Yesterday Pancho took his final final exam
for his undergraduate degree.
You are looking at a mechanical engineer.
(well, almost; we are still waiting for the
paperwork to be processed)
Pancho began his undergraduate degree pursuit in
1998 in Venezuela.
At that time he was pursuing an industrial maintenance engineering degree.
He attended the university in Venezuela for four years and
the semester he was to complete his internship,
God called us out of Venezuela.
Hindsight makes that decision sound simple.
It was excruciating.
Pancho chose, at that time, however, to trust the Lord
and His perfect plan, even though it meant
surrendering his dream of completing his degree.
We moved to the States and immediately looked into him
finishing his degree.
There were no viable options so he worked as a bee keeper's
assistant and even as a cook in a chicken joint.
(as a side, he is an incredible man, this Pancho that I
blog about... he has never been afraid to
"get dirty" to provide for his family)
15 months after we moved to the States a friend from church
approached Pancho and told him that he felt like he would
be a great fit for a position that was opening up at Greenheck.
We were thrilled to think that God would have this in store for Pancho.
Pancho was offered that position and excelled immediately as
a configuration analyst.
The Lord has blessed Pancho with an incredible gift in the area of
systems (computer stuff) and this was quickly recognized
at Greenheck.
A few years later one of Pancho's co-workers told him about a pilot program that
UW-Platteville was going to offer where he could finish his degree.
We worked quickly to get his credits validated "state-side"
and we were told that the industrial maintenance engineering
major would be best equated with a mechanical engineering major.
Pancho applied with Platteville and began to work with advisors
to develop a plan.
In 2008 Pancho started taking classes through
UW-Platteville as well as through UW Colleges.
In Venezuela the university requirements are much more
major-specific.
Here in the US we take many general education classes.
So, he had to not only take courses in mechanical engineering,
he also had to take classes like music, history and psychology.
It has been a long and windy road and yet
Pancho has persevered.
One semester his first son was born on the first day
of classes.
One semester he needed to travel to Venezuela
to bury his father and attend his sister's wedding.
Through it all God has given him the strength to
minister to his family, to work full-time as well as study.
The title of this post is
"Up until yesterday it was all about ME."
Some may think that I am referring to myself when I say ME.
Nope.
I am referring to M.echanical E.ngineering.
M.E.
Tonight when Pancho comes home there will be no
M.E. to attend to.
When he comes home tonight he will not have to
dine-and-dash to the desk downstairs to study.
Tonight when he comes home he will not have to
kiss all of us goodnight and return to that desk downstairs.
Tonight when he comes home he will not have to
endure hearing the laughter of his children and wife
upstairs while he slaves away, studying.
Tonight when he comes home he will be able to
enjoy his children and his wife.
And we will be able to enjoy him.
God, thank You for providing the opportunity
for Pancho to complete his mechanical engineering degree.
Thank You for giving all of us the grace to help him
finish strong.
And thank You that he is done and it is not about
M.E. anymore!
