Life in Borden Cont.

Today my section mates from the mighty Three Section and I are relaxing at a Williams Coffee Pub after completing the Green (military) phase of our Chaplain's BOTC course. Here are some more pictures of our green phase field exercise. As always, you can see a larger picture by clicking on each image: Myself (middle) with Capt. Gordon Mintz (an Anglican priest and fellow Wycliffe alumni) and Lt. (Navy) Rob Parker, a fellow Anglican priest and fellow escapee from the Diocese of Huron. Both standup guys:



Another shot of myself and Rob Parker - Rob is wearing the cast that he earned after breaking his wrist on the confidence (obstacle) course a day before we returned to the field. Rob has so far refused to let us write dirty things on his cast:



Captain Gerald VanSmeerdyk poses in the woods, trying hard not to be seen. Gerry is a Christian Reformed Church minister and a runner up with yours truly for the title of most flatulent in the section:



The handsome, erudite, and strikingly Teutonic Captain Howard Rittenhouse plots to take over the Canadian Forces. Howard is a Baptist pastor and a font of knowledge about arcane facts. He also emits wondrous belches.



Minus 10 Celsius in our unheated tent and Rob Parker and I try to stay warm. Hopefully this photo will not tip the balance one way or another in the Anglican Church's same sex debate:



While new to the army, Gord Mintz shows that he has mastered the soldier's art of sleeping whenever possible:



All of the aforementioned gentlemen and others make up Three Section, the oldest, fightingest, wisest, orneriest and stinkiest section in our BOTC platoon. Here we are on the final day of our field exercise. Left to right, front row: Fr. Lester Mendonsa (RC); Fr. Rob Parker (ACC); The Mad Padre Himself; Rev Howard Rittenhouse ((Baptist). Randall Read (Baptist); Fr. Gordon Mintz (ACC); Rev. Gerry Vansmeerdyk (Christian Reformed Church); Rev. Kevin Olive (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada).



Today was the final challenge in our military training, the rappel tower at CFB Borden. We couldn't believe that we got paid to have this much fun. Here's the rappel tower looming large in the early morning mist:




Three section's Captain Kevin Olive, a Pentecostal pastor, looks dubious at the thought of entrusting his life to a small rope:




Chaplain candidates rappelling on the thirty foot wall.



Video taken by coursemate Ian Easter of our buddy John (High Def) Hounsell Drover, the pride of Newfoundland and the Anglican church, rappelling off the skid. The skid simulates the skid of a helicopter, and the ONLY way this would have been MORE fun would have been if we had an actual helicopter.





Time and failing energy prevent much more for tonight, but I am with some awesome friends and Christian leaders, we're embarked on an awesome calling, and God is good. Starting next week we embark on six weeks of death by powerpoint as we enter on the purple chaplain phase of our training. Bash on padres!