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!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
And so
Saturday, July 26, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, July 21, 2008
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
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
Friday, July 18, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
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...
...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...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, July 7, 2008
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!
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.
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.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
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. :-)
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. :-)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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!
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.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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.
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!
More later!
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