Letter From Iraq #13

As I sit here I realize that it’s three o’clock in the morning and that I have already been at work for three hours.  Usually that isn’t anything special but since it feels like I’ve been here for all of about twenty minutes I figure today’s going to be a great day.

It has been hard for me to find the motivation to write this letter this week and I’m not really sure why.  It’s not for a lack of stuff to talk about, but more like an abundance of other things to distract me.  I recently got a new game for my Nintendo DS and so I have actually spent the last three hours playing that and it has made the time fly.

Actually this last week was pretty exciting here.  I was given the opportunity to visit Saint Elijah’s Monastery that was built near here nearly two thousand years ago.  The reason for this visit was that there was a general in the area and it was thought that it would be nice if he could see it.  We were told that there was going to be a Catholic chaplain traveling with the general and so while we were out at the monastery we planned on having mass.  Well, when it comes to the military, things never go quite as planned and the chaplain wasn’t able to make it here.  Of course we didn’t find out that information until after everyone was already seated at the monastery waiting for the service to begin.  With the quick thinking of a couple of people we decided to hold a communion service instead, but that would take some time to get prepared so we did the monastery tour first.

The tour was given by one of the chaplain’s assistance due to the fact that the chaplain that usually gives the tour was unavailable at the time.  Private First Class Irvine did a great job of explaining the different aspect of the monastery, even though there are many things that are not known about the monastery or the monks that lived within it’s now crumbling walls.

We started out by walking around the outside of the structure to get a feel for how the building was built and also to look at some of the interesting things that occurred outside the walls of this monastery.  The group was informed that the construction of the monastery is believed to have begun around 575 A.D. and completely finished around the 17th century.  Standing on one side of the structure you can see a lower area that has a couple of newer buildings that were used by Saddam’s army.  Actually, at the beginning of the war the Iraqis where using the monastery as a command post.  As you would expect, the building sustained irreparable damage within the last few years.  At one point a rocket was shot into one of the walls and, though it didn’t destroy or even put a whole in the wall, you can easily see where the rocket went into the wall and caused it to start caving in.

When we got to the back of the monastery we were shown a hole in the ground.  It was explained that there are believed to be several underground tunnels and rooms that are a part of the monastery.  It is thought that this hole in the ground is a section where one of the underground tunnels caved in slightly.  Though we weren’t allowed to climb into the whole to look around, a picture with the camera shows that there is a domed or arched ceiling.

As we continued the tour we were taken to another area outside of the monastery that looked like a caved in underground dome.  We were told that in many cases the monk would not be allowed contact with the outside world and this room was a way for supplies to be brought into the monastery.  People would bring food and other supplies into the domed room and leave it there for the monks and the monks would go through the series of underground tunnels to retrieve the food and bring it inside the monastery.  When you look inside the dome from the top you can see that there are a couple of tunnels that lead out of it.  Our guide informed us that at one point some digging had taken place and bones were found in one of the tunnels.  It is believed that the bodies of about 35 monks are buried on the site of the monastery and once the bones were found the digging was stopped.

As I look back on this letter so far, I realize that it’s getting really long and I haven’t even started to talk about the inside of the monastery.  There is a lot to talk about when it comes to buildings that have been around for nearly two thousand years.  I have decided that this will be a two part story that I will continue next week (have to keep you in suspense).  I have lots more to talk about and I don’t want to fill the entire paper with just my news.

Before I sign off for this week I want to take a quick moment, as always, to thank a few people.  I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write or send emails.  I’m getting emails from people that I don’t really know, some of whom don’t even live in ND.  I truly enjoy receiving your words of encouragement. 

I also want to thank those of you who have sent packages.  With each package that arrives you are squashing my girlfriend Megan’s fears that I will whither away to nothing.  This past week the mail had been put on hold for a few days and so the mail got a little back logged.  When the mail started flowing again I got five packages in one day.  It was like Christmas came early.  Three of boxes were from a church group in Pennsylvania that was the church of one of the people that we came to relieve.  I also received a box from a woman in Arlington, TX who sent a few items for the local nationals as well.  They are very grateful for your kindness.  The last package that I received was from Teri and Rodney Nelson from down in “Sims Creek.”  For those of you who don’t know, Rodney writes an article for the Farm and Ranch Guide called “Up Sims Creek.”  After completing his first one hundred articles a book was comprised called “Up Sims Creek: The First 100 Trips.”  Well the Nelson’s were nice enough to send me a signed copy of the book.  I have actually read the book before and have a copy of it at home, but this copy is even better because not only was it signed by the author, but it was sent to me by the author.  Even though I have already read this book once I plan on enjoying this copy just as much as I did the first copy.  It’s a great book to remind you of home when you are so far away.  I encourage everyone who hasn’t read the book to make an effort to look it up because we have to support our own.

If you have a question that you would like to ask or just want to say Hi feel free to email me at john.iraq@hotmail.com.  If you would like to write and send the letter through the post office my mailing address is:

SSgt Ferderer, John B.

F Co. 5-158 AVN (AF Weather)

FOB Diamondback

APO, AE 09334

Until we meet again, Have A Great Air Force Day!