For those of you who haven't heard yet (via Facebook, that is), Jon started a new job yesterday! Last Wednesday, he decided to start calling local machine shops and ask them if they had openings. He googled "machine tool shops near Longview, Texas" and started going down the list. The most common response was, "Yeah, send us your resume and we'll see." When he called Precision Machine Tool, however, the response was extreme excitement. Jon sent them his resume, and (after a miscommunication) was asked if he could come in for an interview that afternoon. Since it was already fairly late in the day and Jon was currently at work, he apologized but said he couldn't. The response: "If you had come in today, I would've started you on Monday." They set an interview for Monday morning, and Jon went. Monday afternoon he received an offer, and this week (starting yesterday) he started working there part-time. He submitted his resignation letter to LeTourneau University, and will continue to work there in the mornings for the rest of the week. He'll work at Precision in the afternoons, then start there full-time on Monday. He'll be working Monday-Thursday from 6 AM-4:30 PM (with 30 minute lunch breaks) and will have Friday, Saturday, and Sundays off.
With that said, we just renewed our lease at our apartments, and will be settling down here in Longview for at least a few more years. Thank you all SO MUCH for standing with us in prayer for a better-paying job in an area of interest for Jon! We have seen God provide for us faithfully the past few years, and we are excited to see how He will continue to provide for us.
A question that people have been asking that we thought we would address: "What about aviation? Isn't Jon still interested in pursuing a career in the field he studied?" Jon is willing to commit 5 years to this company. 5 years of experience in a mechanically-inclined field (especially one that involves making and inspecting parts) opens doors in the field of aviation that would otherwise be closed. He will also have the opportunity to achieve certifications that would further advance an aviation career.
In other news, Summer and "Little Bit" (LB) are doing well. The next midwife appointment is Monday. So far, every time the midwife has come, the heartbeat has been very easy to find and has been very strong. Things are progressing well, though Summer could stand to gain more weight - she's still trying to find her balance with eating more. She has also had some painful back experiences lately, and is working to correct things in daily living to prevent injury and pain. LB has been moving around (Summer felt him/her for the first time early last week, and the movements have slowly become more pronounced and frequent), and is apparently a VERY active child - though knowing the parents, we're not surprised!
Summer will be working for summer camps again this summer (to supplement Jon's income) and continues to run her jewelry business, babysit locally, cater, substitute teach, and will be working for a local clerical temp agency. As things progress with pregnancy (and, of course, after LB is born), she will probably work less (depending on how things go with back pain, especially). After LB is born, she plans to drop to only running her jewelry business.
As said earlier, thank you for standing with us in prayer. We ask that you continue to pray for Summer's pregnancy, and join us in thanksgiving to God for His gift of a job for Jon!
