M & M in Minneapolis

We have gone and come back from M:MM. The orientation and evaluation was August 2-6 at their international office in Minneapolis, MN. It was a fantastic experience, and as we wait to hear back from them about our acceptance, we are praying that God will give us a clear understanding of what He wants us to do. Thank you all who supported us financially and in prayer. We are honored that you believe in us and pray you will continue to share in our future now and down the road. To hear about our trip, go to our Newsletter. You can check out M:MM’s website at www.movingmountains.org

I have just finished my first hardwood instrument; an Irish whistle out of tiger maple. Turning on the lathe has taken me awhile to master. Turning a work at 3,000 rpm, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is staying out of the “line of fire.” The line of fire is anywhere directly in front of the work – sawdust and woodchips come off the wood at a high velocity, making a face shield essential. Occasionally, if the work isn’t secured well, the whole piece of wood can come flying off.

Ironically, I’ve learned a similar lesson with Araella. Although she’s a girl, staying out of the line of fire while changing diapers has become second nature. To date she has managed to projectile poop a good 8 feet across the room. Fortunately she was on Tara’s watch on those occasions and I got to learn from her experience.
Araella continues to grow; she’s 23.5 inches, and going into her 3-6 month clothes. In addition to mastering projectile pooping, she’s learning to hold up her head and smile and now beginning to babble.

Home Depot has moved me into the window’s and doors section and I’m becoming a millworks specialist. I go into training the middle of July for two weeks. I’ve picked up a 50 cent raise which has added a few dollars to my paycheck which is nice. I’ve made some friends there, one of whom introduced my to a fantastic technology for third world development. The other of whom invited Tara and I out for the 4th and is going to have me over sometime to ride horses. Any of you who know me well, know my absolute love for horses, and I’ve had little opportunity to ride since I sold my horse and left PNG in 1995. So I’m very excited.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Greg Brohman, if you are out there and reading this! You are not forgotten.