Impressions

If you haven't been reading up on things in Boston, you really need to go to www.brian-holt.com and click on Holt's Blog. See some pix, too. :-)

As I have sat here the last few nights with my laptop on the desk in this hotel room, I noticed a few dings, scratches, and stray marks here and there on the desktop. Depending on where the lamp light hits it, you can see several dings--some large, some small--and the occasional scratch. You can even make out a few numbers and letters that were etched into the desk when the pen or pencil was really pressed again the paper.

It struck me that there have been many folks before me who sat in this same spot working on all manners of things and each somehow left their mark. Some marks were fairly noticeable; others, not so much. Regardless, the desktop is marked from wear and tear and basic use over the years.

We're a lot like this desk...many people have come through our lives and impacted us in some way...some in a big way, others in much smaller ways. The point is people leave marks on our lives. While some of the things said or done to us over the years could be positive or negative, those people still leave a mark on us.

The 3,000 students that are in attendance this weekend for Harvard's Model United Nations conference are impressionable, hard-working young people. They are watching all of us adults on proper procedures and proper ways of handling people. It's our duty to lead by example and make sure students act in a way that is honorable and respectful to our different schools.
At the same time, I (and all the other adults) have to step back and think: how has the impression we've made on other people really impacted them? Is it something barely noticed or something that has left a mark and truly helped that person change/go in a new direction?
Impressions are powerful things. They tell a story in our lives and help us see where we've been and what we've been through.

It's a good, quick reminder that life's too short to be negative and whiny; focus on what's important and build people up every chance you get. You may not have tomorrow to do it--esp since God never promised tomorrow to us.

Remembering Mrs. Mitchell

It has been a terribly long time since I updated this blog thingy. My apologies for my frequent readers. lol :-P Things have been really good. Changing naturally, but for the better.
I found out Sunday morning that my chemistry teacher from high school Mrs. Mitchell passed away. She was 62. I have no idea what was wrong and haven't heard, but it was terribly sad. Mrs. Mitchell was one of those one-of-a-kind people that made class fun and she always had something interesting to say. She was tough on us and expected a lot, but she was always kind and helpful.
It is my hope that as a teacher I can have a profound effect on the students in my classroom. Mrs. Mitchell's legacy and memories will live on through her children and her students. Please keep her family in prayer.
ObituaryTY TY — Marilyn Alvis Mitchell, 62, of Ty Ty, died Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, at the home of her daughter.Graveside rites will be 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at Cobb Suncrest Memorial Gardens.Born April 21, 1946, in Colquitt County, she was the daughter of the late Woodrow Wilson Alvis and Evelyn Beverly Alvis. She was a retired chemistry and physics teacher at Worth County High School. She was of the Baptist faith.She was preceded in death by her husband, John LaFayette Mitchell Jr.; and one brother, Cecil Alvis.Surviving are one son, John Cecil Mitchell and wife Brandy of Ty Ty; one daughter, Sherri Mitchell Coarsey and husband Clark of Ty Ty; and two grandchildren, John Blaine Mitchell and Greta Suzanne Coarsey.The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at Cobb Funeral Chapel.Cobb Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.Please sign the online guest book at www.moultrieobserver.com.

And what a Sunday it was...lol

Wow. Amazing Sunday...not sure where to begin, but here goes...

My lower back was still sore somewhat this morning (slight injury in the gym Thurs morning; didn't hit me until Friday morning at 4am--and boy did it hurt). Got up about 5:30am, got ready slowly, and hit the road to pick up Chris at his house at 6:30 to go sing. Met Brian at the rideshare about 7:15 and hit I-95 towards Townsend.

Bill called while we were stopped for a biscuit in Richmond Hill and said the bus broke down in Ludowici; come get him. We got there, finished loading the equipment into the TV station van that his wife Virginia brought. She took Brian's truck back to Jesup; we went to the church and set up. We sang for about an hour (we were the service beginning at 11am) and then ate. We loaded up, headed back to Jesup and got Brian's truck and came home. I dropped Chris off a little before 5pm and got back to my house in about 10 min. After checking my email, I headed to church for the 6pm service and then stayed for choir practice.

I headed home...but stopped by Pojo's at Burkhalter & Hwy 80 for a little gas ($25 worth...only about 6 gallons...bleh). When I started to leave, there was NO response from my car. No lights, no nothing. No clicking from the battery. It was DEAD. I was going to get my jumper cables, but my trunk has no key hole, only the keyless remote. A gentleman and his wife stopped by in an F-150 with heavy-duty cables; no dice. I called Nancy. She brought her car and her cables. It took TWO sets of cables to get my car to fire. TWO sets. Incredible. Never seen that before.

I thanked everyone profusely (a little crowd had gathered to watch this sight) and Nancy & I headed to Wal-Mart. My car limped along. We went in, found a battery, checked out, and then attempted to put the thing in. We had to nearly take creation apart to get the old battery out and the new one in. lol I think we got everything put back. If not, watch out for flying parts/pieces if you're following me on the road.

We finally got back here to the house about 11:20 p.m. Quite a long ordeal, but definitely memorable. :-) And, I got a new battery out of the deal.

That was my Sunday. How was yours? ;-)

Act right / Christmas

Another great Sunday. :-) Good service this morning, especially the reminder to live your life so that people would know you are a Christian, and to get involved to make your church the best it can be for God's service. Paul spoke from Matt. 16 beginning at verse 15.

Christmas break plans are in: looks like a trip to Atlanta is in order with Nancy & the parents. We're going to see artifacts from Tut's tomb, the terracotta soldiers, and take in a Falcons game. :-) Should be a nice 'staycation' during the Christmas break.

Sure was nice to get a much-needed nap this afternoon, too. :-) Since choir practice has been moved to after church, I'm not sure what to do with myself during the afternoon. lol

Wild week

It's been a wild week around here. Out on Monday, four-day work week, football game moved to Thursday night just in case Tropical Storm Hanna came in, working late just about every night, had school Friday anyway, worked in my room today. Whew.

I did get about 11 hours sleep last night. But today was definitely positive with me getting lots of stuff done. I'm almost caught up. Just trying to take stock of everything, make sure things are done.

Short week next week, too, with parent conferences, day out Friday, but football game--our home opener--Friday night.

Tired. Full. Good. :-)

Terrific Sunday

Today was terrific. :-) I got to play for morning and evening services at Evergreen and we had the best time! The song service for the AM service and the 5th Sunday Night sing went extremely well and we had a blast. I just had fun being used to play. I even got to sight read several things tonight when people asked me to play for them.

It's good to visit and be at home with family and friends. :-)

Singing and driving

I had a very uneventful Sat morning. Got my car serviced (and bought a new right front tire) after sleeping about six hours last night. lol I got up, got busy and got on the road to Mom & Dad's. Since it is Labor Day weekend and we usually go to the Labor Day sing in Thomasville, I headed to Worth County.

Let me just say that everyone seemed to not be in a hurry...at least, they weren't driving as fast as me. For example, as I approached Rochelle on U.S. 280 westbound, there were two vehicles in front of me. As we approached the speed zone sign warning of 45 mph ahead, we were already going 40. As we neared the first 45 mph sign, we were going 30. I went around them. lol No sooner had I gotten back into my lane than a truck pulled out in front of me...yes, going 10-15 below the posted limit. This happened numerous times on the trip back today. I just had to laugh. Wouldn't do any good to get mad. :-)

I got here about 3:45-4 p.m. Sat afternoon and we got ready and left soon after. Good trip to Thomasville and enjoyed the sing. 'New Tradition' from Nashville, Ga., 'Dove Brothers Quartet' and 'McKameys' were there singing tonight and it was GREAT. :-) They didn't finish singing until nearly 11 p.m. and we definitely got our money's worth. We came back up U.S. 319 to Moultrie and then GA 133 to Mom & Dad's and got here about midnight.

Sunday is church, hopefully nap time that afternoon, and then the 5th Sunday Night sing at Evergreen tomorrow night. Mom suggested we might go get Granny Holt so she can come to the sing, too. We'll see.

Hope your Saturday was great--and that your favorite college team won! Georgia did beat Georgia Southern, but it was a 'respectable' loss, with Georgia winning 45-21.

I'm lovin' me some football season already! :-D

Great first game, but Rebels lose 16-14

Well, the first broadcast went off pretty much without a hitch and the first game was pretty darn exciting, so I can say definitively that football season is here! :-D

It was unbearably hot in Waynesboro in the press box at Burke County High, so we sweated through everything and were dripping sweat everywhere. But, we opened the windows, got some flow-through going and it was better.

The Rebels and Bears played fairly hard the first half, but it was pretty sloppy. The second half was dominated by the Rebels. We pulled to within 2 points (16-14) and the clock ran down to 3.2 seconds. We brought on Jackie Chen to kick a field goal, but it was blocked. Game over. Crowd goes nuts.

Join us on the road again next week (Sept 5) at Baxley (Appling County Pirates). If you can't be with us, listen online at www.THErebelradio.com.

:-)

Ahh...it's football season!

Ahh...it's football season again! :-) Seems like it'd never get here.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the NC State-South Carolina game tonight on ESPN, as well as all the highlights and such. Mmm. Just gets me in game-mode for tomorrow night as the Rebels travel to Burke County.

There's just something about high school and college athletes that makes football enjoyable. The all-out, hard-playing, excitement-filled guy giving the fans something to cheer about as he and his team try to put more points on the board than the other team does. It's just good stuff. Def fun to watch.

The Rebel Radio Crew hits the road tomorrow afternoon for our first internet broadcast. It will be different this year since we'll run our entire operation from wherever we are. Tailgate show, commercials, announcements, etc. Should be interesting to say the least. :-)

Your source for Effingham County Rebel football this year? www.THErebelradio.com :-) We'll see you online or on the road!

GO REBELS!

Eat your heart out NASCAR

Obviously, this afternoon was about tires. I was going to get my car serviced and I figured it was probably time for new tires--the guys said it probably would be. So I left ECHS a little after 4 and headed towards Statesboro to Nevil Tire. No sooner had I gotten off the phone with Mom when I rounded the curve at Hwy 119 and Mud Road and saw Teri McElveen.

Teri is Chris' wife (he's the baritone in the quartet). She had just pulled her van to the side of the road just past the curve and she flagged me down. I pulled quickly off the road, backed up to where she was and got out to assess the damage. She had blown a tire. Thankfully, she didn't lose control of the van going around that sharp curve.

She and her two girls were understandably shaken, but they were troopers. Teri had never changed a tire on that van, so we found out the necessary equipment, and I had the van jacked up and blown tire off in no time. We got the spare on and I followed her home. :) Needless to say, I'll have to get my car tires checked some other time...

CHANGES - My first period class is upset that I will be leaving them. A new teacher at our school will be picking them up as well as two other classes from another dept member. I will definitely miss seeing them and working with them on a daily basis.

This afternoon (after the tire incident), I bought gas for $3.48 at the Gate in Statesboro, grabbed din-din at Chick-fil-a, cut the grass, washed some clothes, and blogged. Even talked to the guy who is handling the football internet broadcasts throughout the season. Btw, you can listen to every Rebel Football game online at www.EffinghamCountyRebels.com. Tailgate show starts at 7pm; kickoff at 7:30pm:-)

Everything else is going swimmingly. Definitely enjoying things. ;-)

Lost my train of thought

I hate that. I was driving home this afternoon and had these grand plans for a blog--with a neat title I might add--but I can't remember what it was. lol. Too much other stuff to think about, coordinate, etc. Eh, whatever.

No changes yet for me. I thought the new social studies person would be here by now, but probably not before Sept. We'll see how that impacts me after all.

Looks like Powell & I will be broadcasting Rebel Football on the internet this fall. We had enough people come by and ask us if we would, especially since they were disappointed that there would be no radio this fall. We're excited about it again...road trips, esp. lol :-)

Tropical Storm Fay (maybe Hurricane before too long) looks to keep our weather interesting the next few days. Now that the path has shifted further south, we may not get as much rain, but Pat Prokop on WTOC was saying as much as 10" or more south of the Altamaha River. Yeah.

Well, anyway, I still haven't remembered my original post, so I'm going now. lol

62 years & memories

I had an opportunity to visit with Mr. Prentice and family Friday night at Banks Funeral Home in Sylvester at Mrs. Prentice's visitation. Bro. John spoke at the funeral on Sat morning and mentioned that they had been married 62 years. Mrs. Prentice was 82 when she passed away on 8/11. In her 82 years of life and their 62 years of marriage, she lived the life God wanted her to. She was the witness that her children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors needed to see.

I think the thing I most admire is their faithfulness together all these years. Regardless of where they moved to, she was always supportive and caring with whatever happened.

Bro John had Mrs. Marge's Bible and he held it up for us to see. He reminded us about the legacy we leave just in our Bibles. He had a chance to flip through and look at all her notes and marks in her Bible and he picked out a few things from Psalms 25 to read.

As Bro John said, their moving to Sylvester/Worth County was definitely a God thing. It was definitely my honor and privilege to know Mrs. Marge.

You're preaching your funeral now every day that you live. What will you be remembered for? What legacy/monuments are you leaving for people behind you to follow?

Boiled peanuts & oreos

The title? That's what I had to eat at the FFA meeting this afternoon. Satterfield invited everyone via intercom and the peanuts were huge! Definitely good. The Oreos and chips and sodas weren't bad either. lol

I have enjoyed the begining of school, but there are some changes afoot. Not sure exactly what will happen, but I could be smack-dab in the middle of those changes come Monday...I think. :-) More later on that.

Being on extended day teaching four Economics classes has been less stressful than I imagined. Still seems odd not having yearbook and newspaper (and broadcast) as part of my day anymore, but it's really ok. I am adjusting. ;-)

Definitely enjoying the changes lately. Seems like the more things change, the better things get. :-) More relaxation. Less stress (for now--lol). God's all over it.

Keep several families in prayer for the loss of loved ones. Several people I know have lost loved ones in the last few days. I'm going to visit with one family near Sylvester and pay my respects before singing Saturday. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers for these folks.

Hold on to your keys

Boy did it rain today and boy was it nice! :-) My right arm and right leg got soaking wet a couple of times holding the door open for my children since I don't have an awning. (Thankfully, things dried out during class, just in time to get wet again when classes changed.) Sure enough, they all came in saying, "you need an awning" to which I always reply, "I've been asking for one for 10 years. We've made it this long. You'll be fine."

One of my yearbook kiddies ran out of receipt books while selling on stage today. She asked to borrow my keys to go to the room, grab some receipt books, and run back. Big mistake on my part. When she came back the first time, she had grabbed the wrong stuff. She went back a second time and got the right books. I took my keys, shoved them in my pocket and went to class. By this time, it was POURING down rain. My little umbrella was hardly any shelter. I got to the door, pulled out my keys, and the room key was horribly bent--almost to the point of breaking off. Apparently the yearbook girl shoved the key in halfway and turned quickly (because it was raining obviously) and bent the key beyond recognition. I gingerly put the key in, used the lock to bend it back some, and then unlocked the door. Thankfully, I had an extra one made a couple of years ago so I'm ok on room keys. :-)

Moral of the story: do NOT allow people--especially students--to borrow your keys.
The rest of the day was great. Nothing too eventful. Yearbook/newspaper/broadcast meeting yesterday afternoon went really well. Had 15-20 people show up and several more that couldn't get there b/c of other meetings, etc.

More later!

Closing out the summer

I got to spend a little time tonight with two good friends who are about to part ways again, gearing up for another full year of college. It will be another year of growth and change and of new opportunities. It was neat again to sit and chat and catch up on a few things, while watching Olympic events and discuss those. It was kind of a last gathering of sorts for a while and it went by a little too fast.

One thing I have become all-too keen on lately is how fast moments are flying by. While talking to Nancy tonight, I realized tomorrow is Wednesday and that this week is almost gone.
Before I know it, Aug will be over and we'll be in the midst of fall sports and yearbook/newspaper stuff. :-)

Enjoy those times. Enjoy looking back on friendships and events. They are fleeting.

Three down and a cup of juice

Three school days down, 87 more to go this semester. lol Just kiddin'...I'm not already counting down the days; I'm just enjoying the time with my new kiddies so far.

The first few days of school have gone really well. It has been busy as usual, but it's a different kind of busy this year. Maybe it's having seniors in Economics. Maybe it's not having yearbook/newspaper as a class. Maybe it's just a different group of people. I'm not sure, but it's a good different this year.

The weekend was great. Spent some time with a friend in Atlanta and saw the World of Coke and Georgia Aquarium and had a GREAT meal at Ted's. Definitely a funtime along with meeting some new friends, too.

Today at church we observed the Lord's Supper. I was asked to play piano (short-notice) while the bread and juice were being distributed. Suffice it to say, the deacon distributing the juice didn't hand me mine; he waited for me to take it. I kept playing with my right hand and took the cup with my left. When it was time to drink the juice, I put most of it in my mouth and poured the rest on my shirt. lol Thankfully, the pastor's wife had a Tide pen that Nancy used to get the stain out. I washed the shirt when we got home and it appears to be ok. I guess the old adage is true: don't drink and play (piano). lol

Have a good week!

You always know

You always know when your phone will ring: when you're busy doing something. lol. Watching 'Stepbrothers' this afternoon, my phone rang no less than five times, with several missed calls, two voicemails, and a text or two. Phone had hardly rung all day...then during the movie, all that. It's like people have a sixth sense about it. LOL! :-)

Not to worry; all calls/voicemails/texts were returned in rapid succession. All is well.

The children return Wednesday to kick off 2008-09. Should be a good year. Already feels like it will be. Feels much different than other years. Not sure what is different about this one, but it's a good feeling. :-)

Continue to pray for me, ECHS, faculty & staff, students, etc. I appreciate it!

GO REBELS!

the night before school

Ok, so no nursery rhyme/rip off of some Christmas story...but nevertheless, it's the night before open house. For some reason or another, we started preplanning on Wed, open house on Sun afternoon, and class starts back on Wed. Definitely a little odd, but it is what it is.

It has been a busy week...lots of work in the building--very little in my room--and little sleep at night. But it was nice to go to bed early Thurs night (9pm) and get eight hours of sleep. :-) Probably the earliest I've been to bed in a long while.

I spent about eight hours working in the Holt bldg today trying to get it looking good for open house (2-5pm). If you're around, stop by and see me.

It's gonna be a good year. :-)

GO REBELS!

And so

And so the break ends and the work begins tomorrow.

I've been working the last few days to get my room ready. Encouraged/inspired by Seckinger & Drayton, I've been purging my classroom of things I haven't used in quite a while and don't need anymore. Looking at my class rosters for fall, I'm going to have at least 30-31 in all four classes, so I've got to make room for all those desks.

My Macon meeting on Monday (gotta love alliteration) was GREAT. The trip over and back was uneventful...just a few rain drops here and there.

Life in general is good. Changes abound as always, but you gotta roll with the punches. 2008-09 looks to be a different year, but a good one. This will be the first time in 10 years that I haven't had a journalism-type class.

As with everything there will be some adjustments/some getting used to, but it will be a good year. I'm hopefully optimistic and excited about the direction God is leading. I am eagerly awaiting everything He has in store.

Pray for me. Pray for ECHS. Pray for every teacher, staff member, administrator, and student. I realize that ECHS is not a perfect school, but it is a very special place with a lot of special folks. We endeavor to do the best we can with what we have. Invariably, some things will happen that we don't all necessarily agree with or we have to do things that may not be popular, but we try our best to provide the best possible education and haven for everyone.

I'm back in school mode! If you're headed back to ECHS on Aug 6, I'll see you (and talk to you via announcements) soon!

GO REBELS!

Checking in/catching up

Whew. This has been one of the busiest weeks in recent memory. Playing piano daily at 11am and 7:30pm for the Effingham Methodist Camp Meeting July 18-23 and monitoring senior pictures at ECHS July 21-25 (as well as singing twice with the quartet during that week) makes for Holtzy a tired boy. lol

Things went swimmingly during all those events. I had a really good time and I think everybody else did, too. :-) The only thing we need to work on: air conditioning! lol Of course, being outside under the tabernacle is extremely hot, but if you find a ceiling fan to sit under, it's all good.

I've got lots to do to get ready for Wednesday (when we start back to work officially) but plenty to do before then. So, I'd best get after it while I can. As some family member used to say, "Hurry up! You're burnin' daylight!" lol

TTYL.

Hello after Goodbye

Sad news today. WTOC-TV Anchor/Producer/Managing Editor Steven Shoob was killed today on I-95 near Hwy 21 while he was covering an accident. He was 58. Please pray for his family and the WTOC family.

The lyrics of the song below ("Hello after Goodbye" by Legacy Five) are a reminder to all of us.

"Hello after Goodbye"
by Legacy Five

Verse 1
We dress in black and we say goodbye, how our hearts break and, oh, how we cry
Yet through we grieve, we still have hope
'Cause for all hearts of faith, we trust and know

Chorus
There is a hello after goodbye, a blessed reunion, promised in time
We will be with them far longer than we were without
No doubt, no more tears in our eyes
In that beautiful, wonderful, hello after goodbye

Verse 2
Next time we see them, we'll never more know
The sorrow and pain of letting go
We're with them forever, life without end
In that most blessed sweet moment when

Chorus

Bridge
We will see them again, be with them again
Laugh and talk like before, sing and worship forever more

Chorus

ECHS changes/it's here

It's here. The end of the summer, the beginning of the new school year. I don't know where it all went, but it went by fast.

Already the changes are beginning to pile up. New bell schedule, new faculty & staff, new updates to the uniform policy, and I'm sure there are other things to mention, too. If you want to see the new bell schedules, just go to www.EffinghamCountyRebels.com and click on Students/Parents and then click on the 'Useful Links' on the left.

Senior pictures are July 21-25 at ECHS. Most everyone has gotten their appointment times, but a few haven't. If you're one of those few, show up at ECHS any of those days before 2pm. If you have any questions, just go to www.Leonards.com or call 1-800-874-0494.

See you soon!

End of the line

My summer vacation has somehow come to a close and I don't know how it flew by so fast. I would say I don't know where it went but that would be a lie. lol

Okinawa Japan, Alaska, singing, some work at ECHS, and relaxing. That's it. And now it's all gone. I had hoped to get some more rest in, but it hasn't happened. I had hoped to spend more time with family and friends--and I did do some of that--but nearly as much as I wanted.

A meeting or two this week, then campmeeting begins July 18-23. Senior pictures at ECHS start July 21-25. Vacation Bible School at my church is July 20-24. The quartet sings July 20. I go back to work July 30.

And so, it's over. For those of you with more time off, relish it. Enjoy it. It will be gone before you know it and then you'll have to wait like me for it to come back around.

I'm still not over my Alaska trip. I slept really, really late Saturday, took another nap this afternoon, and I need to go to bed. Just really tired. My body says it's time to catch up on sleep. lol. So, off I go.

Musings

Some random musings...

...If you're a Georgia resident, go VOTE on Tuesday, July 15! It's the Democratic and Republican Primaries going on. Some big things to decide before the Nov general election, so make your voice heard and go vote! If you're not registered to vote, why not? Better to have a say in the election and vote than to complain about things you're not willing to participate in.

...Brett Favre should stay retired. Brett, you just retired in March. You knew leaving Green Bay and the Packers and the NFL would be tough. Take a break, start a foundation, get into coaching college or high school or Arena, travel the world...something. Just don't mess up a good thing by going back to the NFL. You finished on a high note; don't ruin that.

...Perspective and focus are good things. Some of my friends have it; others don't. I think it's terribly important to constantly work on both because if you don't, you'll be spinning your wheels unnecessarily. Stay grounded in your faith, seek God's guidance, and shoot for the moon. Be willing and ready to go where He leads and don't ever try to fit Him in a box to do things the way you want. It just won't work.

...Growing and learning are lifelong processes. I'm working with several guys on a new project that examines these issues. It's really neat to see how some people change through a situation while others aren't. It's all about how you handle things and how willing you are to listen, observe your surroundings, and adapt.

More musings later...

The ole routine

Well, it's back to the old routine for sure today. lol

I slept for about three hours on the love seat yesterday, trying to keep my ankle elevated to reduce the swollen-ness. I'm ready for my left ankle to be normal again. I did go with Nancy to church yesterday afternoon and was pretty good on staying awake. There may have been a 'Baptist bob' or two (thanks for the phrase Missy lol) but I stayed awake.

After my usual 6-7 hours of sleep, it was back to the gym this morning. I intended to prop up my foot again today and then cut grass before it got too hot, but I got called in to ECHS to help with the graduation test review for social studies. One of my colleagues was under the weather and couldn't make it, so I helped Ms. Drayton and Mr. Hadwin. After working a little in my classroom this afternoon, I headed to the house. Going to a cook-out tonight, gym at 5am, probably back at ECHS tomorrow, then an outing tomorrow night.

It don't get much better than this. lol

Home from Alaska!

I'm home! I got back to the Holt House about 9:45am EDT on July 9. We landed in Sav about 8:30am and after going through the luggage and saying our goodbyes, I hit the road about 9am. Lots of cold a/c, texts, and 45 min later, I pulled in my garage. :-)

Already the clothes are washing, the suitcases are being unpacked, and I'm getting ready for a nap on the couch. lol. Church tonight!

Thanks, as always, for your prayers and thoughts as I and the entire mission team travel. Please continue to remember four of the ladies who stayed in Alaska for a cruise and remember Nathan and Stephanie as they fly from Atlanta to Fort Walton Beach for SuperWow.

I'm tired. lol

Back in Georgia!

We are back on the red clay of Georgia! Well, back in the friendly confines of the Atlanta Airport. We touched down about 5:40am EDT and we have made it over to our concourse for the Sav flight at 7:35am. Paul and I went and grabbed breakfast at Popeye's and here we sit checking email, watching the news, and people watching. lol It is AMAZING just how may people are going through this airport at this time of the morning (it's 6:25am now). Already the streets and highways of ATL were chock full of cars. Concourse B is no different.

This was probably one of the most enjoyable flights I've had in a long time. Definitely the hardest I have laughed in a long while. Thanks for that, Nate. lol Hopefully someone else on that Delta plane will have fun with that defective pillow.

I'll try to update you as soon as we get to Sav or as soon as I get home.

Back in Anchorage

We have arrived in Anchorage! It is 5:25 (9:25pm EDT) and we just finished eating a bite...Quiznos Subs. We have to leave this terminal and go to the north (older) terminal and go through security and such all over again.

Our flight from Kotz was uneventful and actually pretty smooth. Everyone continues to do well with the flying...even Kristy...although, she has been hanging on to Jamey a lot. lol

We are heading now to the restrooms and then down the hill to the terminal. And then we're on our way to Atlanta at 7pm. More later!

An electrician I am not

Monday is nearly over here in Kotzebue and us guys are worn completely out. We have been working steadily since 9am or so (with brief stops for lunch and supper) and it is now 10pm (2am EDT). We have been renovating and redoing the sanctuary. The exterior doors were removed and reframed several feet forward to allow for more room in the vestibule. Also, we rewired the lights in the sanctuary, moved the switches closer to the door, and added boxes for ceiling fans and four additional sanctuary lights.

The ladies helped with clean up, crafts with the kids, and games. They had 29 children show up today and they had a great time. Nathan has been helping with both areas, assisting with the wiring and such and helping with games in the afternoon.

I haven't been near my computer as much lately since we've been working virtually nonstop--and I've had many of the team members asking to borrow it to check their email and such. lol. First Baptist Kotzebue invested in a secure router and I have the password so that we can have internet on my laptop. It has definitely kept us from monopolizing Bro John's computer. :-)

We are preparing to pack up and clean up tonight. We fly out about 3pm on Tuesday (7pm EDT) and head toward Anchorage. We have much shorter layovers this time on our return trip. I will try to update as I can in the airports with internet. :-)

It has been a fun trip this time in Kotz. I can definitely say this is the most we have worked and done in the three trips I've been up here. We got a lot accomplished and got really tired in the process, but we had a great time. We pray that lives are changed as a result of the bucket and bag giveaways. We hope that we have been an encouragement to John Forrester and his wife Terri and son John Mark.

It was a great trip and if you feel called to travel as a summer missionary, do it! You'll be blessed because of it!

a day of rest

Sunday around Kotzebue was a nice, slow, easy day. We had breakfast this morning and Sunday School and then had usual church services at 11am and 7pm. Bro Paul preached this morning and Bro. George preached tonight. Both did exceptionally well. I played piano for both services...and even got to sing tonight. I also played for Ms. Minnie who sang in Inupiaq. They were both great services. I even got a nice long nap this afternoon in Bro John's house. :-)

Tonight we had a wild game supper after the pm service. We had moose, caribou, she fish, hallibut, and hamburgers for those not interested in the wild game. It was all really really good. :-) After eating, Bro John drove us around in the church van and we went and stood on a pack of snow and on the tundra. We took some really neat pix and I'll try to post those soon.

Right now it's 1:40am local time (5:40 am EDT) and most everyone is asleep now. There were a few of us who stayed up talking and sharing and just hanging out. Some of us were remarking about how neat it was that we were getting to know each other on a more personal, deeper level. That has been really nice. I've made many new friends and renewed old friendships while here in the northwest Arctic. It's been incredible to watch God work in our lives and in the lives of the people here in Kotzebue.

I'd better head to bed for now and get some rest. It will be a busy day tomorrow as finish up what we can before we head out on Tuesday.

Busy Saturday

It was a great but busy Saturday in Kotzebue yesterday! I was busy from sun-up to...well, later in the day since there is no sun-down. lol. We did electrical stuff all day yesterday and I helped Jamey and Paul in the installation of a new fuse box and running wire. I even helped strip and tie off some wires near the new entrance.

The ladies were busy yesterday visiting/touring the hospital and also working with the kids in crafts and games. They said they had 15-20 kids show up and they seemed to have a really good time. We got the new boxes installed in about six hours and we ran some more wires yesterday afternoon.

Last night, we played about a 2.5 hour epic game of Uno...and I actually won! We also had several people take the Arctic plunge...they ran out into the Kotzebue Sound and totally submerged themselves in the cold water. Pictures of that later.

We're getting ready for church now. It's 9:19am here now (1:19pm EDT) and I have been asked to play the piano for church and sing a special, so pray that I'll do my best. :-)

Great 4th of July

We had a great 4th of July in Kotzebue today! After our usual morning meeting/breakfast, we headed over to the fairgrounds to set up for the festivities. The buckets were trucked over yesterday and we finished bringing over tables and chairs and such. The parade started at 9:30am and went right by the church and they were throwing Reese's, KitKat, and other chocolate stuff. REALLY good and fun. :-)

We had a new team member join us today: Jennifer Hooks. She is a 21 year old Journalism major at Mississippi College. She is a summer missionary for 10 weeks here in Alaska and she's spending about a week of her time with us in Kotzebue. She's working on an article about us and what we're doing with FBC Kotzebue. It's been fun talking shop with her.

The parade was over rather quickly and we headed to the fairgrounds. I was stationed in the conex container handing out buckets while others helped with buckets, tied balloon animals, painted faces, or fixed and handed out sno-cones. We handed out 340 kids bags and 576 buckets in an hour and a half! The festival was well-attended...hundreds were there. I even got to eat a fried snickers bar and a fried reese's peanut butter cup. Both were great! They had been rolled in funnel cake batter and were really really good.

When we got back to the church we started doing more work around the sanctuary. I helped Jamey do some electrical work and we worked solid all afternoon. The ladies worked downstairs and then went to more festival stuff. The guys continued to work in the sanctuary after supper.

Tomorrow will be a big day. Jamey is turning off the power by 9am so that we can install two new panel boxes. At 2pm we will be hosting a crafts day for the kids and we will have games at 4pm. We will do crafts and games again on Monday.

Hope you had a great 4th wherever you were!

Buckets and bags and snores, oh my!

Last night was great and I ended up going to bed around 11pm and went right to sleep. Unfortunately, the snoring noises from my room (not from me--not that I know of) were too much and I woke up. I lay there in the bed for a while trying to go to sleep again. Didn't work. About 2:45 am I got up, got my air mattresses and moved out into the hall. I went sound to sleep...but woke up freezing! My feet were like ice. Everyone was laughing at me for being there, but I slept. I probably will be back there again tonight.

We spent most of the day filling buckets with Bibles, church info fliers, Christianity tracts, and the like. We also created bags for kiddies including coloring books, crayons, toys, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. Total for buckets: 576. Total for bags: 340. :-)

I have been driving the Ford truck that the church owns. I drove to the dump this afternoon to throw away some trash and construction debris with Christy & Jamie and Nathan. I also drove Nathan and Willene & Chris(tine) to the AC grocery store to get ice. We've spent the evening working on balloons and getting ready for tomorrow's 4th of July festivities. It's gonna be a BIG day.

I hope things find you well wherever you are! TTYL!

I found my travel case

So, you read in my previous blog that my bookbag zipper broke and my laptop came crashing down on the concrete right? Thankfully it is still ok and working great! :-) Thank the Lord for that!

Well, I found my travel case. You know, the one that went missing when I got to Okinawa. I said something about I hope the Japanese get more use out of it than I did, etc.? Well, I found it today in the oddest of places. It was in my Kotzebue bag. lol

Somehow or other in my haste to get packed for Okinawa, I put my travel case with toiletries in the bag already prepared for Kotzebue. Yeah, I felt really stupid when we were unpacking food and supplies this morning and found that little bag. lol Pretty big duh if you ask me.

I saw Chris McClendon's twin today. His name is Cameron and he's 15 living in Kotz. Turns out, his mom and dad moved up here about 2 years ago and they run the only Christian radio station in town (they play music like Air 1 in Savannah--so obviously he's cool). He's originally from San Diego and seems to enjoy Kotz. Very random, but a cool kid nonetheless. Spitting image of McClendon, though. :-)

It's 10:35pm Alaska time and 2:35am EDT so I'd better head to bed. Most everyone else has already gone there. I'm still up typing blogs and editing pix. lol. By the way, the remaining team members arrived by 7:30pm tonight and we've been catching them up on what they missed today. Tomorrow should be great!

Some here, some not

After walking around Anchorage last night and getting a short nap, we got up between 3:30 and 4am and headed to the airport. They were less than efficient this morning and some of our mission team did not make it on the flight. The flight from Anchorage to Kotzebue & Nome was overbooked and 72 people were crammed on that flight. Half the mission team stayed behind waiting on the 11am flight or the 5pm flight. Hopefully they will be here sooner than later.

For those of us that came on ahead, we arrived about 7:40am local time (11:40 EDT) and unloaded at the church. We lugged all that food and luggage downstairs and started unpacking. Bro Paul and I, along with Ronnie and Nathan will be downstairs in a room together. We set up our air mattresses and got sheets put on them. Now we're getting ready to start preparing the buckets for giveaway on the 4th of July.

We nearly had our first casualty of the trip this morning: my laptop. As we were loading the hotel shuttle to go back to the airport, I was taking my backpack off my shoulders to stow between the seats in the van. My zipper broke on my bag sending my laptop slamming to the concrete. Everybody was silent and just stared at me. I quietly picked it up, put it in my bag and we left. Fortunately for me, the laptop appears to be working normally. Other than a bent up corner and some additional scratches, all is well. The CD rom had popped out, but I haven't tried it yet. We shall see.

Everything is just like I remember it here. Same streets, same airport, same people. There are a few cosmetic changes to the church inside and we'll probably be doing some electrical work and hanging some sheetrock. Hard to believe, but it is Wednesday and we have to head out Tuesday afternoon! Time will be flying by for sure. By the way...temperature is about 55 degrees, overcast and rainy. I'll try to post some pictures soon.

Touchdown in Anchorage

L-R: Christy bends down and kisses the ground after landing. The group stands outside the Anchorage airport waiting on the hotel shuttle.

I was on THE BEST FLIGHT EVER today from Atlanta and Anchorage. The pilot flew a slightly different pattern so that we could fly over the mountains and the glaciers to watch all the beauty. He even tilted the plane back and forth and announced about all the beautiful things to see. AMAZING. :-)

We have gotten to the Microtel Inn in Anchorage just down the road from the airport. We're about to head to supper and then head back for a quick nap. We'll have to be at the airport by 4am so that we can check luggage and be on the 6am flight to Kotzebue.

We're four hours behind EDT now. It is 11:41pm EDT; now 7:41pm Alaska time. More updates soon! :-)

"Can't he fly straighter than that?!"

Clockwise, l-r: Jamie & Christy; Nikki; Holt; Stephanie Deal

LOL! That was the quote from Christy Garner as we were decending into ATL.

We are on the ground in Atlanta and will be here until 2pm EDT. It is currently 11:25am. We took off from Sav about 9:15 and had a quick trip. We have several people on our team that have never flown before and those of us who have flown were doing our best to comfort them. Most were ok. Christy was not. lol

The title of this blog was her quote as we were coming into ATL. I was hoping that she might be more at ease now having gotten her first-ever flight out of the way. Not so. She's already talking about renting a car and driving home. :-) She'll be fine--hopefully.

So, here we sit in Atlanta. We're on our way to Anchorage shortly...and then a TWELVE hour layover. We're planning to stay in a hotel in Anchorage and then fly to Kotzebue tomorrow morning about 6am.

**update 1:55pm** I added the four pix at the top. :-) Barbara Pabst and I walked and talked a little while and I got a Cinnabon & Mr. Pibb. WOW. That was good. lol I didn't need it, but it was really, really good.

More later!

T-minus 12 and counting

So we leave for Kotzebue, Alaska, in less than 12 hours. Hard to believe it's already July and we are headed off to the Arctic. This will be my third trip to the area in the last four years. This time, I'm the only one going from our original team back in 2005. Nancy H., Brian Mc, Ashley, and Shannon won't be able to go. But, this time we've got a whole new crew from Elam Egypt Baptist (and our association), so new memories will be made.

I hope to have this blog thing updated as often as I can with pictures and commentary and all that good stuff. :-) Definitely share this link with all your friends and anyone who might want to know.

I'll also be posting this same info on my myspace page (myspace.com/echsnewsman), so if you can't see myspace where you are, you can visit this page for updates.

I am just completing my amazing/big weekend. Friday night was Kessler's wedding rehearsal, Sat was the wedding and the Waycross sing (Clay marveled at how fast we were able to go from Guyton to Waycross...lol...thanks for keeping up. ;) ) After getting back late Sat night, we had a great sing Sun night near Harlem, just outside Augusta. Today (Mon) I had an advisory board meeting in Athens at the Journalism building and I got back here about 8:30pm tonight. lol

It's always something...always somewhere to go or something to do. :-) Thanks in advance for your prayers and thoughts as we head back to the Arctic. My cell will work briefly in Anchorage, but will not work in Kotzebue (no cell towers), so definitely email me or message me.

Talk to you soon!!