Prayer Request

Please remember Leigh in your prayers. She has had a time with her asthma the last three days. We suspect it is a mold problem in the house (mold is a big problem here on the central coast of California). She is particulary allergic to it, and it creates respiratory distress. And pray for me, as I go to the housing office for a solution. They may be able to fix our problem, move us to another house, or we will have to move off base (which we don't want to do). We are trusting the Lord for wisdom and His provision. Thanks for your prayers!

He Came Back . . . In a Way

Leigh, the girls and I rode down to Santa Barbara for lunch today on news that the USS Ronald Reagan was anchored in the harbor. You may or may not know that we are huge Reagophiles and generally refer to him in hushed tones around the house as Ronaldo Magnus. Apparently I am not alone, since a CNN poll found him to be the top rated president in our history, even in front of Honest Abe and JFK. Anywho, it was an awesome sight to see--a ship almost as long as the Empire State Building is high! And to know that it was named after an incredible leader and gentleman. I understand several sailors from the Reagan were even given a tour of the Reagan Ranch in Goleta. We're working a similar tour for our missile students, but more of an ethics retreat. I came in the Air Force the first time (1983) on the sheer enthusiasm Reagan inspired for America. Man, we miss him.

Hall of Famers: the Bright Spots of Space-A Travel

I don't want to give the impression that just because of a door flying open on takeoff that we were totally bummed by the Space-A travel experience. We were too numb with fear to be totally bummed (just kidding). Actually, the people surrounding the whole program were uncommonly helpful. Dottie, who works at the PAX at Travis, took us under her wing and gave us personal attention, even before we made the trip to Fairfield. She was working the flights diligently for us. And without exception, every member of the PAX team was cordial and helpful, which is nice at 0200 when y0u and the kiddies are walking around the terminal eating stale ice cream bars from the vending area. And let me tell you about my encounter with a "Marino." Friends and family know I am a rabid Miami Dolphins fan, so I took it as a good sign when I was jogging from long-term parking back to the PAX (1.7 miles!) at 0230 that a MSgt MARINO pulled up and gave me a lift. I took that as a real good sign (until the door thing). Also, the folks at lodging blessed us with a TLF room, in the middle of PCS season no less. In other words, we are very impressed with the people at Travis AFB. Its the C-5 doors and low-energy loadmasters that chafed us. Stay tuned, if you can stand any more of this . . . .

Space-AAAUUGGHH!

Well, we're back . . . after 7,000 miles with three chatty little girls in tow. Wow, don't I feel refreshed! Sure sorry I couldn't give an imbedded account of life in the military's Space Available travel system, but I was having computer problems and some fairly significant emotional trauma. Stay tuned over the next few daysand I'll try to give you a glimpse of this adventure on the installment plan.
EPISODE #1: In-flight Emergency! What would have shut down a normal airliner didn't make the loadmasters on our C-5 cargo plane even blink. Either they are incredibly cool professionals under fire or they are not sufficiently informed as to the dangers of open doors on cargo jets during take-off. About 10 seconds after the pilot gives it full throttle, and we are speeding down the pre-dawn runway at Travis AFB at what I would estimate to be 100 mph, the right emergency exit door flies open. That's rightfolks, I said OPEN--wide open! I was only one row back, and I could see runway and everything. I'm just a chaplain, so what do I know? Still, that didn't look right to me. Aren't all of the doors supposed to be closed when you are taking off? (See, I did learn something during my time as chaplain of the 305th OG at McGuire!) My first reaction to the fresh C-5 exhaust in my face was, "Hey, I've been awake for about 24 hours trying to negotiate a ride on this bird, so I'm probably just having the beginnings of a really bad dream." The fog of morning (0530 at that time), the scream of the jet engines (which are loud enough without the door open), made it seem like it was all happening in a surreal slow-motion. That thought didn't last long, because my second reaction was to scream like a girl (my best command voice at the time). In a second, I shot up and began yelling at the head loadmaster, who was reading the paper, "ABORT! ABORT THE TAKE-OFF!" (something else I picked up from my AMC days). Of course, he couldn't hear me, nor could he see the problem. So I screamed with my best preacher voice, "ABORT-THE- TAKE-OFF--THE DOOR IS OPEN! PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD!" (OK, I didn't actually say that last part, but I sure was thinking it). So he trots up the aisle (with a speed nowhere near commensurate with my fear) looks at the door, picks it up and resets it in place. And here's the kicker--he then returns to his seat without a word and picks up his newspaper finding the spot where he left off! Leigh, sitting three rows back, leans forward with the understatement of the morning, "Should I be worried?" "No dear," I said, my voice squeaking only a little this time. My mind was racing. Just before take-off, I had made Sarah and Rachel sit behind me. Didn't really think about it, I just did it. Now I know why. You could say a sovereign God made the first of His many inteventions on this trip. Later in the flight, I called the junior loadmaster aside and asked if he had ever seen anything like that before. He said no, and neither had the MSgt (who apparently had kept his newspaper from blowing out the door). I couldn't decide if that was good or bad, so I kept my eye on that little yellow handle that latched the emergency door . . . for the rest of the flight. First impressions are lasting impressions, they say. Thus went our first impression of Space-A, or as we now call it, "Space-AAAUUUGGHH!!!"
Stay tuned for our next exciting travelogue episode!