11 April 2006 Update
Thu Feb 14, 08 7:19 am
I have been rather long in sending out an update so this might be little long so that I can get everything in it that has happened over the last few weeks. I have been spending a lot of time working, reading for pleasure, at church, walking, and working on German. Those activities have been taking all my time. My German is slowly improving. I am definitely not conversational, but it is getting better.
*Work*
I am letting work take a lot of my time. I really am enjoying my work and I always have plenty to work on. My project plan I created has been helpful for me to keep myself going. I often get to caught up in the details, testing everything as I go, and try to make everything perfect the first time. The project time line forces me to keep focused on the end product and less on the details. This allows me to accomplish more work because the testing/perfection can be done at the right phase in the development process and make the project more time/resource efficient.
I have made brilliant progress on configuring a software issuance solution called wpkg (OSS). According to feedback I have received from OM IT administrators around the world I now have most all software normally used by OM automated for installation. This will allow a computer to be more effectively managed. A software issuance solution allows software to be installed on computers from a central server without needing to visit each computer. As the numbers of computers in an office increase, the administrative load increases exponentially for updating software, reinstalling the operating system on a computer, installing new software on a computer, making other changes on computers. So a software issuance solution solves this problem and at the same time creates a standard configuration, look, and setup on all computers.
I have also been working a solution for stand alone computers so that they can receive updated software as well, but via a CD. Many times an end user realizes they need to update their software, but they do not know where to get it, what to install, how to install it, and/or are unable to acquire the update. This fear leads them to never update. If a computer is fully updated with all recommended software and updated software a missionary is more effective in their work, has less reason to worry about security vulnerabilities, and peace of mind that they can easily reinstall the software in the exact same way as before if their computer were to crash, become infected by viruses, or unusable.
The solution I created is a CD with 30+ software applications that are completely automated. The user sticks the CD in his computer, it auto runs a little program that asks which software do you want to install, you check boxes for what software you want, and then click Install. >From there on out the process is completely silent for the end user. They wait as the status bar scrolls across the screen until all the software is complete. It is truly brilliant.
*Moving??*
I know you are all probably wondering when I will be moving. I am wondering myself as well. First off I want to clarify that I will not be moving to a new town. When/if I move it would only be across town so that I would be closer to the new offices which are also across town. OM is close to buying the new offices. Bureaucracy is just as bad here as it is in America and the lawyers are working on getting the final wording correct in the lease agreement. Please be praying that all the paperwork will be finalized and signed soon.
*Easter*
There was an early morning ecumenical service in Carlisle's cemetery. I arrived a little late and missed most of it be the final few words and songs. I then had a nice Easter lunch with families from my church. I spoke with my family in the late afternoon and relaxed. The Monday after Easter and Good Friday are national holidays in England so I also had them off and used them for relaxing.
*Walking*
The Saturday before Easter I went on 9 mile walk with 4 others from the office. We climbed to the highest spot in England (Scafell Pike) with a total elevation gain of 3600 feet. On the way up we went through an ever changing scenery of rolling hills with gills, becks, waterfalls, and placid tarns into a more rugged scene of dark grey rocks, cliffs and a steep, narrow windy trail. The trail eventually became all snow and we used cairns and the tracks of past walkers to know where the trail led. At the top of the peak we were overwhelmed with brilliant panoramic views of the entire Lake District to the south and east, the Irish Sea on the west and on the North we could see all the way across the Solway Firth into Scotland. We were also greeted by roughly 200 other people at the peak (we passed many others going up or down) who decided that it was a good day to go to Scafell Pike as well. As we departed the summit we skied down the side of the mountain using our shoes as skis due to the steep and slippery nature of the snow on the trail. At one point we got out a bin liner and went sledging (sledding).
Two weekends ago I went on a more sedate walk along the shore of Ulswater with 5 others from the office. We went down the lake for 30 minutes on a 117 year old steamer to begin our walk. From the dock we then walked through scenery that inspired Wordsworth to write his most famous poem , "The Daffodils", which I will put in another blog entry. The lambs were just born and it reminded me of Psalms 114 because they were skipping about in pure innocence and joy.
We even took the opportunity during the walk to lie down along the lakeside, soak in God's beauty and nap for a half hour.
*Back in America*
I have booked my flights and will be arriving in America on 2/6. I am completely free the week of 4 June - 8 June and would like to see as many people as possible. Please contact me if you would like to get together for tea and biscuits, lunch, or just a chat. I would love to talk, show pictures, and especially hear what is going on in your lives.
*Prayer Requests*
1. Work will be quite hectic over the next few weeks. At the meetings in Indiana I will be presenting my research and solutions that I have been developing. To do this properly I have a lot of work to prepare the information and create presentations. Some of the solutions I will present are still be developed so there is lot to somewhat wrap up before the meetings.
2. That all the paperwork and bureaucracy will be smoothed for our office to move. It is already getting warm in the office with air conditioning. It will only get worse as the summer progresses.
3. I have been considering extending my time here in Carlisle. As part of that decision I am beginning the process of discovering if I can extend my visa. Please pray that if God would have me to stay longer that I will not have massive difficulty. I currently see the process to be quite difficult to get my visa extended. The work I am doing will not be satisfactorily finished by November when my visa runs out. I have realized this for some months and have been wrestling with this question in prayer. I am taking this step to help me make the decision.
Thank you all for your prayers and letters. It is great to receive an email or letter saying you are praying. I see answers to my prayer requests in so many practical ways.
Trackback URL: http://www.homeschoolalumni.org/trackback.php?e=17447