The following is an update from a TOB Institute alumnus, Matt. His original testimony may be found here.

I am currently overseas in Japan, and my battalion is stationed in Okinawa, serving as the Battalion Landing Team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). In a nutshell, we are part of a standard Marine contingency element that serves as a "force in readiness" to surge to any part of the Pacific that needs some combat power, whether for military operations or humanitarian aid. We have been part of the 31st MEU since January and have since traveled to Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and mainland Japan.

While on board the U.S.S. Essex, I offered TOB classes to my fellow Marines. We had the only Catholic priest in our ship convoy, a simple and holy Vietnamese priest named Fr. Dang. Thankfully, he knew TOB and was very supportive. We convened every night for about an hour and a half in the ship's chapel and slowly went through the Introduction to Theology of the Body DVD series. We went very in-depth. I was the only Catholic in the group, but that did not matter because TOB is such a truly universal teaching. The Marines loved it. It speaks very deep to the heart of all men, but I think it reaches the heart of a Marine in a special way since they know sacrificial love.

About midway through the course, one of my Marines who is in his twenties and has four children asked me if he could take a medical leave so he could get a vasectomy while on deployment. The military, sadly, pays for this procedure. It was frustrating, and I wondered if he was getting anything from the course. I told him I would not support him if he chose to do it, but would love him either way. I gave it to God. After the last class, he was on fire. He came and told me that he could not wait to get home to his wife and begin practicing NFP. She was excited too. He has now begun sharing the series with other Marines in the barracks, and there are a lot of people asking for another course when we get back to Okinawa.

There were a total of six Marines that went through the Intro to TOB series from start to finish. Eight more got bits and pieces, and all are requesting to dive into the next series, Into the Heart. My parents mailed it to me last month, and I have made it through the first four lessons. It's amazing. There is a lot of pressure to be promiscuous and unchaste in the military, and sometimes it seems like a futile fight. However, I have seen that the Theology of the Body is the message of love that will slay this giant, and God will do it this time without even a sling and a stone. His body is the only armor we will need, and His love the most powerful weapon in His arsenal.

Thank you for all of your work at the Institute, you are truly changing history! Peace be with you, and may Our Blessed Mother shower you with abundant graces.

Matthew I.

Matt attended TOB1: Head & Heart Immersion Course in January 2009. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2005, and he now serves for the United States Marine Corps as First Lieutenant. Matt has been stationed overseas, but is looking forward to moving back to the DC area this Summer. Matt's parents attended TOB 1: Head and Heart Immersion Course in June 2009.Click here to read Matt's original TOB testimony.