LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry Dogs in Texas

What do you get when you have four LCC Kare-9 Military Ministry Dogs, nine handlers, and six ministry assistants working together? The opportunity to love on many veterans and active military members. And that’s exactly what happened last week as Kare 9s Pax (St. Paul – Fort Worth, Texas) and Abner (Bethany – Austin, Texas) headed to Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas. They visited soldiers, families and staff in the Warrior Transition Unit.

Friday they were joined by Kare 9s Damaris (Memorial – Katy, Texas) and Elijah (Our Redeemer – Wichita Falls, Texas) as they visited the Central Texas VA facility in Waco, Texas. They were able to spend quite a bit of time in the Community Living Center as well as blind rehab, PTSD, and lock-down units. Before the day was done, the LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry teams were able to share 75 handmade quilts with the veterans as well as many prayers and hugs.

Friday night was also the kick-off for the All-American Heroes Golf Tournament in Waco, Texas. This tournament benefits the American Valor Foundation run by the Chris Kyle family. Saturday morning was tee-it-up time as military and first responders joined in with local community folks in a shot-gun start, Florida scramble kind of game. It was all in great fun and we were glad to be a part of it.

Before heading home Sunday morning, the Kare 9 teams visited at Peace Lutheran Church in Hewitt, Texas, where they were warmly welcomed. A meet and greet before and after the service meant they had some tired Kare 9s ready to head home.

But the words of a veteran ministry assistant who was with them for the first time summed up the sentiments from the trip. “If the men and women we met this weekend spend one-tenth of the time thinking about us and the dogs as I do thinking about them, they will think about and remember us for a long time.”

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