Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mid-weekend update

What? You mean your weekend isn't Tuesday-Thursday? That's weird.

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted. The day after my last post I flew from Dallas to Dayton, OH to do a couple hours worth of paperwork and such, then flew back to Dallas. Wednesday May 23 I left Dallas to drive to Tennessee, and the following day I drove from Tennessee to Virginia. I caught up on rest, sorted through what I wanted to leave in Virginia and what I should bring with me to Waxhaw, NC where I am living, and drove down here to meet Uncle Doug, the man whose house I am staying in.

Friday, June 1 I flew from Raleigh Durham, NC to Charlotte to Albany, NY, where Becky picked me up from the airport and took me to Tim and Beth's house in Vermont. I spent the weekend there with Tim and Beth and Annette, then on Tuesday of last week, the 5th of June, Becky and I drove down to Virginia. On Wednesday she drove to West Virginia and I drove down to Waxhaw to get settled in. Thursday my parents met me in Charlotte with my tool box, since it doesn't fit in my car, and we went out to supper with Sarah. Friday the 8th I started work at 5:30 AM. I currently work first shift, (5:30 AM-3:30 PM) Friday-Monday. It will be several months before I am able to sign things off as the work being done, but I am very much enjoying my job. Since I'm doing line maintenance, there is a lot of sitting around and doing nothing but studying manuals and visiting with my co-workers, but that's okay, because when everybody's sitting around it means that everything is good with the planes. I'm continuing to learn a lot, but very much enjoying learning at work instead of at school.

Friday I go back to work, and will work through Sunday, but then I will be flying to Dayton, OH for more company training - I'll be spending the week up there and returning next weekend in time to work the last few days of my shift.

Let me know how I can be praying for you, and have a wonderful day!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Update on My Life

Hello,

Well, I don't know who's even reading this thing - probably nobody that doesn't already know what's going on, but just in case, here goes:

Saturday, May 5, I graduated from LeTourneau University. It was great to have my sister Sarah, my grandparents, my parents, my Uncle Doug and Aunt Jody, and Becky all there with me. After graduation we finished packing up and emptying my apartment. Sunday morning I went to Hope Fellowship, my church in Longview my whole time at LeTourneau, with my parents and Becky. After church we had a quick lunch, then went back to campus where I met up with three of my best friends from LeTourneau, and said goodbye to my parents and Becky. My friends Andy, Amaris, Bonnie, and I then hit the road for Florida at 2:00 Sunday afternoon. We took turns driving, with one person driving for about four hours, another person sitting up front to help them stay awake, and the other two people sleeping in the back seat. We got to the condo we had in St. Cloud, Florida at about 8:00 Monday morning, and promptly all of us went to bed until we got up and ate lunch, then bought groceries and went around the town.

Tuesday after graduation the four of us went to Sea World Orlando. Wow. The dolphin and orca shows were absolutely incredible. I also discovered that I now like roller coasters. We got to Sea World at 10:00 in the morning, and several times throughout the afternoon we talked about leaving - we were going to leave about 4:00. We ended up staying until 10 minutes before closing time, which was at 7:00. Sea World was definitely an awesome experience, and I'm glad we made it part of our trip.

Wednesday we went camping in a state park about an hour from our condo. It rained before we bought our firewood, so the wood got soaked, but with work we did have a fire that night - it only took 2 road flares, a cardboard box, and about 30 minutes to get the fire going. It was great, though, because that let me and Andy cook our main course of supper - steaks. We figured out we'd forgotten to take the paper plates we bought with us on our camping trip, and we also didn't have any good grilling utensils. So, Andy had two kitchen knives and I had a kitchen knife and my pocket knife, and we would run water over our hands then go flip and check steaks over the fire, then go re-drench our hands. While we were (literally) running around doing that, Bonnie and Amaris were cooking up the potatoes for us to have with supper, and we ended up with the best camping meal I have ever eaten.

Thursday after we left the campsite we went to Cocoa Beach - another very fun part of the trip. We were early enough in the season that although there were plenty of people, the beach was by no means crowded, which made the time at the beach even better. During one of our trips back to the car while we were at the beach my phone rang - it was Kacey, the HR rep I've been working with from PSA Airlines. She called to offer me the job I interviewed for in Charlotte! I called her back on Friday and accepted the job.

Friday we all slept in, stayed in the Kissimmee/St. Cloud area and visited various music shops, antique shops, and a flea market, before going back to the condo and taking naps. For supper we cleaned out our left overs, we packed the car, and hit the road at 10:00 Friday night to drive back to Texas. We got to Longview at 1:00 Saturday afternoon where we went to the Olson's house for Andy and Amaris to pick up Andy's car and dog, then Andy and Amaris headed to Amaris' home and I went with Bonnie to her house halfway between Dallas and Longview, where my car had been parked while we were in Florida. I was too tired to drive to Dallas without someone to keep me awake, so I spent the afternoon and evening at the Daniels' house, spent the night at my friends Alden and Rebekah's house, then got back with the Daniels for church and lunch on Sunday, then I drove to Dallas.

I've been relaxing and taking care of various small things while I've been in Dallas. Tomorrow (Friday) I have to catch a flight out of Dallas at 6:25 in the morning to go to Dayton, Ohio for my new hire orientation with PSA. I will be arriving in Dayton at 1:00 in the afternoon, and leaving Dayton at 6:09 to land in Dallas at 10:12 tomorrow night.

Next week I plan to drive to Virginia, and probably down to North Carolina, depending on when I start work. God has provided a place for me to live with a JAARS guy in Waxhaw, NC. I will have about an hour commute to work, but the deal I am getting on housing will make it worth while, at least for a while.

Let me know how I can be praying for you. Also, let me know via email or whatever if you're actually reading my blog posts - I'm trying to figure out if people who don't already know what's going on in my life are still reading my blog, so I can decide whether or not it's worth continuing to post.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Graduation Week

Wow - I can't believe that in under 36 hours, I graduate from LeTourneau.

Last week I took my oral and practical exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, then on Thursday I drove to Dallas and flew to Charlotte, NC. Friday morning I had a job interview with PSA Airlines in Charlotte, and right after my interview I flew back to Dallas and drove back to Longview. I should hear back from PSA about the job by the end of next week.

This week has been filled with activity, although classes ended last week. I had to take two aviation finals on Tuesday, and I was exempt from the rest of my finals because of having good enough grades and graduating. Wednesday there was a luncheon put on by the Aeronautical Science department for all of us who are graduating, then the Honors College took those of us graduating from the honors program out to dinner in Kilgore on Wednesday evening. Thursday morning I had my senior exit interview, then in the afternoon I had my three FAA written exams. I passed all of them, and I am now a licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic.

Friday I have a senior breakfast, and will then spend several hours packing, trying to mostly finish that up Friday. Friday afternoon graduation activities pick up, and my parents, grandparents, my sister Sarah, and Becky will arrive. Saturday morning I have to be at graduation stuff at 7:30, with graduation at 9:00. After graduation I will finish packing, load my stuff into my car and my parents' van, and check out of my apartment for the last time. Sunday morning I will go to church, then will come back to campus to meet up with a few of my friends, and we will then road trip to Florida to spend a week there.

Please keep everybody traveling in your prayers, and let me know how I can be praying for you.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Long past spring break

Well, spring break is over. In fact, it has been for two weeks. It was a wonderful break from school, though, while it lasted!

After my last post I worked on my Exegesis paper, getting much less than I had hoped done, but making progress nonetheless. Then I went to Dallas and spent a couple nights there with my grandparents and my mom, since she was in town. I did some yardwork for my grandparents, and my mom and I did about 12 hours worth of grading to get me caught up on Carburetors lab grading. Then Sunday afternoon I came back to campus, and I've been keeping busy with school stuff ever since.

Last week I did get to hang out with friends for an evening, which is always fun. Mostly, though, I've been going to class and lab and work, working on my papers, and studying for my FAA testing coming up in a few weeks. I've also been going through a bunch of stuff that I have in the apartment, seeing what I should keep and what I should get rid of before I graduate so I don't have to take it all with me. The difference between me and many people on this campus is that many people just take everything they don't want during finals week and throw it into the huge dumpsters that get brought on campus. Me, I go through my stuff and try to sell it. Some of it is stuff I took out of the dumpsters last year, and the rest is just stuff I've accumulated over my time here at LeTourneau. It takes a little bit of time to sort through the stuff instead of just throwing it away, but since spring break I've made probably $125 or so from stuff that I would have otherwise thrown away - so to me, it's very worth taking the time to sort through stuff.

I ask for prayer as I finish working on my exegesis paper (it is due April 9, but I would really like to have it done by the original due date of April 5), as I write my Aviation Law research paper (due April 15) and as I prepare for my FAA Oral and Practical exams (starting either April 24 or 25) and my FAA Written exams (May 3) all while trying to get a job and place to live lined up before I graduate on May 5.

How can I be praying for you?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Into spring break

Hello again!

Well, the first part of my spring break was a great success! Saturday I ended up not doing much homework, but instead got a text from a friend asking me to help her learn how to change the oil in her car, so instead of doing homework (never fun) I went and worked on cars (almost always fun). Saturday evening I joined several friends of mine at their cousin's house in Tyler for a time of fellowship and reading from "The Life of Pi" (interesting book, at least the section of it I heard), then in the pouring rain we all drove back to Canton, getting in about 12:30 Sunday morning (pre-time change). I wanted to make sure I wasn't in the way as people were getting ready for church and everything, so I got up at 6:45 (post time change) and got ready; it turned out, almost everybody in the house had forgotten about time change, until Alden called at 8:30. There was a mad dash as everyone tried to get ready (not counting myself, there were eleven other people in the house), and we made it to church almost on time, and definitely before most other people. There was a lot of good fellowship on Sunday, making for a very enjoyable time.

Monday I got up, then after breakfast most of the kids had dentist appointments, so Jonathan, Bonnie and I figured out what we needed to get for our 8 person camping trip, then Jonathan and I went to town to buy food. We headed to Tyler State Park about 1:00 Monday afternoon, and were very blessed in being able to camp. We hadn't been able to get through when we tried to make reservations; when we arrived we were informed that the had completely booked out all of the campsites, but a large group had not made it in, so a few campsites had been made available. We were able to get one of those, so we set up camp, changed and went walking around the lake and swimming. We went back to our campsite, hung out, then eventually got the fire going and I cooked hamburgers that Jonathan had made. After supper we talked, played some games, and sat around the fire with Jonathan and James playing their guitars - overall a very fun time; the evening ended with everyone going to bed shortly before midnight.

Just before 2:00 this morning I woke up to a sound coming from very near my head; one of the multitudinous raccoons in the area was apparently at the tree that the head end of my hammock was tied to. I scared him off, and went back to sleep. I ended up waking up about 5 or 6 times and scaring the raccoons away from our sleeping area. It was still a quite restful night, though. This morning we got up, and eventually I started cooking our breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon, onion, and tomato in them, while Jonathan was making toast for everyone over the fire. Breakfast took forever, cooking everything with just one skillet, but I believe the overall consensus was that it was good enough it was worth the wait. We hung out for awhile more, then finally broke camp and headed out a little after 11:00 - I came back to Longview, and the others all went back to Canton.

So far break has been very good - now for a less fun couple of days studying and writing papers, then I will be heading to Dallas on Friday, is the current plan.

I'd love to hear from you and find out what's going on in your life, and how I can pray for you.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

So close to spring break!

Hello!

Well, it's almost spring break - my last spring break. Wow - I can't believe I've gotten to this point. I graduate in 57 days, 12 and a half hours.

The past month has gone pretty well; I've been enjoying work, I've started working with a group to get ready for Oral and Practical exams at the end of the semester that are required to get our Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certificates from the FAA. It's been going pretty well. I've been applying to lots of jobs - this week I applied specifically to jobs in Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Texas. I'm trying to decide whether or not to apply for jobs in Singapore and Jakarta. Prayer for wisdom would be appreciated.

This next week will be spring break. I finally decided over the past couple days what I'll be doing. Saturday I'll sleep in, do laundry, and do homework. Saturday evening I'll be joining a friend of mine in going to her cousin's in Tyler, where a group gets together and hangs out on Saturday evenings, then after that we'll go back to her house - I've been good friends with her family since my freshman year, so I'm really looking forward to that. I plan to stay there with them until Monday, when at least several of us (me and some of the family) plan to go camping in Tyler State Park. Tuesday I'll come back to campus and do some work on my research paper for Aviation Law. Wednesday and Thursday I plan to work on my exegesis paper for Biblical Covenants. Friday I plan on driving to the Dallas area, where I'll spend some time with my grandparents and my mom, then Sunday I'll come back to campus.

I'd love to hear from you, including how I can be praying for you.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Well into my final semester

Hello!

Well, my final semester of college is about 1/4 of the way gone, and I'm having a hard time believing it, although I know it's true. In 88 days, I graduate, Lord willing.

So far this semester has been going pretty well academically. My classes are going pretty well - I'm understanding most of the material well, and I'm enjoying lab assisting again. I've been able to be doing a lot with my lab assisting this semester - I do a lot of discussing various aircraft fuel system components with the students and make sure they have a thorough understanding of their function. I also am doing all of the grading for this lab - 34 students - they are keeping me busy. I'm enjoying it, though.

A couple weeks ago the instructor for the lab I'm working with, Mr. Foulk, had a biopsy done and it has been confirmed since then that he has a form of cancer. As far as I know they are still figuring out his course of treatment. So if you think of it, be praying for Mr. Foulk.

Last week a good friend of mine, Rebekah Daniels, found out that her mother has cancer. Her treatment started yesterday. Please be praying for Rebekah's mom, too.

I would love to hear how I can be praying for you, and what is going on in your life. Send me an email and let me know!