Re-Entering High School 101

I was unaware that going to SMAT meant entering high school all over again. Corey (who has also managed to drag me into it as well) is now re-learning algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, but that isn't what I'm talking about. Although I am a bit surprised at how little math we remember! We figured it has been about 15 years since we learned this stuff! But what I am talking about is the pranks that we used to all take part in (either by being the pranksters or the helpless unaware victim!) Well, it appears that the students of SMAT like to get into "wars" with one another. It occurs like two rival gangs colliding just by a few simple exchanges of almost unnoticable gestures. One minute you see one of the students minding their own business walking down the hallway in our apartment complex and then all of a sudden, you'll see (AND CLEARLY HEAR) a few guys jump out of their doors and hurl water balloons at this poor defenseless classmate. Another incident was a couple guys waiting at the window on the 2nd story staircase for another student to walk through the door below...poor guy didn't even see the 5-gallon trash can full of water coming his way! They also have gotten into random paintball fights in the parking lot of the apartments...I begin to wonder what the other tenants must think of our group of missionary misfits! Lastly, this happened a couple nights ago...one of the students who just graduated a couple weeks ago was known for his famous favorite hat that apparently he wore almost everyday. Well, I few of the guys decided to break into his house and "borrow" it. Turns out that they overnighted the hat to another recent graduate in their class who happened to live in Norway...yes, you read that correctly, the hat was shipped to Norway! The guys got their fair share of daily beatings from their newly naked-headed friend. Anyway, it appears that it is not safe for me to walk out of my apartment alone...I think I may invest in a can of mase or perhaps keep a water balloon or two in my pockets for protection...or retaliation if the need arises! So, I guess it's "Welcome back to high school Kirkwood family!"

School...Now In Session

School started a couple days ago for aviation maintenance. It has been very different to get back into a classroom setting. Many of the students just got out of high school or college but I just got done working for the last eleven years. Though I am not familiar with school, this school is very familiar with people like me. One of the FAA requirements for training aviation technicians, is that they learn (or relearn) basic arithmetic.
That's right, a class on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. At first, I admit, I thought it was kind of silly. As the math progressed in to fractions, square roots and many others, I realized that I forgot everything I learned in high school. Now we are in geometry and Monday we'll be in Trigonometry. It's been amazing to meet many of the students and see how God has arranged their lives to get here. Especially because they range from 18 to 55 years old!.
The group is very diverse. We have Alaskan Eskimos, a couple guys from Norway and England, farmers, mechanics (I'm in that category) and a whole batch of others. Right now I have two other classes: Electrical and Aviation Safety. It's going to be an exciting year.

Megan and Catelyn are doing great. Catelyn is talking a whole lot more and is meeting a bunch of new people. Megan is starting to get to know some of the students wives which has been very cool. Many of the students didn't move in until last minute so the opportunities haven't been as prominent until now. We are just very excited about where God has us right now.

The storms are pretty great here. Although I am not sure that it is normal for this time of year. Thus far, this month has gotten 8 inches of rain in a month that averages 3.75 inches. Lots of lightning and wind and hard rain. It is powerful to see wind bring in clouds like these and lighting flashing every few seconds. I can't help but think of Job 36:32 "He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark." If you keep reading, you'll see that He tells the clouds where to go and the wind where the to blow. God commands all that. The cool thing is, they don't argue or debate with Him as to where they will go. I hope we as a family can reflect that same submission to God and maybe our obedience will be as obvious to the lost world as the violent and not so violent storms that obey Him.

Cool Guy!!

Friday afternoon, the S.M.A.T. students graduated. I had planned on going to the graduation because I have gotten to know a couple of the guys and wanted to see them walk. I didn't have an invite in hand but I figured it would probably be o.k. Low and behold, I got the invitation one day before the graduation and as I read it, I was shocked to see that Steve Saint was speaking at the graduation. For those of you who are not aware, Seve's father Nate, along with four others, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCulley and Roger Youderian, were all speared to death in 1956. Their heart's desire was to reach this brutal tribe in Ecuador that was killing each other to near extinction and share the gospel with them. Out of fear of hell for the Woadani tribesmen, these five men, though armed, refused to shoot them which resulted in their deaths on a tiny sand bar just small enough to land a plane on. Though the loss was tragic, Nate Saints sister Rachael couldn't just sit around and sulk in her brothers death and do nothing. So just like every 1956 woman would do, she decided to go and live with the Woadani. Through her courage along with several others, the Woadani tribe, almost entirely, came to faith in Christ and eventually converted the tribesmen around them that were also practicing murderous lifestyles. Well, upon Rachael's death to cancer, Steve Saint was almost pushed into moving back to Ecuador and taking the place of his aunt. It was a blessing to hear his story. Most everything that I have typed up this point, he didn't talk much about. More than anything, his apeal to the students was that they would never take their eyes off the one thing that touches God's heart most on this earth. The people. He said, that his father died for the Woadani. Every night, his mother Marj Saint would pray for these people, even after the death of her husband and his aunt thought it necessary to pack up and move to one of the most hostile people groups Ecuador has ever known. In his eyes, as a little boy, his only option was to think that these were the most important people in the world.This is a valuable lesson. If we would sacrifice and pray for our neighbors, co-workers, Iraq and others, we would probably think they are pretty important people too. A shame that many don't even take the time to meet any of them. Nor do many even think their neighbors are important enough to do so, let alone pray that God would show them His grace and mercy. My appeal to you all that read this that love Christ, would just be an echo of Steve Saint's to the students. Please don't take your eyes off the importance of the people that God has placed in your lives. Don't live day to day, so involved in your job's and agenda's that the people who move the heart of God are neglected. Rather, "make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" Ephesians 5:16.

The Beginning of New Things

O.K. so it has now been a week and a half since our last post. We figured that since there was nothing to write about, we'd just lay low for a little while.......that was sarcasm.
So ten days ago, we packed up our moving truck with most all of our possessions and a day later, we moved to Grand Rapids Michigan. As mentioned in our last post, we have moved here so that we can begin missionary aviation training. I (C) got an opportunity to visit the school that I will be attending in just a couple weeks. Little did I know that the whole airport that the school is held at belongs to the school. It was very interesting to see the planes that we will be servicing during training, along with the various landing strips for the missionary pilots. Kind of made things real for me. Thankfully, we have gotten to know a few people. All of them have been very cool. It is so different when pretty much everybody you know is trying to become an overseas missionary.
That will soon change as we get plugged in to a local church and as we get to know people in the community. We did visit a church this weekend that we really liked. Though it was very different from what we have been used to, as far as worship style and size, it seemed as though they are making great efforts to do things Biblically. Many of you know, that is becoming more and more rare these days. We have settled in at our little apartment. We love it. God is good...and caring. We sold our house in Ohio which was 3400 sq ft, moved in with Megan's mom into a 1700 sq ft home, then moved into our little 825 sq ft apartment. We are interested in what our next residence will be like.
So, that is the most abridged version of an update I can give. Now that we have Internet, we'll be sure to do a better job posting.
-C-