August 2016 Update

Today is about 13.5 weeks since my wrist repair surgery.  The doctor said it could take a full year to get everything back, and I’m definitely not there yet.  My hand is still swollen a little, but the thing that bothers me the most is the loss of feeling in the pinky side of my hand.  It makes it hard to type (which is sort of what I do for a living) when you can’t feel the keys your ring and pinky finger are touching.  The strength is lacking quite a bit still too, but I know I am improving bit by bit.  I still have weekly appointments with my Physical Therapist and daily exercises I have to do, so people often see me bending and contorting my wrist, hand, and fingers to try to get things back to normal.  They probably think I’m some sort of a wacko because some of those exercises look strange, and they’re right.

As I mentioned last month, Zach and I went to the Civil Air Patrol’s New York Wing Leadership Encampment from July 21 – 31.  Our weather has continued to be overall very hot and dry, and that week and a half was no different.  The food they give us there is very good, but thankfully the warm weather and the high amounts of walking that was required balanced out the good eating so that I came home about the same weight as I went.  Zach’s job was in Services (food prep, kitchen cleanup, etc.) so he had to be up very early every morning and stay up late at night as well.  My job was in Admin, so I was crazy busy at the beginning and end of the week when we were registering and out-processing cadets, and sort of slow the rest of the week.  I spent a lot of time helping people with technical issues (printing, network connectivity, etc.), so that was good to be able to use my skills that way.  I actually was rewarded with a “challenge coin” for my efforts, so that was nice.

The front and back of the Challenge Coin I received

I drove some cadet staff to encampment. This is us at a rest stop (Zach far right)

Playing volleyball. I was tempted but was a good boy and didn't play

Zach cleaning the food service area

Zach (center) serving in the food line

We got to see lots of cool aircraft during the week, like a Blackhawk and a Chinook helicopter, F-15 fighter jets, and a “Reaper” drone, and we got to fly in a C-130 cargo plane again this time, as we had two years ago when we went.  It was a lot of exhausting fun!

I slept in the camper in the foreground. In the background is the Blackhawk

Zach (Philip) and I listed for the C-130 flight

Looking at the Reaper (can you find Zach?)

C-130 selfie!

Lake Placid from the C-130

Whiteface Mountain

The pilot (we all got turns to go into the cockpit)

F-15s flying by (they are hard to photograph)

Possibly the highlight for me was going to a Jewish worship service.  We had a Jewish cadet at the encampment who wanted to go to services, so our chaplain found a temple near us, and another adult member and I took her.  The temple was beautiful with lots of stained glass and colorful tapestries.  We sang a lot of songs, all in Hebrew, and heard a message in English, thankfully, but the way he pronounced the Biblical names was Hebraized as opposed to the way I learned them, so that was really interesting too.  It was fascinating to have this cross-cultural experience in the faith group that is the foundation for my Christianity.

New service book

Old service book (we used this one and used almost every page, and yes, you start at the back and go towards the front)

The encampment graduation ceremony was really nice too.  They surprised a cadet whose father had been serving in Afghanistan by bringing his dad forward to greet him when he thought he was still overseas.  That moistened a lot of eyes!

Encampment Graduation

Krista and I and Jemmie and Levi made a quick trip to Philadelphia to visit Carissa and Matt and Caitlin and Ben over the weekend 8/5-7.  We hadn’t really gotten to visit with them in the wedding trips to Philly, so it was really great to spend all day Saturday with them.  We went to a park on the riverfront, played games, ate good food, and we came away feeling like we connected with them again.  Ben’s birthday was on 8/12, so at least when we wished him happy birthday, we really felt like we knew the man who married our daughter.  ;-)

Fast food selfies from our Philly trip

Early the following week, I was contacted by Olcott Bible Church.  They are currently without a pastor and were looking for someone to fill their pulpit the next Sunday.  First, Krista’s cousin’s wife, Lisa, who is a member there, called me to make sure it was OK to ask me, then an “official” representative of their church called.  I was excited for the opportunity, but with only a week’s notice, I had to use a message I had preached before.  In August 2011, death was on my mind when my church needed me to preach.  My mom had died in May, and I knew my dad was not doing well (he ended up dying in October of that same year).  So, I prepared and taught a message on the bad news of death, the good news that God is in control of death, and the best news that believers at death are immediately in the presence of their Savior, Jesus.

As part of that message, I showed this video to illustrate God’s control over death.  WARNING!  If you cry easily, or have recently lost a loved one, be sure to have tissues handy when you watch this!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQYrF2g_48o  In 2011, after I got back up to continue preaching at this point, there were so many weepy people in the congregation, that I too broke down and sobbed and could barely speak.  This time I only got a little misty-eyed and choked up, so I guess that’s an improvement.

They also wanted me to teach Sunday School if possible, and I was preparing a lesson for our church for this past Wednesday night on Psalm 147, so I taught that in Sunday School.  I thought both lessons went well, and I trust God used me to encourage the believers there.

Then I was able to teach Psalm 147 this past Wednesday night for our church and was able to make some last minute changes based on how the Sunday School went at Olcott Bible to make it even smoother, so thanks to the OBC people for being my guinea pigs.

Backing up one day, we celebrated Krista’s birthday on 8/16 with a party at Hannah and Kevin’s house.  All the local family were there, and we had tons of fun and excellent food, as usual.

The birthday girl

At the party...

That was our full month, so I’ll talk to you in September!

Do you like my hat?