Mission Field Now Stories | Mason & Adrian

Every Monday evening, as the sun dips behind the hills of San Diego, Mark Kunkee makes his way to Balboa Naval Hospital. He has walked these halls before—but not as a volunteer, not as a deacon, not as a missionary. Years ago, Mark knew Balboa as a patient. The corridors, the rooms, the quiet hum of hospital life still echo with memories of pain, recovery, fear, and God’s unexpected nearness. Now, decades later, he walks those same halls not as one seeking care, but as one sent—a faithful presence among wounded warriors.

At Balboa, injured service members and veterans carry more than physical wounds. Many live with PTSD, anxiety, uncertainty about their future, and the heavy question of who they are when military service is interrupted or ends. Fear, despair, and hopelessness are not uncommon companions. Mark understands this world—not from theory, but from experience.

This ministry is part of a broader military outreach led by Michael Morabe, a CRU missionary and dear friend, who has opened doors for Lutherans with a heart for the military to bring the hope of Christ across San Diego’s bases. Through this partnership, a small team gathers every Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. at Balboa Naval Hospital to facilitate a Bible study for wounded warriors. Mark is part of that team.

When he arrives at the Bible study room, a small but eager group awaits. Some nights there are eight Marines. Some nights ten. One recent Monday, fourteen Marines sat together—listening intently, asking questions, carrying burdens only they fully know. Attendance varies, but the expectation remains the same: to gather, to learn, and to be known.

Over time, Mark has come to know each of them. There is Vince, a Marine from Haiti whose love for Scripture surprises even seasoned leaders. Preston, a newer leader finding his footing and calling. And there are Mason* and Adrian*—two Marines with different stories, but a shared need for hope, reassurance, and presence.

Mason’s story
Mason lives with PTSD. Anxiety can come without warning, and some days feel heavier than others. Through the Monday night Bible study, he connected with Mark. Slowly, trust formed. One day, Mason asked a simple but courageous question:

“Deacon, would you be one of my buddies? Someone who writes to me every day?”

What Mason was asking for was not advice—but presence.
Mark said yes.
Now, nearly every morning begins with a short message:
“Good morning, Devil Dog.”
Sometimes Mason responds with a red heart. Sometimes with a few words. But that daily contact has become a lifeline—a reminder that he is seen, remembered, and not alone. On harder days, Mason calls. Mark listens, encourages him to reach out to trusted Marines nearby, and prays with him.

Adrian’s journey
Adrian is facing an uncertain future—possibly returning to the fleet, possibly being medically retired. He carries questions about faith, about God, and about himself. When he first came to Bible study, he wasn’t sure where he stood spiritually. One evening, he voiced what many feel but few dare to say aloud:

“I don’t think my faith is strong enough. I feel like I need reassurance.”

Mark didn’t correct him.
He didn’t pressure him.
He simply said,
“Adrian, God gives reassurance freely.”

That moment mattered.
Adrian began reading Portions of Prayer every night. He started calling Mark with questions—sometimes simple, sometimes urgent.
“Deacon, what do I do about this?”
Mark’s responses were steady and patient:
“Go back to the devotional. Remember the theme. Pray. Trust God to guide you.”

Adrian listened. He read. He prayed. And slowly, he grew stronger in faith—unafraid to ask, unafraid to wrestle, unafraid to seek help. One night, Mark handed him a copy of Portions of Prayer. Later, Adrian asked for another—not for himself, but for his sister, who knows little about the Christian faith.
Faith, once uncertain, had become something Adrian wanted to share.

Both Mason and Adrian now reach out when they need guidance. Both are growing—not because they were pushed, but because they were walked with.

Chaplain Mike, the formal leader of the study, trusts Mark deeply. That trust has been earned through consistency, humility, and careful pastoral sensitivity. Together, they create a rhythm of prayer, Scripture, conversation, and quiet mentoring—life-changing not through spectacle, but through faithfulness.

When Mark speaks about these Monday nights, he often says his heart flutters. There is joy—but not a shallow joy. It is the joy of knowing, “This is what God has called me to do.”

There is currently no regular chapel service at Balboa. And yet—every Monday night—the Word of God is opened. Prayer is spoken. Relationships are formed. Wounded warriors discover that God has not forgotten them.

This ministry was born out of Mark’s own story. He remembers thinking he had always been a Christian—until his accident, his hospitalization, and God’s deeper call changed him. That journey shaped the man who now walks alongside Marines navigating fear, recovery, and hope.

And so he goes. Every Monday.
Opening Scripture.
Listening deeply.
Texting.
Calling.
Praying.

Through Mason, Adrian, and others, God’s work becomes visible—in confidence regained, in questions asked freely, in prayers spoken aloud, in quiet moments with a devotional before sleep.

This is not a story of headlines or grandeur.
It is a story of faithfulness.
Of presence.
Of love that mirrors Christ’s own.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.