March 2, 2011 was a very special Veterans’ Day.  Before Christmas, our Life Group decided to contact the VA Hospital to learn how we might do something special for the veterans in the nursing home.  That evolved into a “House Warming” for their new facility on Ashley Crossing Drive, both to bless their new facility and honor the veterans living there who sacrificed so much for their country.  It was a truly touching privilege to honor those 14 men.  All are disabled, some were unable to leave their room, but we visited with them all and thanked them for their service.  We laughed together, cried together, and shared a very special time with them.  Our own Fr. Charlie Baldwin, retired Chief of Chaplains of the Air Force, lead a brief service of blessing and thanksgiving.  Jessi Chapman, who sings in our choir, joined us.  Jessi is young and vivacious and was so sweet to the men.  She really wowed them with her gorgeous voice by singing the “Star Spangled Banner,” led a sing-a-long of patriotic songs, and closed with “American Anthem,” which the men made her promise to record for them.  We served refreshments to the residents and their families as well as the staff of the facility.  Special guests included several people from the Office of Administration of the VA Hospital downtown.  As the culmination of our study on the steps to leading post modern people to Jesus, we had gone on an overnight retreat to Edisto Beach with Susan Norman to learn ways to apply what we had learned.  We did a little turn-about and added something new to Susan’s skill set – making homemade place mats.  Our gift to each of the veterans was a personalized placemat with original artwork and personalized with their name, a flag, and the emblem of their branch of service.  The visit meant so much to everyone there, especially our Life Group members, and we were enthusiastically invited to come back.
~ Ann Beachamp