On a Sunday morning in April, Shannon Goodall asked her pastor to point out fellow member Kristy Henderson. Pastor Matt Brown of Beautiful Savior, Clarksville, Tenn., was glad to connect the two women but was surprised that the conversation that followed was not about Shannon's son in Kristy's Sunday school class.

Shannon's husband, Merle, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army, had been in a crash in Afghanistan. "They were flying a mission under night vision goggles in heavy dust conditions," Shannon explains. Shannon wanted to thank Kristy because it was her husband, Sean, a Black Hawk medivac pilot, who responded to the scene of the crash and flew Merle to the hospital.

"Even though he had no serious injuries, it shook Merle and me up pretty well," Shannon continues. "In talking with Kristy about the accident, I felt better just knowing that even though our spouses were ten thousand miles away from us, God had put Sean in the position to help Merle at that frightening moment."

Brown says that he also can see God's hand in this. "It is great to be able to see this not as a coincidence but as it truly is—a loving God providing for his people," Brown reflects. "God works in ways we would not expect."

Beautiful Savior has many members who are in the army as Clarksville is right next to Ft. Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne. Serving as a military contact pastor, Brown says, "It is rewarding to see God's people long for the Word and sacrament and to see how God's promises in Christ Jesus comfort men and women who are under a great deal of pressure."

Inside Beautiful Savior is a "Soldier Support Board" displaying pictures and addresses of deployed members. "Members send cards and packages and, most importantly, keep our soldiers and their families in their prayers," Brown says.

That support is appreciated. "The congregation at Beautiful Savior is a wonderful group of people, military and non-military alike," says Shannon. "I am overwhelmed with the number of people who continually ask how we are doing and offer support and prayers on our behalf. It is a comfort also to talk to retired military members who have been in similar situations."

Kristy agrees. "Having a spouse in the military, I am always relying on others to make it through the deployments," she says. "Knowing that we also share the Word of God among us is even more of a comfort."

Many WELS soldiers have stories like this one that show God's hand. "The military is hard on families and marriages, but God's Word is the answer," Brown concludes. "It is an honor to share the Word."