Deployment Update

It has been a while since Jon has had the time to send an update, but here it is now.

“Greetings:

Well, thanks for all your prayers, encouragement, physical care, correspondence (snail mail, MOTO mail and E-mail), and packages—for me, Sheryl and Joshua. I’m about 2/3rds of the way through this deployment, definitely on the down-hill stretch, and the date when I will have to notify you all not to send any more packages (because if there is a delay in shipment I will not be here) is soon approaching (that date, to play it safe, will be around December 15.

Time is going by quickly for me, especially since getting back from R&R, as I’ve been attending more meetings (my boss has been on the road more, and I’ve had to stand in the gap) and still had the same amount of work to do. Over the last two months, some of the technology I’ve had access to (my blog, archived music, downloading photos and short video clips from my camera to be emailed home, etc) through government computers has been severely curtailed. Access to these services had been instrumental in maintaining a sense of being connected with all of you, so I’ve struggled a little with lower morale over the last few weeks—but thanks to your prayers, continued encouragement, and God’s blessing, I have been sustained. Additionally, I’ve transitioned back to working many hours at the computer without escaping into music via headphones—due to the secure nature of the facilities in which I’ve worked for the last 7 years, I’m historically used to it, and had gotten spoiled in the last 8 months—I’m doing OK with it. I have had to disengage from the FaBQ, the quintet I was practicing with—but that has been a good thing, as the pressure to participate in future programs was beginning to add to my stress levels, not diminish them—and it has proved essential to have that extra hour a day to catch up with my work load.

Just today I received FIVE MOTO mails, I am so thankful for all of you who take the time to write me and keep me up to date with even routine things in your lives. Just knowing that y’all are experiencing life within the expected ranges of ‘normalcy’ make the deviations from ‘normalcy’ in my own routine fully acceptable. Semper Fi, Jarhedjon”

Thank you for your continued support of Jon, Joshua and me.

Sheryl