A Few Reasons We Love Serving at Camp CUMCITO

Battery Swap: Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

Most of you know I work for U.S. Cellular as a Business Account Executive. They are a great company to work for and I enjoy my job. Recently the company rolled out the Battery Swap Program. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but since the roll out all my customers have been really excited about it. Today I activated a new customer in Southern Missouri. When I was explaining Battery Swap to him he said, "You need to tell everyone about this. This is a great program!"

So, why haven't I thought it is a big deal? Because U.S. Cellular is so customer focused that I guess something this big is just another thing we do to serve our customers. It is kind of "par for the course" with all the other stuff we do.

But, after the comment I got today from my new customer, I thought maybe I need to brag a little bit about this program. So here it goes:

Check out our website explaining Battery Swap here:

Here is a copy of the press release that was issued:

Company News

U.S. CELLULAR LAUNCHES FREE BATTERY SWAP PROGRAM

Customers can switch out their phone battery in any U.S. Cellular store

CHICAGO, May 19, 2009 – Today U.S. Cellular launched its Battery Swap program, where customers can come into any store and change out a dead or dying battery for a fully-charged one, for free. U.S. Cellular is the first wireless company to offer this service.

"Our Battery Swap program is a convenience for people who depend on their wireless devices as their lifelines, such as business people, parents, not to mention heavy users who drain their battery daily," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president and COO of U.S. Cellular. "We’re offering this service to help our customers stay connected whenever they need it."

Customers no longer have to worry if they are at work, running errands or travelling and forgot their charger. If their battery starts to run low or dies, they can go to a U.S. Cellular store and swap it for a fully-charged one.

There are some things that you can do to extend your battery life that you might not be aware of. Turning your cell phone off while charging not only will help extend the life of the battery, it also acts as a reset similar to your computer. Power cycling, or turning the cell phone off and then on again, will allow your cell phone to use the optimum tower for its location and clears the cache of the phone. If you get stuck on a screen or have problems texting, power cycling often helps. If these options don’t work for you, then it might be time to swap it for another battery. A brand new battery normally costs about $40.

"This simple idea is just another way for us to give our customers that added peace of mind that their phone will always be there for them in case of an emergency, "Ellison added.

About U.S. Cellular
The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe a wireless phone enhances people’s lives and a wireless company should be in the business of bringing people together. U.S. Cellular has a wide range of monthly plans, including those with unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited free incoming calls and options to prepay. The company has a growing catalog of phones like the BlackBerry^® Curve, HTC Touch Pro and the touch-screen Samsung Delve, which offer e-mail and Web access. Based in Chicago, U.S. Cellular is the nation’s fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier, serving 6.2 million customers across the country. To learn more about the company visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com.

Meet my Friend Antuwan

This is Antuwan, a friend of mine I met at Camp CUMCITO in 2006.

When Janice and I started serving at camp back in 2006 I served as a counselor. We were working at pre-teen camp that year which is for 11 and 12 year olds, and Antuwan was one of the guys in my cabin. We had a tough week. He was the guy at camp that year that caused the most problems and he tried very hard to get under my skin.

Even though that week was tough for both of us, we have remained close. He told me last year that I have been the one of the few people in his life that hasn't given up on him. Last year I was able to stop by camp during Teen Boys week and see Antuwan for a couple of hours. Then last fall I went to Kansas City on a Saturday and took Antuwan and another guy from camp to Power Play, as well as the Camp CUMCITO fall retreat. Then again yesterday I was able to stop and see him for a couple hours at Teen Boys Camp again. This was after he called me this past Saturday night at 11pm asking me if I was going to come see him again at camp.

Antuwan is a guy with a big heart which I have seen in action several times, but he also has a hard outer shell. I have a close bond with him because of the time we have spent together, and he told me yesterday he knows I care about him. I'm going to continue to model friendship and grace to him and hopefully my friendship with him will help him as he continues his journey in life.

Introducing Vince Flynn

Vince Flynn ranks as my number one favorite fiction author. Here is a video of him describing his latest book, Protect and Defend.

Another Unconventional Church

It seems that unconventional is in these days when it comes to churches. Just look at my church. Karis Community Church doesn't even own a building, just a small trailer that we pack our stuff into. We meet at the Missouri Theater in downtown Columbia, unless there is a scheduling conflict and then we have to go somewhere else, like The Upper Crust. There is nothing conventional about that. But I kind of like it that way. Our Worship Pastor even wrote a blog article back in March about our church being "Portable." Check that out here.

One of the programs I enjoy watching is the CBS Sunday Morning Show. I record it each week and then watch it when I get a chance. There is always an interesting mix of stories that always seems to be interesting. A couple of weeks ago they aired a story about a drive-in church in Florida. At first I thought, "Why would anyone go there?" And, "How effective could that be?" But then I thought how great it is that someone is thinking outside the box. Maybe this is an opportunity to connect people with the Gospel who wouldn't otherwise go to church.

Take a look below and watch the story for yourself. I would be interested to see any comments you may have after you watch it. Keep in mind, this is not a venue for a theological debate. Based on some of the comments the pastor makes I probably wouldn't agree with much of what he believes. Watch this with the mindset of a new way to reach people.

Happy watching!

Book Review of The Crescent Through The Eyes Of The Cross by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour

If I was asked to describe this book in one word I would have to say, “WOW!”

In two words, “Eye Opening!”

Dr. Jabbour did a masterful job at making me realize that I have no idea what Muslims believe or how they view us as Christians. OK, I will stop being politically correct; Dr. Jabbour busted my chops!

Dr. Jabbour was born in Syria, grew up in Lebanon and lived in Cairo for fifteen years, so he has a deep understanding of Muslim culture and religion. Dr. Jabbour created a fictional character, Ahmad, which was the culmination of many of the Muslims he has known over the years. Through Ahmad, Dr. Jabbour puts together a case for the Muslim faith. While building this case he points out how we as Christians do not understand Muslims, and as far as I’m concerned he hits the nail on the head.

Here is one of the points Ahmad makes that really blew me away:

“If a young Palestinian man who is an American citizen leaves this country and goes to Palestine and uses his only available weapon, his body, to defend his occupied territory, you perceive him as a terrorist. When you read in your Bible how Samson died, do you perceive him as a terrorist? Do you blame Samson for using his only available weapon, his body, to kill innocent civilians?”

Now don’t misunderstand the point. Ahmad was not condoning suicide bombing, but just saying that our position on it is inconsistent. We see Samson as a hero because he died for what he thought was right. Don’t the suicide bombers die for what they think is right?

I think the biggest effect this book had on me was it showed me that I do have some prejudices toward Muslims that are unfounded and wrong. Christ died for them too. They need the gospel just like I do. They are people with souls and hearts, and many of them are searching for something real. If we are ever going to begin reaching out to Muslims effectively this book should be used as the starting point.

Upon completing this book, Dr. Jabbour gives you the opportunity to contact him directly and he makes more resources available to you free of charge. This guy is the real deal and this book is a must-read!

Wings Over Whiteman Photos

As you saw from my last post, we attended Wings Over Whiteman last weekend and got to see some great airplanes. Here are some photos and videos that Janice took while we were there. We had a great time with Aaron and Maureen. We'll be going again in two years. Maybe you can join us.

Janice and I standing in front of the B-1 Lancer

The B-1 is the only supersonic bomber in the world. Another cool feature is the sweepable wing. The wing will move back and forth while in-flight as the pilot decides how fast he wants to travel. It works much like the now retired F-14 fighter that was featured in the movie Topgun. We were even able to climb the ladder and see inside a little. Because of the top secret stuff inside the bomber we were limited on what we could see.

At the top of the ladder to the right is the seat for the Navigation Officer. He is responsible for keeping the plane on course as well as monitoring all systems of the aircraft while in flight.

At the top of the ladder to the left is the seat for the Weapons Systems Officer. He is responsible for all weapons and defense systems on-board the aircraft. He is also responsible for dropping the bombs when the time comes.

At the top of the ladder and straight ahead is the flight deck of the B-1 Lancer. This was as close as they would let us get. Much of what is contained in the cockpit is classified so entry was prohibited.

B-2 Spirit Bomber Chopper built by Orange County Choppers

This bike was featured on a recent episode of American Chopper on TLC

T-38 Talons Open the show at Wings Over Whiteman

T-38 Talon Trainer

The T-38 Talon is the jet trainer for the US Air Force. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to a squadron of these aircraft and it is the place they use to train our pilots that move on to fly fighters and bombers. This is one of the planes we saw flying in formation in the photo above as it taxied by us after landing.

FM-2 Wildcat

This is the aircraft we saw fly that later had to make an emergency landing due to a broken landing gear strut. The pilot was OK, but the plane had to be removed from the runway as the right landing gear collapsed upon landing. The runway was located behind the hangers that you see here in the background, so we did not actually see the emergency landing.

MiG-17F

MiG-17F

This is the MiG-17F we saw fly during the air show. It was a very impressive display and it made me realize why our pilots in Vietnam were nervous when they took to the skies.

B-2 Spirit of Texas and F-22 Raptor

These 2 planes are so top secret this was as close as we could get. What you can't see in this photo are the armed Security Force Guards stationed around these airplanes. Nobody was going to get close with those guys around.

C-21

This is the flight deck of the C-21 which is the Air Force version of the Learjet 35. This airplane is used to haul Generals around. It can also be used for medical transport and light cargo duties.

B-52 Stratofortress

This is the bomber of all bombers. This airplane is known for its "carpet bombing" capabilities. There were stories that came out of Iraq after Gulf War I, that many Iraqi soldiers would crawl out of their foxholes with bleeding ears and noses and with raised hands of surrender they would be muttering, "Please, no more B-52's!"

B-25 Mitchell "Pacific Prowler"

Here is an original World War II classic bomber. What an honor to see it fly.

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the World War 2 Trainer, T-6 Texan

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

Watch the videos below to get an idea of what these guys did. I love the sound of these old radial engines.

World War 2 Fighter, P-51 Mustang

Another classic and so much fun to see fly.

P-51 Mustang

The F-15E Strike Eagle

This jet was hard to catch on video because of the speed. This shows the beginning of his final maneuver, which was a vertical climb. Janice did a great job capturing this video. He was probably flying at about 300 to 400 miles per hour in this clip.

Here the F-15E Strike Eagle does a 360 degree turn in front of the crowd. In this turn the pilot was experiencing 5 to 6 's.

F-15E Strike Eagle

F-15E Strike Eagle

Afterburners Engaged

F-15E Strike Eagle

A-10 Thunderbolt II

aka, "The Tank Killer"

It's ugly, but deadly. This plane is built around a 30mm Gatlin Gun.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Here he passes overhead in slow-flight

Heritage Flight

This was one of the coolest things to see at the show. A Heritage Flight is when they match up a retired airplane with a plane that is currently in service. They usually only contain 2 aircraft, but we had the privilege of seeing a Heritage Flight with 3 airplanes. Here the P-51 Mustang flies with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

This was the end of the flight. The A-10 peeled off up and left, the F-15E went up and right, and the P-51 went up straight. It was an amazing sight.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

aka, "The Stealth Bomber"

The B-2 Spirit Bomber closed out the show with a few fly-by's. This airplane is one of the most incredible sights ever. It is so hard to see. If you look away for a second it is hard to put your eyes back on it again. It seems like it just disappears into thin air.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

B-2 Spirit Bomber