Above: Chuck Egbert looking pained at my attempts at riveting.
Things I am bad at.
After much consideration, I could not think of a single thing that I am bad at. But in an effort to make a longer article, I asked my lovely wife, and she gleefully started writing on a notepad with such velocity, the paper smoked slightly. The list expanded until I was concerned that we would have a John 21:25b incident. So let me give the grim highlights; Me is bad at grammar, lion taming, fishing, buying fish at the store, standing up, marathon running, parking at a marathon gas station, and snowboarding.
electricity.
It appears I forgot how bad I was at snowboarding due to all the repeated high speed head trauma of said sport. When I was a younger and more gullible man, my friends convinced me that snowboarding was the bee’s knees of winter outdoor activities. Before that, the only outdoor winter activity that I did was licking metal poles with my tongue, and I figured snowboarding had to be better than that. After paying most of my meager paycheck to a fellow pimply teenager, I was escorted by my eager friends to the main event, a small hill with snow/ice on it. I thought, “How hard could this be really, it’s just standing while sliding down a hill, big deal.”
I resisted the overwhelming urge to lick the shiny metal of the ancient ski lift, mostly because I was scared spitless sitting on a swinging, creaky metal chair that was slowing leaving the breathable atmosphere. Soon we arrived at the tippy top of what now appeared to be the majestic Mt. Everest. My concerned friends saw how bad I was at standing up, decided quickly to abandoned me, and alone I struggled like a flipped turtle. Stubbornly I willed myself to stand upright long enough to get to the first trail I could find. I found myself on a green dot/double black diamond trail named something like “Gentle bone crusher”. Before leaving me, my kindhearted friends warned me not to “catch the edge” of the snowboard. Catching your edge while snowboarding leads to either a high-speed nose altering faceplant, or a high-speed reshaping of the back of your noggin. After a day of head reshaping, I returned to the winter activity I was good at, and licked the chair lift, in an act of surrender to the fact that I was no natural snowboarder.
One of the things I love most about being part of the talented team here at MMS, is the fact that we all have different and complementing strengths. Some are really talented at sheet metal, and others are talented at aircraft wiring. In fact, MMS recently rewarded me with the prestigious “most talented floor sweeper” award. After being here over a year, I realize more than ever that I have a lot to learn, but being constantly surrounded by caring, passionate, and seasoned professionals is the most productive form of education. If MMS taught snowboarding, I would be in the Olympics next year. Though it would be embarrassing to have my tongue stuck to the ski lift while televised.
Here is a quick update about the end of June, July, and the beginning of Aug.
Freddie said, “my tooth is loose”, and pop it came right out! Since then, he has lost a total of 3! How am I old enough to have children that are losing their baby teeth?
My current project in the hangar is the “Pilot’s for Christ” Piper Aztec. I overhauled an engine for this same organization a little while back for their other airplane. So far that engine hasn’t fallen off, so I consider that a success. This Piper Aztec is here for an annual inspection, and some wing repairs. I find myself doing a lot of fiberglass repairs on this bird, which is fun, but also extremely itchy. Soon it will be back up in the sky serving sick and handicap people throughout the USA.
Freddie and I went canoeing with a bunch of buddies overnight. I love these male bonding times but sharing a hammock with Freddie proved too bonding. Have any of you shared a hammock with a 5-year-old? It’s like trying to fall asleep in an out-of-control massage chair suspended in the air by two sketchy looking ropes. Fun was had by all!
Baby Watch: Maria is 35 weeks along and looking great, as always. She is feeling good, and keeps suggesting we exercise, which is a desire I was hoping would die as she expanded. The next newsletter will be unashamedly full of baby photos just FYI.
I was part of our church’s VBS drama team. I played a French detective called, “Detective No Clue”. Playing a confused and bumbling detective came surprisingly easy.
We are going to homeschool Freddie this year, so we decided to go to the “Great Homeschool Convention” in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have never seen that many full-sized vans converge on one location before. After finding parking amidst the migration of Econolines, we marched in with only two children, well below the average of nine. I was not expecting to enjoy the convention as much as I did. The workshops were fantastic, and we feel like we now have a slight grasp on what homeschooling will look like.
We have wild blackberries here, and Maria was determined to pick several gallons of them. After many tick encounters, and high consumption from the offspring, the harvest was meager, but still delicious.
Prayer request
Pray for Maria’s thyroid levels. They are low, so please pray for healing, and guidance. Pray for a smooth delivery. Maria makes childbirth look easy, but I trust it is still difficult. Pray for our baby’s safety as it enters the world. Pray for me as I start EMT classes Aug 25th. Pray also for Maria as she starts homeschooling Freddie.
Praise
Praise for how smoothly this pregnancy is going. Maria is always a baby growing champ, and so far, so good. Praise for the church family we have here in Ohio; we miss everyone at home, but connections here help to make Ohio feel like home.
With Gratitude,
Flyin' Bryan 
We pray for you all when you are brought to our minds! And for safe arrival of the new Martin! You all will be good at teaching your children how to write creative stories! Remember those homeschooling families of 9… started where you are at one time. They are just a tad older than you guys so don’t feel intimidated! Blessings to you all- the Zimmerman’s
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We are also looking forward to the new Martin grandbaby😍😍prayers for you both as you enter this next chapter of your life
Dad and mom Martin
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We continue to pray for you each Wednesday here at JAARS recruiting, as well as other times when the Lord brings you to mind. It is great to hear, too, that the pregnancy is going well. I am looking forward to hearing about the new Martin’s arrival some time this month.
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