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Change, change and more change!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water! The import export company was not developing as promised, and did not seem as secure as we had hoped. An opportunity came our way for me to join a management consulting company, and at least try to achieve 3 things: 1) Stay ahead of the curve before I found myself out of a job, 2) Gain invaluable experience and a “success story” on my resume, 3) Hopefully gain some financial benefit. In the past 2 months we have achieved points 1 and 2, point 3 is still slower than hoped. Instead of the 50% increase, it has been closer to 25% which hardly makes the Sunday through Friday travel worthwhile, however, there is promise of promotion in the short term which will be a 100% increase in income - and travel!

So far I have been in and around Little Rock, Arkansas, but am now writing this from Grafton, North Dakota! Amid snow and freezing cold weather I am working with a company that is wanting to grow from a $2 million a year company to a $5M a year company. The contracts last an average 3 to 4 weeks, which is the period in which I must put the plan in place. The position, as you can imagine, is challenging enough and keeps my full attention! The past 32 contracts that I worked on involved a grocery store, and a janitorial / cleaning company. It draws upon all my business experience, and I was given a week training course in Chicago before being “set loose”!

One of the benefits to me is that I get exposed to all these various companies, and get to see all parts of the US - perhaps I can find a company / place to live better than what Dallas has to offer! We are still believing that God will open a door somewhere, but in the meantime I am building my success stories to better qualify me for a senior position in a good company. At least I would hope that my bill rate of $130 an hour plus travel plus $28/day per diem plus accommodation would indicate that!

To give you an indication of the travel, I am writing this from Denver airport, having driven from Grafton, North Dakota to Minneapolis (6 hours) and then flown to Denver as the best available way to get home to Dallas! Do get to see the country-side, and have had 2 weeks to evaluate if we could live in the snow areas, and am pleasantly surprised to say that I enjoyed it, but imagine it could become a bit dreary!

The Home Front
How well have the family adjusted? it will be hard to speak for Dee, but let me try to, as she won’t get to edit this or it will never get out ! The boys do miss daddy, but seem to manage a week without too much trouble. On the one occasion that I did not get home on a weekend, it was definitely more unsettling. I imagine that as they get older it will be more difficult, but don’t plan to do this for too long, just to use it as an avenue to open up doors - if they don’t promote me fast enough, that is, 2 levels up is a head office position in either Chicago or San Jose, California. Ideally we would like a position within a Christian organization, but will have to leave that in the Lord’s hands.

We have seen some change in our friendship circle, have grown away from the friends gained form the church we used to belong to, and have a solid, if small “core” who are a combination of South Africans, Christians and non-Christians. We have learnt (a hard lesson) that in the “South” the word Christian needs to be clearly defined, and so select our “Christian” friends with care, watching carefully for the fruit and not the words!
William has had a good year, we have been blessed by his progress at soccer, although not so much the team that he is in. The next season we might change coaches or move him over to “T-Ball” , the kids version of baseball, where the hit the ball off a stick, instead of it being pitched to him. From his experience shown in the back yard, he will be good at that, too. Does not lack talent, out William, temperament is another story!!! He has done very well in Kindergarten, came home with an impeccable report, enjoys his teacher (through much prayer we believe we have the best in the district!), and he has been a real sponge and grown in leaps and bounds. He has developed some new friends and already at this tender age is experiencing the hurt of who will play with who, who is his friend now, who is no longer his friend, who has what…

Jason… well, what can I say, he has grown a lot, still has his unique sense of humor, will spontaneously walk out the room and come back wearing a towel over his head. Loves to “nuggle” in with his dad when he is home, a real cuddle bug. Has had a late bout of “2’s” and “3’s” hitting a patch where he was incredibly stubborn, possessive and won’t share, which drives William, a loving, caring child, up the wall. He will share, and then expect Jason to. Of course Jason might choose that moment not to, and William just collapses in a heap.

We have a great “home team”, where we are responsible for 10-15 people in the exciting church that we belong to - Eagle Mountain International out at Eagle Mountain, Fort Worth (40 miles away!), and we had an amazing get together last Saturday night that went on until midnight - no-one wanted to go home! The reason that I am mentioning that, s that about 50% of the people present felt as Dee and I do ... we know we are in God’s will - for the moment, but we don’t know where specifically we are headed.

It was described amongst those present as likened to driving a car in the darkness of the night, knowing in a broad sense where you are going, but only able to see as far as the headlight beams show. In addition to this, it seems the further along you are in your Christian walk, the shorter the distance that the beams show, so you press the accelerator in faith (and so that someone does not crash into you from behind!!!)

This position will achieve one benefit in the short-term, it will provide enough income that in the New year we hope to unload some of the jobs that Dee has got herself into. It is no fun with me on the road, Dee working and then having to cope with 2 robust, competitive boys. Dee did share in our meeting that she had grown in my absence - by necessity!- and felt stronger for the experience.

Saturday 9 December, 1995 - to give you a further indication of the travel, I drove 100 miles yesterday through a blizzard, only to find the Fargo airport closed, flights canceled (the door froze shut and they broke the handle trying to open it), spent the night at a comfortable Days Inn with indoor spa and spool, up at 5 am to go on standby on a flight of Denver via Bismarck, then on to Dallas!

The way the company works, is that the longer the contract the higher the commission, and as this one is running well, will be a good month, except that I can expect more fun with flights over the festive season!
The boys are really looking forward to this Christmas, Jason now at 3 1/2 years can fully appreciate “Santa Claus”, (or Father Christmas and his wife Merry Christmas, as I recall it!) They have their wish list together and are working out how he will get down the chimney. Dee is in her element with that regard, very good at setting up creative exercises for the boys, stretching their imagination, drawing, painting etc.

Where was I ... now 25,000 miles high on my way to Dallas from Denver. By divine favor I will be getting in 10 hrs before scheduled, catching a plane here is like catching a bus, there is a lot of flexibility, and any airlines usually accepts the others tickets if they have space. Was good to see the Rocky Mountains next to Denver - one of the things I miss in Dallas is a decent mountain or the ocean! Will have to see what door opens next, reckon (Texan saying) we have acclimatized enough to handle a move to a better city.
Anyway, I was telling you about the boys looking forward to Christmas, last night (night before actually) the local municipality put on a show with Santa and Mrs. Santa (that’s an even newer one to me!) and Rudolph the red-nosed whatchimacallit (man dressed up with a head of sorts on). Jason loves to describe in meaningless detail over the phone, news which might be days or weeks old, and Dee has to translate.

Compared to last year, we have come a long way - there are funds for Christmas presents, although I doubt that I will get a break between Christmas and New Year, this company is amazing in that way - there is no “beach time”, and even if a contract closes prematurely, you head to the nearest airport, call in, and head off on your next assignment. If it is a company that does something you know little or nothing about, they send in manuals with tips on what to look for. So far I have needed them only once, but they certainly helped!

The other achievements of the year are the newer cars - although if I stay with this company any length of time we will probably sell mine, it will be cheaper to rent one at the airport which means no maintenance, no insurance, no payments, and Dee will not have to collect me from the airport. As it is mine just sits most of the time, but when I am home we do need two, as Dee grabs the opportunity to get some “space” and I always have things to do, and enjoy the boys company as I do them!
For the people in South Africa receiving this, the company I am doing the project for in North Dakota manufactures “sizing” machines and sells them all around the world. It sizes vegetables, fruit, nuts, you name it, his father invented it and he took it over 17 years ago. The company will expand rapidly, enormous market available, quality machine, so if anyone fancies buying or marketing them, let me know and I will make the necessary arrangements. The machines range in size and price and are custom built for every customer - ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, with a life of about 15 years with little or no maintenance.

Our trip to SA in April was a great success, for those who got the previous newsletter, we found it a very settling experience. The boys were very taken with my dad’s beach buggy and refer to it often. In fact they love to hear from their grandparents, we read the letters to them and William loves writing back. William in fact won a postal stamp design contest for his age group in Irving - quite an achievement! Jason scribbles, but is convinced it is just as good, his stick drawings are excellent, Dee chuckles with glee when he describes daddy as the big, fat one.
Visitors trickle in, we have had Garry and Carol and family last year, Rob toward the end of last year, and Linda ( my sister) visited in September from Canada where Nic (the Math Prof. at Rhodes) was on sabbatical at Waterloo University) with Paul and Vicky, and we had a ‘great time’ with them, as William would say, took them to Six Flags where Vicky accomplished the second highest award for bravery by riding the double loop the loop roller coaster (the ultimate test is the Texas Giant, a wooden rollercoaster 7 stories high!) - maybe next time, Vicky!!!

Henry - our cockatiel, arrived and has his few bits to say off and on - funny when I phone in and he chirps in the background. The boys renamed him “Simon Henry” after Simon Jack, who William remembers and misses - maybe it is time for another pet... LATEST: Christmas went great, the boys had a super time, I have been promoted to Project Director and am currently in Chicago on training - hope to get home for New Year.
Stay well, have a healthy, happy , prosperous New Year.
Love Brent, Dee + boys.