Before Manuel Left for War
Click for Pictures of Setting Manuel apart
as an Evangelist!
1/14/09 Manuel is on R &R. He spent today at the church. He
is flying to New York to visit his family and will return to Dallas on the 25th
prior to his return to Iraq. The Lord has answered our prayers and Manuel
has been removed from combat duty to supervising the Sergeants in the kitchen on
a very large air base.
New Address as of 12/21
Manuel Santiago
G co. 949BSB
3 - 133 FA
Tallil, Iraq
APO AE 09331
To Brother Kelly:
Hey Brother, I never was much of a writer when it comes to letters. I might
do better when I have Internet access. But I miss you all very much and
sometimes I wonder what I’m doing out here. I feel “out of place” sometimes and
more than sometimes. I preach whenever I can to those who have an ear to hear
God’s word. As a squad leader of my platoon, I must do the job of “babysitter”
or at least that’s the way it feels. You know how it is to be responsible of
others around you. I thank the Church for all your prayers on my behalf, and I
pray for the church. Please continue to keep me in your prayers.
Sincerely,
/s/ Manuel Santiago
Manuel completed his training in El Paso, TX. Manuel
got to preach twice in El Paso when the Chaplin did not show up for services.
He has gone for his final train up in Georgia. He should be deployed any
day now. We will post new bulletins about him as we get them.
May 4, 2008 – Bar-B-Q Picnic – 110 Year Homecoming &
Going Away Party for: Staff Sergeant Manuel Santiago who was presented to
the Church for special prayer before his deployment to Iraq.
Sunday May 11 2008: Staff Sergeant Manuel Santiago is
set apart as an Evangelist by the Main Street Church of Christ with a
mission field of the U. S. Army in Iraq. (The following is a transcript):
“Come forward Manuel and stand right here. . . We are
going to ask the church to please rise. If you approve setting Manuel apart as
an evangelist of the Main Street Church of Christ, please be seated. Let the
record reflect there was 100% approval. These men here in front approve or they
wouldn’t be up here to set him apart. So we thank the Lord for that . . . Manuel
has baptized three in the last month and two yesterday. I’m an idiot for not
setting him apart a year ago. Isn’t that amazing! He’s got that spirit of soul
winning and I’m just all for him . . . So now while we, all of us collectively
pray for him, I ask that the audience also pray for Manuel that the Lord will
set him apart unto this duty that he now has, not only as a minister of the Main
Street Church of Christ, but as to his responsibilities as a Staff Sergeant in
the Army. He has been called up to active duty and will be going to Iraq soon.
I know that you all promised last week to pray for him every day that he is gone
and we know that you will do that . . . Let every head be bowed and every eye
closed. Let us focus our minds to God in behalf of Manuel. Lord, we come to
Thee in behalf this morning of Thy child Manuel Santiago who has served here for
a couple of years now, Father, as a student evangelist. Lord, you know how he
has worked with his own hands as a Dart Bus Driver, paying his own way and even
giving and supporting this congregation. You have seen him feed the poor, drive
the van and take the poor and widows home. Lord, you’ve seen his study of Your
Scriptures and you know that he has completed many college courses and that he
is really studying and applying himself . . .
Holy Father, we have a problem down here . . . Manuel
was a soldier before he became a Christian and we have been praying and asking
you to deliver him from this obligation that he has for over a month now and
asking for You to make him a Chaplain in the Army. Father, you know in the
National Guard, he was a cook but now in the U. S. Army they want to make a
“Fire Team Leader” out of him and a Squad Leader. If you have other plans for
him, Father . . . it’s now up to You . . . You must deliver him from this
responsibility as a fighting soldier to another assignment . . . if that is your
will in his life. If it is your will that he go forward as a Squad Leader and be
in combat, then we pray that you protect him and surround him with a hedge of
thorns and return him whole to us. Father, please give him courage and a clear
head to lead his men and to stop the killing. Yea, Holy Father, we pray for our
enemies that all of them with murder and madness in their hearts that they might
hear of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and come to know Thee, God. Bless Manuel
as he goes forward now as a minister of Christ, to tell all that he meets of
Jesus Christ. Help him to bear much fruit to the praise and glory of Thy Son.
It’s in Christ’s name we pray. Amen. Be seated, please . . .”
The Minister then preached a sermon on: “The Peaceful
Nature of the Kingdom of God and the Church of Christ as is taught in Isaiah 2 &
11.” A page on our website with pictures of the above has been dedicated to S.
Sgt. Manuel Santiago. The audio recordings of all the above will be broadcast
@1630 AM Radio 5-18-08 @ 11 AM & 9 PM & they will be posted on the web by
5-21-08 @ www.mainstreet-churchofchrist.com
