The horrors of war has a way of challenging anyone’s faith. And you can easily find yourself adapting to wars in a dark way. On top of that, once you get out, you can feel a loss of community. The Shadow of Death is a candid, poignant story of one warrior’s descent into unimaginable despair—and his glorious redemption in God.

In Fernando Arroyo’s powerful new memoir, The Shadow of Death: From My Battles in Fallujah to the Battle for My Soul, Arroyo details his career in the military, as well as his crisis of faith. Once he was home, the anger, depression, and alienation continued to grow, even leading to a suicide attempt. But God’s loving hand never stopped reaching for Fernando.

Fernando Arroyo considers himself privileged to serve those who served our country, with the goal of ending veteran suicide. He works as the Veterans Program Director at Step Forward Academy as a coach and mentor for veterans transitioning to civilian life. He helps them develop a career path to a living wage and connects them to a healthy community.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Fernando Arroyo, you can find our more by clicking here or connect with them on social media via Facebook. You can also find his book The Shadow of Death at any major book retailer. Also, don’t forget to check out Step Forward Academy by clicking here – they want to help veterans find a career to earn a living wage, they have coaches and mentors, and it’s all free.

Moxie Minute with Amie

Here is an acronym that I have put together for us to think of when we hear about Moxie. 

1. Motivation: Remind yourself of your own gifts and abilities, and even difficult times you have overcome in the past to stay motivated to achieve your goals and navigate the unique challenges of military life.
2. Optimism: Cultivate a positive outlook and focus on the good, even in difficult times. It will take hold and help you push through.
3. Xperience: Embrace every experience as an opportunity for growth and learning. And, use your experiences, both good and bad, to not only grow and become stronger. But to eventually help others as well. 
4. Initiative: We need to take initiative to get the help we need, to make our own path, to  create the life we want; don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.
5. Empowerment: Of course from your Empowerment Team, Empower yourself by focusing on those things in your life that you do have control over, and making decisions that align with your values and goals. And again, use that knowledge you are gaining to empower others in your community. 

So there you have it: M.O.X.I.E. I hope you can use this acronym to help you stay motivated, optimistic, and empowered, no matter what life throws at you. With M.O.X.I.E., we can handle anything that comes our way with grace and strength. Until next time, Moxie Up!

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of February 13, 2023, straight from M:M News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe:

Military Partnership Grows with Google

Google has announced a partnership with the Department of Labor’s Employment Navigator and Partnership Pilot (ENPP). Through this dynamic duo pairing Google will offer the Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Certification programs in fields including Data Analytics and IT Support to military members transitioning out of the military and their spouses. This service is free of charge and will be offered at many military installations around the globe.

This partnership allows military members and spouses to access the same tools but without a price tag to go with it. Found out more at grow.google 

Tricare for Guard Troops

A battle and discussion that has gone on for ages is the argument of National Guard families and access to all Tricare benefits. While allowed to have Tricare, it has always come with a price tag. That could change for Maryland Guardsmen thanks to the Healthcare for Heroes act currently being introduced at the State’s House of Delegates. If this bill passes, not only do they have access to free Tricare but will also be reimbursed. 

Learn more at militarytimes.com

Sesame Street Rocks On for Military Families

While it’s been around since 2006, Sesame Street for Military Families has just launched a brand new batch of resources from the Sesame Street Workshops. The new videos released are titled , “What Went Well,” “Keep It Simple,” “Still and Quiet,” “Meal Planning,” and “Daily Movement,”. “Every little moment of self-care can have a big impact. Sesame Workshop is here with resources and support for our military and caregiving families who give so much of themselves in service to their country.”

Find out more at sesamestreetcommunities.org

You can check out more of this week’s top stories here.

Resource Recon with Amanda and Amie

This week’s Resource Recon shines a spotlight on one of our incredible bloggers, Angel Garcia. In her recent blog titled “NOVA: It’s Not For The Weak of Heart”, Angel writes “No duty station is created equal. You could fall in love with one place and be destroyed by another. All military spouses aren’t created equal either. What one spouse can endure; another could fall apart. What one spouse considers a cakewalk; another spouse feels like she’s walking a tightrope across the Manhattan skyline”

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are showcasing our Everyday Empowerment recipient, Tonya Miyano. Nominated by Amie Fisher, who shares with us a little about Tonya and how she empowers others:

Amie states, “My family has moved several times in the last 6 years especially and that gets harder as the kids get older. We have three kids and homeschool them. The first one graduated and is on her own, the second one is 17 and almost done, and we have a 13 yr. old daughter still. I have gotten a little stale on the fun side of homeschooling to be honest. It’s more difficult when they are older teens to drag them on field trips and get togethers. And Death Glare if you slip and mention a “play date” Anyway, the 13 yr. old tries to act cool like big brother but I know she was missing out. We also live off post here, which is another struggle not being in a neighborhood with other teens. That is where Tonya comes in. She moved to the area with enthusiasm and planned events on her page with vigor! When I finally met her in person at one event and mentioned her ‘explosion of plannings’ she just laughed and said something like, “We move so often, and it’s hard enough. I just wanted to jump right in meeting families and taking in everything this city has to offer while we are here. The schooling part still happens but to not take advantage of all the field trip adventures we have available every move would just be wrong. And if something isn’t already going, I figure I will jump in and host or lead it.” That she has!”

On behalf of Mission: Milspouse, thank you so much to Tonya Miyano for doing your part to empower families around the world.

Thank You

Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode. Please leave a five-star rating and review on Apple podcasts, then send us a screenshot of your review to hello@missionmilspouse.org or DM us on Facebook or Instagram @missionmilspouse to receive a special in-real-life gift as a thank you on behalf of MM. We appreciate your engagement and support.

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