The Ottumwa Courier has made it amongst the ranks of the U.S. Marines stationed in Afghanistan.

Matt Chiles from Ottumwa is a U.S. Marine currently deployed to western Afghanistan.

His mother, Connie said, “When he left in August, I knew a copy of the Courier would make it into one of his care packages.”

We appreciate that. It is the first Courier I’ve seen in Afghanistan.

Chiles sent his parents, Gary and Connie, the photos with the Courier along with others that were recently taken while on a humanitarian aid mission in western Afghanistan.

She said that many friends and families have sent him packages while he has been deployed. One particular group that has adopted him as “their Marine” is the fifth and sixth grade Sunday school class at the Moravia Church of the Nazarene led by Deb Clark and helpers Bonnie Helmick and Angie Folkerts.

They were looking for a “Caring for Others” project and heard about Matt, so he became their project. The 14 students participated by sending him cards and care packages and by praying for him every week.

Chiles said she has one photo of Matt handing out some of the items to the Afghan children. He said a small group of children quickly became a group of 30, all wanting candy, pencils and beach balls.

His unit should be returning to California in February, 2010.

Thank you so much, Connie, for sharing this. It makes all of us feel good about what our men and women in the U.S. armed forces are doing for us and for the world.

Also, Connie would like people to know that she is planning a photo safari to Kenya in October 2010. She calls the educational opportunity “an incredible trip.

“I have a few people from ORHC who are going, but I want to open it up to anyone else who is interested,” she said.

Connie Chiles can be contacted at (641) 777-0613.

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