Christmas Day in Iraq

From: Aaron Haney

Date: Dec 25, 2006 6:12 AM

Subject: a star in the east

25 December 2006

I got up this morning at 0600 to participate in the "Jingle Bell Run" 5K with one of my colleagues, Melissa Messina. We walked over to the gym only to find it had been postponed to tomorrow morning. I went ahead and just shot some basketball for about 30 minutes or so before heading back to my room. Right now it is 0750 and pretty much no one else is up. I'm debating whether to lay back down for an hour or so or open the presents my wife and family sent.

Last night I attended my first "Midnight Mass". I've been going to the Catholic service with CPT Hudson and COL Trakowski who are both Catholic and envited me along to their service when I first arrived in country. I subsequently got drafted into the choir and was part of the carol singing extravaganza just prior to the Mass last night at 11:30. Much of the week to week music sounds like something from John Michael Talbot whom my wife loves (his music that is). Whenever someone asks me about a particular song or what to do at a particular part of the service I just shrug my shoulders and say, "I don't know, I'm not Catholic." :^)

The attached picture was taken last night on Christmas Eve beside our building. The humvee looked so stark sitting in the glow of our front entrance light. I snapped a couple of shots before I got the idea to sit the camera on a bench and set the timer. After seeing the result on my computer the story of the "star in the east" came to mind, as if I were somehow participating in that awesome event here in the Middle East, not too far from Bethlehem. I hope everyone has a wonderful day today with family and friends.

Peace, Aaron