We had our first official day of classes today, and the kids had theirs as well. We mostly got out of the door on time today, although I apparently took a wrong turn going out of the center, which led to us having to go the long way around to the home of the homeschooling family we were leaving the older ones with. We had class for the first half of the day, and then had lunch together in the on-site cafeteria (after another run out to pick up the kids from “homeschool school”). We’ve got lots of homework to complete before tomorrow–it will be a challenge while we’re here to balance keeping the family in order while managing all of the outside-of-class work at the same time.
While we were eating lunch, an older gentleman came over to our table and invited us to come tour the hangar and see some airplanes. The kids all jumped at the idea, so we went over there this afternoon. Doug is a pilot who flew Wycliffe/JAARS missions around the world, helping Bible translators carry out the task of making God’s word available to the people He created. He was a great tour guide–he even told us about a homemade wooden tailwheel crafted by one of the local tribesmen in South America to help a pilot get his plane back home when his tailwheel broke on landing.
The wooden wheel was hand-made in the jungle for a plane that had a damaged tailwheel. It allowed the pilot to take off in the plane and get it back to the base, rather than having to wait for a replacement part to be flown out before returning.
Doug next took us out to the hangar itself, where he showed the kids the airframe used by the mechanics-in-training. It was a mostly-fully-functional plane, but they had it in various states of mid-repair. They looked at the control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, stabilizers, and more), as Doug explained how they worked.
Doug demonstrates the function of the elevator, while Phoenix tries to explain what will happen to the plane in flight. Nightcrawler, on the other hand, was more interested in the planes outside the hangar bay doors.
After, they were allowed into the cockpit to pull up on the stick and move the yoke left and right, watching the surfaces move. Phoenix especially enjoyed her go at it.
Phoenix takes her turn at the wheel, pulling up and back, as well as turning left/right. She rocked it like a hoss.
Awe, I love seeing the pictures of yall! We are praying for your family to adjust well and enjoy your time together.
Thanks, Kim. We really appreciate the prayers–and need them. Lately, it seems like as soon as we get back to our apartment, someone flips on the crazy switch–they go nuts for the next few hours. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle of good behavior…somehow, it mysteriously just disappears without a trace!