LONG SILENCE OVER

So much has happened since we have been back in Houston after visiting friends and family in Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. We returned to living with Robert’s mother in Alvin, south of Houston and started the long, sometimes frustrating task of looking for Robert a job. Job searches certainly have changed since we’ve been away. What use to involve a paper resume a newspaper and a lot of knocking on doors has been reduced to the use of a computer. We found out that companies don’t want you showing up or sending in resumes but now must go online and fill out their own resume format. If we were lucky sometimes they would let you forward your resume electronically, but then still want you to spend time filling out on-line forms. To say that the internet connection in Alvin is slow is a painful understatement. One job application took as long as 12 hours for me to complete. After much frustration I started driving about 25 miles to a store called Panera’s which allowed you to use their free Wi-Fi service and have a nice meal at the same time. The result was a job for Robert at Vetco Gray, Inc in northwest Houston. Vetco Gray was just bought out by GE. Robert was hired as a top welder with good benefits and pay with the understanding that they are very interested in him being groomed as supervisor or in quality assurance. Robert works 10 hour days 6 days a week and prays for Sundays off. Because the drive to and from work would be 1.5 hours from Alvin, we moved to Magnolia where the drive is 30-45 minutes each way. It’s a great little town of 1111 people. About 800 of them go to our new church, First Baptist of Magnolia. The other 311 people go to other churches in the town - - you see we are in the south where everyone at least goes to church. I have joined the choir here and am looking forward to getting involved for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter celebrations. I am also looking for a place to serve within the church. There seems to be many opportunities. They have a food program, an outreach to single mothers and a Crisis Pregnancy agency all run from the church that interest me.

I am not working (this was me when I was working) as I have a few opportunities to do a little traveling through the end of the year to visit my niece in Virginia and I want to be available for that. We are also getting a brand new puppy tomorrow to help ease our Boxer’s separation anxiety from leaving grandma’s house and 3 dogs after 3 years and I want an opportunity to bond and housetrain her. My sister’s sister-in-law is flying out from Arizona with two little 8 week old yorkies. One for my sister Linda and one for me. Linda has already bought a doggie stroller so they can ride together as we wonder through the thousands of acres of flea markets in the state. Don’t you know the next letter will have pictures of the new member of the family.
Robert and I both miss being able to look out our window and see the ocean. Robert especially because he could literally spend hours staring at the fish around the ship. We have been to Galveston to get our ocean fix but now we are much further away I’m sure that won’t happen too often.
We have four children from the orphanage now enrolled and attending Ricks Institute in Liberia. The communication has been difficult and sketchy at best between us, the orphanage and the school. We were very fortunate that one of our best friends, Mark Elliot, still of Mercy Ship fame was recently able to make a business trip back into Liberia with Mercy Ships and went to the orphanage and spoke with the school officials to work out the finances as well as the testing and admittance of the students. Many of the older children were given an excellent opportunity to work for a local charity building homes for single mothers and their children as masons. They are also being housed on the grounds in a dormitory and paid. This was the best possible thing for these young people. I understand they will also be trained as electricians to add to their masonry skills. I did receive a call from Ricks Institute on the first day of school because the four kids that are attending school wanted to call the thank me. What a huge surprise that was.

Robert and I are slowly getting into the routine of being Americans once again. Transition back into this life will take much longer than expected. I suspect we will never be the same ever again as our world view has changed tremendously. We are more committed than ever before to truth, integrity and excellence in our private, public and working lives. It is time for God’s people to take a stand for what they believe in and accept no compromises. Stay close to God by staying close to His word, knowing Him and walking in obedience. God bless each and every one of you and REMEMBER – write us when you get a moment, we love to hear from you.
From that great state of Texas where the BBQ is ALWAYS smoked, EVERYTHING is always bigger, and we’ve been called maam and sir more times then we can shake a stick at we stay always your friends,

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Robert & Susan Blanchard
832-444-5586
18816 Red Adler Court
Magnolia TX 77355