A pocket full of prayers

By Susan DeMar Lafferty Staff Writer "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle." In addition to all the training and equipment soldiers need before going off to war, there is one more survival tool Carol and Fred Blacksmith want to tuck inside their duffel bags: a packet of Scripture verses. They know soldiers are allowed to carry a Bible with them, but their simple gift is designed to provide immediate comfort and encouragement. It's a packet of 20 different verses printed on patriotic business cards that can easily fit in a soldier's pocket. It even comes in a protective plastic sleeve. The design is very intentional. And the Blacksmiths intend to reach as many soldiers and their families as possible through their Operation Freedom Inc., which operates out of their Park Forest home. "After the Sept. 11, (2001 attacks) we wanted to do something to benefit and encourage the soldiers," Carol said. "Scripture is the one thing we knew would help them." They had created similar sets as holiday gifts. Fred, a minister with his home-based Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, selected verses for the military that were comforting: Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Isaiah 41:13 "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." The first sets of cards were printed at Office Max, and Fred and Carol would collate them while watching television. They did 200 sets in 2006 ("a big year") and gave away 12,500 in 2008. They have a volunteer staff that includes Terri Banks and Laura Robertson, also of Park Forest, and Beth Ellis, of Frankfort. They often enlist other community service volunteers and church friends to collate, and this year they already have completed 10,000 packets. "Our goal for this year is 100,000 sets," Ellis said. None of them thought Operation Freedom would grow so much. But as it grew, they developed a system for printing, collating and packing.

"If someone asked us for 500 sets a year ago, we would have thought 'Oh my gosh!' Now we can turn that around in seven to 10 days. Our goal is to get packets to soldiers in any area we are serving," Carol said. They also are serving the families of soldiers who are deployed and offer another set of cards with a different set of Scripture verses for those who are waiting for loved ones to return. Psalm 130: "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope" Psalm 55: "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." The cards are distributed in many ways. The Blacksmiths have worked closely with Operation Care Packages in Joliet, www.operationcarepackages.org, which places the packets in the boxes of toiletries and food items it ships to soldiers. They are discovering other organizations and branching out to attend public events to make people aware of their free cards. They recently had a booth at Barrington Freedom Fest and appeared by invitation at an out-of-state predeployment event. They are looking forward to attending more events and aren't shy about spreading their message. Fred has met chaplains and stopped people in uniform and talked about Operation Freedom. Robertson's daughter encountered someone in a Las Vegas parking lot. Ellis also is hoping to reach more members of the military via the Internet because she realizes many have computer access. And they expect God will continue to open many more doors. Each packet costs $2.50. Initial funds came from the Park Forest Veterans of Foreign Wars, Matteson American Legion and Chicago Heights Purple Hearts. Now that they are established as a nonprofit organization with a Web site (www.OperationFreedomInc.com) they have received donations from as far away as California and Colorado. Even kids with a lemonade stand chipped in their earnings, and all donors get their name printed on the back of the last card in the set, "so soldiers know someone is praying for them," Fred said. "How many places can you make a $2.50 donation and know that you are making a life-changing difference?" Carol said. "This is the best thing we can offer our soldiers. We're pretty passionate about this." But their mission depends on the donations of "generous Americans," she said. Their future plan is to develop a set of Scripture cards for returning soldiers, who may need help reintegrating into society, and a set for those who work in high stress situations, such as police, fire and hospital workers. Fred heard about a soldier who pulled a tattered pack out of his pocket and said, "I can't tell you how many times this saved my butt." And just recently he got an e-mail from a battalion chaplain in Iraq. One of his soldiers showed him a packet and asked for more. "We just sent 500 sets to the front lines. This is exactly where we want them," Fred said. Susan DeMar Lafferty can be reached at slafferty@southtownstar.com or (708) 802-8805. She also blogs about the Lincoln-Way communities at blogs.southtownstar.com.