Back Online!

You don't realize how much you use the internet until you don't have it. It's especially tough to be in a new town and not be able to look up businesses or get directions...I actually used a phonebook for a few days and felt like I'd gone back to the dark ages. As I'm sure you know, I've moved to Pensacola, FL since my last post. I was able to spend a few days up in MD visiting family before heading back down to VA to spend my final days with Lizzy and all of my friends in the area. Luckily Lizzy hadn't started school yet and we were able to spend my final four days together (as I'm sure you've already read in her blog). On my way down to Florida I stopped halfway to visit my cousin and her family in Augusta, Georgia. I hadn't seen my cousin(Madelaine) since she was a little baby. She's at the age where she's starting to talk and it was fun to spend some time playing with her. Apparently nothing has changed since I was a kid because Curious George is still a big hit. I left Augusta after spending a night there and drove to Pensacola and got the keys to my new apartment (pictures to follow if I ever get it presentable). I spent the weekend in a hotel since I didn't have my furniture yet. I spent a few days driving aimlessly around town to familiarize myself with the local sights before reporting to flight school on Monday. I expected my reporting-in day to be fairly short, little did I know that my captain would spend 6 hours telling us about all the ways we could get kicked out of flight school! The last few days have been spent organizing my new home and dealing with the mountains of paperwork that the Navy has kindly given me as a welcome present.
It's been tough to leave all of my friends and a church that I love, but God has kindly provided me with numerous friends here already. There's a very active Officer's Christian Fellowship (OCF) that meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and that has provided me with fellowship and encouragement. I also attended a church (Grace Community Church) that I think will be a good stand-in for Sovereign Grace as I'm away. Lizzy and I have been able to talk everyday since I've been gone and I've gotten off a few letters for her to put in the letterbox and we are both hoping that I'll be able to make it back up to Chesapeake soon! However, I've already been told that I would be attending a class starting next Wednesday, only to be told the two days later that it was canceled, only to be told the next day that the class was back on, only to be held in limbo by my flight physical. I went to my flight physical this morning (at 0630) and was told that I would have to come back next Thursday to complete it since I was old and decrepit (old is apparently anyone over the age of 25) and would need a full physical. They're awaiting the lab results on my bloodwork and I'd appreciate your prayers that all would go well when I meet with the flight surgeon next week (just to clarify, nothing is wrong that I know of, but they're good at finding some condition that you didn't know of. One guy was disqualified because he had "dry hands." When he asked the flight surgeon if he could just use a moisturizer, the surgeon said, "that would only make it worse." The Navy is crazy like that!).
Well, I'm off to the beach with some of my friends to watch the surf (20-23' waves because of Ike), thanks for all of your prayers and support, I've really felt a lot of peace about the move and next phase of life and am excited about the new opportunities that have been opened to me!

P.S. I miss Lizzy!