted to another unit for Phase Two training. Despite the military building itself on high moral standards including integrity, selfless commitment and respect for others, Mike found the entire soldier culture to be against Christianity. Finding himself once again in a hostile environment, Mike dwelt on the negatives of the situation and found himself saying, ‘God, I have no one. This is awful, the environment and the people – I have no one.’
Mike found the entire soldier culture to be against Christianity.
It is often said that God has a sense of humour. No sooner had these thoughts been voiced than it became evident that God had been at work and that Mike was not alone. One day on camp, he happened to notice the SASRA badge on the shoulder of the Scripture Reader’s uniform. He immediately introduced himself and at the first available opportunity, they began studying the Bible together. As they began to meet for one-on-one discipleship, Mike’s mindset completely changed. What if where he was, was not a curse, but an opportunity and a blessing? Mike began to consider the many hundreds of soldiers he walked past each day who did not even know a Bible verse. He was living on a mission field. This challenged him to represent Christ effectively. Far be it from him to dishonour Christ in any way!
Truly, I do not know where I would be if it was not for the Scripture Reader and the work of SASRA.
He immediately introduced himself and at the first available opportunity, they began studying the Bible together.
His complaint to God, ‘I have no one’, quickly became inaccurate. Through the Scripture Reader, Mike also found a fellowship of believers who he meets with for weekly Bible studies. One of his closest friends is his roommate, who arrived an atheist, but who is now a true brother in Christ.
Outside of camp, Mike attends a local church. He had contacted the pastor upon his arrival and after attending a men’s breakfast event, began worshipping with the church family there each Sunday.
The first Sunday he went, he arrived before the gates had even been unlocked, asking, ‘what can I do to help?’
Only a few weeks after Mike began attending the church, the pastor was thrilled albeit taken aback when the young soldier told him, ‘I am going to be here for two years. I want to be baptised and I want to become a member.’ Mike began bringing friends along each week, including his roommate who realised that he needed God after one service and said, ‘I feel like I have come home.’ There are now several soldiers who regularly attend, and another was recently baptised. The pastor shared how refreshing it is to see that young Christian men are being discipled by a Scripture Reader on camp, who is unafraid from speaking the truth of the gospel without a filter. The Scripture Reader and the pastor are working closely alongside each other, despite having only met a handful of times. The pastor as a shepherd to his church, caring for those in his congregation and the Scripture Reader as a mentor and teacher to so many of the soldiers he meets with.
The impact of a Scripture Reader on the ground discipling Christian soldiers is incalculable.
Perhaps it is one of those blessings that we sometimes forget to acknowledge. Two godly men who are not fighting over who has done most good in someone’s life – two godly men who can say with full sincerity, ‘Truly, “this is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes”’ (Ps. 118:23).
The Army teaches a good work ethic, but it cannot give individuals a servant heart.
The pastor has nothing but praise for Mike and his roommate, ‘They’re bold witnesses for Christ! Evangelistically, they have nothing to lose.’ He shared a story from a recent men’s breakfast event. Mike brought a car full of soldiers along and told them he would pay the suggested donation if they helped him to wash up. Once breakfast was finished, Mike hollered for them to join him in the kitchen. It was spotless in twenty minutes, and the men were astounded. They will keep those soldiers around as long as possible!
The pastor reflected that the Army teaches a good work ethic, but that it cannot give individuals a servant heart. ‘These guys understand that to follow Christ means to live like Christ – and that is exactly what they are doing.’
As well as being a blessing to the local church, Mike’s Scripture Reader shared what an encouragement it has been to have soldiers on camp who are working alongside him, sharing the gospel, bringing soldiers to the Bible studies and studying the Bible with one another throughout the week. It is an encouraging time for the gospel work at the unit, for the church, for the Scripture Reader, the pastor and the soldiers.
As soldiers of the Lord, there is a desire to be set apart, which goes against a natural desire to fit in.
Life in the Armed Forces is hard. It is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Generally, soldiers are strong and above the average fitness level. As a Christian soldier, Mike shares that he now knows where his strength comes from. It is not from spending hours at the gym – we are nothing without Christ. Being a Christian in the forces comes with many other challenges though. Serving Christians are also in the army of Christ and as soldiers of the Lord, there is a desire to be set apart, which goes against a natural desire to fit in. Mike shares, ‘It is so difficult, but it is so rewarding, because you live on a mission field and have the opportunity to show others Christ in your life.’
When feeling discouraged, Mike is reminded of Micah 7:8: ‘Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me’.
Mike with his Scripture Reader and other Christian soldiers. ©SASRA
That is what SASRA helps to do. SASRA is that pinprick of light in the dark. It is that presence of Christ in a place that is so against Him. It gives me the ability to do my job well. Truly, I do not know where I would be if it was not for the Scripture Reader and the work of SASRA. Despite having a great church family, they are not here on base. This is someone right here. There is a man in uniform who reads the Bible with me!
Your donation will help us support ‘Mike’ and other Christians like him as they serve Christ in the military
PRAY WITH US
- Give thanks that Mike knows, loves and fears the LORD and for his Christian witness among other soldiers.
- Pray Mike would ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:25) and know God’s presence and help at his new posting.
