combat missions and Jonah

so we are finally through all the red tape and able to get out and do our jobs. lately been doing a lot of cordon and searching. basically that means that go to one of the 50 or so neighborhood and lock it down and search house by house. Been finding some interesting stuff from weapons to detainees. We got shot at the other day and it whizzed passed one of the 3 gunner we have in our convoy. So finally we saw some action. yesterday we went to one of the poorest neighborhoods in mosul and little kids swarmed around me and my guys. I was able to give a pink teddy bear to a little girl who was playing in a trash pit. it was one of those "man we are blessed moments". most of the houses don't have power and water and other basic necessities we take for granted. I'm 2 months in iraq and time is flying by.

I got to visit Jonah's tomb. if you don't know the city of mosul is the old Nineveh in the old testament. most popular by the city that Jonah refused to preach to and when he ran away he got swallowed by the whale. there was a huge mosque in his honor here and right next to it was the original walls of the city! the market surrounding those walls made it even feel like I was back in time in the days of Jonah (minus the cars and trucks). It was truly humbling to able to witness that sight, and pass through the gates that the great profit Jonah did when entering the city. however, I can empathize with his fear of standing for whats right in the then and now corrupted city of Nineveh/Mosul. Of course i have body armor, tanks, and guns... thanks God for technology...