Aloha!!

Jim's orders finally came yesterday.  We we're told "unofficially" on Monday that our first duty station would be Hawaii!!  The week seemed to just drag by since Chaplain Meeker told Jim the news while we waited for the "official word".   She told Jim that she was just waiting for his scroll from the Secretary of Defense to issue his official orders.  They came yesterday afternoon via email!!! And, it was Cody's (our son) 13th Birthday...he was jumping all around the house when Jim called to tell us.  He is (we are) to report on 26 April 2010,  25th Infantry Division, 2nd Striker Brigade Combat Team. This will of course be after Chaplain School is finished.

Our journey to this point in our lives has been long with many bumps in the road.  While we are very excited about this new chapter we are also humbled that God has called us to this ministry.  Hawaii, as most of you know was our first choice but we never thought we would get to go.  When Jim spoke to Chaplain Meeker a month or so ago she asked him what he thought about Ft Hood or Rucker.  Jim's response was that it really didn't matter to him and that he was just happy to be going back into the Army.  He did say that the warm climate of both places would be a plus for us since we've lived in the South for so long :)  He also told her that he was excited to serve wherever God wanted him. 

Yesterday morning I also received an email from our pastor regarding an ordination ceremony for Jim.  I had asked him last month if this would be possible since Jim was not ordained or endorsed by our church.  Pastor Steve told me then that he would like nothing better than to give Jim a proper send off. This is such an honor for our family.  This is where our journey began and Pastor Steve was a huge help to Jim when he began the process of gaining his degrees.  Pastor was his mentor for the first year of school.  His selflessness was very much appreciated by Jim.  Our pastor is a wonderful teacher and we will miss him and his family when we leave.

Pastor Steve suggested 2 dates that would work for the church and it was decided that the ceremony will be on January 2nd.  We are also going to try to plan a reception in the fellowship hall after the service.  We were doubly blessed yesterday.

So now the next step is to go have Jim take his oath of office.  Our plan was to visit our friends up at Ft Mead and do it there with them present.  Several of their kids have been very sick with what they think is the H1N1 flu. :(  We don't want to add any stress on them so our back up plan is to travel down to Ft Jackson to have it done.

Jim will leave on January 10th to report to Ft Jackson for CH-BOLC (Chaplain School).  In some ways it seems like it's really far away but I know it's going to come quickly.  From what we have been told the first 4 weeks of training are going to keep him pretty busy and we will not see him.  We are fortunate that we are only a short distance for Ft Jackson.  Some of the people that will be in school with Jim are coming from great distances so their families will not be close by. 

I have met one really great new friend in this process.  I actually found her through her blog website that I found on the US Army Chaplain website.  In her blog she had posted that her husband was going CH-BOLC in January and was hoping to get in touch with others going as well.  So, I emailed her and we have been chatting ever since.  (Hi Kari :) )......It is amazing how much we have in common!!  They will be stationed at Ft Hood in April.  It's probably a good thing we won't be together....this would be trouble!!  hahaha  Actually we were a little disapointed that we wouldn't be at the same place but as I told her, if I couldn't be at Ft Hood with her then Hawaii is the one place that I was ok with!!  LOL  I have always wanted to go there and have never had the opportunity so needless to say I'm ecstatic about it!!

We've been through so much these past 5 years and it hasn't always been easy.  God has always been there to pick us up, brush and off and push us forward.  I'm so grateful for this.  Our God is an AMAZING GOD!!  As we look back at these years we realize that it was all God's plan for us anyway.  I don't believe we would be where we are today had we not been made to endure these trials.

We pray that God will continue to mold us and refine us into what He wants us to be for His Glory!!