Heads or Tails

Well the "invitation" for Mike to go to Afghanistan for 15 months came around--again. This time the probability was a little less in his favor considering there were only 2 candidates to choose from. It was between Mike and our friend Ericka--fellow Camp Pendleton Residency graduate. And since no one volunteered (duh), the future was decided by a coin toss... literally! There's no such thing as "winning" or "losing" when it comes to watching your friends go through the fire instead of you. But as a wise king once said:

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven...
(see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

After what seemed to Mike the longest airtime a quarter's ever had, Ericka was told that she would be deployed and that Mike would be the alternate. God has been merciful towards us once again. We are, however, coming to realize that if the deployment trend continues as it has been, we as a family need to be prepared for when (not if) Mike does finally get deployed.

It's not easy to be reminded that your husband is "Property of the U.S. Navy", but what a comfort to remember that the real Owner of all created things, all time and space, is the same God that gave Himself to save us from our sins and give us a life that could never compare to anything this world has to offer.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Get to Work!

We are at the end of week # 3 in Guam and I wanted to share with you the Navy side of things. Our primary objective (military talk) for coming to Guam is to fulfill my obligation to the Navy as a family physician. Without going into too much detail, this week marks the end of my first official work week...and boy it was a lesson in patience.

If there is one thing that the Navy teaches you, it's adaptability. I am told one thing ("take a few days off, get settled."), and then told another ("...oh someone called in sick, go ahead and start seeing patients."). Then the addendum ("...by the way, you don't have access to anyone's medical records yet...and you are on call this weekend."). And that sums up my less-than-ideal welcome to work. Hopefully I will get promoted from my current rank of "newbie".

As a new family physician serving in the United States Navy I am looking forward to exciting times. To say it in just one word, my goal here in Guam is growth. Growth as a husband, father, doctor, and Christian. I know the Lord has so much in store for me and my family.