Aloha! 

My name is Chaplain Craig Muehler. I am serving on Active Duty for the US Navy as a 
Chaplain. I have been in the Navy since 1986 (as a Chaplain Candidate), but have only 
been a Chaplain since 1988 when I graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 
Missouri. I was in the reserves and truthfully had no intention of going on active duty, 
because my first Call was to a wonderful paradise on earth by the name of St. John's 
Lutheran Church in McClusky, ND. I was a single Pastor and enjoying the ministry in 
that place. Truly God was blessing me and I felt he was using me there, despite my 
weaknesses. 

Then in early part of 1991 Desert Storm was underway and I received a call to come on 
Active Duty during the war. Well, in true governmental fashion, the paperwork for me to 
go on active duty took longer than the Gulf War. Once the war was over, I was going to 
withdraw my name from being on active duty, but a wonderful man, Chaplain Jim Shaw, 
gave me a call and encouraged me to come on active duty anyway. He was convincing 
about the mission opportunities that would present themselves, and I have not been 
disappointed. I came on active duty in August of 1991 and have been serving since then 
in a variety of places. 

My first duty station was to serve as Chaplain for Destroyer Squadron Thirty-One where 
I was to be the Chaplain for 5 ships with a total of around 1500 sailors (plus their 
families). Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the amount of young people and 
challenges that they face. God opened many doors for me in my two years of service to 
DESRON 31. It was not only a growing experience as a Chaplain, but as a husband as 
well. You see I had just gotten married to a wonderful lady, Kristen Mehl, on June 8, 
1991. We were only married for 2 months when I was recalled to active duty. Then I took 
me new bride and we moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to serve as Chaplain for DESRON 
31. Of course, I soon discovered by experience that deployments and family separations 
are a challenging thing, but also an opportunity for growth. During my 2-year tour with 
DESRON 31, I was underway for 17 months, which meant that I was apart from my wife 
for 17 months of our first 26 of marriage. Indeed, a challenge, but something that our 
gracious God used in my ministry and mission work among the men and women of the 
Sea Services. 

My second duty station was at Great Lakes, IL to serve as one of the Chaplains at the 
Service School command and at Recruit Training (boot camp). Wow! What a mission 
field that tour was! God opened the door many times to many young people to hear the 
Gospel during my 3 years there. It was an opportunity to also reach out to many of the 
Lutheran sailors at boot camp. Many of them hadn't been to church since they were 
confirmed and now due to the stress and challenge of boot camp came to the Lutheran 
Service at Great Lakes. The Lutheran Service at Great Lakes also served as an outreach 
for other Sailors. Many were interested in the Lutheran faith and came to instruction 
classes. It should be noted that we (the Missouri Synod Chaplains stationed there while I 
was there) practiced close communion and that enhanced the opportunities to share the 
Word of God with many who wanted to become Lutherans. 

My present duty station here at Naval Security Group Activity, Kunia, Hawaii is a unique 
challenge as well. It will have been 3 years in January 2000 that I have been here and I 
have had the privilege and opportunity to counsel on the average about 20 young folks a 
week! What an opportunity God gives to me during these sessions! Many of these folks 
are not coming because they want to talk to a "pastor", but they know that the "chaplain" 
is the only one who is available who will protect their confidentiality. This has led to 
many times where I have been able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these hurting 
young people. The average age is 19-20 years old. Many are away from home for the first 
time and now stationed on an island overseas and they can't afford to fly home for the 
holidays or for leave. Many are newly married and have all those challenges as well. 
They come to find someone who will listen to them and someone who cares. I make it a 
point to ensure that when they leave my office that they know I do care because God 
cares and He cared so much that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for them! 

I am still amazed at how many different scenarios and difficult situations we can find 
ourselves in. I can't even begin to enumerate the types of cases or issues that I have had to 
deal with in this mission work. I do know that it was and is only by the Grace of God that 
I am able to help these folks and give them the true answer that they need, Jesus Christ! 
One of my seminary professors once said that any good, nice person with the intellectual 
ability can be a "counselor" and help the individual "feel good" about themselves, but in 
reality apart from Christ, you are only "re-arranging their hell"! You may make them feel 
good, but they still will be lost eternally. We need to use these hurting moments to share 
the healing balm of the Gospel with them. That is true love. A person who truly loves 
someone is going to tell them the truth of God's Word even if it hurts, not one who just 
wants them to "feel good." 

No doubt, many of these young people come to me with the idea that I am just another 
"social worker" or someone who can help them with their problems; however, I am more 
than that. I have something to offer to them that no "social worker" can give them, I have 
Jesus to share with them. When I leave for the day and look back on my visitations and 
counseling sessions and discover that what I have done any "social worker" could have 
done, it means I have lost my reason for being and serving here. I truly view this 
challenging and rewarding vocation of a Navy Chaplain as a "mission." I think our Synod 
has it right in having us be under the Board for Mission Services, because that is truly 
what we are about. 

Now, this doesn't eliminate or demean the importance of my bringing Word and 
Sacrament ministry to our Lutheran sailors! Truly, that is just as important since many of 
them are away from their home congregations and the Pastoral care of their Pastor. I do 
what I can to seek out those folks and encourage them and ensure they find a good 
Lutheran church or worship service. 

That leads me to request a couple of favors from you who might be reading this. First, 
please remember us and all missionaries in your prayers that we may boldly confess and 
preach Christ and Him crucified! Secondly, please pass on the name of any of those who 
you know are Lutherans serving in our Armed Forces to our Ministry to the Armed 
Forces office in St. Louis. This will help us keep in touch with them and to ensure that 
they have a good Lutheran place of worship available to them. Thank you and God's 
richest blessings! 

Pax Domini, 

Chaplain Craig Muehler Naval Security Group Activity, Kunia, HI