1 March 2009 Update
Sun Mar 01, 09 9:44 pm
***Work***
It has been a while since I sent out an update. The primary reason I have not gotten something out sooner is that I have been pretty busy the last few weeks. I was in Ireland for 5 days and got back in the UK on a Sunday. I then went into a week of meetings on that Tuesday. Those meetings went through the weekend and finished the next week on Tuesday. I was in the office until Friday and left on holiday for 10 days. I got back two weeks ago and am now catching up with my life.
My trip to Ireland went really well. They are quite pleased with the results of my work and it is quite obvious to them that their effectiveness in ministry is drastically increased now that they have a properly working office network. It has been a rewarding time helping them get their IT situation sorted.
I was in pretty intensive meetings last month that were very wearying to my mental acumen. At the beginning of the meetings there were some pretty technical concepts to digest. I then had a few presentations and training sessions later on in the week which went over excellently. It was quite tiring since I generally was working 10-12 hour days and the meetings went through the weekend as well.
***Future Work***
In Africa at the beginning of this year a mission organization called Procristo merged with OM. This adds 130 new workers and 5 new African countries OM has not worked in before. I have been helping the area down there with some of their IT questions and they might have me travel down there to help with getting some of the IT infrastructure setup for these new countries. At the same time they might have me look at their Voice over IP telephone system. If I went it I think it would be for 2-3 weeks and I would be in Pretoria, South Africa. I would say the chances are pretty high right now that I will go although not definite.
I am also trying to sort out a trip to the OM UK office down near Wales, but have not heard anything back on that yet. The centralized Exchange service that I have been working on is still delayed for the finance to come through. I have been told that by the end of February or the first week of March we should be able to sign the contract.
***Skiing Holiday***
I was pretty tired after the constant travel and work by the time the meetings ended at the beginning of February. I had known this was going to be the case which is why I scheduled a bit of downtime for some time to relax on holiday. My downtime was a skiing trip to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. I was very close to the Eiger and actually did ski down the lower slopes of that famous mountain.
I went with a Christian holiday company who specialize in holidays for single young Christians. They did a really good job of making me feel welcome and included. I was able to go curling one night and they also had a Bible study each evening. It was a fantastic trip.
I have photos below. You can click on the photos to get a bigger picture if you like. For all the photos go here.
I met up with the other going on the trip at the London Victoria Coach terminal. We then drove to the coast where...
the coach drove down the heart of the Eurotunnel train
The coach eventually stopped. Here it is parked on the Eurotunnel train. I walked up and down the length of the train on the 30 minute trip to Calais, France. We drove through the night (I slept) and arrived at the hotel in Switzerland.
This was the view from my window at the hotel.
My first day of skiing the visibility was not brilliant. This was the taken at the top of one the lifts. Most of the week it snowed, but then visibility was poor because of that.
The views later in the week improved. At lunchtime I snapped a few photos of the scenery.
One of my first views of the Eiger
Two trains passing the in the snow. You will notice that the trains are cog driven because of the steepness and snow.
Snow blowing off the top of the Eiger
Skiing down from the Eiger
Me and friends I made on the trip with the Eiger in the background
Taking the train to Wegen to go curling
Curling. I would have taken more (and better) photos but my camera stopped working this particular evening for a short time period. 
I went to the Shilthorn mountain which was used in the filming of a James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In this photo you can see the cable car used to get to the top and the black diamond run used in the film.
The top of the famous black diamond run curves to the left.
They turned the building from the film into a revolving restaurant. Here I am with friends I made on the trip and the restaurant in the background.
My last day in Swizterland it was clear and I took a few panoramic photos.
Same thing, but not zoomed in as much.
Looking down the valley from my accommodation towards Interlaken
Looking up the valley towars the Shilthorn.
A group photo at the end of the trip back on English soil.
***Life in general***
I will be an uncle very soon. I have been informed by my brother that Melissa could give birth any time now. I am pretty excited about that.
My New Zealand housemate, Phil, left several months ago on furlough and while away he needed to get a new visa to return to the UK. He is still stuck down in New Zealand waiting for them to make a decision on his application. It has been 2 months now and he does not know when he will get a decision. There are three rooms in the house and I have been living alone (apart from being a B&B for people visiting the team) since Phil left. I am to get a third housemate, Mathias, from Germany on Saturday. We have met before and get along pretty well.
I have started playing sport again. My feet and ankles are pretty well healed and I want get out into the community more. What better way to do that then to do some exercise at the same time. So, last week I started playing Ultimate Frisbee with a group of non-Christians on a Tuesday evening. It went well and I am looking forward to getting to know the guys better each I time I go.
OM has also decided to reinterpret the legal situation regarding driving in the UK with my US drivers license. They have decided that I can only drive here for 1 year before I get a UK license. Since I have been here more than three years I have to go through the entire process of getting a UK driver’s license which is quite tough. The test is quite difficult and many people fail it 3-4 times including American’s who have driven for years. I am not really that bothered about not being able to drive right now since I don’t drive anywhere anyway, but I am beginning the process of getting a UK driver’s license for the odd occasion when I do need to drive.
***Logos Hope Sailing***
The Logos Hope has finally gone into ministry. Several years after it was supposed to be sailing it has finally sailed. Its first port of call was Gothenburg, Sweden. They are now in Holland and will be arriving in Edinburgh on April 1 (no joke.) I am really looking forward to seeing her now that she is in ministry. For a video of the departure from the harbour in Denmark into full-time ministry go here: http://www.omships.org/dashboard/
***Prayer Requests***
- Pass the driver’s license test
- Work as I juggle some of the work my housemate was doing before he left for New Zealand and my other tasks
- Other opportunities to get involved in the community
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