A visit home.

A word from Steven,

I left Bolivia April 27 for a visit home. I had been in Bolivia for just short of two years. A visit to my family was overdue. The first thing we did was go camping on Sapelo Island, then I spent some time at home building immunity to North American strains of the common cold. Having a hacking cough was the main motivating factor in the decision to blast my birthday cake candles out.

The campsite on Sapelo Island is in a Live Oak forest on the back side of the sand dunes.

More of the campsite.

One morning the sun rose over the Atlantic to a cloudy day.

Birds flocking at one end of the island.

The next day the sun rose to a clear day.

And the sun set the Atlantic on fire.

My imediate family in May of 2011 from right to left; my dad, mom, older brother Jeremy, sister-in-law Rochelle. my self, and younger brother David. This was the first time we had all seen each other since September of 2009.

Later we had a picnic with friends and family beside the Etowah River below the Allatoon Dam. It was great to see family and friends. I walked up a trail over the dam to the top of a hill that overlooked the lake.

My dad and my uncle Marvin.

We had a picnic alongside the Etowah River. Right to left is my mom,  David, aunt Judy, Grandma Anderson, and Jeremy.

Jeremy and David were discussing how you can see things under the water with a polarized lens.

Right to left, my grandma Anderson, Jeremy, Rochelle, and my uncle Marvin's girlfriend Carrie.

David caught in the act of something.

Right to left, dad,  and friends from church Tony, Anthony, Lugina.

I hiked above the Allatoona Dam.

I hiked up to a hill overlooking Lake Allatoona.

The Etowah River.

My parents took me and showed me the shelter where we are going to have a reception after we return to Georgia from our honey moon. Helen and I are getting married in Dawson Creek BC and most of my family are not able to travel such a long distance.

The shelter at Pickett's Mill where we will have a reception when we return to Georgia after we are married.

The fireplace inside the shelter.

The inside of the shelter.

Thats a mischievous grin. I went target shooting with Dad, Jeremy, and David.

I spent some time helping Jeff and DJ on the annual inspection of the Aerostar at the Collegedale Airport. We spent a large amount of time removing equipment from the plane that was unused. This allowed us to remove a fair bit of wireing and make things less cluttered. Below are some pictures of some of the locations from where equipment was removed.

The belly and rear cabin bulkhead in the Aerostar.

More open belly and wire bundle under the instrument panel.

One of the boxes of removed equipment.

The wingtips that were going to be added to the wings. The savage guys just chopped the wings off of an earostar.

One of the times as I was driving between Collegdale and Kennesaw I stopped my Georgia Cumberland Academy and said hi to Doug Nesmith the boys dean at the school.

Georgia Cumberland Academy. I spent four years here.

GCA.

The props going back on the Aerostar.

The de-de-iced props.

These props are a bugger to safety. I spent some time on one prop, and Jeff and some other guy stayed up till midnight finishing the safety wire job.

Carmen Adventist School, I spent six years here.

The Marietta Adventist Church and Carmen Adventist School. This is the location of many past games of hide and seek.

Marietta Adventist Church, thank you guys for all your prayers and support.

Kennesaw Mountain as seen from our church.

This is on the top of Kennesaw Mountain National battle field.

This is looking at the town of Kennesaw.

Lake Acworth

I did take the camera off the paddle to paddle.

Dad sailing the sailboard.

The chaise boat in case we could not sail upwind.

Trying my hand at the sailboard, there was hardly enough wind to tack upwind.

The Wilson home, the white fluffy cat is named Cumulus Cloud. We call it CC.

The visit ended short. I left June 15 with David and Becky Gates bound for Bolivia. Along the way I would get to see some more of the work that is being done in other places. 

Miracle #? ahhh.... I've Lost Count!

A word from Steven,

      Some are wondering why Helen Ross is so glad that I'm OK. Well, yesterday night I was burning some trash from the kitchen without looking at what was in the trash. While I was tossing some trash into the burn bucket a can of bug spray that somebody tossed in there blew up in my face.
      The blast hit full force in my open eyes and I fell to the ground unable to see. My heart stopped as I thought that I would never see Helen smile again, and that I would not marry her as a blind man. Herman, Scott, and Scott's wife Min came running over. They helped me over to sink where I began to see again as debris was washed out of my eyes.
      Well today I passed a Bolivian aviation medical exam. The eye doctor said that my eyes had some scratches and were a little infected, but I can see as well as last year. It is only a miracle that none of the shrapnel or burning molten plastic was blown into my eyes or face. My face was directly over the bucket. Praise the Lord! I can still serve Him. Thank you, those who pray.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

A word from Steven,

Helen and I wear matching engagement rings. I was going to make them, but I guess I was a little to slow and Helen made them. The symbolize that we have promised ourselves to each other. The rings not only symbolize that we are engaged, but there is meaning behind the design of the rings.

This is a flower that I picked for Helen, notice my ring.

The rings are made out of stainless steel aircraft safety wire. Safety wire is used on aircraft to tie bolts, nuts, screws, and other parts together. Safety wire is used to tie parts together so that they will not come apart. It guarantees with out any doubt that the parts will not come apart. Safety wire is made out of stainless steel so that it will not rust. Stainless steel wire also work hardens when it is bent. That is that the metal becomes stiffer when it is bent. Since the wire gets harder when the wire is bent, it is nearly impossible to unbend the wire back strait to the way it was before it was bent. This means in order to twist the wire how it needs to be it has to be done correctly the first time. This means that if the wire is untwisted, then it will never be able to be twisted as beautifully with another wire.

Notice the safety wire tying two blots together. The bolts are tied together in a way that they can not start loosening. These bolts mount the propeller in the crankshaft of an engine on an airplane. The safety wire prevents the propeller from coming apart from the engine as the propeller is pulling the airplane through the air.

 "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 If you look closely you can see that the rings are made of three pairs of wire woven together. The thing that will make marriage a taste of heaven on earth is the abiding presence of the love of Jesus. As people we both have a selfish nature, so in order for there to be love in marriage Jesus has to be the third person.

This is the first time that Helen held a starfish, notice her matching ring.

Bolivia 2009-2010 Some pictures of where Steven was.

These picture are a sample of where I was and what I was doing during 2009 and 2010. I will add captions later. I just wanted to upload pictures while I was still were there was fast internet.

A Word From Helen

Hello!
    I guess it is time I start to learn how to use this blog! I want to give you an idea of where I am and what I am doing at the moment. Currently I am in Norway teaching at the Matteson Institute of World Mission. You can visit the school's page here:  http://www.matteson.no/    I teach Organic Gardening (really playing in dirt), and am in charge of the practical work training (teaching people practical skills and then enjoying their help).

     Right now we are nearing the end of the school year. Graduation is June 19, and the students will then be going on a three week long mission trip to north Norway. It is a great way to end the school year. I will be staying to take care of the greenhouse and gardens.
      So what exactly does teaching gardening entail? Well, here at the Matteson School we do not just view the garden as a place to grow food, although having our own organic food is definitely a blessing, but it is a classroom where we meet with, and learn about, God. Honestly I don't know all that much, but I know that God does, and it is my job to put the

students where they can hear and see Him.  God works miracles every year, above and beyond just making things grow, and reveals some of His character and care. 

     Take for example last week. We have had problems with beetles eating the cabbage and turnip family. I thought that it was mostly the little plants they liked the most, the two first leaves that come up, so we started the turnips inside the greenhouse to protect them through the first part of their life. Kevin and Hugo transplanted them really nicely, and watered them well. All looked good. A few days later a student came and told me that there had been a war in the turnip row. The leaves were full of holes, as if a machine gun had blasted them. The beetles had attacked and were trying to make up for lost time. The plants looked bad. We started to pray, and I tried putting coffee grounds around them to scare away the beetles by the smell. It helped, but it wasn't going to be enough. It was up to God. Within a day it started to rain, and it was cool and wet for several days. The beetles don't like such conditions and went into hiding. The plants didn't mind the rain and began to look better and have started to grow again. It has been raining off and on ever since, just enough to keep the beetles in hiding. 

    Another example also happened last week. Friday there was a heavy rain storm. There was so much rain that many parts of Norway flooded. The water drains/ditches along the property and forest filled up, and instead of draining into the forest, the forest was draining into the area where the garden was. Lars saw it first and took a picture of it to show me what was happening. I went out with him and Kevin to see what we could do, and already the water had risen quite a bit. It was now entering into the walk ways between the rows of vegetables. There was not a whole lot we could do besides pray and build a dam of sod around the edge of the garden. Sabbath was coming, and so we quickly built the dam and left it to God. Soon the rain slowed and the water began to go down. Within hours the garden was out of danger and we lost nothing. Many people in Norway lost parts of their crops due to the water, but God preserved ours. It really gave us something more to be thankful for.

     Our garden gives us a classroom where we can learn about care, consistency, order, creativity, and awe. Each type of plant needs a different kind of care, and they can't ever be forgotten without consequences. Caring for the plants is very similar to caring for people. No two plants are the same, neither are two people the same. Careful, consistent care is needed in order for them to thrive. Their environment must be monitored and their surroundings cared for. Weeds must be removed, distractions avoided, and pruning done so that the plant or person will have clear direction, vision and purpose for their life. 

     I will add more pictures in a bit... I need to go and practice what I preach!      Helen