junior year beginnings

As of this week I am a junior in college!  Where has the time gone?  I am now in my 3rd year of the Missionary Aviation training program at Moody and my 2nd year in Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) training.  Our semesters and scheduling is nontraditional so it is slightly confusing.

I wanted to take some time to update on some of the little things that are going on.  Right now our class in the Airframe Welding section.  I have spent the last two days looking through goggles moving a molten puddle of metal at 4,000 degrees F.  It is tedious and difficult because welding is an art and takes much practice. I went into this section with the idea that it would be more technical...not at all.  See with something like Aircraft Electrical Systems power goes in through one wire and then travels according to the wiring diagrams, not much room for creativity or deviation.  However, with welding it is about using all of your senses to know when the weld is just right.  I have revamped my approach.  When I am sitting at my welding station with the green tank of oxygen and red acetylene tank I have to imagine that I am sitting at a piano.  When I go into this mindset (mostly an attitude of patience and allowance of mistakes) I find it much less tedious and upsetting when I don't get things right.  You know I love playing the piano and creating music for people and God to hear, I think I will start welding with that same idea...it does sound weird though.

We have a two week break coming up here very soon.  Our class is most ready and eagerly waiting in anticipation, we have been going nonstop since February and we are ready to take a breather even if it is only for two weeks.   Before that break though I and some buddies from my class will venture to Portland for a little weekend getaway. My friend Travis' family has 300 acres in that area so we will have some R & R on his ranch.  Then the weekend after that I will head to San Diego for a mini family vacation. Hopefully we can go sailing and do fun things like that.  We will be celebrating early Camille's 16th birthday in style under the Cali sun!  It will be good to see Philip and Emily (I have not seen them in a while).  Then the next weekend is the start of break, so these next few weeks will be packed but I am excited to see friends and family.  I am not sure if I am coming back to Liberty over that two weeks because I am in a wedding here on Aug. 11th. We shall see.

I will do better this upcoming semester with updating the blog.  I hope you enjoy it and I pray that the Lord continues to bless you; He is good and faithful to care for His children.