Many of you have asked me about my job. I am a driver's helper for UPS. I have been working every weekday from 4-7 hrs a day and will be doing this until Dec. 24! They call me at 8:15 a.m. and assign me to a particular driver and meet them on their route. I have had two different ones so far. Basically, I sit shotgun (on a little fold down seat above the steps). The driver hands me a package. I then run to the house to deliver it; hop back into the truck; and we take off again. Occasionally, I get to use the brown diad to obtain signatures. Today, my driver and I made record time. We recorded 177 stops (some have multiple packages) in 6 1/2 hrs. This basically means that I ran a ton (I am currently pretty tired).
Others of you have asked me about my uniform. No, I did not get a set of brown shorts (I know a few of you were really hoping this would be true). I did, however, get a styling set of polyester brown pants, a brown UPS shirt, a brown UPS jacket, and a brown stocking cap (this is the only thing I get to keep).
I also have one preaching gig! I am giving a sermon I wrote for my senior preaching class at Calvin at my former congregation in Mount Vernon Sunday night! I am also leading a youth group lesson that night -showing the new Nooma video. It has been fun to get back and see everyone.
When all this other stuff isn't going on, I am trying to finish up my Home Missions packet for a March 1-4 assessment center. You can keep this in your prayers.
My future plans are starting to develop as well. I found an apartment in Portland. I will be moving in with a guy who owns a house. He attended Western Seminary for a couple of years but now does electrical work. I will get my own room; share the living room, kitchen, etc.; and the best part: I get a stall in the garage to store all my stuff!!! The price is right and it is a ten minute drive from my campus.
Honestly, it has been awesome to see God provide for me. In one day in Portland, I was able to find a place. The UPS job also fell right into my lap. I applied online in November, but didn't here anything from them until a week ago today when they called to tell me they were doing interviews in Bellingham the next day. I drove up to Mount Vernon, unloaded my car, drove up to Bellingham got offered the job, went to orientation the next day and started working two days later!
First, you lock the sheep into some smaller pens in the barn.
You quickly let it go and grab their neck and try to back the sheep toward the sheep shearer. He does his thing after we hand the sheep off to him. He has heavy duy clippers that shaves off the wool. He puts the shaven wool into a pile.
We sheered 54 sheep today which produced approximately 500 lbs of wool. (The two large bags in the back of the pickup).
So there you go. Now you know what sheep sheering is all about. Now that we are done, my family and I are heading to HoHut - an all you can eat buffet Mongolian grill in Sioux City.
