Family update, August 2019

What a time of transition it has been and continues to be for our family.  We continue to see God’s wonderful plans unfold for Chaili, and you will be seeing more of that over the coming year.  In preparation for some of what is ahead, Chaili has accepted a new position as a labor and delivery nurse at a different hospital that will be closer to the area where she will most likely be living.  These are exciting and encouraging times indeed as we see God’s hand.  Most everyone who knows our family is aware that the most pressing transition for our family this year has been seeing Carey off to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.  For those not familiar with it, this is one of the five United States service academies, where cadets receive a four year education and then are commissioned as officers into the respective branches of military service.  In May of 2023, Carey will graduate from USCGA and receive his commission as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.  He hopes to be a pilot (Coast Guard C-130), but will have many, many options, and has already discovered a love for sailing and seamanship.  

USCGC Eagle, Coast Guard flagship and training vessel for future Coast Guard officers. Carey spent one week on Eagle this summer

Carey Juneman reporting aboard USCGC Eagle

​Carey will “owe” at least five years of service upon graduation (more if a pilot), but will most likely make a career of it.  As a family, we have already fallen in love with the Coast Guard and the very close-knit community within it.  We can now see God’s hand at work even more clearly.  After applying for three of the academies and looking at multiple ROTC options, we can now see that this was the perfect place for Carey.  One of the most challenging times of our life was dropping him off at the academy on reporting day on July 1.  As of the moment of swearing in, he was now active duty military, to be treated as an adult.  

On that day, the “swabs” (what they are called until the end of the summer) had their phones confiscated and we were only able to communicate with him through handwritten letters --- the old fashioned way!  Trina and I wrote every day, and we were blessed to receive two lengthy letters from him.  As of this past Friday, August 16, Carey successfully completed “Swab summer” and on Monday the 18th will be officially received along with his class into the core of cadets at USCGA.  And so begins what is known as 4th class year, with classes beginning in about a week after a lot of administrative in-processing.  ​

Carey has openly shared with us that this has been, by far, the most difficult thing he has ever done, and it is much harder than he even expected (which is saying something after all his prior military preparation).  But we are extremely encouraged to hear that he is absolutely loving it and is thriving.  That is no exaggeration.  We were blessed to FaceTime with him on Friday evening when he got his phone back, and he seems great.  How he has grown already!  It is clear that he and the other cadets are already like military officers.  I could go on forever, but we are so proud of Carey and all God has done in this time, and so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and provision for him.  We are also grateful beyond words for the absolute outpouring of love, prayer, and support we have received from so many people during these days.  We are now military parents.  The road ahead is still long, and it is a brand new chapter and stage of life and being in the support role as parents.  We greatly appreciate your prayers as we learn even more how to depend upon Jesus in this new stage of the journey.  But the same Jesus who has provided all this time will be our abundant supply in all things now and ahead.  Thank you all beyond words. 

Running together in Christ,
​
John