Another Bonanza Week!

This week brought us 3 letters from Will, for which we are most thankful! The 2nd of the 3 was a 22 page "tome"! He is doing well in general, although was up and down physically and emotionally throughout the week. The numbness in his hand turned out to be the result of "pack palsy", a not uncommon occurrence in boot camp, but a condition that has caused some recruits to be held back or even discharged if not corrected. He was in medical last week having it looked at, and the first doctor pretty much assured him that there was no chance of him being allowed to continue with his training. The doctor in charge came over to look at it and told him that if he could get 3 pull-ups, she would allow him to stay. Out to the bar he went and promptly did the 3....for the first time ever! It's amazing what that did to his motivation!! He was on light duty for 3 days and then seen again, when he was given the okay to go back to full duty. The 22 pages were written during that period of light duty...

This is a huge week for him. It's finals week....both academic and physical tests are scheduled. On Thursday he'll have his final Physical Fitness Test, and that's the one he must pass with the 3 pull-ups, a run, and crunches. If we don't hear from him, all is well! Assuming he's able to do everything, he'll be heading back up north to Camp Pendleton on Sunday in preparation for The Crucible, which begins early Tues. morning and continues for 52 or 54 hours. I can't remember exactly how long it is. That's the final push for the recruits; once they complete that, they receive their Eagle, Globe & Anchor and are officially Marines. Graduation is scheduled for 2 weeks from this Friday -- at long last.

Much of the letters are filled with ideas for how to spend his 10 day leave -- more specifically what MEALS to have during his leave :). He was craving pepperoni pizza as he wrote...I'm sure there will be many more things that will appeal to him once he's out of the depot and has a measure of freedom again. He continues to look forward to times of catching up and story-telling, and being able to re-read the letters he has written. They will jog his memory, I'm sure, as he recounts his adventures.

He hopes that plans will come to fruition for his company to be able to attend a Chargers game the Sunday before graduation. It would normally be a Padres game, but they're not playing at home that week. I know it would be such a great afternoon for all of the guys to be able to get off base and enjoy a ball game, but we'll see if it happens.

We did find out that beginning in October of '07, all recruits are issued their dress blues during boot camp, no longer having to pay for them out of their own pockets later on. Will was particularly excited after his first uniform fitting day, when he was issued all the uniforms. The 2nd (and final) fitting was the end of last week. He had to purchase his white belt and some of his badges and ribbons at the PX to complete the uniform. It was also time for the new haircuts, signifying their progress in the third phase..."high and tight"...no longer looking the part of raw recruits! We were laughing at his observation of civilians as they came for Family Day and graduation....walking with "the civilian waddle". We're all practicing up on our waddles...don't want to disappoint him :)

He has done a great deal of thinking and processing during these past few weeks, reflecting on the past and considering the future. It will be good to be able to sit and talk face to face with him, hearing from his heart what direction he feels lies before him. I know that the 10 day leave will pass all too quickly, but we plan to take advantage of every minute of it while we can.

Thank you for continuing to pray for Will and Aaron. We are so greatly encouraged by all who are walking this path along with our families. For those of you interested in attending graduation ceremonies, please email for information. It is open to all. We are planning to make our way north afterward, stopping at Tom's Farm (along the 15 Freeway) for lunch, hoping to get out of San Diego before traffic gets impossible. There are restaurants and snack shops there -- please feel free to come have lunch with us.

It's difficult to summarize so much written material, but here's a stab: He is doing well, by the grace of God, and is highly motivated and encouraged to finish the course that lies ahead of him. His faith is strong and his love for God and his family and friends, along with the letters he has received, have carried him along these long lonely weeks. Please pray with us as he perseveres through this final stage all the way to the end. We will keep you posted.

10 weeks down, 3 to go...