WAGES OF WAR

Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Eric Donoho enlisted in the Army in 2006. On deployment in Iraq, Eric survived his first explosion, then another three months later, and a third eight months after that. His brain was so badly damaged he could barely form sentences. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After cognitive and speech therapy for over a year, his neurologist confirmed that Eric could no longer return to the infantry or engage in any high-risk activities. On February 26, 2009, Eric retired. 

Being thrust into civilian life, his war injuries, and his inability to sleep due to horrible dreams left Eric struggling to keep his head above water. In addition, Eric and Jenn were still grieving the loss of their son David who made it seven months in the womb only to be delivered stillborn. That massive loss was coupled with six other miscarriages, Jenn’s diagnosis of breast cancer, and later, Eric’s diagnosis of thyroid cancer. While they both survived cancer, the trauma and pain they faced over the years had left its mark.

Instead of grieving together, Eric kept everything bottled up. He explains, “My failure to openly support my wife or to share my inner turmoil only deepened the wounds in our marriage. While we both made efforts to navigate the complexities of our relationship and to heal the growing rifts, my approach—living in a state of anger and withdrawal—had a profound impact on Jenn.”

Turning to God for comfort, Jenn found peace. While Eric would occasionally go to church with Jenn, he was still struggling with God. “While I didn’t doubt His existence, my faith in His benevolence and my place within His grace began to waver,” he explains. 
His heart would later soften towards the Lord when his daughter, Kayleigh, and son Byron, were born healthy. He loved being a father but struggled to find his purpose outside of home. 

As he and Jenn grew apart, Eric learned that she was contemplating divorce. 

“I couldn’t envision a way forward where my efforts would amount to anything meaningful. In this darkened state of mind, the thought of ending my life emerged as a visible escape from the unending cycle of failure,” 
he shares.

In 2015, six years after retirement, Eric hit rock bottom. He dropped the kids off at daycare and rushed home. Wasting no time, he got his gun, sat at the kitchen table, put the gun inside his mouth, and pulled the trigger. Yet, the gun didn’t go off. He unassembled the gun to check it, resembled it, let out a dry shot, and it worked. So, he tried to kill himself again, but the gun still refused to fire. When Eric looked at the clock, he noticed it was time to pick up the kids. When the kids got into the car, Eric was grateful he was still alive to be there for his family.

FINDING THE LIGHT

Soon thereafter, he called his best friend Brett and poured his heart out. “It was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had,” Eric admits. With no judgment, Brett listened and let Eric know he wasn’t alone.

Brett also encouraged him to apply for the No Barriers Warrior Expedition, which, over approximately four months, provides transformative programs for veterans with disabilities that shift mindsets, create belonging, and foster self-discovery. Eric applied and was accepted. That transformational trip marked the start of better days for Eric and his family. Before he left for the program, Jenn shared her Jesus Calling devotional with him. Reading a page each night, Eric felt closer to God. While hiking with other vets in New Mexico, he recalls, “Standing in the shadows of the canyon, I was struck by the persistent light at the end of the gorge. I saw my journey reflected in my surroundings, and the canyon seemed to say that no matter the darkness surrounding me, there was always light ahead. Having a love for photography, Eric snapped a picture of the Canyon which became the cover for his book, Canyon of Hope. Later, he held his first photography show and was asked to share his story and speak at a Prudential conference. From there one opportunity after another came Eric’s way helping him reach out to other veterans.

During his Warriors Expedition, Eric had a dream one night. Jesus appeared to him and let him know how much He loved Eric and would always be by his side. He explains, “I awoke to a new morning filled with an unfamiliar sense of hope and joy for the time in years. His words lingered, as a guide for the profound personal work ahead."

ADVOCATE

An advocate for veterans' rights and mental health, Eric has played a crucial role in the passage of five major pieces of legislation, including the 988 Suicide Hotline and the PACT Act. His efforts were recognized at the highest level when he was invited to the East Room of the White House to witness the PACT Act being signed into law, a testament to his significant contributions to the well-being of veterans and their families. The PACT Act addresses health issues veterans face due to exposure to toxins, ensuring that vets don’t have to fight to prove the impact of their sacrifices. 

MORAL INJURY

Another vital part of the healing journey for veterans and those around them is understanding moral injury and how it harms countless soldiers.  
Moral injury refers to the profound psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress experienced when an individual perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent actions that violate their deeply held moral beliefs and values. This concept was initially observed in military personnel but has since been recognized in various high-stakes situations across different professions.

Key aspects of moral injury include:

1.    Violation of moral code: It occurs when a person's actions or inactions contradict their ethical principles.
2.    Emotional impact: Common reactions include intense feelings of guilt, shame, anger, sadness, anxiety, and disgust.
3.    Psychological consequences: It can lead to serious distress, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
4.    Social effects: Moral injury can damage one's ability to trust others, affecting relationships and community connections.
5.    Spiritual dimension: It may cause a loss of faith in religious beliefs, humanity, or the concept of a just world.
6.    Self-perception: Individuals may view themselves as bad, damaged, or unworthy, leading to self-sabotaging behaviors.

Moral injury is distinct from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although they may share some similarities. While PTSD is a diagnosable mental disorder, moral injury is considered a dimensional problem without a definitive threshold for its presence.
Understanding moral injury is crucial for developing appropriate support and treatment strategies for those affected, particularly in professions such as military service, healthcare, and law enforcement, where individuals may face morally challenging situations.

If you want to learn more about Eric Donoho click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Author, Canyon of Hope (Niche Pressworks, 2024); Retired US Army Sergeant (served 2006-2009); 
Awarded Purple Heart, two Army Commendation Medals, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Campaign Medal with Star, and the Combat Infantry Badge; Helped pass five pieces of legislation (Federal & State); Featured in several news outlets and media platforms: Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN contributor), Indianapolis Star (cover story), Baltimore Sun (op-ed), Walt Disney World Sports, Bloomberg Media; Married to Jenn w/two kids—Kayleigh and Byron.

“Something about that day just, just didn't feel right to me. sort of felt like the Holy Spirit was, was dealing with me, was, was nudging me about a warning. My life changed in four minutes that morning dramatically.” Toby Hemphill recalls July 10th 2023 -  He says he was driving to work when a red pick-up truck entered his lane while attempting to pass a loaded tractor trailer. He says, “All I saw was him, flying around the tractor trailer he's coming right at me and he's right in my grill. I immediately jerked the wheel to the left and I hit an 80,000-pound tractor trailer truck fully loaded.”

Soon after, Toby’s wife Kim received a call from his employer, wondering why he hadn’t shown up for work. Kim says, “I immediately knew that he was involved in an accident. No one had to tell me. I just knew that if he hadn't been to work on time, that something terribly went wrong. I called our best friend, to have her to pray for me because I didn't know what I was about to encounter and to pray for him because I knew something was terribly wrong.”

As Toby’s body lay trapped in the car, he says his soul was somewhere out of this world,

“I was completely out of my body, my soul was just, through this huge black tunnel running toward this bright light that was not blinding, It was pulling me toward this light. The peace, the love, I knew that I was entering Heaven. And this light was so bright, I wasn't afraid. And I had that peace and, and joy and the love that I felt there was more than the love that I felt here on earth with my, I mean, it was just amazing. And as I got closer to the end of the light, I began to see, arms of people. I felt guided by angels as I'm going toward this light. And as I'm getting almost to the end, the peace was all over me. The love, the nothing to be afraid of. I, I had no fear of anything of that what just happened. I had no pain. I had no pain at all. God had given me a new body. The flowers and the, the, the field, the colors were thousand times brighter than what we see here on earth and I, I didn't wanna leave. It was amazing. And all of a sudden I heard his strong voice telling me it was not my time that I had to return back to my body and then he sent me back to a broken body. And that was hard. That was, that was hard to understand. All the pain come rushing back into my body, I'm trying to really figure it all out about what happened, I just had this peace that was this love that I knew that I was gonna be all right even though I couldn't move. I heard one guy yelling out to one of the firefighters, telling the other firefighter, ‘Hey go get the jaws of life equipment. He is alive. We need to get him outta here.’”

Toby was life flighted to Carolina’s Medical Center where he was treated for blunt force trauma and multiple broken bones. His church community and friends prayed for his survival and recovery. Toby says, “During the 16 days I was in ICU trauma, I just felt the overwhelming peace of God near me and his love and support was just amazing.”

Kim remembers, “I can't tell you how overwhelming the peace was for our family. We all felt it. So many people rallied around us. We just are so very grateful for that.”

Toby faced a difficult and painful recovery but remains thankful for the glimpse of eternity he experienced and god’s presence with him through it all.  Toby says, “There is no way I could have gone through what I went through the last 12 plus months of my life without God being the center of my life, of somebody that I can turn to just to help me with the day-to-day struggles of the injuries and the pain. And He has been there. What God blessed me to see was just a glimpse of his greatness of Heaven. And we have so much hope as believers of the home, the life after this life.  I'm thankful for God sparing my life that day. And I'm thankful for him sending me back. I still have my family and that God has given me a second opportunity to live here on earth, to witness, to be a vessel, to help others. And I don't want to miss that opportunity, for what God has for me to do.”

Thirteen-year-old Vireak has suffered with a hernia for his entire life. His family lives in a remote village in Cambodia with limited access to doctors or hospitals.   

"Every day, I ride my bike to school,” Vireak told us.  “It’s nine miles each way.  After I got home, I had to rest for a half hour until the pain eased up.  It hurt a lot."

Vireak loved playing soccer but running made the pain from the hernia excruciating.

"During cold weather, my stomach would hurt.  I couldn't help my parents take care of the pigs anymore because the pain got so bad. It just kept getting worse."

Vireak’s father works as a construction laborer, but work is not steady.  Because they are poor, paying for surgery was not possible.  His mom, Sokchanthy, worried for her son’s future, and explained the severity of his condition. 

“I remember a few months ago my son was carrying feed for the pigs when he felt this intense pain. His face turned pale, and he was in agony for an hour.  I was scared.  I was afraid he would die without the surgery he needed,” she told us.     

That’s when the family learned about Operation Blessing.  Thanks to you, we paid for Vireak to receive medical tests and surgery to repair his hernia.  

"Before, I always dreamed of being able to run and play like other kids.  Now, my dream has come true!” Vireak exclaimed.  “I can play soccer, help my parents with their work, and I don't feel pain any more.”

"I’m so thankful to the people who paid for my son to receive surgery,” Sokchanty said.  “He’s a completely different boy now.  He healthy and happy. Thank you, Operation Blessing!"

In the serene province of Saraburi, Thailand, a dedicated Sunday school teacher named Ekkasak embarked on a journey that would transform not only his life but also the lives of many children. Seven years ago, Ekkasak attended a Superbook Academy curriculum training session that left a lasting impact on him and his ministry.

At the time, Ekkasak’s Sunday school class consisted of only four or five children. They received a kit containing CDs and a leader handbook, which they used with a CD player until it broke. Undeterred, Ekkasak adapted by using a laptop to continue the lessons. This small class, nurtured by the engaging and dynamic Superbook curriculum, began to grow. Today, the class has expanded to about 15-18 children each week, including relatives of existing members and new children reached through outreach efforts.

The transformation in Ekkasak’s class is a testament to the power of Superbook. The children who were part of the initial small group have now grown into youth leaders, guiding the next generation in their faith journey. The curriculum’s engaging content and the dedication of the CBN team in developing quality lessons have played a crucial role in this growth. “I was impressed by this training session because I saw the hard work of the CBN team in developing lessons and various media. We know it’s not easy to create quality lessons; it’s a truly demanding job,” Ekkasak noted.

Superbook has not only impacted the children but also the teachers at the Christian school where Ekkasak works. The curriculum has simplified their work, allowing them to focus more on teaching and less on designing activities. “The teachers at the Christian school, where I work, also appreciate [the] Superbook curriculum because they simplify our work. We don't have to spend time designing our own curriculum activities,” Ekkasak explained.

Ekkasak’s story highlights the global reach and impact of CBN Animation’s Superbook. From a small class in Saraburi to a thriving community of young believers, Superbook has brought hope, faith, and transformation. The engaging Bible stories have helped children connect with the Word of God, experience Jesus’ love, and grow in their faith.

You can also be a part of this incredible mission. By donating to CBN Animation’s Superbook ministry through the link below, sharing Ekkasak’s story, or accessing Superbook resources for your own family, you can help extend this ministry to even more children and families. Join us in spreading the Gospel through animation. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children around the world, helping them discover the love of Jesus.

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