 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Home Base
Watch this Video
| Windows Media |
  |
| QuickTime | |
| MPEG |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
 |
Thousands of American families are suffering separation. Not by divorce, but by war. We think of the soldiers’ plight, but what of those who find themselves fully responsible for the household problems and responsibilities? The neighbors of U.S. military bases have stepped up to support those who also serve … by waiting. |
||
 |
|||
 |
New Items | Additional Stories | UMTV Brief | Archives | ||
Home Base – Story:
Watching American soldiers in a dangerous, faraway place has become part of everyone’s daily routine. But what you see a lot less of are those soldiers’ families.
They are in familiar places, doing familiar things … but living with an unfamiliar fear.
Meg / Military Spouse: “The last few conversations are extremely difficult, and I can't imagine the pain that my husband felt when he had to tell both of our children goodbye this time.”
Meg is afraid, but she doesn’t have time to give in to fear. She’s head of the household – the cars, the plumbing, bills, and the physical and emotional needs of her two children.
And that’s what brings her to Madison Street United
Methodist Church in Clarksville, Tenn. – less than a mile from Fort
Campbell, Ky. A church taking care of more than 30 families who have
loved ones in Iraq.
Meg: “This church enables us to feel that we are home and these people
are our family that can help take care of us.”
Tom and Sandra Denny chair the church’s Military Families program – a church service that will help you with any problem, from plumbing to personal.
Tom Denny / Madison Street United Methodist Church: “There’s nothing that comes up that you can’t assist a person with. You just have to get to the bottom of the issue.”
Tom is setting up a free car clinic for soldiers’ wives.
Sandra helps set up Moms’ Night Out events and calls lonely spouses every night.
Nat Sound: “Do you think it really bothers the men? I think they can sleep through anything.”
It is constant – a voice over the phone, a helping hand, a little encouragement. It doesn’t replace anyone, but it does help fill the gap until they come home.
Julie Amstotz / Military Spouse: “If you didn’t have a church, you’d be all alone. The support groups from Ft. Campbell are great, but this is a different kind of support – it’s much more uplifting and it gives me the ability to get up every day and say I can do this.”
Dennis Ferrier reporting.
Home Base – Tag:
The pastor of Madison Street United Methodist Church, Dr. Doug Norfleet, never mentions the controversy of war in his Sunday sermons. He says there are times to theologize and preach – and then there are times to simply offer love. And right now, he feels his job is to embrace a lot of anxious families.