Departure day is near

Good morning! Just wanted to advise you that I (Cathy) will be leaving for Guantanamo Bay this Wednesday, October 1.  Fergus, our dog, will be accompanying me.  

I will be starting up a new blog soon just to record our stay in Cuba, so you will be sent the link to that when it is up and running.  I'll still "pop in" on this blog occasionally so please feel free to use it if you so desire.

I have also downloaded Skype on my laptop and we will be attempting to use that to talk to folks back in the states instead of trying to use the more expensive long distance (especially since Skype is free).

Hope all of you take care, and look forward to hearing from you at some point in time!

Hurricane Ike...

I'm so blessed to know that my father, Vince, is with the many suffering from Hurricane Ike. He is a man of prayer and following God's will for his life and that of his wife; he is sure to be an asset to a suffering community. The community will only be that much more blessed with Cathy's arrival! I'm so proud of you dad! What an honor it is to say.... "Yeah, my dad rode out that storm and is able to share God's glory in it all"! What a priveledge!

I've recently been able to attain a video that scientifically puts into perspective God's magnitude and majesty! I've never been more anxious to share a video and to get that video to Cuba! I pray Dad and Cathy are able to broadcast it to an enormous audience! I haven't been moved to this capacity in a long time! Shame on me.

I miss you dad... I wish I could pick up my phone and hear your strength at the other end. I love you and Cathy immensely and can't wait until we are reunited! May our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and bless every step he has ordained for your lives!

Miss you big,

Em

Update from Vince (via Cathy)

First of all, it was great to read your post, Julia, about your trip. (I get very excited when I see that someone besides me posts something!!) I would love to hear more details and see photos.

And, secondly, I feel terrible about the reunion being postponed -- while we don't want to miss it either, we hate for the rest of you to not get together. Believe me, our feelings will not be hurt if you decide that you want to all go to Glacier (or anywhere else).

And, last but not least, Vince finally was able to actually work on Tuesday, or more accurately, be trained for 9 hours straight without a break. The airport was closed soon after he arrived on Saturday due to the hurricane, and didn't re-open until Tuesday. From what he says, it sounds like Gitmo is really another world from all the rules and regulations he is encountering.

My understanding is that the only way you can get to Gitmo is if you have "area clearance" which is obtained by first submitting a copy of your passport info to the commanding officer there. Visitors (or non-residents) are allowed to come to Gitmo, after obtaining the area clearance -- we will have a two bedroom duplex, so we should be able to accommodate guests, and I believe there is also some type of guest housing available.

Vince is going to try to get to the library soon to use a computer and send some updates himself. We'll keep you all updated as things progress.

Oh, and how could anyone forget? Bye, Vince and Cathy. We miss you already, but want to hear all about living in Guantanamo . Can people visit there, or is it totally restricted?

JL

To All the Gang,

First of all, Sandy and I had a wonderful time on the cruise. I spent some time sitting in lectures, but otherwise we had a luxury- and adventure- packed 7 days. I've never been treated to such service before. Wow! So that's how the rich live.

We got to see some humpback whales, some bald eagles, and a coniferous rain forest. We bought stuff, and ate and ate and ate. Now I have to go on a diet for the rest of my life.

Of course, there are stories galore, and I won't go into great detail here. Sandy will no doubt want to contribute, too. She took all the photos, which relieved me of the effort, since I'm not such a good photographer.

One of the highlights was Butchart Gardens in Vancouver. I want to go back there again and spend a whole day. What an incredible place.

After checking with all the old geezers of the group, it has been decided that we will postpone the family reunion until 2010. Vince and Cathy will be in Guantanamo for the next year and ?.
A miracle could happen and Matt and Liu Ping could come back and be able to join us. Sandy and I are needing a little financial save-up time, and Russ and Karen will prolong an already planned vacation. So it seems beneficial to all, except the younger generation. I hope no one is terribly disappointed. Frankly, I just can't imagine having a reunion without V&C.

Anyway, that's all that's new for now.

Oh, there's one more bit. I must gloat about this. A recovery room nurse asked me to do her anesthesia. A recovery room nurse. They're the ones that see all the worst possibilities of post-op bad stuff. It just made my little heart glow. To be picked to do her anesthesia is like getting an Oscar. Thanks for tolerating my smugness.

Love,

JL, aka the B of T